Agony Aunt and the Built Environment

Dear One Last Soul,

I am thinking about building my own house. I like the idea of it but actually have very little information on the practicalities and costs. My own grand design is for a low energy and high tech building, quite stylish, you know the sort, a bit cubist with lots of open plan space and glazed areas. Something in a timber frame would be nice. I have found a bit of land, well, actually I am quite happy to just bulldoze my existing, old and energy sapping dwelling and start from scratch. Can you help?

Well, here goes.

Confirm that the land is developable.
Draw up a plan of that dream house to comply with Regulations
Get Planning Permission
Initial Costs £14,189,60. (includes Architects fees of £11,100)

Make sure that you have enough funds for the job
Get Insurance and Warranties
Arrange temporary accommodation. Possibly with Mother in Law.
Setting Up Costs of £4978.93 plus ongoing Mortgage liabilities dependant on loan amount

Ready to get started on Stage 1- out of the ground
Deposit on timber frame
Hire some big yellow skips
Demolish old house, make good the site
Excavate for foundations
Pour concrete.
Drainage arrangements
Ground floor construction
Eco infrastructure for rainwater harvesting
Time costs for explaining to neighbours what it is all about
Costs £55,019.70

Stage 2- Schedule to delivery and assembling of the timber frame house kit.
Scaffold and Crane Hire
Reimburse neighbours for damaged fence from large lorry mounted crane
Labour
Ample tea and biscuits
Cost £29,681.87

Stage 3-getting wind and watertight
Roof covering, rainwater fittings, windows, doors, Solar Panels, external claddings
Tarpaulins just in case of rain
Wellies and Macintoshes
Cost £59,107.90

Stage 4-Getting the inside sorted
Plastering
Joinery
Services in place
Staircase
Upper floors
Home automation system
First Aid Kit for minor injuries
Cost £69,331.31

Stage 5- best bits
Finalise all services and fittings
Kitchen fit out 
Bathroom installation
Tiling
Decoration
Cleaning and clearance of site debris
Landscaping
Bottle of Champagne
Cat flap
Invite Mother in law to housewarming and buy large bunch of flowers
Think about asking the neighbours around as a peace offering
Cost £24,398.75

Time elapsed, if to schedule ,from start to moving in, 20 weeks (optimistic)

Total Cost to build £256,708,06 including VAT (Land already owned in this example)

Net Build Cost therefore £205,366.45

Size of house created, 205m2 (2206 sq ft)

Cost per m2 £1252 of gross cost (£116 sqft)

Value of house when completed?.......in the eye of the beholder (Depends on location)

This represents very much the highest specification for a modern house. If you are not
feeling up to the challenge Barratt Homes can do it for £500 m2 but then again as my
old man says "you get what you pay for".