Everythingape Posted September 13, 2006 Report Share Posted September 13, 2006 I just wanted to show off my house drawings, been working on them for a while, and finally decided to show them to a few contractors/entrepeneurs to get a clue about prices and a judgement on my drawings.. They are not for building the thing, but rather to get a cost estimate. Anyone care to make a qualified guess? I am by no means a skilled draftsman, so technical comments about my drawings will go right over my head. They are based on a house a friend of mine built last year, but I have remodelled it a lot, and the room plans are fit to suit my little family's needs right now, with a few rooms in the basement to play around with when I find the time, or make more babies I have used PS CS2 to draw it, (yes, a LOT of work compared to any CAD-program) and I have changed a few things on the drawings the entrepeneurs saw.. The facade: Facing northwest, it does not get much sun before afternoon. The deck gets the sun from noon til sunset. The bay windows up front are made taller by 40cm in the new drawings, to get more out of our lot's beautiful ocean view. The main floor: The kitchen is just roughly sketched, and cupboards and benches will of course be moved around a bit. The ground floor: Being a man, I am thinking of extending the garage 3 meters back, as we have unlimited space behind it. 4 disp. rooms meaning they are not to be fitted out with much yet. Anyway, this is it.. not a palace, but hopefully where I'll live for the rest of my life.. Unless I win the lottery, then I'll add a few towers and a moat! Any comments appreciated -Ape- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest avitt Posted September 13, 2006 Report Share Posted September 13, 2006 Looks like a beautiful house, and sounds like a beautiful setting. You're a fortunate man. Good luck with the project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Watchwatcher Posted September 13, 2006 Report Share Posted September 13, 2006 nice work. before you go to much further you should also have an architect review your plans. it is a very small price to pay to avoid major headaches down the road. i've seen some very intelligent people develop and build home additions costing several hundred thousand... only to find a serous design flaw afterward. btw, i'm not an architect, but in building my own home several years ago, i learned that architects are usually right and can see critical issues that an untrained eye simply will not. best of luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KB Posted September 13, 2006 Report Share Posted September 13, 2006 It looks very nice to me, is that crazy slate on the floor of the entry? Far better than my home I can assure you Ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everythingape Posted September 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 14, 2006 thanks! I did show it to an architect, actually the guy who drew the house this one is based on. He liked it, and he was impressed with how cheap I would get it, I have redesigned or "undesigned" the back of the house, as we don't need much back there. An architect will also redraw the house before building plans are made. I just hope I haven't screwed something up along the way.. I want to have it drawn in 3D, but we'll see.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor Posted September 14, 2006 Report Share Posted September 14, 2006 Nice house Good luck... hope you post some pics here when you finished the house and invent us for the opening-party Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahchard Posted September 14, 2006 Report Share Posted September 14, 2006 Looks pretty good!!! But what are all those small rooms in the ground floor? I have a friend who is an architect and we are working on a project at the moment building 3 townhouses by the beach as well! He hand drew all the drawings... quite impressive what they can draw with their hands... I have qualifications in civil engineering... but not practising. Maybe if I have time one day I will scan his drawings and post them here as well!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkarpas Posted September 14, 2006 Report Share Posted September 14, 2006 you may now see a neighboor replicate your house ! lol nice drawings.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonthebhoy Posted September 14, 2006 Report Share Posted September 14, 2006 Hi everythingape, I'm a quantity surveyor in the UK (local authority). Your outline design looks fine but more detailed working drawings would be required in order to properly cost this project. Having said that - if this concept has been built before then you already have a step for a hint regarding the cost. I don't know how building costs in Norway compare to the UK and also in the absence of any materials information I could only give you and indicative cost to build this in the UK. We’re looking at a floor area of approx 260 sq.m. (not including garage). Also not including land preparation (there’s a hint of cutting in to a hill on your sketch) I’d say you’re in the region of £100,000 - £120,000 to build. If you were to build it yourself then this will reduce labour costs considerably but plenty of blood sweat and tears. JTB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everythingape Posted September 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 14, 2006 Looks pretty good!!! But what are all those small rooms in the ground floor? Thankee! The small rooms are planned to become a bedroom at the back end there, 2 small "offices" for my gf and myself (mine will be a room for all my toys, guitars, fishing gear and watches) and the 15,7m2 one up front is planned to be a TV-room/extra living room with a fireplace and a little bar if I can fit one in.. When the house is built I don't plan to do anything with them except ceiling and concrete floor, so the dimensions can change after what I need in the future. @ Thor, sure I will post pics all through the building process! And BBQ and beer on the deck around these times next year if it all goes as planned. If we can't get started this year, we'll probably start building in february. @jkarpas, that's the beauty of it, we own the land around our lot too, so we won't get any neighbours we don't want ..and I'd be flattered if someone made a rep.. ...as long as it had a few flaws.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archibald Posted September 14, 2006 Report Share Posted September 14, 2006 Gorgeous. Love the layout. Best of luck on its transformation from paper to reality! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everythingape Posted September 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 14, 2006 Hi everythingape, I'm a quantity surveyor in the UK (local authority). Your outline design looks fine but more detailed working drawings would be required in order to properly cost this project. Having said that - if this concept has been built before then you already have a step for a hint regarding the cost. I don't know how building costs in Norway compare to the UK and also in the absence of any materials information I could only give you and indicative cost to build this in the UK. We’re looking at a floor area of approx 260 sq.m. (not including garage). Also not including land preparation (there’s a hint of cutting in to a hill on your sketch) I’d say you’re in the region of £100,000 - £120,000 to build. If you were to build it yourself then this will reduce labour costs considerably but plenty of blood sweat and tears. JTB Thanks for your interest, JTB! I appreciate a qualified person's overlook Having been at a meeting with a contractor, I now have a hint of the price. They want £158,000 to build the house, that not including the concrete sole and leca block foundation wall.. So I am looking at about £188k finished and moved in... I plan to do the foundation and block work myself, and have people do the concrete sole and the general build. And at current prices here in norway it's not a bad price at all.. You can not get under £165k if you want something a little extra. And with us having the free lot we decided to go a little above the current norm in terms of size and shape. This is kinda what it will look like outside.. 'cept for the roof sticking out like that on the far end.. I took a similar house from the catalogue and changed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonthebhoy Posted September 14, 2006 Report Share Posted September 14, 2006 Thanks for your interest, JTB! I appreciate a qualified person's overlook Having been at a meeting with a contractor, I now have a hint of the price. They want £158,000 to build the house, that not including the concrete sole and leca block foundation wall.. So I am looking at about £188k finished and moved in... I plan to do the foundation and block work myself, and have people do the concrete sole and the general build. And at current prices here in norway it's not a bad price at all.. You can not get under £165k if you want something a little extra. And with us having the free lot we decided to go a little above the current norm in terms of size and shape. This is kinda what it will look like outside.. 'cept for the roof sticking out like that on the far end.. I took a similar house from the catalogue and changed it. As I said I hadn't included the site preparation (or the garage for that matter ) so all in all not far away. I'm guessing building costs are slightly higher in Norway as well. Jeez........don't you need a mortgage for a pint of beer??? JTB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everythingape Posted September 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 14, 2006 Yeah, JTB, not that far off, I have had a few estimates done for just the woodwork, and it came in around what you suggested. I am thinking about doing most of the electrics myself too, allowed as long as you get it approved by a pro. it would save me about £3-4000. I dunno about building costs in other countries, but all in all pretty much anything is more expensive here. Nigh on £6 for a pint this summer, that's why we appreciate a cheap date so much here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest avitt Posted September 14, 2006 Report Share Posted September 14, 2006 Bob! Where's your OSHA certified safety gear? ...Tsk,tsk! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everythingape Posted September 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 14, 2006 See, Nanuq, that's a SMART house, without all the angles and stuff I'm gonna put on mine.. I played around with the idea of a log house, you know, cogging joints, and a tyrol-house, but I ended up with this as the most reasonable yet spacious alternative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everythingape Posted September 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 14, 2006 Nice pics, Nanuq! I'm a keen sportsfisherman myself, started flyfishing 3 years ago, and I love just heading for the hills when thing starts getting to me in the city. We have a few good lakes and a couple of salmon rivers near by, so I don't have any excuses for not going. Been trying to find a good spot for sea-trout the last few years, they are here, but shy. Nothing quite like throwing all my gear and the waders in the Jeep and point it towards the gravel roads. People keep nagging about wanting to go with me, but this is something I prefer to do alone. When my daughter is older I will bring her, and teach her flysfishing and the mysteries of nightfishing for rainbow trout How is the view from your top floor? You see the ocean better from up there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everythingape Posted September 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 14, 2006 I love the ocean too much.. I lived inland, deep in a fjord (sognefjorden if you know it) for a couple of years back when I was an apprentice engineer... I missed seeing horizon so much I felt sick. Coming back out to my island on the coast felt like I could breathe better at last. Growing up on a little island the sea was my playground all summer, and I wouldn't leave it now for money! My father smokes salmon and trout all year, he hangs it after a light smoking and dries it for a week or so and it tastes like heaven! His grandkids beg for it and eat it like candy. hehe He's a retired ship's cook, and catches lobster and crab as a hobby now, as well as salmon and other kinds of fish. He makes the best Lobster fish soup I have ever tasted. -biased- Two of my sisters work in big companies selling salmon to the foreign markets, so you can say I have unlimited supply. But there is absolutely no fish better than the one you catch yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everythingape Posted September 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 14, 2006 No sorry, can't recall ever hearing the name. I live on the coast of the fjord north of sognefjorden, Nordfjord.. Same county though.. The fjords have their charm, I spent a summer on a passenger cruise catamaran in Flåm, beautiful and majestic scenery, and hundreds of Koreans wanting their 4'8 women to pose with a norwegian 'giant' in a sailor's uniform http://www.visitflam.no/default.asp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everythingape Posted September 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 15, 2006 I have done a meeting and a few phonecalls today, getting people to give me a deal on concrete and foundation work, and it looks like the house will end up at about $350,000 without any furniture and wallpaper in it.. I don't think that's bad at all, looking at other people's houses. My bank suggests selling my apartment in advance, but I can't see how that would be a good idea right now, even though people say the house-market has peaked, and I won't get a better price for the apt next year.. I'm counting on gut feeling and I am pretty sure I'll make a nice profit, close to half the cost of the house when selling.. Anybody want a seaside apartment in Norway come this time next year? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahchard Posted September 15, 2006 Report Share Posted September 15, 2006 Over here in NZ for a single storey house building cost is approximately nzd1000 per sq m, and about nzd1200 per sq m for 2 storey. That is for the standard fittings... if you want to go for something more upmarket it would probably add another nzd200 per sq m. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everythingape Posted September 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 15, 2006 And how is the market developing, ahchard? It's been a huge ongoing rise in prices here the last 10 years.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everythingape Posted September 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 27, 2006 Updated house facade after talking to an architect, personally I don't think it looks as good as it did. We plan to build a two car garage next to it, with a loft.. After arguing with mrs Ape about the size of the bay windows, they are extended to 1400mm now, and she wants them 200mm taller.. Crazy wimmen.. With our storms?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everythingape Posted February 13, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2007 Well then! Last week we finally started building. The lot preparation started in mid january, ..a bit more work than we expected. Now we've set up the sole for the foundation, built a few walls around it and levelled it out pretty well. Hoping to start the basement walls in 10 days or so, hoping for dry weather and not too much frost. Not being used to this kind of labour, I spend nights aching and respecting builders a bit more. Anyway, I'll post a few pics when we've done something worth looking at, but for now, here's a pic of the view from my lot. The power lines and pole get taken down in a few weeks. It's expensive, but I know it'd drive me crazy to have them clutter up my sunset view. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonthebhoy Posted February 13, 2007 Report Share Posted February 13, 2007 Excellent news! I was wondering when you would finally get a start. No greater feeling than seeing it all develop out the ground. Good luck and keep us posted with some more pictures. JTB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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