Architects prices, extending the house, etc.

[network_engineer]

Hi all,

I wasn't sure which section my posts goes to, but I settled for the 'Living in Finland' section. We wanted to extend our current house, and we have rights to build another 80 Sq.M. (as told to us when we bought the house) and wanted to get an estimate of costs involved in building it. Thus asking,

1. Does anybody here have an idea what the prices might be like to hire an architectural firm for the process? How about an initial consultation, is that priced or is that free? Additionally, if you've been involved in the, ahem, hapless (for lack of a better word), task before and found a good architectural firm, please do PM me their details. We live in Rajamäki (Nurmijärvi), about 65 odd Kms. from Helsinki downtown.

2. Has anybody extended their house here and have an idea of the prices/costs involved?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Kind regards.

[korppu]

The Finnish Association of Architects SAFA publishes a yearly leaflet on firms specializing in detached houses:
http://www.safa.fi/
First box; ETSITKÖ ARKKITEHTIA?> KATSO ARKKITEHTIHAUSTA> Pientalosuunnittelijoita 2007.pdf.

That way you can get an idea of the kind of architecture they do.

Architect services cost from 60-150-300 eur/h, depending on task and qualifications.

[meplusthree]

hi,
Here is my experience from 2001. Prices are in Fim-
Added garage 30 sq m to one side of house & 70 sq m (2 bed rooms & living room) to other side of house.

Total cost was 200,000 fim. Including digging foundations & Tulli kivi Takka.

Cheapest quote we had from uncles building co was 450,00 fim excluding Takka and electrical work. The other quotes were in excess of 500 k! excluding electrics.

Got the package from K-Rauata which included drawings and cost was about 67,000 fim.

Think package is cheapest option apart from doing every thing yourself. Obviously you have to be reasonably handy to do this.

I was responsible for organizing foundations, they came along and put the finished outside walls and roof triangles.
All I had to do then install the roof covering,roof insulation, build internal walls ,ceilings, doors, knock through to old building, install electrics, floor heating system, install flooring paint and decorate. I did 90% of this on my own apart from the foundations.

Basic rule then was total cost of package project is 3 times cost of package if you do most of the work yourself. Think this probably still applies.

You will also need an Rakenuus Maisteri (building master) who is supposed to check that what has been done has been done correctly.

Other tips are to open account at your local hardware store which will give you automatic discount on most items and always ask for discount as well.

Get a car with a tow bar - you are bound to need a trailer and make sure you know how to load it, you don't want to end up in the ditch by the side of Keha III with the trailer sitting on the roof of your car, as happened to one expat!

Getting the actual planning permission can take a long time but that depends on where you live.

[korppu]

To get an exact costs estimation of your house, you need to have the plans made first, with construction details, building and interior materials, windows, HVAC, and other technical details defined.
But an experienced architect, builder, rakennusmestari or similar can make you an estimation when you tell him/her what you want as well defined as you can, but the estimate will not be very precise. There are also specialized companies that make building calculation estimates -kustannuslaskenta-, but they need the drawings to do it.

Construction company offers for building today can vary 100 % more or less, so its difficult to give an estimate.

An ~80 m2(living area) 1+1+1/2 storey architect planned extension in a slope above a 80 m2 garage (the extension is paractically its own unit connected to the old house by a glazed room) that I ...em, know of... cost 200.000-300.000 euros to build, all costs included. Built in 2004 in the Helsinki region. They did some work on the old house,too, and extensive landscaping and terraces.

Another ~400 m2 posh house that is being built in Espoo will cost about 2 million euros. So it depends on what you want from your building and what you want to spend.

I doubt any consult works for free .

[Rosamunda]

Built in 2004 in the Helsinki region. .

Since 2004 prices for materials AND labour have gone through the roof and as labour shortages continue so the prices will keep increasing. IMO.

As for planning permission - it took us over 9 mths to get planning permission to change some windows.... (but that's Espoo) I vaguely remember the request being rejected once because we hadn't perforated holes in the left margin of the plans unreal.

So, IMO, even a simple extension is best left to the experts (paperwork experts that is). And don't even attempt the project unless you are confident about the solidity of your marriage. Building a home has got to be on the top of the list for causes of divorce


Question for meplusthree...

What kind of tax breaks can you get on the DIY option? How does Vero take your own labour cost into account?

[korppu]

As for planning permission - it took us over 9 mths to get planning permission to change some windows.... (but that's Espoo) I vaguely remember the request being rejected once because we hadn't perforated holes in the left margin of the plans unreal.

true, true...and just imagine Helsinki, they are even stricter with the permits... pretty much only to change the place of a toilet seat you need an architect + an engineer + a master builder + a worker with a water certificate + house inspections etc etc. And everybody involved is required to have a certain amount of years of experience since they got their certificates...if not = rejection and 9 months again of waiting