Cost and steps of building a private house: from foundation to roof.
What It Takes to Build a House
Modern specialized periodicals are filled with offers from construction companies. None of them remain without work. Since building a modern house is a complex and costly process, hiring builders is justified, as they possess specialized, narrowly focused skills and knowledge. Nevertheless, individual builders still rely on their own efforts, as before. So how should one choose the right method of construction?
Sometimes hiring builders is justified
If a large house is planned, as is often the case today for owners of suburban plots near the capital, it is impossible to do without hiring developers. In this case the entire work cycle must be done properly, from design through to landscaping. The ideal option is to entrust all stages of work to a single firm. Then the result will match the original plan. Otherwise the owner may end up with an entirely unpredictable outcome.
Various casual laborers and informal crews promise to do everything at a lower price, but here there is no guarantee of high quality and reliability. They are unlikely to use the latest technologies, such as aerated concrete (AAC), for example. In that case only the client can act as guarantor. If they are able, willing, and have the strength, desire and time to handle it themselves.
Sometimes clients, for various reasons, use the services of several contractors. Some carry out the foundation work, others erect the walls and roof. Such a construction process can drag on for several years. When it is cost-effective, such a decision is quite justified, but the responsibility for choosing contractors still rests with the client. The main problem is that, as a result, it will be difficult to find who is to blame for an unsatisfactory construction outcome.
Advantages of building your own house
Even taking into account the high labor intensity, a house built with one’s own hands has many clear advantages over a commissioned one. The first advantage is significant financial savings—almost twofold—since expenses go only to the purchase of materials (for example, aerated concrete blocks, etc.). According to statistics, those who build themselves are not very wealthy developers, so this aspect is very important.
The builder’s age also plays a role in the case of self-construction. The desire to have one’s own house usually arises in people who are at least 40 years old. At that age and older they are likely to succeed. Younger builders are better off hiring professionals.
A single family does not need a very large house. An ideal size is 70–80 sq.m. Extra space will increase costs and is unlikely to be used efficiently.
Currently, one- or two-story houses with an attic are popular among developers, with the attic often used as living space. Having an attic gives homeowners a clear gain in living area without increasing the building’s footprint.
