we have just signed the contract on a 1020sqm block of land and will be hopefully building a house on it in the new year. land and building costs have skyrocketed in cairns (land doubled in 3 years and build cost up by 50% in 3 years) so we are looking to get a builder to take it to lock up for us and then finish it ourselves. for all of you who have done or who are doing the owner builders what sort of percentage of the total build cost should the fit out cost me. obvisiously it will depend on the level of finish as to the total cost so im only after a rough idea. has anyone else gone down this road before? we did look at doing the whole owner builder thing but think its too much hassle.

Ours was about 1/6 of the total build cost if that's any help.
Build was total 130k of which 20k was the internal fit out. Lock up price included gyprock & cornice, some builds don't.

would agree with cresta....maybe allow 1/5th of cost to lockup....gives you a bit of overspend when the wife goes shopping

i dont know but i would have assumed that the fit out would have been the most expensive part of the build. it will be a block home on a raft slab. roof on and doors and windows in when i get my hands on it. i will have to do the electrics,plumbing,internal timber stud walls, gyprocking, painting, kitchen,bathrooms, driveways etc. if i get a builder to do the lot im looking at about $400,000 for the build .

The fit out your doing is alot more detailed than normal 'lock up to finish' houses. I would deduct the builders actual cost: from the 400k quote and then whatever is left could be reduced by about 30% (labour cost)to give you a ball park figure of what it will cost you to finish

any owner builders out there?

know what you mean about costs. We were out bid on a block of land in June thinking that was expensive. Now we have paid 7% more, one street away, for 5% less land with tiny bit more of a slope, but with a small house from another era we can live in whilst waiting to afford to knock it down & build the house we want. (in Sydney)

yep, the block we have bought would be no more than 300 metres from where we are now and is set to be one of the best new subdivisions in cairns. the smallest block around 900sqm going up to 3000sqm. we managed to get our choice of blocks and managed to negotiate the price a little bit. it cracks me up how realestate people over shaft people. only reason we got this block was because the guy selling the land had someone lined up to buy our house so it was easy money for him. people have had names on these blocks for ages. we didnt have our name on the block we eventually chose. when we bought our first block in oz people had there names on blocks and we just turned up at his office with folding for the deposit. he scribbled some guys name of the contract and that was that. there a corrupt bunch.

we are going to be building shortly as owner builders, we are getting the house company to build to lock up so we can finish at our leisure the inside, the cost for the house includes all fixtures for inside and the gyprock etc, lock up does not include them putting up the gyprock or anything else inside, the staircase isn't included in the lock up price either, its basically just external building work nothing else.
Hope that helps
Jenny

but what did you pay to lock up and what will the final price be.

Mate, if you are just getting the shell done, then allow the following:

1/5 th for the slab and ground works.
1/5 th for the frame and veneer.
1/5th for the roof.

Theresfore if your build coists for slab frame and roof, come in at say 120k then you will need a further 80 for the electrics, gyproc painting and plumbing.

Then allow overspend for finishes.

1/20th for upgrade to granite. 1/15th of build cost for fully tiled floors to main areas ( especially Cairns )

Being on a 1/4 acre block i spose its sewered, so connection to that and electrics, a watertank, and solar hot water... allow 15k

Steve

cheers for that. at the moment im working on 50/50. lets say the lock up cost is 150,000 then im allowing 150,000 for the fit out. ive started to price things and i reckon i will be covered for the finish we are after but was looking for input from those who may have been down this path before. i will be doing the electrical and air con myself and as im hoping top pay subbies cash should be able to further reduce costs.

Now then mr young, seems you have managed to keep thread going for more than a day. Its nice you'll be building before me as you can be the guinee pig for the cost's and i can see how you get on. We'l have a drive round a few kitchen spots tomorrow if you like, sounds like we'v a easy day ahead

Youngy this is what the bank gave us an idea as to how the percentage of your cash would be spent as an owner builder.

Stage 1 base stage 13%
Stage 2 Frame stage 15%
Stage 3 Lock up stage 35%
Stage 4 Fixed stage 25%
Stage 5 completion 12%

(I have to add ours went nothing like that though )

Its the most complex route to go, and filled with frustrations and disappointment, but if you manage it properly, you will come out a winner.

Good Onya and good luck