Despite the current market situation in Europe and the UK, it is still possible to build a house for as low as 100.000€. Choosing to self-build your own house will give you full control over every building decision, allowing you to opt for those solutions that have a lower impact on the final price.
Some of the most important tips to consider:
- Choose the right construction method
- Find a suitable builder
- Optimise the house design
To make sure the construction remains within our desired budget we need to be conscious of every building decision from the design to the finishing materials. Analyse the pros and cons of each decision to know if a budget-friendly house is a good choice for you.
Factors that affect the cost of building a house
When building a house, it is quite common to exceed the initial budget as the overall construction cost is easily affected by a variety of factors. Therefore, to guarantee that the house construction cost remains below 100k, it is essential to include all these factors in our cost calculator and consider them already in the early stages of the process.
- Manual labour: Manual labour is very expensive and therefore, those types of houses that require more manual working hours to be raised will consequently have a higher impact on the final cost.
Customised details: Simple designs are more affordable as the time invested to design and produce them is definitely lower. Prefabricated or pre-designed elements are always best, as any out-of-the-ordinary design element will definitely increase the cost of the house. - Location: The distance between the builder and your property directly affects the cost of the house construction, as the transportation cost will be added to the bill. Bulk delivery or centralised building are best as they highly reduce the shipping frequency and costs.
- Size of the house: The bigger the house, the higher the price. Every additional square metre will add to the final cost as more materials and labour will be needed.
Tips and Tricks to Building a House within a Budget
In order to ensure the house construction remains on a budget, we need to take care of every construction stage. Still, the early decision-making stages are essential to this process as only the right choices will allow you to keep the house construction under 100k.
Choose the right construction method
Modern techniques like prefabrication have changed the house-building industry by offering houses that are much more affordable to build while maintaining the standards of quality and safety. Prefabrication techniques highly mechanise most of the steps, which directly reduces manual labour and construction time, helping to lower the price.
As most of the construction takes place in a controlled environment, there are no unexpected events adding to the cost and the initial budget can be easily maintained throughout.
Find the right builder
Find a builder that offers houses within your budget and whose designs align with what you are looking for. Generally, builders stick to a design style as they have the means to construct with certain materials and elements.
Therefore, to avoid paying extra costs, look for those professionals prepared to build what you are looking for. For example, if you would like the interior finishes to be done with natural materials such as wood, choose a builder offering this option rather than requesting extraordinary elements.
Also, the builder selection can affect transportation costs. Look for those that are located nearby or choose a prefab manufacturer instead, as their centralised building premises and bulk deliveries highly reduce these costs.
Optimise the house design
Designing and customising a house can easily raise your initial budget. Try keeping your designs simple and cut down on the extra costs by choosing a house that has already been predesigned.
Prefab manufacturers offer a wide variety of predesigned houses, helping you find your dream house while maintaining the costs low. Instead of paying extra money designing a house from scratch look for one that fits you among the extensive prefab house models catalogue.
The Pros and Cons of Building a House for under 100k
In most countries in Europe and the UK, choosing a more affordable house rarely translates into an unsafe dwelling. Given that most locations require obtaining building permits in order to build a house, most budget-friendly homes are built up to the building codes which certify the minimum standards of quality and safety. Still, like any decision, choosing to build a budget house has both advantages and disadvantages.
The pros of building a house for under 100k:
- You save money: The most recognisable benefit of building a house for under 100k is the money you save in construction costs. Either because you have a low budget to spend or because you prefer to invest the money in other aspects of the house, such as the furniture, paying less for construction is definitely a plus.
- You get more involved: Controlling construction costs forces you to get more involved throughout the entire process by taking more responsibility in the project management. As a result, you will get a highly personalised design as you get to choose every little detail.
- You will learn to prioritise: To maintain the budget, you will be forced to simplify and cut down. This process will help you prioritise what you need from what you can live without.
The cons of building a house for under 100k:
- The house is generally smaller: one of the most direct ways of cutting down the price is by reducing the size. Therefore, most budget-friendly constructions are quite small.
- You have fewer options: The variety of designs, materials, and finishes to choose from isn’t as extensive when building on a budget. You might be forced to choose a solution that works yet isn’t your favourite.
- The quality might be affected: While the quality of the construction will rarely be too low to affect the safety of the occupants, in some houses, the downgrade in quality might affect the durability of some materials requiring more frequent maintenance work.
Should you build a house on a tight budget?
The opportunity to build your own home despite having a limited budget is, to most, reason enough to choose a budget-friendly construction. However, the disadvantages of low-cost buildings raise doubts among those considering this solution.
It is possible to build a house for no more than 100.000€ and reduce or even eliminate the inconveniences by opting for a prefab type of house. Prefabricated homes are naturally more affordable to build than traditional houses.
Therefore, by building a budget-friendly prefab home you might still include all the rooms that you need, choose the design that better suits your family and avoid downgrading the quality of the build.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to build a house within a budget?
In the UK, it usually takes around six months to build a house within a budget [1]. Yet, you can drastically shorten this timeline to just two months by choosing a prefab house.
Can I build a house for 100k in a rural area?
It is definitely possible to build a budget-friendly house in a rural area. Here, choosing a prefab type of house is especially helpful as it is constructed off-site. Given that other expenses such as the land cost are lower in rural areas, you are likely to get a better deal in the countryside.
References:
[1]How long does it take to build a house Property Registry https://propertyregistry.co.uk/how-long-does-it-take-to-build-a-house/
Featured image: Beachhouse by COMMOD HOUSE
