The building or renovating of a house is an expensive proposition as every little thing adds up, whether it’s the material or labour costs. It pays to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve so that your budget is not wasted on redoing elements. Recycling old material or opting for D-I-Y features is another way to keep the costs as low as possible.
The most affordable way to build a house means cutting costs in the right places. Find out the prices of materials to build a house and which types might save you the most money.
Different Types of Houses You Can Build
First of all, keep in mind that there are different types of houses you can build. Your home will be other depending on what you want to develop. Depending on what you plan to make, you can choose from various kinds of houses.
For instance, if you want a tiny house but it is also affordable, there are many other options to choose from, such as mobile homes or condominiums. You can also choose a more permanent structure that will last longer, such as a barn. These are just some of the types of houses you can construct.
Building A Duplex
Another option is to build a duplex which is a two-story house with two different floors. You can also use two stories for a penthouse. However, this can be very expensive because it is more complicated than what we usually see with residential buildings.
There is a way to get answers to your questions regarding the cheapest type of house to construct. You can go to the internet and search for some companies that are willing to give you their estimates. However, when asking a company to do this kind of work, they should give you the estimate and explain why it was cheap.
The reason why they were so cheap is that they are not selling anything to you. They are not selling you anything because of how much it will cost them to do the job. So, instead of asking, “what is the cheapest type of house to build?
Instead, ask them what the most inexpensive way of doing it is. It may be the simplest way or the least expensive. Ask them about their plans to find out their plans what would be best for your situation. You will also be able to get answers to your question, “what is the cheapest type of house to build?”
Once you have found their plans, ask them to make you a contract for you to follow. They should include the price and the time they estimated for the project to know how much you should expect to spend.
Building Prerequisites
Also, ask them if there are any prerequisites to building the house you are thinking of using their construction plans. You should be aware of the things that will need to be considered before the construction can start.
One thing that will need to be considered before the project needs to begin is building the house’s foundation. If the land in front of your home is not flat, the house will not be built on it. A foundation is an essential part of any house to help hold the foundation of the house together.
Tips To Build Your House On A Small Budget
Masonry furniture
Whether you want to build a bar counter indoors or fixed seating outdoors, masonry furniture that uses bricks, stone or cement as a base is not only economical but also durable. It’s primarily a good idea for the outdoors, where the furniture is exposed to the natural elements.
Cement flooring
Instead of stone or ceramic tiles, consider using cement flooring to keep costs down. It’s easy to maintain and is a perfect option for a rustic home. Besides being easy to install, a concrete floor can also be decorated with mosaic tile borders or a paint coat to brighten up the house.
Concrete can also be used on walls to give a room a modern industrial look. It’s an affordable option compared to ceramic tiles and is maintenance-free too.
Pallets for walls
In recent years, wooden pallets have gained popularity as an eco-friendly alternative to traditional wood cladding on walls. Besides being cost-effective for a low budget house, they come with the advantage of matching classic and contemporary homes.
Exposed brick finish
In addition to adding warmth to the home’s ambience, exposed brick does away with the cost of plastering and painting the walls. This is also an option while renovating as you can remove the plaster and paint to give your home a rustic feel using the open-brick treatment on the walls.
Recycled wood
Wood is an ideal material for building roofs over the terrace or as deck flooring in the outdoors because it adds to the design’s natural aesthetics. Instead of using new wood, you can recycle old planks and beams to lower costs. Since it’s an easy material to work with, you can even opt for D-I-Y projects with wood to minimize expenses if you have the skills for it.
Concrete blocks
You can build your home Lego-style, using readymade concrete blocks. They are a low-cost alternative and are simple to construct with.
Visible pipes and fixtures
Exposed pipes and fixtures are a common feature of the modern industrial bungalow design. However, they are functional, too, as it’s easy to identify and fix leaks or pipe bursts. Additionally, you save on the expenses involved in plastering to cover them.
Reuse and recycle
Whether it’s your furniture, furnishings or décor accessories, you can make a significant saving by recycling. Convert pallets or old wood into a sofa frame or coffee table. Hit garage sales or thrift shops to find accessories that go with the style of your home.
Follow these tips to build a charming home on a budget. See this guidebook for some lovely homes that were built cheap.
Building the cheapest type of house
Tiny house
Generally defined as houses with square footage between 100 and 400 square feet, tiny houses are typically the cheapest kinds of houses to build. That said, fitting your everyday needs into a bit of space often takes some custom work, so there may still be some costs to the custom cabinetry and custom fixtures required. Plus, there can be regulatory hurdles to living in a tiny house —many municipalities don’t allow them or restrict their use—and not everyone wants to live in a teeny tiny space.
Shipping container house
Container homes are a growing trend in housing and involve purchasing out-of-use shipping containers and using one or more of them to construct a home. “These dwellings are typically built off-site and are delivered to the land parcel upon completion,” said Drew Toth, a home builder and developer at Elevate Living Homes.
One-story ranch
A one-story ranch home—essentially, a box—built on a slab foundation with a simple roof is one of the cheapest homes to build. “By not adding a basement and building on a slab, it will considerably reduce the total build cost of the home,” said Bill Samuel, owner of Blue Ladder Development, a home buying company in Chicago.
Cheapest materials to build a house
Besides labour, much of a home’s cost comes down to the materials you use to build it. While you wouldn’t want to use materials that don’t hold up for the long term, here are some options you can include when you’re trying to keep costs down:
- Concrete sheets: A mixture of cement and cellulose fibres pressed into flat boards, useful for a drywall replacement or flooring underlay, or even as a wall covering or flooring alone.
- Reclaimed wood: Good quality “upcycled” wood from other projects, such as warehouses or old barns.
- Used brick: If your heart is set on brick, you can purchase a used brick for less and use it for items like chimneys and walls.
- Corrugated metal: You can use corrugated (wavy) metal sheeting to cover interior walls or add contemporary materials to another project.
- Bamboo: You can use bamboo rods or bamboo sheets to create a fence, edge a garden or cover a wall.
- Wood framing: “It’s more cost-effective than metal,” said Dustin Singer, owner of real estate investment company Dustin Buys Houses. “It continues to be the most popular choice in new build construction.”
- Vinyl siding: One of the most cost-effective siding choices for traditional new construction, it’s more cost-effective than concrete or brick.
- Stone veneer: A thin sheet of natural or manufactured stone that you can install over another surface, so it looks like natural stone.
- Stone cladding: Similar to a stone veneer, stone cladding can be applied to your home’s exterior to look like stone siding.
- Plywood: An engineered wood made from thin sheets of wood veneer glued together in alternating right angles.
- Prefabricated panels: These wall panels are built off-site and brought to the home for easy assembly by the builder. They can help your home come together faster, saving you labour time and material waste.
- Industrial steel and iron: It’s inexpensive, doesn’t rot or warp and is super sturdy. It can be used in framing, roofing or other projects.
- Shipping containers: Out-of-circulation shipping containers can be repurposed to make a small home or use several of them to make a larger home.
Building a House: General Contracting’s Downside
First of all, don’t finance anything in your home that won’t last your mortgage’s length, such as a stove, refrigerator, dishwasher. You’re paying interest on items that may be gone by the time you pay off the mortgage.
Some builders are willing to put up the house’s shell and let you finish as much of it as you feel comfortable doing. This can save you tons of money if you have the time and skills to hang drywall, paint, carpet, etc. However, my husband and I are in the construction industry. I’ve seen many homeowners try to do their painting and staining, thinking they’ll save money. But they end up with an awful job, frustrated and sorry they ever attempted this. Most people are unaware of the amount of work involved in this project. You have to prime the walls before you paint, and then if you want a texture on the ceiling, you have to have special skills. It usually takes several coats of paint. You also have to fill in all the wood nail holes before you stain, and you have to sand between the coats of poly. If you know how this is done in homes, you can save money, but I wouldn’t recommend trying this if you’re not very skilled.
You can build your home with an eye to the future by not finishing the lower level until you can afford it. Find out from the building department what has to be done to get a permit to move in. I understand that you feel you’ll save money by being your general contractor. We are in the construction industry as subs, and unless you are a very patient person, I wouldn’t recommend this course of action. General contractors have the connections to keep your house project on course. If you contact a plumber and want him to come in for the rough work, you may have to wait in line until all his general contractors have been serviced. Since he has to come back at least twice, once for the rough-in and once for the finish, you may have to wait a long time in both phases. At the very least, you need an attorney to draw up specific contracts between yourself and your subs. General contractors also provide home warranties.
Checking Your Budget
The second thing is that the home you want to construct has to fit in with your budget. The price will be much higher if the house is larger than the one you are considering.
Also, there are different types of homes for different kinds of people. If you are a young person, then you might want to look at one that is bigger than what you think is the cheapest type of house to build for a young person, but it will be much more expensive than the one that would fit in with your budget if you are elderly.
Once you have a list of these things to consider, you can compare the cheapest type of house to construct and then make an educated decision. There is no better way to save money than by knowing the most affordable kind of house to build than by learning the basics of what it takes to get it done.
Some more budget-friendly tips
For centuries bamboo has been used for implementing low budget house plans, and even today, it is widely preferred by many. It is pretty common to find interior designers using bamboo for the ceiling and railing as it is robust, durable and easy to work with. Besides the ceiling, it can also be used as a flooring or roofing material. Most importantly, unlike other building materials, bamboo poses no danger to health.
For low-cost house plans with estimates within a small budget, professionals often consider lamination an excellent flooring choice. Besides being inexpensive, it is easy to maintain and can act superior to stone when a cold feeling is not preferred underfoot. Besides, laminate is resistant to stains and scratches; however, the planks’ seams are prone to water damage. Above all, its fine texture adds the required amount of warmth and enhances the beauty of homes with a rustic setting.
Can I Get A Mortgage to Finance My DIY Build?
As we mentioned earlier, there are construction loans available for application, depending on your type of build. However, the money will go directly to your contractor with construction loans as the build is completed, rather than you, the homeowner.
And for lower-cost builds, like our tiny homes or shipping container models, financing gets even trickier. Most homes won’t qualify for any loan unless it has a permanent foundation, and even if your home is on wheels, chances are it may not meet the requirements to be eligible for an RV or motorhome loan, either. In this case, it’d probably be easiest to look into applying for a personal loan.
What Are Some Costly Errors To Avoid?
Firstly, be prepared. You should be confident that you have all of the proper construction permits you need and that you meet your area’s zoning regulations before construction even begins. Getting caught building without a permit will not only delay your build for extended periods, but the fees can cost you over double the price of the original permit.
Secondly, during your build, you should also know what you’re doing or hire somebody who does. Plumbing or electrical mishaps will cost you a pretty penny if you make a mistake early on, especially if you don’t catch it right away. So, set yourself up for success and subcontract the help of an expert if you’re not confident in a particular aspect of your build.
Are There Communities of Tiny Homes?
As we discussed earlier, yes, the tiny home phenomenon has cultivated a rich online community filled with tiny-home owners. You can find communities that vlog about their lifestyle on YouTube, influencers on Instagram, and endless Q&As and Reddit advice. Don’t be afraid to reach out to these like-minded people to learn more about the lifestyle and figure out if it’s truly right for you.
Building a home that’s affordable will depend a great deal on where you live and what’s available to you. In some areas, land and new construction are prohibitively expensive, and in others, existing home prices are sky-high, making a new build a more economical option. If you keep inexpensive materials and building strategies in mind, it will lower your bottom line significantly.