Money Matters of Modern Homes

While breaking away from the norm is part and parcel of building your own home, can you go too far with your house design? After all, your house is likely to be the single biggest invest­ment in your lifetime — so will breaking away from the masses in design terms also break the bank balance?

When it comes to build costs, the answer is a resounding yes. As in most self-building matters, it pays to look at the decisions the developers make.

Len Hindle, the Managing Director of James West Construction Ltd, has no doubt that different means dearer. His company has been doing design and build since 1992, and believes using non-standard sizes, materials and ways of working invariably attracts greater costs. “Working with traditional designs means you have access to a greater range of sup­pliers and materials, and of finding the build­ing skills with expertise in building in your chosen style. As soon as you start commis­sioning specials and one-offs, there is an immediate price premium to be paid. It can also affect the value of what you have created as well. Clients look for things to be a certain way. In the same way institutional values for specialised and odd-sized commercial build­ings are written down, there is a resistance in the residential market against anything that is too off the wall.”

His view is backed up by other profes­sionals in the property sector. Audrey Mellin from Alan Kirkham Estate Agents, who has been selling properties for more than 20 years, and currently has more than 500 properties on offer from four offices in Greater Manchester, finds that a very modern or con­tem­porary design makes it a restrictive market. “A contem­porary design will always attract attention on the housing market simply because of the nature of the property. Ultimately it is essential that the property blends with the surroundings. Many buyers will take time to adjust to ‘modern-day living’, whereas younger buyers are tuned into design, tech­nology and energy efficiency. That makes it a restrictive market for futuristic design. How the design will age is another consideration. But intelligent use of design works well; an interest­ing glass balustrade or feature stair­case can make a property really stand out and add real value.”

However, don’t give up on your modern dream all together — there is real evidence that at the very top end of the market different means desirable. Westshield Homes has built over 120 mansion-style homes in recent years, and is currently constructing three individual homes each costing around the £3,500,000 mark in Cheshire. Laurie Bradley is the Divisional Manager of Westshield’s New Homes division, and he says design differ­ence is absolutely essential in this market. “The clients in this market insist on an exciting and original design, and the cost of materials is not really a consideration. These houses have the highest possible specifica­tion, and build costs will be in the region of £250 to £350 per square foot (£2,700-3,800/m2). As well as eye-catching curved or other unusual designs, features such as basement levels for gyms, multimedia rooms and sunken patios are very much in demand.”

Modern vs Traditional Design - The Figures

These figures are based on a survey of 113 case studies that have appeared in Homebuilding & Renovating magazine since January 2005.

“The contemporary part of my new home cost 30% more and took twice as long as the rest of it… but I’d do it again!”

Experienced self-builder and H&R Editor-in-Chief Michael Holmes has always longed to build a contemporary home so when it came to his and wife, Emma’s, third self-build project – their previous two were Georgian and Arts & Crafts inspired – he decided to create a frameless glass dining room at the rear of what is otherwise a classical Georgian-style property. Designed to look like a modern extension to an older property, the structure uses a steel frame to support a flat roof which appears to float over two walls of floor-to-ceiling glazing — the weight of the roof is supported at this point by a single 125mm diameter steel column. “Getting the floor levels exactly level inside and out, separated only by a stainless steel drainage gully, required very careful co-ordination of the different trades,” says Michael. “As did ensuring that the ceiling and soffit of the flat roof are exactly flush. We found it incredibly difficult to marry up the architect’s construction drawings with those of the structural engineer, the glazing supplier and the steel frame supplier — all of which showed different dimensions. In the end I had to go back to basics and decide myself on site exactly what I was trying to achieve and work back from there. It took far longer than the rest of the house, involved more work and was the most expensive aspect, but it was definitely worth it, and I would do it again. It is the feature that has the greatest ‘wow’ value in the house.”