building a double story vs single story

monicafowler96

5 years ago

how much more expensive are double story homes? what are some cost cutting ideas when building in rural australia?

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Comments (3)

PRO
Dr Retro House Calls
5 years ago
Double storey homes need to be bigger to accommodate a stairwell which is about the size of an additional bedroom, so are always more expensive than single storey homes with the same accommodation. If you are in rural Australia hopefully you don't have quite the same lot size restrictions that limit the city dwellers, so there is a further distance to boundaries. If you are on a tight budget then you should only consider single storey if you have the available land.

Best of luck,

Dr Retro

of Dr Retro House Calls
PRO
Your Favourite Homes builder
5 years ago
double storey againts single storey is usually 1.5-2 times more expensive, depends ont he project , the design and the materials/finsihes used. See if you can get a wholesale builder as they will have a much bigger buying capacity than a small builder. Consider light weight cladding and sustanable feaures to make your new place low-cost to run once it is built. Hope that helps, Good luck with your project
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Comments (1)
We asked a similar question when we bought our piece of bare land. We were advised that building a simple shape would reduce costs... so we've built a t shape. Single story is almost always cheaper. We have a builder who is happy to let us do a lot of work with him. We also choose to live on site, which saves us a lot in fuel. The kids and I clean up the building site most days. We've been able to separate the rubbish out between actual rubbish and recyclable material. As for cladding, we were going to do a mix of corrugated iron with plywood board and batten. But given some of the additional hassles, I don't think there's much in it cost wise. However, in saying all that, we chose to invest in long term benefits, so our house is exactly what we want and should be cheap to run. We were hoping to build for $1800 /sq m but we're still coming out at about the $2000 mark.
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I'd take a totally different route . It looks like there is that narrowish window in the lounge or dining area -- I'd look at whether you could make that into a ranch-slider ( yes , I am in NZ too -- if you say ranch-slider it confuses the Aussies haha ) . You'd need a structural engineer to make sure that wall isn't load bearing , and also electrical cables are able to be moved , but I'd suspect the load bearing bits would be the corners , and you'd be able to 'open up' that wall onto the deck . While it initially may seem counter-intuitive , you could then take out the door and that other taller window -- close it in and add a couple of small windows , or how about doubling down , and seeing if you can 'open up' between what you call the 2 windows above the stove -- have 1 long flat window along there , OR even do another bay window -- that will add more light , but also by taking out the opening door , you will get an extra metre of space , That way , you can do a different kitchen design -- maybe a wall mount oven , or a pantry , a breakfast bar in a different spot -- basically , plan the kitchen and the window placement at the same time . The advantages would be more usable space , more light , an indoor/outdoor flow but through the other room , not the kitchen . But with more glass actually in the kitchen , it will feel lighter and airier , plumbing won't be as much of a hassle , it will look better . The only possible downside would be the wall you put the ranchslider in will need to be kept clear , as you may lose a bit of space there , but the breeze and openness will make up for that IMO .
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PRO
Anatoly Patrick Architecture
5 years ago
If you've got space, it will always be most economical to go single level. Going up will have a premium due to lifting of materials, access and safety for trades, as well as extra floorspace for stairs. But there are sometimes good reasons to go up - if you are wanting to get views, or you have a sloping site and are utilizing the undercroft. Some other cost cutting measures are:

-have a simple floorpan ie rectangular, and

-understand your levels ie get a site survey

-material selection eg. lightweight cladding (timber, steel, fibre cement) rather than bricks and render..

-chose standard sizes for windows, doors, wall panels. A lot of modulation is done on 600mm increments.

-orient the building to the north, so you harness passive heating and cooling effect and reduce running costs.

Shameless plug: we work all over Australia, thanks to our digital setup. Always happy to help if you are looking for design input... Best wishes.

building a double story vs single story

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