Beginner's Guide - Step 1 - Choices

Before you start your self build or renovation, there are some important questions to consider. H&R's beginner's guide is here to make sure you don't trip at the first hurdle

Select the average build cost per square metre from The H&R Average Build Cost Guide by reference to your chosen build route, number of storeys, the area in which you are building and the quality of your specification — the details are explained below.

Choose Your Build Route

Your level of involvement in the project will influence the build costs. For simplicity, the four most common build routes have been identified below.

• Build Route A: Building on a largely DIY basis, substituting around 30% of labour costs with DIY, and employing help with the rest of the building work. Materials pur chased directly.
• Build Route B: Building using tradespeople hired directly. Minimal DIY involvement. Most materials purchased directly.
• Build Route C: Building using a main contractor or package supplier to complete the structure to a weathertight stage, with the remaining work being under taken by subcontractors with most materials purchased by self-builder direct from suppliers.
• Build Route D: Building using a main con trac tor. Building in this way requires the least involvement from the self-builder.

Choose Your Home’s Size

The size of the house will influence the build cost. A larger property will tend to have larger rooms and proportionally fewer internal walls, fixtures and fittings. The economies of scale in building a larger property are incremental but for the purposes of estimation, three categories have been selected: small, medium and large.

Choose Your Region

There are cost differences from region to region and within the same geographical area, e.g. between town and coun try. For the purposes of estimation, however, the country has been divided up into four main regions. Urban areas are likely to be more expensive.

Choose the Build Quality

The standard of specification that you choose will have an enormous influence on your build cost. For estimating purposes, three general categories of quality have been identified:

Standard: This represents a basic build quality equivalent to that offered by most speculative developers. Cavity walls: facing bricks (£250/1,000 or £45/m2 laid), insulation, and 100mm block work; concrete interlocking tiles (£28/m2 laid); standard softwood joinery; studwork partitions; contract kitchen; basic sanitaryware; and radiator central heating.

Good: This is equivalent to that offered by quality developers. Cavity walls: facing bricks (£450/1,000 or £56/m2 laid), insulation, and 100mm blockwork; clay machine-made tiles (£36/m2 laid); high-end off-the-shelf softwood joinery; blockwork partition walls; top-of-therange contract quality kitchen; quality sanitaryware; and underfloor heating (UFH) downstairs.

Excellent: A very high stan dard. Cavity walls: bricks (£650/1,000 or £67/m2 laid), insulation, and 100mm blockwork; plain clay tiles (£45/m2 laid); hardwood joinery; blockwork partitions; bespoke kitchen; quality sanitaryware; UFH.

Having found your rate (£/m2) from The H&R Average Build Cost Guide make any adjustment for quality or unusual materials that may be necessary (SEE STEP 2) and then multiply the adjusted £/m2 by the gross internal floor area of your design to calculate a build cost estimate.

Further reading:

• Beginner's Guide: Introduction
• Beginner's Guide: Step Two
• Beginner's Guide: Step Three
• Beginner's Guide : Self Build Schedule
• Beginner's Guide: Tax
• Beginner's Guide: Finance