In Part 4 of a four part series about build costs in Ireland, quantity surveyor Keith Kelliher explains how to budget for your build and what pitfalls to avoid, including:
- Why the most common budget buster is not having a budget in the first place
- How to deal with price increases for materials when self-building
- Rate of inflation on materials 4 per cent per year
- Can ground conditions be budgeted for? Worst case scenarios.
- Most common budget busters: lighting and electrics, how much each electrical point will set you back, how many do you need?
- Benefits of quantifying each element
- Pre-existing services, how to prevent nasty surprises
- PC Sums not being realistic, e.g. windows including costing estimates
- Where windows are coming from and how they’re designed, knock-on effects with blinds
- Where money goes into windows, ironmongery costs
- Kitchen costs, how the add-ons work
- Bathroom costs, where to spend and where not to spend
- Which trades are more expensive
- Staircase and carpentry costs
- Will modular homes save you money?
- Benefits of employing a quantity surveyor
- Benefits of employing an architectural designer
