One of the most difficult questions to answer when owner building a kit home and also the reason we get a bit ‘hot under the collar’ when kit home companies get carried away with “easy estimates” of how much the total construction will cost.

There are just too many variables to be able to say “double” or “one and a half times the cost of the kit” will equal the total cost of construction. What you need to do is work from the other direction when budgeting.

1. Have your finance in order and approved before commencing and make sure your finance provider knows that you are planning on owner building a kit home. Because once you say that then the rules will change. If you get stuck then we have solutions for you.

2. Once you have your total budget for your costs of construction you will need to sit with a builder (not a salesperson) who can assess your land and your design of choice and give you a fair and reasonable estimate of your costs. Then you can start working in either direction to meet your budget. Later, once the costs are broken down and itemised you can then determine specific savings.

As much as I would love to give you a definitive answer I really don’t want to fall into the trap of all the other “salesmen” out there. I have been building homes for over 40 years and my experience tells me that every building project is different and every block of land has different challenges. Anyone who tells you differently is trying to squeeze a deposit out of you without telling you the facts.

All the best,
Barry