Q. Hi Kieran
After a long journey, we have finally received planning permission for our new home in Wicklow. However, given the length of time that it has taken, the price of our newbuild has now increased since our original builder’s estimate. Are there areas where you can scale back on the build to save costs and get our house finally built?
Catherine, Wicklow
A. Hi Catherine
Thank you for your wonderful question. This is a topic close to my heart. I run a design and build company, KMC Homes where all client conversations involve design, planning and of course budget. We design new homes to client’s budgets so you are always having to nip and tuck to keep things on track and every project is different. Sometimes it’s the site that drives the spend and sometimes the client’s aspirations. Either way the books need to be balanced at the end so it’s great to see you are focused on this issue from the start. I am sure you will maintain this watch and your project will go well from here. So, let’s have a look at the options available for budget savings.
When it comes to expenditure on site, there are a few areas where savings can’t be made. You need to get the main elements of the build completed (foundations, walls, roof, windows, plastering, drains etc) so these are off the table. Beyond these structural elements you have the finishes and the management. In the past some people took on the management of a building project themselves. This is called a ‘direct labour’ project. Essentially you manage and coordinate all the trades yourself. You check their insurance, you order all the materials, you keep the site tidy and safe, you engage with your engineer, you are essentially the foreman of the project. This certainly saves money but not time. It is difficult to hold down a demanding job (like most of us have today) when running a busy (you hope) building site. Most of your days will be spent managing the site. When will the foundations be finished? When will the masons start? How much will they cost? Do I have all the material they require? Do I have all the answers to their myriad questions? When will they require scaffolding? I have spoken to many people who have done this in the past and they generally swear they would never do it again. It takes too long, it’s too stressful, the project, their day job and their family life suffers. If however this does appeal to you, you feel you have the time, expertise and risk appetite, then this is certainly an option to save an amount of money.
Next you could look at phasing some of the works. I have heard people say they would leave off fitting out some of the bedrooms until later but in truth this is not a major saving. Yes, growing up I remember friends building a house and several of the rooms were left unfinished but you are only saving on flooring, skirting board and paint. There is certainly a saving but these contractors are on site to finish other rooms so you are losing some bargaining power here where you could negotiate a better deal. You also have to deal with the headache of getting these trades to complete these works further down the road so you are inviting builders and dust back into your house again later on. The option I would opt for here is phasing some of the non critical external works outside. The most obvious first step is to leave off the external painting of your house for a few years. This will have little bearing on your enjoyment of your home. You could for example defer the building of your pillars and the fitting of your (electric) gates. You could omit the tarmac and kerbs on your driveway and realistically survive on a hardcore driveway for now. You could similarly get your patio built at a later stage. Yes, some of these options are a little less appealing on a warm summer day but the end justifies the means.
Internally savings are a little harder to come by. Clearly you can save a little on your finishes. Kitchen prices vary wildly depending on who you go to and most kitchens today are of very good quality so shop around. Tiles and flooring can vary wildly too. When it comes to tiles, I would certainly look at what you are tiling; for example, in a bathroom are you tiling all the walls or just local to the sink, bath and the shower? This works fine and saves a lot of money. (simple tile designs and avoiding too many borders or odd shaped tiles help too)
When it comes to timber flooring, modern laminate floors are excellent in terms of durability and value and definitely worth looking at for savings. Then comes the bathroom ware. Yes you can save here but be sure to buy reasonably priced products from a reputable supplier. Ask your plumber for advice, remember they will be the ones replacing these goods later on if they don’t stand the test of time. Be frugal yes but certainly Invest in quality here.
You could of course look at doing some of the work yourself or call on some of all those favours from friends and family you’ve racked up down through the years. There is certainly the painting that could be looked at or perhaps laying some of the laminate flooring in the spare room but again the savings will quickly be swallowed up but the time and stress involved and there is no doubt that the tradespeople will likely do a better job. You don’t want to be at the end of your project looking at the timber floor in the nursery and saying to yourself, “if I had my time back..’
Kieran McCarthy is a building engineer and director of KMC Homes bespoke A-Rated new home builder, serving Cork and Limerick. He is also co-presenter of the RTÉ property show Cheap Irish Homes and a new TV show showcasing deep retrofits in existing homes in Ireland.
Check out KMC Homes’ brand new website kmchomes.ie
Follow Kieran on instagram @kierankmc for more home building information, tips and Q&A advice.
You can also follow Kieran on the Built Around You Youtube channel and @kierankmc on TikTok
