Build cost for chalet studios

[cheeryble]

Hi there

I had a design for a modest place for our hilltop site where I would spend my budget on the main build, but make the design so if things work out it can be extended easily afterwards.

I based my estimate per sqm on a couple of friends proven costs for several builds.

However getting the builders to give a satisfactory price this way, seemed too complicated.

Happily I've had a radical rethink which I actually prefer and is simplicity itself and where every square metre paid for will be used straight away.

Instead of paying for a huge balcony I can make a terrace directly on the ground between the two chalets.

May even make it from wood from Mum's house coming down.

Build consists merely of two chalets with that space in between which can have concrete or stones and maybe a little pond feature....but forget about that let's keep it simple.

I want to cost just the two chalets.

As for the finish quality? Shall we say resort style a bit economical but nothing not done properly and no squeaky windows.

The roof for example to be metal sheet which is cheap but a good quality of sheet, Bluescope.

I am thinking to cost the materials then I can add an appropriate amount for labour to see what we should pay.

I'm not sure what the foundation pads' size will be as it's is lightweight block with very lightweight sheet metal roof. Maybe quite small? Suggestions?

It will have an unpainted finish inside and out but polished concrete cut mun.

The roof will be colour bond or other metal sheet at a minimum angle flat as possible (5degrees?) and trimmed properly at the sides to look nice.

The interior walls and floor will also be cut mun may have a few decorative tiles embedded but forget them let's stick to the basic costs.

I want to work out if i can indeed keep in my budget (which i will hold to myself for now to not influence answers )

The building A is 7m x 4m including shower room 2m x 2m

Building B is 6.5 x 3.5m, including the kitchen K at 3.5m x 2m and the shower room at 1.8m x 1.6m

Take a look at a sketch:

CONCRETE

Foundation Pads/Columns to 2.5m above ground (x12)

Beams linking columns (50m)

Floor (cut mun polished concrete) 64m2

Walls (7.5cm thermalite blocks plus special mortar) x 132.5m2

Polished concrete finish to walls 2 sides total 265m2

Roof (Colourbond with insulation and foil) x 101m2

Plasterboard ceiling and fittings supplied and painted white x 50m2

Windows

Sliding doors 3.6m wide and 2m wide...total including windows about 20m2.....reasonable quality black aluminium

Doors two to bathrooms and one exterior to kitchen

Two bathroom sets one pretty good quality one more economy but OK. Washbasin, toilet, shower, taps.

Piping and fittings

Kitchen:

Basin and taps.

Electrics: Generous number of power points in all areas. Possibly Chang brand which I believe is good but economical.

Counters:

Both studio rooms will have "open shelving/wardrobes" of 4inch thick concrete shelving/up-stands around the area outside the bathroom as shown. may be doubled or tripled as shelving.

Kitchen will also have single counter along one side and shelf below

Total of horizontal counter and up stands approx 44m.

If anyone can suggest prices for any of these elements I'd be very grateful and we can build up a cost.

No doubt I have forgotten a few bits which can be added.

I already have an idea of some things and will start of with windows.

Can i get decent windows/sliding doors for 1750/m2 for a total of 35,000?

Thanks

[cheeryble]

OK here's a start:

Windows:
my estimate for windows seems reasonable.
I went into a place here in CR where a very civilised English speaking young man told me I should expect to pay 1800/sqm for windows/sliding doors.
(Is there any premium for black frames?

Walls:
I think i saw 75mm thermalite blocks advertised for 16 baht each.
as they are 200x600mm = 0.12sqm a block that would mean 8.33 to a sqm.
Say 8.5 as probably very little wastage.
8.5 x 16 = 136baht/sqm
How much to add for lightweight block adhesive?

Walls:
Polished cement finish to walls.
I saw a figure of 80bt/sqm/side.
Sound OK?

Roof:
Seem to remember 500bt/sqm for colour bond.
If this is correct how much should I add for spanning the 4m width of the room and supporting the roof....and for trim on the sides and underneath at the sides?

Bathroom set:
Basin: 1200
Taps: 800
Toilet: 3000
Shower and mixer: 4000
low level cock: 120
Mirror: 3000

Additions, amendments, and criticisms welcome!

[cheeryble]

On reflection when it comes to the floor it has to be laid on something.

Either they raise the earth level or have to lay concrete floor support slabs and screed.

Does the effort of filling with say a foot or a foot and a half of earth make it worth paying for support slabs?

(and should i have the wall support beams set into the earth to keep it all as low as possible commensurate with keeping the walls at least a bit above any water level?)

In any case it's going to have to be allowed for and added to the cost.

Guessing the actual screeding will be thicker than a wall screed and if direct on earth will need some light rebar or have seen it done with bamboo.

Edited May 25, 2015 by cheeryble

[cornishcarlos]

2 x 40ft shipping containers, with insulation and roof over the top. 250k to fully kit out to nice standard. Link the 2 with a reclaimed wood decking...

Well thats what I would do anyway

[MaeJoMTB]

You do understand the metal sheet roof will make the place too hot to be in during the day.

My farmhouse is metal roof, but on stilts, so at least you can sit underneath.

But yours?

[cornishcarlos]

Something like this...

[cheeryble]

2 x 40ft shipping containers, with insulation and roof over the top. 250k to fully kit out to nice standard. Link the 2 with a reclaimed wood decking...

Well thats what I would do anyway

Thanks Carlos but I'm not that fond of containers, and they're a bit on the narrow side.

Add to that it gets very chilly in this area.

[cheeryble]

You do understand the metal sheet roof will make the place too hot to be in during the day.

My farmhouse is metal roof, but on stilts, so at least you can sit underneath.

But yours?

I had first thought of metal roof then discarded it as it was suggested it would be done properly....meaning the trim etc......in this area.

Then we had a chat with a builder/architect, a very rational seeming chap, who recommended it and said indeed it can be done properly.

I should say I have felt the underside of on of these roofing sheets and I was amazed how the heat transmission was restricted.

But what you say raises a concern......

So MTB what sort of sheet is your farmhouse roofed with?

Specifically does it have a layer of thin (choosable thickness) foam underneath which itself is surfaced with foil?

(I can of course add more insulation underneath if i wish as it will be gyprocked below)

I was going to go for regular "asbestos" sheets but I like the idea of seamless and also in this area they had a hailstorm last year which destroyed all those roofs in the area, I mean shattered them to pieces. I also know the metal sheets (Bluescope Lysacht) can be clip less which i like......not sure if that's available here.

Thanks for your comment!

[Muzarella]

Because looks like your project is not in scale, may be just an idea, Anyway, try to size the bathrooms in the way that the shower is by the further wall on an isolated area or corner, and place the drain in that area. In that way, you can use a curtain, a lowered floor section, and not wet all the bathroom when using the shower....like is happening in every Thai house bathroom not designed by a professional.

[MaeJoMTB]

But what you say raises a concern......

So MTB what sort of sheet is your farmhouse roofed with?

Specifically does it have a layer of thin (choosable thickness) foam underneath which itself is surfaced with foil?

Mine is old, probably corrugated iron.

I do see that the modern constructions have a false roof about 1m above the real roof. (as appears in the container photo)

I've seen the aluminium/foam covered sheets in use, but they were always used in the top roof or over an open patio.

[cheeryble]

But what you say raises a concern......

So MTB what sort of sheet is your farmhouse roofed with?

Specifically does it have a layer of thin (choosable thickness) foam underneath which itself is surfaced with foil?

Mine is old, probably corrugated iron.

I do see that the modern constructions have a false roof about 1m above the real roof. (as appears in the container photo)

I've seen the aluminium/foam covered sheets in use, but they were always used in the top roof or over an open patio.

Then if the worst comes to the worst I can always do what happens at my present rental:

Cover the roof with leaves!

Seriously....if someone has input on this it would be appreciated.

My attitude so far is if there's a problem I can keep insulating the crap out of between the roof and the ceiling, but forewarned is forearmed.

These roofs are i believe becoming very common in say Australia so they must be reasonable.

Having said that there is probably usually a loft space and so on to keep back the rays.

I would like my roof as flat as possible commensurate with waterproofness.....so no loft space and it may be just inches thick altogether.

If I can get away with a slope of only say 5 degrees I may not have ceiling joists but just lean the ceiling at 5 degrees too.

Edited May 25, 2015 by cheeryble

[donx]

Did I see correctly that you plan on having a flat roof? If so then I would strongly suggest having at least some pitch to keep water from pooling. From past experience in the U.S., I loath flat roofs.

[cheeryble]

It certainly WON'T have a flat roof.

I am have been told however the minimum pitch for Bluescope is 5degrees which would be preferable IF IT WERE WATERPRROF.

I have concern not about pooling but about wind driven rain, but would be very interested to hear from anyone who knows how The Bluescope system deals with this.......or does it?

Edited May 27, 2015 by cheeryble

[cheeryble]

It certainly WON'T have a flat roof.

I am have been told however the minimum pitch for Bluescope is 5degrees which would be preferable IF IT WERE WATERPRROF.

I have concern not about pooling but about wind driven rain, but would be very interested to hear from anyone who knows how The Bluescope system deals with this.......or does it?

Life gets complicated.

I learn that 5 degrees is indeed OK but a type of Bluescop sheet which is deep profile is recommended, called ORB.

Wonder if this is available and at how much.

Any problem I can just put more slope, but prefer the flat look for sure.

[kamalabob2]

I'd steer clear of the container for housing or an office unless you spent real money to have a firm that could show you complete comfortable projects. I noted how the a/c must be on in the concrete ready mix batching office in Buriram. That shipping container conversion and roof system are less than one year old in the photos. Only a couple of computers to generate heat in that converted shipping container but I was told they must keep the a/c on most of the day even into the evening when they are sending concrete trucks to large construction sites. That metal roofing does not age well and/or this was installed incorrectly. The OP has incorporated some cost effective house building materials into his home plans. The AAC light weight blocks of a reputable brand will serve him well to make it much cooler in his home. He might look into thicker autoclaved blocks. I have 12.5 thick AAC blocks in Buriram for exterior walls and 7.5 for interior walls. Yesterday I toured three homes under construction in Buriram that were in the 12,000 baht per square meter price range fully fitted with cement roof tiles, 20 cm thick AAC wall blocks, roof insulation, Western Kitchens, LED lighting, but that price did not include the a/c installations.

Edited May 30, 2015 by kamalabob2

[pigeonjake]

we just had these 2 guest rooms built, both are 5x3.5 mtrs with fully tiled bathrooms shower ect,

and the build came in a little under 200k

and done to a good standerd as my father was a builder in the uk i know what im looking at,

[blackcab]

we just had these 2 guest rooms built, both are 5x3.5 mtrs with fully tiled bathrooms shower ect,

and the build came in a little under 200k

and done to a good standerd as my father was a builder in the uk i know what im looking at,

5,700 baht per square meter. That's a good price.

[cheeryble]

Thanks Jake

well point is although i shall have more and maybe more expensive windows/sliding doors , slightly better sanitary and tap ware, and I'd prefer to have lightweight blocks this is largely compensated for by essentially no tiling or painting except white ceilings a polished cement finish inside and out and floors (for now).

I've been told by the excellent guy on the superhwy CM to allow 400bt/sqm for materials for a reasonable quality steel roof of the gentle slope type all in so even this about at about 100sqm roof area shouldn't come to more than 40,000 materials. I'd stick it up myself if I had to.

So if I can get it i'd like a better price than the 480k (for 50m2) I've been asked (and which didn't even include lightweight blocks or simple concrete open shelving call it a half mill up.)

Everyone likes to make a profit Its not an outrageous price I'd just prefer to keep this one on a budget if I can.

Ps: just last night was informed that wife may not be inheriting the house we live in with grandma in CM. This could be a game changer and could have a bigger build on the way gulp.

Edited June 8, 2015 by cheeryble