Construction Cost

[irenengyh]

Brian/ Lee,

My contractor has came back to me and inform that he could lower his prices down without compromising on the quality of finishing and build of the house. His original quote was $630K for a 3.5 storey house on a land of 2,800 sqft. My land is not regular square size and the build up space is more constraint, something like 3,300 sq ft only. My contractor plan to do piling to build the house.

His latest quote was $520K inclusive of GST for design and build. Not sure if I should wait for more drop in construction cost or I should go ahead now.

[lee]

I am a novice in house construction and I think Brian is a better person to consult, since he own a home construction firm.

I just heard news that China is expecting this economic downturn to last for a few years and the Singapore export figures have dropped 35%. If you plan to construct, do be very careful with your finances. Banks are reluctant to give loans and $520K is still a lot of money in absolute terms.

Whether the price will go down further, I think Brian, being in the industry may be able to provide you with some good advice and forecast. Besides trying to get the constuction done more cheaply, I think it is useful to take care of the contractors' interests because they also need to make money and support their families. If you squeeze them too much, they would have to cut corners to make profit.

Cheers.

[Brian]

For an 3.5 Storey Intermediate Terrace 2800/3300sf c/w piling - effectively is a Very Decent Price, I am presuming that this is at minimum - a Reconstruction job. I am taking into consideration that the home would be built with due diligence, responsibily and completed on time.

Personal point of view :

Although that being said, check for - track record, ability to perform and the current number of projects at hand. Then make an informed decision.

It may be more prudent to take other factors into consideration although the pricing is usually the top of list.

Although the market sentiment for material costs is to move downwards, leaving land idle also entails some amount of cost.

Hope that helps.

[irenengyh]

For an 3.5 Storey Intermediate Terrace 2800/3300sf c/w piling - effectively is a Very Decent Price, I am presuming that this is at minimum - a Reconstruction job. I am taking into consideration that the home would be built with due diligence, responsibily and completed on time.

Personal point of view :

Although that being said, check for - track record, ability to perform and the current number of projects at hand. Then make an informed decision.

It may be more prudent to take other factors into consideration although the pricing is usually the top of list.

Although the market sentiment for material costs is to move downwards, leaving land idle also entails some amount of cost.

Hope that helps.

The house is a corner terrace. The construction method is re-erection. The land is somewhat triangular in shape. The package comes with timber strip flooring, hybrid Balinese design. cabinets/ wardrobe, SCV connection, increased power connection from Singapore Power, soil treatment against termites, etc.. Looks like quite comprehensive. Only thing is I have to pay for my own lighting, fans and air-conditioners. Installation is provided free by the contractor and also comes with a handy man for two half days in case I need to drill holes, put up additional shelfs, etc. Performance bond is included but I must pay additional $2,000 and completion is 12 months.

Not sure if I should go ahead with the contract. $520K is still a lot of money. Still considering and not sure if waiting will bring about even better pricing. Some of the more expensive quotes I received not too long ago is in the range of $580K to $650K.

[linda]

I am also exploring to do up my house. I saw quite a lot of useful postings.

Is price measured by psf basis for construction? Would it be enough to construct a 2.5 storey house for $400K all in. My land is about 3000 sq ft. Presently, my house is a single storey and quite run down and is sitted on a hill.

[Brian]

Pricing for rebuilding is based on a variety of items :
Type of land, Soil integrity, Type of Structure, Number of Levels, Design of Building, Materials used, Quantity of Electrical points, Presence of sewerlines within plot, is a Water Tank required, ......... and a whole host of variables.

In a nut shell - it is too varied to summarise costs based on a per sq foot, however it is used by most people because it is much easier to relate with for the lay person.

Just as an example two different projects of the same built-up size - Project A built without Piling and Project B built with Piling - Project B will have a higher cost to build wrt the added costs for Piling, on a per sq foot basis. Piling Costs could be anything from 20K - 100K and This is based on only one item variation.

For a budget of 400K - it is possible to build a 2.5 storey house although there will have to be a compromise on its size.

A more cost efficient suggestion would be to build a two or a part two storey home as you have a decent amount of land to work around with.

Should you like nature and greens build a well planned indoor landscaped open airwell, taking that this is an intermediate terrace. Both breathtaking and functional as this provides for good ventilation and allows in lots of light and provides a good backdrop for the dining area.

[linda]

Is it possible to build a 2.5 storey corner house with land area of about 3000 sqft for $400,000 (all cost inclusive except for furniture & lightings)?

[Simon_Lee]

Hi Linda,

Do you require another quote from Paxel Development? I guess we could work out something based on your budget.
If you are interested, please give me a ring on my mobile and I will arrange for you to meet up with CSL Architect for a free consultation with no obligation. My mobile number as follows: 97990760.

At Paxel Development, in order to assure yourself that you've the best price in the market, we encourage you to use our design to ask for quotes from other builders and only pay a small token for our design and consultation fees but if we've decided to award the builder's job to us, we will waive off the fees.

Regards,

Simon Lee