⌛ Costs For New House Construction

The following may be helpful for those of you who may be considering having a house built. I wish I would have asked for and received this information before I got started, for my decision-making and financial planning. I will speak in only percentages to keep my financials (crisis) private. The actual costs were much more than I expected to pay.
As background, we wanted a large enough lot to build a house on and have a large enough garden and gazebo area. What I didn't realize at that time was the costs to put a high concrete wall around the house with security wire and a nice front fence and gate, and moreover, the builder and I designed the house to put the carport in the back of the house resulting in a long concrete driveway requirement going around the house - I didn't consider too much the impact this would have on the total cost. Additionally, we required a concrete drainage canal with grill cover along side the lower wall. Finally, I wanted the house built more than a meter off the ground so backfill was required for both the house and driveway.
For the house, we wanted a one story with high celings, 3 aircons, and a tigula tile roof and tinted windows and interior security grills in all the rooms. We also extened the porch to a wrap around terrace.
Following is the breakdown of percentages of overall cost:
House incl roof, security grill, aircons 62%
Concrete walls, fence, and driveway 16%
Lot 21%
Misc 1% (for any former accountants checking my totals) appliances, etc.

I hope this doesn't resonate as bragging; the intent is to enlighten those of you who may be considering taking a similar approach. In retrospect I could have gotten by with a smaller lot and smaller house. A plus for us is we purchased our lot in Bacong (not on the beach) so the lot cost was lower than all the lots we looked at in Dumaguete so we could go a little higher in areas such that are important to us. Our builder is great and discounted where he could, we elected to go with his higher price option. Still, my overall costs were more than 20% over what I expected and planned on spending.

Botton line, we have a California/Bali design home for 20% of what it would cost in California. I've talked with a few of you on the forum who have also dropped their nest egg on building their nice home here and all are very happy with their decision so I'm sure we will be as well. Hope this helps interested parties. Not all my decisions were good ones!

 

Read this as well. It has a very close estimation of the average square meter price for building here.
In this same "General chat" under "Would like to retire in dumaguete".
And when you take into account that your best/most costly estimation will end up with a 20% higher 'result', then it is exactly my own experience.
I got that 'budget-advise' from another and he was very right in that.
And I see that PatO is also close to that, although he must have missed that advise

 

Jellyfish, you are right, I did miss that on the forum. Although I was registered I was not actively using the forum as intended, and it probably cost me. I had an option from my builder to go with p18,000 per sq mtr or 20,000, depending on the pkg you wanted. Example, granite covered kitchen island, indirect lighting, etc. But 20% overage is right on. Thanks

 

I have a friend who completed construction of a nice, upscale home (granite, hardwoods, custom cabinetry, etc) in Cebu City a year and a half ago. He claims his cost of construction (only construction, not counting the lot, etc) was P16,000 per square meter. He had two contractors early on, but ended up firing both and completed the project himself with a foreman.

I assume you are saying the costs for your projects were around P24,000 per square meter. Now, I realize their will be some mark-up in using a contractor and that supplies may be a little cheaper in Cebu City due to added competition, and his house is in a gated community so it doesn't have a wall, but that is a 50% cost difference...am I missing something? How much is a typical contractor mark-up?

 

Pat! Azon tells me your figures are not far out on the % issue and she is an Accountant, I take your point on Not wanting to be ostentatious But it is all about your own requirements, We have Lola with us so, we had a few extras, total cost was at 35.000 psqm, Dear by most standards and that was with the family connections. I do agree that in hindsight, you could have probably done yours a little cheaper BUT would you have been as happy. I am no builder, we trust and be advised but it is the end result what matters. Perimeter walls are always a bigger cost that at first envisaged, this I feel is a problem (cost issue) that no one ever really realises until Built. As a general rule, I can agree that most can look at a 25% to 30% overspend, Mine was a lot more and I am so embarrassed that I never listened before to other posts, even though we have a family of builders around us, the cost escalated beyond the reasonable. Concrete Drive, tell me about it, Order to delivery alone was 11% up so in all, Decisions, Decisions.

Done Dusted we are happy, Overspend and all.


Jack P.

 

Pat; building up that meter above grade will pay dividends in the future plumbing wise. Clogged drains tend to unclog themselves if they have a good head of water above them. The traps under the sinks, on shower drains and the porcelain throne is self trapping, should be your only problems and usually easily remedied with a plunger. At least till you get a hair clog in the shower, but that's probably years away. Robert K

 

Just remember to poison for termites in the dirt you used for backfill.
I never thought of doing it, but sure enough we got termite damage in the areas we used untreated yard dirt for backfill.

Congratulations on the new house Pat, we'll stop by soon and check it out.

 

My builder has two cost options: p18,000 or p20,000 per sq mtr, the latter includes upgrades and better cabinets, shower, toilets etc. Other builders quoted the same 18-20k range.

 

Thanks Mark, I never thought of that. We really don't have much wood in the house construction except treated Matwood railings and cabinets and doors, everything else is steel and concrete and tile.

 

Jack, I assume your 35,000 psqm is total cost divided by house sq mtr? My total, not incl landscape but inclucing walls, fences, driveway is 32,600 psqm so with landscape they will be close. So that can be a base number others can consider as total cost (depending of course on house and lot size).