My soon to be new house

[njrqs]

Mark

Yes house prices vary wildly over here too, depending on the city.

Eg. my place 10 miles from town cost me $175,000, but this place, 10 miles from our Capital City would cost maybe $800,000.

I shouldn't have raised the $200,000 issue.

But I am shocked at the actual construction cost of homes over there. You have like 10, 20, 30 times the number of people we have here, so you'd assume that economies of scale would drive prices down.

But from what I read on TBN about shed prices etc. they seem way too expensive.

Trying to relate costs back to an equal again...

The average large family car here costs aprox $30,000. The average family home (single storey, slab on ground, approx 1300 square feet) costs approx $85,000 to build (no land)

How do these 2 figures relate.

I know I ask lots of questions - Sorry......

 

[DocHeb]

Don't forget:

xe.com Universal Currency Converter™ Results

Live Rates as of 2002.03.25 23:47:37 GMT.

1.00 USD = 1.88859 AUD

Your Capital City Home for 800,000 AUD would be 424,000 USD

 

[DVerbarg]

Neil,

Re: <font color=blue>The average family home (single storey, slab on ground, approx 1300 square feet) costs approx $85,000 to build (no land)</font color=blue>

That would be possible here also. Unfortunately most US people are somewhat caught up in some type of "bigger is better" mentality (myself included). Isn't that what we say about our tractors, "get the biggest you can afford..."?

Just look at some of the pics of the houses some of us TBNers have, or the plans. Two story, 2500 to 5000 sq ft homes. Some recent posts have covered topics like central vacs, whole house sound/speaker systems, intercoms, 10ft basement walls, fireplaces, walk-in closets, tray ceilings, vaulted ceilings, water treatment systems, etc. The list just goes on and on and on (and the price keeps going up and up and up...)

That's not to say all americans do this, only the ones with tractors /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif. When my wife and I were newlyweds in 1991 we rented a 800 sq ft house. It was a new house, on a slab. Landlord built it for around $35000 (plus the land, which they already had).

Have a friend who built a one story house, 1800 sq ft, with a full unfinished basement, custom kitchen cabinets (he is a cabinet maker) and two car garage for around $115000.

Only some of us are crazy /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

 

[billfires]

DaveV, one of the problems is the cost of land. We paid 75,000 for 4.5 acres in July 1999. They just sold a 1.5 acre lot(which is minimum size) for 125,000 just down the street. Around here they figure 1/3 for land and 2/3 for house, so the house should be 250,000. I believe this is one of the reasons that houses are getting bigger.

Bill C

 

[njrqs]

Dave

Oh well now we are talking.

So yes it appears the having a tractor in the US is sort of a status symbol. Just like having a BBQ and a beer gut over here /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Cheers

 

[mikim]

<font color=blue>a status symbol. Just like having a BBQ and a beer gut over here</font color=blue>
AWRIGHT!! I got me a status symbol -- both parts !! Wait til I show my wife that I really don't need this diet ... it'll just ruin my "status symbol"/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif
mike

 

[DocHeb]

Sorry you got tangled in an SUV tangent - let us know how your house plans go!

 

[s1120]

That I will. We met with the builder on wed. He came out to see the land, and gave us a few prices. We are now back to thinking about the bonus room./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif For all you people who have had a house built, does it ever get easier?/w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

 

[DVerbarg]

Yes it gets physically easier but mentally .... everyone I've known that has built a house has a woulda' shoulda' coulda' list of items that, if they had to do over again, would do differently. And these lists continue to morph and evolve over time. Think of building a house like your initial tractor purchase, its just the beginning... /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[s1120]

<font color=red>everyone I've known that has built a house has a woulda' shoulda' coulda' list of items that, </font color=red>

Well, we have had a few houses, so we do have an idea of what we like, and don't like. But I guess you never realy learn./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif Heres hoping my list is short./w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif