{"id":2676,"date":"2021-08-17T12:58:56","date_gmt":"2021-08-17T12:58:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.yopa.co.uk\/homeowners-hub\/?p=2676"},"modified":"2022-08-01T14:17:07","modified_gmt":"2022-08-01T14:17:07","slug":"how-much-does-it-cost-to-build-a-house-in-the-uk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dy36-2.stage.yopa-dev.co.uk\/homeowners-hub\/how-much-does-it-cost-to-build-a-house-in-the-uk\/","title":{"rendered":"How much does it cost to build a house in the UK?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

With everyone spending\nmore time than ever at home over the past 18 months, making sure our homes are\nthe perfect haven has never been more important. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what\nhappens when you just can\u2019t find the perfect home in the right location that\nticks all the boxes including a price tag within budget? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, there is\nthe option to design and build your own dream home of course, which can often\nwork out as the cheaper alternative. But for the uninitiated, how much will\nthis actually cost and how do you budget accordingly? Read on to find out!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the\naverage cost of building a 3-bedroom, detached home in the UK today? <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The \u201cphrase how\nlong is a piece of string?\u201d certainly springs to mind when considering the\ncosts of building your own home in the UK, although a rough estimate for building\nan average 3-bedroom home of around 90 to 120 square metres in 2021 would be in\nthe region of \u00a3240,000 \u2013 \u00a3365,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the\nfinal price you pay will be dependant on a range of variables such as the\nlocation of the land you build on, the size and complexity of the build, its\ndesign, materials and the internal fixtures and fittings that you decide on. For\ninstance, a standard kitchen costs around \u00a36,000 on average and a bathroom\nanywhere from \u00a31,500 upwards depending on its size and the fixtures you\nselect.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As such, your\nfinal costs can only be determined once you have all of these details in place\nand you may need to tweak the budget as you progress through the building\nprocess if you make any changes along the way. As a general rule of thumb, you\nshould also set aside an additional 10-15% of the total budget as contingency\nfor any unexpected costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the\nbreakdown for the cost of building your own home? <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

First and\nforemost, you will need to purchase the land<\/strong> on which the property is\ngoing to be built unless you already own the land. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The average\ncost for an acre of agricultural land is currently in the region of \u00a310,000 –\n\u00a320,000. For residential land, it is difficult to predict an \u2018average\u2019 figure\nsince the regional differentiation across the UK is huge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, an\nestate agent who specialises in land sales will be able to give you a guide to\nland prices in your local area and provide an indication of how much to offer\non a particular piece of land. Many agents and surveyors<\/a> will also offer a valuation service if\na guide price is not already in place for a piece of land or you are offering\nto buy land which is not already for sale. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before you\npurchase any land though, make sure you will actually be able to build the home\nyou are dreaming of on said land. Much like purchasing a house with the\nintention of extending, you can apply for prospective planning permission<\/a> on land that you do not own. In fact,\nwe would actively encourage this approach to avoid expensive disappointment\ndown the line. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember to make sure that the land you are purchasing is suitable and approved for residential use<\/a> too. Equally, if you are going to be using the land for commercial use or a mixture of the two, you need to make sure you have the relevant consent to do so which may require a change of use application. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Employing the service\nof a <\/strong>legal professional<\/strong><\/a> for the land transaction is as\nimportant as it would be if you were buying a ready built home to ensure the\nland is legally yours and you can use it as planned. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unless you have\nexperience in designing and building properties from scratch yourself, your\nnext big outlay will be the costs for an architect and structural engineer<\/strong>.\nThis will vary depending on the size and scale of the build, but the cost of\nyour professional service fees (for your conveyancer, architect and structural\nengineer) will generally be around 15% of the total build cost. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

An architect<\/a> will know the best materials to use and\nthe type of property most suitable for the location of your proposed new home, helping\nyou to adhere to local planning authority guidelines so you can get planning\npermission and locate a suitable builder, plumber and electrician (or a\nconstruction company that provides all of these services). As with any service\nprovider, do your homework and make sure you get a range of quotes from\npotential architects and construction companies. Personal recommendations are\nalso enormously helpful and if you see a newly built property\/a property\ncurrently under construction that you like the look of, don\u2019t be afraid to ask\nthe owner which architects and builders they have used. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, onto the cost of the construction<\/strong> itself…<\/h3>\n\n\n
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\n \"\" <\/div>\n
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\n Instant online valuation<\/span> <\/div>\n
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Get a rough estimate of your home's value now.<\/p> <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n

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\n \"\" <\/div>\n
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\n Face-to-face valuation<\/span> <\/div>\n
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Book an appointment with your local Yopa agent.<\/p> <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n

Obviously, the\ncost of construction is going to be dependent on the types of materials used\nand the size, style and complexity of the build but will generally take up\naround 30% of the total cost of your build project. The estimated cost of\nbuilding a new home is \u00a31,400- \u00a33,000 per square metre of floor space, so about\n\u00a31,800 per square metre on average. If you don\u2019t deal in metric, then this\nequates to between \u00a3130.00 – \u00a3279.00 per square foot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cost of construction\nwill then be broken down into the following areas: foundations, floor\nstructure, superstructure (the walls, roof beams and external cladding), roof\nstructure and cover, drainage, electrics, plumbing and heating, internal\ncarpentry, plastering, decoration, tiling, flooring and landscaping. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A more detailed\nbreakdown of these separate costs and the amount of your budget that should be\nallocated to each area can be found at homebuilding.co.uk<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your architect and\nconstruction company will be able to advise you on the costs of your chosen\nmaterials and also suggest more affordable options to achieve a similar effect within\nthe constraints of your budget. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whilst the cost\nof the land, professional service fees and the construction of your home will\ntake up the lion\u2019s share of your budget, there are some additional costs that you\nwill more than likely need to factor in too. These include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n