The modern trend is that many residents of large cities would not mind living closer to nature, in their own home. The demand for suburban areas is constantly growing, construction on them is expanding.
Of course, the easiest way is to hire a team of builders who will take on the main load. But for most Russians it is common to try everything on their own, so many people practice building a house with their own hands on a purchased plot.
For central and northern Russia, the traditional building material has always been wood, and despite the variety of other possibilities, wooden houses have not lost their popularity at all. True, technology does not stand still in this matter, and instead of log houses made of round timber, houses from timber have begun to be actively built.
This table provides information on the sizes of rafter legs depending on their length:
| Rafter length in mm | Distance between rafters in mm | Sectional size of timber for rafters mm |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 3000 | 1200 | 80×100 |
| Up to 3000 | 1800 | 90×100 |
| Up to 4000 | 1000 | 80×160 |
| Up to 4000 | 1400 | 80×180 |
| Up to 4000 | 1800 | 90×180 |
| Up to 5000 | 1000 | 80×200 |
| Up to 5000 | 1400 | 100×200 |
- So that when the walls shrink, which is inevitable to one degree or another, the entire roof system does not become distorted, (the upper beam of the wall) is carried out using sliding fasteners. These elements will allow rafter legs move a little, don't break it in in this design.
- At the top of the rafters can be fastened different ways- this can be a ridge board, or they are fastened together with a metal plate.
- The next step is to install the remaining elements rafter system- these are racks, puffs, “grandmother” and others. The need for specific additional elements is determined by the size and complexity of the roof structure.
- On installed rafters a sheathing is stuffed in, which is covered on top with a vapor barrier film.
- Next, on top pl Then a counter-lattice is installed or plywood is laid - this will depend on what type of roofing material selected for the roof.
- The next stage is the installation of roofing material.
- When the roof is laid and secured, it should be insulated. Thermal insulation materials (most often mineral wool is chosen for this purpose) are laid on the attic side between the rafters. The insulation is covered with a vapor barrier film, which is attached to the rafters using a stapler.
- Next, the attic subfloor is hemmed onto the attic floor beams, which will simultaneously serve as the ceiling for the underlying rooms. It is fixed from the outside room from the outside in the attic, after laying the film, it is laid (or filled) between the beams. The work can be carried out in a different sequence when the boards are nailed from the outside attic, and installation of insulation and ceiling boards or plywood is carried out from the outside premises.
Step-by-step instructions for arranging and insulating various types can be found in a special section of our portal.
Prices different kinds fasteners for rafters
Rafter fasteners
Wooden floor installation
The floors in the house must be installed after the roof has been covered, in order to prevent unnecessary wetting of the materials if it suddenly rains.
The floor can be arranged according to different schemes, but most common is the one in which a subfloor is provided.
- The first stage is on the protruding part of the strip foundation or on an additional beam connecting columnar foundation, floor beams are laid. They can be made of timber or boards, which are installed on an edge. The size of these parts is selected depending on the span between the walls. For reference, you can use the following table:
| Beam section in mm | Span width in mm | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3000 | 3500 | 4000 | 4500 | 5000 | 5500 | 6000 | |
| Boards | Step of installation of beams from boards or beams on the basement floor | ||||||
| 50×160 | 800 | 600 | 450 | - | - | - | - |
| 50×200 | 1250 | 900 | 700 | 550 | 450 | - | - |
| 80×180 | 1200 | 1200 | 900 | 700 | 550 | 450 | - |
| Bruschi | |||||||
| 140×180 | - | - | 1550 | 1200 | 1000 | 800 | 700 |
| 150×200 | - | - | - | 1650 | 1300 | 1000 | 900 |
| 160×220 | - | - | - | 2000 | 1700 | 1400 | 1100 |
- Beams can be fastened using metal corners or studs, but the latter will have to be embedded in the foundation in advance.
- If the walls of the house are installed on strip foundation, it is recommended to fill the entire area between its walls with fine-grained material, which will become an additional insulation for the floor. In addition, rodents cannot tolerate it, which means they will not be able to get into the house through it. Expanded clay is poured with a thickness of 100 ÷ 150 mm.
- Next, in order to lay the subfloor, it is necessary to secure the cranial bars to the covering beams. They are nailed or screwed to the bottom of each beam.
Subfloor boards are laid on the cranial bars. Here you can use material that is not of the highest quality.
- If expanded clay is poured between the “black” and “white” floors, then it is recommended to make a flooring of vapor barrier film or glassine, and only after that you can fill in the insulation.
More often they place between floor beams mineral wool. If this material is chosen, then it is better to purchase basalt, as the most environmentally friendly of all its types.
If this is possible, it is preferable to use ecowool for insulation, which is made from cellulose fibers and is therefore absolutely safe.
You should not use polystyrene foam or materials made on its basis as insulation. Over time, this material begins to release fumes into the air that are not harmless to humans.
- Any insulation must be covered with another layer on top, which will not allow lint and dust from the insulation to penetrate into the house and will not allow accidentally spilled water to pass down. The film is secured to the floor beams with staples.
- Next, onto the beams, on top pl enka, a ventilation block is attached, which will allow air to circulate under the boardwalk, which will contribute to the long-term preservation of the floor.
- After this, you can move on to laying the plank floor.
The boards are not laid close to the wall, but with a distance of approximately 5 mm from it - this gap is necessary to ensure ventilation.
The boards are fastened together using tongue-and-groove joints cut on the sides of the boards. It is recommended to nail them to the floor beams not through the top, but into the groove of the board. This work must be done very carefully so as not to split part of the floorboard. You can use thin screws instead of nails.
- The final stage in arranging a wooden floor is attaching the baseboards to the walls.
After constructing the house, arranging the roof and roofing, ceilings and floors, it is necessary to address the issues of installing windows and doors. (after a certain shrinkage of the walls has occurred). And the last stage will be the process of wall insulation (if necessary) and their external façade finishing. You can learn how to do this correctly from the corresponding article.
So, building a house from timber yourself is quite possible, especially if you have helpers who are at least a little familiar with the art of construction. And in order not to get into trouble with the calculations, the best option You will still order the preparation of materials for the home from a specialized organization. Craftsmen will carry out this work according to a given project with professional precision, and you can try to assemble the structure yourself with assistants, saving a considerable amount of money.
And, traditionally, at the end of the article - a video with advice from professionals.
Video - Features of building a house from timber
Video - Mistakes when building houses from profiled timber
For many people Vacation home is something like a cherished dream - the prospect of taking a break from the bustle of the city in a cozy corner seems quite rosy. Moreover, you don’t just want to purchase a ready-made building with equipped personal plot, but to create the estate of your dreams, in which all your wishes regarding design and layout will be correctly embodied. There is only one thing left to do - transfer your ideas to paper, and only then, having drawn up a house project and determined its location on the site, bring it to life (engage in the actual construction of the house). If regarding the second point, by definition, there can be no doubt about the need for third-party help - even if you are a professional builder, you will not be able to build the right mansion yourself, but the costs of hiring an architect can be eliminated. How can design and construction be made cheaper? Yes, it’s very simple - it’s quite possible to do the work yourself, even without any special skills in creating a private house project. Designing a house (drawing it on paper schematically) is actually not that difficult!
What should you consider when designing your own home yourself?
The most important thing is that the house construction project you develop is created based on the following principles:
Multiple functionality - that is, the house built according to this project will be convenient and practical in all respects. A do-it-yourself house design should be no worse than an architect’s;
Simplicity of design - it will not be difficult to design a house only if it does not involve any frills. The creation of some particularly complex project, the implementation of which will require a huge amount of creative delights, is highly discouraged for a person who does not have a special education, because some fundamentally important things may not be taken into account;
Aesthetics - of course, a country house should look beautiful and please the eyes of its owners. The design of a reliable house should also be spectacular!
Remember - if the project is created taking into account these principles, then it will be very good in life. Again, we are talking about a rather primitive independent structure - an amateur would not design a premium-class cottage. Only an architect should be involved in designing houses of this level - beginners here very often make mistakes.
Geological exploration of the house site
Where does “do-it-yourself home project work” begin? First of all, when working on a house project yourself, it is necessary to conduct a geological exploration of the site - assess the nature of the terrain, soil and find out the level of standing groundwater. Best time The year for this is spring, then their level is as high as possible and it is possible to determine this indicator with maximum reliability. It is very important to do this based on the fact that this indicator is of greatest importance when laying the foundation of a private house.
To determine the depth of groundwater, we recommend contacting a specialist
Start designing a house
For a clear example, our editors used the free demo version of the Visicon program. But all the steps can be performed on a regular sheet of paper. A simple project was chosen as an example two-story house 10 m x 10 m
To design houses, you will need to “arm yourself” with an ordinary checkered notebook sheet and a pencil, while setting the appropriate scale. The most rational thing to do in this situation would be to do the following: ten meters of land should be designated by two squares. Thus, one centimeter on a ruler will equal 1 meter in real life- the ratio is one to one hundred.
Step 1: draw the outline of the house on a notebook sheet using a ruler and pencil on a scale of 1:100, i.e. 1 cm on paper is equal to 1 meter
Drawing on paper the outline of the site itself, as well as future buildings. In this case, all work must be carried out in strict accordance with the correct scale - by carefully measuring every meter on the ground and putting it on paper in accordance with dimensions one to a thousand, you ensure the reliability and aesthetics of the building being constructed. You can draw a project this way very quickly. It is imperative to take into account not only the contours of the site allocated for design and construction, but also all the objects located on the site that were there even before its planned construction, and at the same time there is no possibility of moving them. After this, it will be possible to begin designing the building itself - to simplify the task, we will assume that the designed house will consist of four rooms, a kitchen and two bathrooms (standard housing for a family of several people).
Basement/foundation
A few words regarding the design of the basement. It should be noted that it is not always necessary. For example, if the groundwater is high, then this will be a very expensive pleasure - it will be much easier to include another room in the project - as an additional room.
First floor project
We draw the vestibule and the hallway on the sketch - and from there there will be transitions to the kitchen and other rooms. The location of the premises must take into account the following points:
The bathroom and kitchen should be placed in close proximity to each other - thanks to this location it will be much easier to carry out communications;
It’s very good if the drawn up project implies the absence of passage rooms - this is an integral element of comfort;
On the ground floor, it is necessary to take into account the presence of all auxiliary structures and premises - their location will be very important not only to ensure the functional suitability of the house, but also for the comfortable movement of residents.
Step 2: draw all the rooms and premises of the first floor with the required size
After this, we arrange and plan all the doors of our house
Step 3: designing the doors on the first floor
Then windows, taking into account the desired lighting of the rooms and your budget
Step 4: designing windows on the first floor
As a result, we get this first floor:
This is how the 3D model of the first floor turned out
Drawing the second floor
Here everything will be much easier - after all, the rooms in the house can be located identically (the most important thing is not to change the relative position of the bathrooms - in order not to complicate communications). It will be enough to design the location front door(many architects recommend making two entrances to the second floor - at home and from the street) and windows.
Step 5: We plan the premises of the second floor in the same way. Don’t forget about communications - we place the bathrooms and bathrooms one below the other
Step 6: Place the Doors
Step 7: draw the second floor windows
We received this 3D model of the second floor
Attic and roof design
We decided to create a house project ourselves - there would be no need to try to draw some kind of too “abstruse” roof with big amount bends. Remember - the roof is one of the most important structural components in the house, and trying to create additional aesthetics by questioning its reliability is certainly not worth it. All this will lead to leaks occurring at the bends. If you are drawing a project, please adhere to the principles of minimalism in architecture.
To design such a roof, you cannot do without an architect.
Dependency of designing a house with insulation
There is one very important rule– all auxiliary premises must be built on the north side. Despite the fact that thermal insulation performed using building materials, is of paramount importance, the relative position of the rooms also cannot be overlooked - if only because of the savings in energy consumption for heating the house.
Approval of the project to begin construction
The need to adjust the project. Even if you yourself were able to depict the house of your dreams on paper, you will still need to consult with specialists before starting construction of the house - the opinion of a competent foreman or architect will not be superfluous. At a minimum, the following points will need to be agreed upon:
Carrying out electrical work;
Conducting your own sewerage system;
Carrying out water supply;
It is necessary to understand that all the above issues are not an artistic or architectural part of the project. These are all the most routine issues, a competent approach to solving which is provided only by professionals in their field. As a last resort, any oversight in independently drawing up a house project, which was made by a person who does not have a specialized education, can be corrected by a competent foreman who understands the practical side of any idea much better. Although even if the project is drawn up by professional architects, purely practical shortcomings cannot be ruled out.
Independent work on a house project and its advantages
You can create the design of your house yourself - in order to develop drawings of the relative position of certain rooms, as well as determine the place of the house on the site, you do not need special knowledge. A competent and responsible approach to business will ensure the success of your event. However, in terms of communications, it will be necessary to consult with professionals. This way you can properly plan a house that will serve you faithfully.
Read about the following stages of construction:
Watch also the video on how to make a house project yourself
Read about the previous stages of construction:
Building your own house with your own hands is quite possible. However, building a private country house is a rather difficult and labor-intensive task that requires a lot of time, effort and money. For convenience, the entire process of constructing a new home is divided into certain stages of work, each of which has its own specifics.
Let's talk about the stages of building a private house with your own hands
Stage one: choose a place
When choosing a site to build your future home, first of all you need to keep in mind the geological component of the place. Among other things, it is necessary to correctly measure the level of groundwater to determine the structure of the soil, otherwise in the future you may encounter serious troubles such as subsidence of the foundation. Knowing the depth of water in the area is all the more important, since the planning of well drilling work (if necessary) will depend on this factor.
Stage two: developing a house project
Create a competent project construction work you can do it yourself, but it would be safer to call on the help of professionals who have the appropriate qualifications to carry out project work. Do not forget - how the project is drawn up will subsequently influence the progress of all work on the construction of the house. Therefore, the project must be close to ideal, otherwise you will definitely not be able to avoid unnecessary financial costs and other unpleasant surprises.
Stage three: pour the foundation
Stage six: we install windows and doors and do the exterior finishing.
Installing windows and doors is not as complicated a process as many people imagine it to be. Currently at the peak of popularity plastic windows, so this option is durable and reliable. In addition, the installation process of such windows is quite simple. When performing exterior decoration of a house, preference is most often given to siding, thermal panels or decorative stone.
Stage seven: we install electricity and communications
In order to properly establish a communication system, you should turn to professionals. It will not be difficult for them to make a preliminary assessment of the landscape and advise you on the best ways to implement your plans. This is followed by the purchase of the necessary building materials and work on supplying water, electricity and sewerage. Obvious, but very important nuance: types of work must be carried out exclusively in accordance with accepted technical norms and standards.
Stage eight: we arrange heating in the house with our own hands
For arrangement heating system In a private home, the entire range of elements designed for a standard voltage level of 220 volts is freely used. It is very important that all heating equipment optimally matches the given structure in terms of potential heating area. Deviation from existing norms is unacceptable in this context.
Currently, the option of heating houses using infrared panels, designed for standard voltage and capable of heating large areas, is very popular.
Stage nine we produce interior finishing
Interior finishing is the final stage. Interior decoration refers to work to improve the premises of the home and give them the look you need. The choice of materials for this purpose is huge. Here the main task will be the competent selection of each element in the context general characteristics and home style. Main attention should be paid to the appearance of the ceiling, floors and walls.
Many in Lately I am interested in building private houses and cottages with my own hands - this option is gaining popularity, as it is the most practical and at the same time quite realistic. You can build the entire house from foundation to roof with your own hands, without resorting to the help of specialists: this, of course, requires help, but it will cost several times less than custom-made construction. As for the frame house, then correct installation and adherence to technology allow us to assemble it to the maximum short time and use inexpensive materials. 
The topic of the article is important for everyone who has decided to approach the construction of their home. After all, you won’t get a house for free, and it would be good to understand what you fit into before construction begins. And it is very easy to be deceived. And because of advertising that convinces you that you can build an excellent house on 200 m2 for a couple of million rubles, and because of the lack of information and understanding of what is hidden behind the concept of “building a house.” And in general, because of people’s love of self-deception.
Surely, when you travel outside the city, you come across houses that are abandoned at some stage of construction or have been under construction for years or even decades - in most cases, the reason for this is an overestimation of your capabilities and an underestimation of the upcoming task. The price of a mistake with the cost of building a house can be very high - lost money, nerves, destroyed family relationships, health and much more.
Do you want to get into this situation? No? Then read the article to the end. We will consider the issue of cost comprehensively, not only regarding the cost of building a frame house.
In general, my opinion is to paraphrase the popular expression about vacation - “ when planning to build a house, halve your wishes and double your budget“.
Before we continue, a few important points:
- The article is largely aimed at analyzing the cost of building a house for permanent residence (permanent residence) with a modern level of comfort and housing requirements. Although modern dachas are often no different from permanent residence houses.
- If you are interested in the cost of building a summer cottage, you will also find useful information. The pricing principle itself will not change.
- The article does not take into account “individual perception of comfort” - for some it’s heaven in a hut, but for others a palace with turrets is too small.
- The article is primarily intended for those who are building a house near cities with a population of over a million, and primarily St. Petersburg and Moscow. The farther you are from these cities, the prices can vary greatly. Although I repeat, the principles of forming the total cost will remain unchanged.
Where to start building a house? Mysterious “turnkey house”
Very often, from the very beginning, people begin to be interested in a “turnkey house,” but in fact, each person understands something different by this.
I personally immediately remember “Heart of a Dog”
“Say counter-revolutionary things, Philip Philipovich.
“Oh, nothing dangerous.” No counter-revolution. By the way, here’s another word that I absolutely can’t stand. It is absolutely unknown - what is hidden under it? God knows what.
It’s the same with a “turnkey house”. The understanding of what it is and the “cost of a turnkey house” between the contractor and the customer can differ dramatically. Moreover, when answering the question “ how much does a turnkey house cost?” the options can be very different:
Example 1: The contractor says that a turnkey house will cost 1 million rubles. At the same time, in his understanding, it is just a box without facades, communications, decoration, but with installed windows and doors. And in the client’s understanding, he is already mentally bringing the furniture there. The client happily agrees, then problems will naturally begin.
Example 2: The contractor says that a turnkey house will cost 10 million rubles. At the same time, in his understanding, this is a house where all that remains is to bring in the furniture and place the barbecue in the “barbecue area”. And in the client’s understanding, for that kind of money they are offering him a “bare box with a door.” He flees in horror to another company, possibly refusing a good offer.
Therefore, the first rule. Try to avoid the concept of a “turnkey house,” either clearly find out what they are offering you under this sauce, or explain yourself what exactly you mean by this concept.
This will help you reduce your time and get a quote that meets your request.
If, when talking about a “turnkey house”, you are thinking about a house with interior decoration, electricity, and water supply, then ask yourself a question. What tiles will you have in your bathroom? How many outlets will there be in the living room? How many lights are on the ceiling? Will there be laminate or linoleum or parquet on the floor - if so, which one, for 300 rubles/m2 or 1500 rubles/m2?
Can you answer these questions yourself? No? Has the “manager” already told you the cost of a “turnkey house”? How does he know what you want if you don’t know it yourself or haven’t told him? Does he have telepathy and read the future?. Do not trust an offer to build a “turnkey” house if you have not found out all the details of what you want. Otherwise, the probability that you will not get what you wanted, or the amount will increase upward in the process, is 100%.
What does the construction of a house consist of?
Let's take a global approach. After all, you won’t live in a house where there is no finishing or even electrics? Therefore, the issue of construction costs is actually much broader.
While at the Asuntomessut exhibition in Finland, I came across an interesting sign where the costs of building a house were outlined. Naturally, our amounts will be different, but the percentage of the cost of the house will be approximately the same. At some points we will have more, at others less.
Cost structure for building a house in Finland
The cost of building a house here in Russia will consist of the following components:
- The cost of land and initial investments in it
- Cost of connecting basic utilities
- Design cost
- Cost of a “box” of a house
- Cost of utilities inside the house
- Cost of interior decoration of a house
- Cost of landscaping
- The cost of furniture, appliances and other benefits of civilization.
My personal opinion is that this is what it is in the end.” turnkey house" That is, when all that remains is to bring in your personal belongings and start settling in.
Now let's take a closer look at these points.
Cost of land and initial investment
Naturally, a house must be built somewhere. You can buy an empty plot in a new village, or an old house in a garden. It’s difficult to talk about price here - there are a lot of options for every taste and color. We will consider something that is not directly related to the price of the site, but is very likely required, will cost additional money and cannot be avoided.
- Demolition and removal of the old house, if any.
- Organization of arrival at the site
- Organization of “rough” parking – for the entry of equipment, delivery and storage of materials
- Fence and gates (often these costs are left for a later date, but nevertheless they will be)
- Possible additional fees are typical for new villages. Collection for roads, for a common well, for the installation of electricity poles, etc. Sellers do not always warn about the presence of such fees in advance. And the amounts can be very decent.
- “utility payments” - for example, in many new villages they charge extra money for the passage of cars with building materials, concrete, etc. This will all fall into your construction budget.
- Initial preparation of the site - backfilling, drainage, drainage and other earthworks. Naturally, everything will depend on your site.
By the way, there is a very common problem with roads in new villages. The site seems to be your property, but the road leading to it belongs to the developer or even some private person. As a result, when all the plots are sold and the houses are built, “suddenly” fees for road maintenance and maintenance begin to rise. Sometimes at times. And you won't be able to refuse. The road is not yours - you may simply be prohibited from driving on it. Please go on foot, but by car – no problem.
Cost of basic utilities
Communications at the border of the site, gas in the future, electricity power of 3 (5) kW is included in the price of the site, it is possible to increase the power…. – familiar phrases?
Remember that you will pay money for all this. If not right away, then later.
Communications at the border of the site do not mean that you can easily connect to them. Firstly, it will not cost a couple of thousand rubles. Secondly, it may turn out that you simply won’t be able to connect.
Find out how much it will cost to connect communications and the availability of specifications for connection
For example, with electricity, you can run into the banal “not enough power.” And you will wait for your email for several years, even if you are ready to pay a hefty sum for it.
To live a full life in your home you need
– Electricity, at least 10 kW
– water, if not drinking water, then at least industrial water. Accordingly, a well, a borehole. It’s good if there is a central water supply, although the connection will either be paid for or will initially be included in the cost of the site.
– sewerage. In 99% of cases you will have to do local
– gas connection for heating (not available to everyone and not everywhere)
For construction, it is highly desirable to have at least 3-5 kW of electricity and process water.
Naturally, it is possible without this, but the time of axes and hand saws is over. Typically, construction sites involve a fair amount of power tools. Naturally, you can work with a generator. Just keep in mind that renting a generator and fuel costs will be included in your bill, either explicitly or implicitly.
The presence of water is required for some construction technologies, and workers are also people who sometimes want to wash themselves, unless of course they go home every day. Accordingly, if there is no water nearby, it will either be imported (at your expense), or you will have to invest money in it before construction begins.
By the way, another small scam by developers - for example, the price of the plot includes 10 kW of electricity and running water, but connecting this electricity directly to your plot will cost you extra money. Moreover, the management company will most likely put out such specifications for connection that you will either have to run a lot to fulfill them, or turn to the services of the management company itself, which with a 90% probability will be overpriced.
Project as a gift or design cost
The design process in private housing construction has traditionally been forgotten in our country. In most cases, the project refers to the layout and appearance. And often in a poor, primitive form.
It is believed that this should be enough for “good builders”. It’s just from here that the legs of incomprehensible, ugly, inharmonious houses grow, built in such a way that essentially the whole house is one big construction mistake. And what the customer imagined will remain his fantasy.
Often contractors offer, and customers actually demand, “a project as a gift”
A “gift” project may turn out to be a primitive architectural sketch
Remember, normal design costs normal money. Design is time-consuming and no one will work “for thanks.”
Therefore, a project “as a gift” can only be in three cases
- There is no project as such. A project is understood, at best, as a quick architectural sketch with plans and a couple of sections, or generally a primitively drawn layout and appearance. - This is the most common option.
- The “gift” is neatly spread across the estimate. Also a very common option.
- You are building a house according to a standard design. Which was purchased once by a contractor, say for 100,000 rubles, and then built 10 times. Naturally, each house has a small share of the cost of the project (10,000 rubles) and it can be “gifted” as a gift. Although, again, most likely the gift will be “smeared” in the estimate. But such a scenario is quite rare. In the “economy” segment with construction according to “standard projects”, this option never occurs - in 99% of cases there will be point 1 - by project we mean, at best, the layout and appearance.
Do you want to check whether there is a project or not? Ask to see it. If you start making excuses like “this is our property,” rest assured, there is no project.
Ideally, you will need such a set of projects, preferably even before the house begins to be built.
- Architectural (sketch) design - it actually shows how the house will look, what the layout will be
- The constructive design (detailed documentation) is the project that is responsible for how exactly the house will be built. What structures, components will be used, etc.
- Engineering communications projects – primarily power supply
- Design project for interior decoration
- Landscape project - even if you do not plan to make fountains, alpine slides, and other breeding of peacocks - a landscape project will help you correctly and conveniently place on your site both the basis of the house and all subsequent secondary zones and buildings.
With good quality workmanship, all these projects cost far less than 5-10 tr. Do not be guided by the fact that “standard projects” are sold on the Internet for 15-30 rubles. Firstly, often this is only an architectural project. Secondly, what I wrote about above - they did it once, paid 100,000, then resold it 100 times for 15,000. But, if we are talking about an individual project, no one will do it for you from scratch for 15-30 rubles.
Cost of the “box” and foundation of the house
A very extensive point, in a good way - a separate article. Now I'll try to be brief. By “box” I mean a house that is completely ready for engineering work and interior decoration - that is, with windows, entrance doors, roof facades, etc.
There is the most important catch in the cost of the box, which, like a rake, people continue to step on.
Remember how Our Father is a box at home≠ fully built house!
To avoid having to place an advertisement for the sale of “unfinished” buildings, remember that a house is not just a “box”
After all, everyone wants to build cheaper. Demand creates supply. And they get it cheaper. Having rejected one, the second. Then, when you sign the contract and ask “where is this,” it suddenly turns out that this is an additional option that costs money.
Therefore, study the proposed “packages” very carefully - see what exactly they offer you. The larger and more detailed the estimate, the better you understand it, the more chances you have that you won’t have to look elsewhere for money for what you didn’t have.
Most people, even after receiving a detailed estimate, most often look only at the “total” line. This is mistake. It's understandable that you don't want to get bogged down in details, but that could cost you.
There are a few pitfalls to watch out for
- There is no estimate at all or just a couple of lines “this much work, this much material” - this is captivating. They offer you an “easy solution”; indeed, why do you need an estimate if you don’t understand it anyway. But by doing this, you are actually buying a pig in a poke. A potential contractor, even if he is honest, has many temptations. For example, he initially thought about installing a good quality window profile. Then I realized that it did not fit into the stated amount. And he will have 3 options - issue you an additional invoice, replace it with something cheaper without informing you (you weren’t interested anyway) or pay extra from his own pocket. What option do you think he will choose? I assure you that the last option will be chosen only as a last resort.
- General phrases in the estimate. For example, “metal tiles made in Russia”, “two-chamber PVC windows” - what is hidden behind these phrases? The quality of the material and, accordingly, the price can vary greatly.
- Price guarantee - very sweet gingerbread. It is clear that this is an ideal option, we would all like to clearly understand the cost in order to calculate our finances. But there's a catch to the price guarantee. Nobody wants to lose their money. And in construction there are many unpredictable situations. Therefore, the “price guarantee” will very likely contain a good reserve for possible risks. The risks did not occur - great, we earned more money. An interesting observation is that “price guarantee” is usually clearly related to the previous 2 points. When there is no precise understanding of what specific materials will be used. Why do you think? It is possible and necessary to guarantee the price, but this can usually be done either after design and detailed estimates, or if construction is carried out according to a standard project that has already been built more than once, and everything is known “down to the last nail”
Therefore, the main moral is to study carefully what exactly they are offering you for your money. What is included, what is not included. What specific materials will be used, etc.
If you are choosing from several contractors, compare estimates carefully. What does one have and what does the other? For what money? To what extent?
Remember - when building the same house, from the same materials, using the same technology, with the same quality, there will be no dramatic difference in construction costs between different companies. If the proposals differ significantly, then these are completely different proposals and the houses will also be different, although they may look the same.
Engineering Communication
A multifaceted topic that receives little attention. Engineering communications that you will need in the most minimal version (not counting any bourgeois excesses in the form of built-in vacuum cleaners, solar panels, smart homes, etc.)
– Sewage – wiring throughout the house, installation of a septic tank or local treatment plant (VOC) and its connection
– Water supply. Wiring around the house, connecting to a central water supply or installing a well/borehole with associated equipment, which may be a significant amount. For example, if the quality of water in a well or borehole is poor, you can “get” quite a lot of money for a water purification system. Do not forget that you will not have central hot water - you will have a boiler. It is possible that water distribution will be added to the area, for example to a bathhouse.
– Heating. Warm floors, radiators - boiler equipment, boiler room piping, automatic heating control
- Electrician. This includes both entry into the house and wiring around the house, installation of a panel, electrical points, and possibly wiring throughout the area...
- Ventilation. A traditionally forgotten topic in our country, because contrary to the whole world, we believe that houses breathe on their own
- Weak point. At least it's TV. In general, here you can add video surveillance, security systems, intercoms, elements of a “smart home” and many other modern “goodies”
Engineering equipment and work on it costs a lot of money. All the “engineering” for the house can easily amount to 15-20% of the cost of the “box”.
The finishing is done, what about the engineer?
The closest attention should be paid to the engineering content of the house even before the construction of the “box” begins or simultaneously with it. Otherwise, you could end up with significant additional costs that could have been avoided if you had thought about it in advance.
Unfortunately, very large companies also suffer from “forgetfulness” regarding engineering, especially in frame housing construction, where hidden engineering is easily done at the “box” stage. You have been handed over the “box”, perhaps even with a rough finish, and the question arises - how to install the electrical wiring now? Either openly, or disassemble what has already been done, or make an additional frame...
Cost of interior decoration of a house
Surprising but true. When approaching the construction of a house, people take the issue of the cost of interior decoration of the house very lightly. Like, yes, it’s clear, but we’ll figure it out later. For some reason, many people think that rough and fine finishing of a house costs little.
Perhaps this is due to the fact that at the time of making the decision to build, few people have any idea what the finishing will be like and what they want. It is possible that having experience in renovating a two-room apartment or three-room apartment, this price is automatically transferred to the house, despite the fact that it is probably several times larger than this apartment.
To better understand the “scale of the disaster” the following example helps very well. Finishing a house will cost no less than finishing an apartment of the same size. Are you going to build a house on 300m2? Well, imagine that you bought an apartment of a similar size and you need to renovate it. Decorating the house will not cost less. Why?
It seems like a simple analogy, but for some reason it escapes the attention of most people.
The cost of putting the site in order
When people hear about landscape design, they often immediately imagine something exotic and expensive that they 100% will not need. This is often true. But still, if you bought a plot of former agricultural land with grass about your waist, you are unlikely to live in this field. You will want to level an area somewhere, raise something, make a lawn, make paths, a packing area, a playground - you can do a lot of things without “alpine slides with fountains”.
Even if you do all this on your own, you will still spend money on materials.
By the way, this same point can include a fence, gate, gate - you may be unpleasantly surprised when you find out how much the simplest fence made of corrugated sheets with sliding gates costs for a plot of 10 acres.
Cost of furniture, appliances and other goods
Probably the shortest section in the article
You won't live on the floor, on a mattress, will you? Although often, new settlers live like this, and for a long time.
The same as with interior decoration - imagine that you need to furnish an apartment of 100-200 m2, buy household appliances, toilets for 3 toilets, sinks... Do you have a 20m2 kitchen? Have you already looked at how much a kitchen set will cost?
Therefore, think about how much furniture and appliances will cost for your home.
Conclusion
Building a house is an expensive undertaking. Perhaps someone, after reading this article and estimating how much it will all cost, will even give up construction. But that is not the purpose of the article.
about the author
Hello. My name is Alexey, you may have met me as Porcupine or Gribnick on the Internet. I am the founder of the Finnish House, a project that has grown from a personal blog into a construction company whose goal is to build a high-quality and comfortable home for you and your children.Self-construction of your own home is an economical solution that is suitable for people with extensive construction experience. The disadvantage of this technique is the high risk of errors both during construction and connection of communications and decorative finishing. But there are also important advantages: savings on the final cost (sometimes up to 40-50%), and full tracking of work.
With proper preparation and certain skills, when building a cottage with your own hands, you can save several hundred thousand rubles and, at the same time, build a full-fledged home for permanent use. How to build a cottage with your own hands, what you can save on, in what order to carry out the work, and what mistakes should be avoided will be discussed below.
Sequence of work for self-construction
Correct step-by-step execution of the work allows you to carry out repairs without unnecessary errors and haste. To reduce the likelihood of budget miscalculations, it is better to immediately develop an individual construction plan for yourself or use the example below.
1. Budget calculation
The minimum cost threshold for building a house is usually 400-500 thousand rubles, although the exact amount depends on its area, purpose, and seasonality of use.
If you need to build a small summer house one floor high, you can limit yourself to spending 150-200 thousand. 400-500 thousand rubles is the minimum required to build a family house with insulation.
The future owner must decide how much money he can spend on building a house, its interior and exterior, purchasing furniture and plumbing. Based on this data, a project is already being drawn up and building materials are being selected.
2. Design
You can complete this step yourself. To make house planning easier, there are special online programs (both narrow-profile and universal, for example: 3Ds Max). If desired, the universal program can be mastered in 1-2 months, the simplified program in a few days. Independent planning and design of the building is a significant savings item.
3. Selection of materials
The choice of necessary materials for building a cottage depends on climatic conditions and the planned project. So, for example, it is better if the load-bearing floors are only along the external contour of the building, because then it will be possible to save on internal floors. How to reduce the cost of purchasing building materials is described below.
4. Coordination of the project with the family and technical supervision
Technical supervision during the construction of a house is mandatory: it allows you to avoid legal violations, and also eliminates the risk of increased fire and explosion hazards.
5. Selection of contractors and construction crew
In order to save money, you can complete all stages of building a house with your own hands, but this, as a rule, leads to a decrease in the quality of construction and a decrease in its durability. Even an experienced builder will need help.
You should not entrust all the work to builders: the most difficult stages (construction of the foundation, installation of load-bearing floors) are assigned to them.
Next comes construction, then installation of communications, exterior finishing, installation of plumbing and interior finishing. The last stage is furniture installation. When finishing the premises, you also need to follow a certain order: first the ceilings are plastered, then the walls are finished, and the floor is finished last.
How to reduce the cost of building a house?
Budget houses are often built from low-quality and short-lived materials. This is the main mistake of people who build their own homes.
The savings should be reasonable: you can reduce costs without compromising the durability and strength of the building by choosing cheaper secondary elements.
External and internal finishing
You can achieve a pleasant appearance for several tens of thousands of rubles. Instead of expensive panels, masonry, and brick outside, you can use:
- siding (20-50 thousand for an average house);
- traditional coating with 3 mm thick plaster with further painting;
- simple treatment of wood with antifungal impregnation.
The cheapest option is the last one, but it doesn't last long. The coating must be reapplied every 3-4 years, otherwise the wood will fade or rot. The aesthetic side of this finish leaves much to be desired.
Siding is considered a more popular option. It allows you to hide the shortcomings of the main coating (for example, plywood, which is often used for budget construction). Disadvantages of finishing are a high risk of fire, low environmental friendliness, and the risk of green deposits in humid regions. The siding needs to be cleaned; in case of strong winds and poor installation, it can simply be torn off.
The best option is coating with plaster. It is environmentally friendly and safe from a fire point of view. Plastered walls look smooth and attractive.
Another interesting solution is artificial stone. If they are used to decorate the lower base of the walls, the frames of doors and windows, the building will even look luxurious.
Sewerage
Connecting to a public sewer system (which is rarely available anywhere) is expensive. Therefore, when building private houses, owners most often install autonomous sewerage and septic tanks.
Conducting communications from all plumbing elements and, in particular, from the toilet is not necessary. Liquids used for washing dishes and personal hygiene can be drained using simple ditches. Most summer cottages are surrounded by them along the perimeter. If they are not there, you can dig trenches yourself at no cost at all.
A septic tank is installed to collect waste from the toilet. Its price, including installation, ranges from twenty to several hundred thousand rubles. For a small country building, the most budget option is also suitable.
Number of storeys
The construction of multi-storey buildings is more expensive, as it requires the creation of expensive floors between floors. You can save money by increasing the area of the first floor rather than building a second one.
Another feature of floors: it is better to place load-bearing elements along the outer contour of the building, since in this case the internal ones can be made non-load-bearing. This will significantly reduce the cost of the project.
Insulation of individual parts of the house
If a small family lives in a cottage in winter, and relatives come to visit in the summer, it is not necessary to make insulated guest bedrooms. Instead, a large covered terrace with glazing or walls is often installed. In summer, the temperature is warm enough for guests to spend the night.
You can dispense with insulation in the garage, utility rooms, and in the dressing room (not advisable).
What is better to entrust to contractors in construction?
If you try to reduce the cost of constructing the main parts of the building, the house will not last long and may even collapse. Below are things that you should never skimp on, and it is better to entrust the work to professionals.
Foundation, walls and roof
When building budget houses and dachas, a shallow foundation is used. Some builders try to save money by using die-cut reinforcement. This leads to a decrease in the strength of the foundation, which is unacceptable. The reinforcement must be of high quality.
If you have no experience in using concrete, it is better to entrust the work of pouring the foundation to professionals. Otherwise, additional costs may be required to level the bottom trim.
When installing a foundation, installing a roof and installing rafters, it is better to contact special construction companies. Then you won’t have to worry about fire safety, that the house will sag or become warped, that the roof will collapse during a snowfall, etc.
Summing up communications
The installation of a gas pipeline to the house, connecting electrical networks, and laying out pipes must be carried out by professionals, since if installed incorrectly, there is a high risk of emergency situations. When supplying gas, technical supervision is required, with which it will be necessary to coordinate the location of the dispenser relative to other rooms and household appliances.
Also, you should not save on gas by simply refusing it. If, due to a tight budget, the house is cold and requires constant heating, it is more economical to use gas rather than electricity for these purposes.
How to insulate a house?
Any houses and cottages built for permanent residence require wall insulation. When it comes to an inexpensive dacha or cottage, we are often given the example of frame buildings, which are very popular in Europe and the USA. They are cheap, quick to build, and the materials can be bought at any market. However, in our Russian climate, with temperature changes up to -20 or even -30 degrees in winter, living in such houses is comfortable only in the warm season.
Houses made of brick and concrete require a minimum of insulation materials. If the walls are thick, you can do without them altogether. The same cannot be said about other materials: plywood, SIP panels, wood, aerated concrete, etc.
Therefore, a significant cost item when building a summer house or house on your own is the purchase of insulation. This will cost at least 50 thousand rubles when purchasing polystyrene foam for a two-story house.
Most people who build their own homes choose to build with wood and then insulate it cheaply with foam. During the cold season, such a building must be constantly heated, which also leads to large expenses. What is cheaper - to insulate the house in advance or, saving on materials, to turn on the heating?
The installation of a gas pipeline and the fee for connecting to it costs from fifty to several hundred thousand rubles. In houses built with brick or concrete walls, you can limit yourself to electric heaters that are turned on only in particularly cold times. From the point of view of permanent residence in the northern latitudes of the country, it is more profitable to immediately make fundamental insulation. Then it will be possible to reduce or eliminate gas costs altogether.
For a house that is used only seasonally, as a summer house, it is better to choose the first option: light insulation and gas heating. In this case, gas should be supplied only if the owners periodically come to the building in winter: on holidays, vacations, etc. If the building is used only in the summer, you can refuse to connect the gas and opt for thin insulation. This is the most economical option.