High Quality Residential Apartments - Cost model, March 1997 | Features

Table 1: House starts for Q3-Q4 of 1995 and 1996
Region	Q3-Q4	Q3-Q4	%
	1996	1995	change
Greater London	6,140	5800	6
South-east	15,560	12,930	20
South-west	7,160	5,340	34
East Midlands	6,510	4,570	42
West Midlands	6,410	5,300	21
East Anglia	3,370	2,650	27
Yorkshire and Humberside	5,670	5,010	13
North-west	7,810	7,700	1
North	3,260	2,600	25
Scotland	8,170	6,990	17
Wales	3,250	3,250	0
Northern Ireland	4,060	3,590	13
UK	77,370	65,730	18
Source: National House Building Council
The table illustrates the sharp increases that have occurred in housebuilding activity, measured in new sarts on site, in all regions except Wales and the North-west. The South-east (including Greater London) accounted for 29% of all new house starts.

Table 2: Average dwelling prices and inflation 1995-1996
	Average new dwelling prices		Existing house prices
	Q4 1996 (£)	% change from	% change from
		Q4 1995	Q4 1995
Greater London	129,011	-2.1	15.6
South-east	115,598	3.4	8.5
South-west	84,684	-0.2	7.4
East Midlands	76,208	3.5	3.8
West Midlands	88,452	7.8	6.8
East Anglia	77,539	-2.1	5.1
Yorkshire and Humberside	77,573	0.4	5.3
North-west	80,408	2.3	5.7
North	73,255	-6.7	4.8
Scotland	75,820	-1.7	5.1
Wales	74,060	3	10.8
Northern Ireland	69,782	14.9	14.3
UK average	87,088	0.6	7.9
Source: Halifax Building Society
The table shows that the rise in headline house price inflation has been largely confined to the existing house market.

Table 3: Typical unit sizes and internal circulation for private urban housing
House type	Gross internal area (m2)	Circulation allowance (%)
One-bed apartment	48-58	10-Dec
Two-bed apartment	75-85	Nov-14
Three-bed apartment	105-120	08-Oct
One-bed loft	58-65	n/a
Two-bed loft	80-90	n/a
Three-bed loft	110-125	n/a
Three-bed townhouse	115-130	14-16
Four-bed townhouse	155-165	16-18

Table 4: Median time to construct traditionally built houses
House type	Months
Detached houses	7
Detached bungalows	8
Semi-detached houses	7.5
Terraced houses	8.5
Attached bungalows	8
Flats and maisonettes	10.5
Source: National House Building Council (based on data for homes started in 1995)

BRESCU'S good practice guide
Element	Standard practice	Good practice
Roof	150mm insulation	200mm insulation
Ground floor	Uninsulated	50mm polystyrene underfloor batts
Boiler	Conventional gas fan-assisted	Condensing gas fan-assisted
Heating control	Ground-floor thermostat, no zoning	Zone control by multiple thermostats
Primary pipework insulation	None	Insulated

Cost breakdown
	Element cost (£)	Cost/m2 gfa (£)	% of total cost
Substructure	32,200	27.4	3.98
Site clearance		Item @	£1,500
Foundations and ground slab: insitu concrete ground beams, masonry walls below damp-proof course, damp-proof coure, contractor-designed precast concrete floor units		410 m2 @	£70
Extra over for lift pit construction		Item @	£2,000
Upper floors	18,200	15.49	2.25
Contractor-designed precast concrete floor units		824 m2 @	£20
Balconies: contractor-designed precast concrete units		35 m2 @	£50
Extra over for circular columns		1030 m @	£30
Allowance for structural steel truss to suspended section of main concourse floor		Item @	£100 000
Roof	32,700	27.83	4.05
Softwood trussed rafters: 150 mm insulation quilt		395 m2 @	£18
Clay pantiles: softwood battens, reinforced felt underlay		435 m2 @	£25
Extra for hips, ridges, and so on, to hipped roofs		175 m @	£25
Perimeter treatment to eaves, soffits and verges		120 m @	£15
Roof finishes to balconies: concrete pavers, mastic asphalt, warm deck roof insulation, vapour barrier, insulation to soffit of slab		55 m2 @	£60
Handrails to terraces and balconies		45 m @	£100
Rainwater goods: PVCu gutters and accessories		125 m @	£6
Stairs	13,800	11.74	1.71
Precast concrete stairs and half-landing: rise 2.70m		3 @	£4,000
Softwood spiral staircase: overall rise 2.70m		1 @	£1,000
Access stair to roof void		Item @	£800
External walls	72,000	61.28	8.91
Cavity walls: two skins blockwork, insulated cavity, render, masonry paint finish to walling at ground level only		155 m2 @	£80
Cavity walls: London stock facing bricks, 150mm medium-density blockwork inner skin, insulated cavity		485 m2 @	£75
Reconstituted stone string-courses, copings and sills		330 m @	£40
Allowance for additional architectural detailing		Item @	£10,000
Windows and external doors	71,600	60.94	8.86
PVCu windows and screens: double-glazed sealed units, lintels, cavity trays, ironmongery, window boards, and so on		215 m2 @	£230
Extra for doors in glazed screens to balconies		28 @	£500
Glazed entrance screen and door: hardwood frame		15 m2 @	£500
Window safety rails: powder-coated mild steel		6 m @	£100
Internal walls and partitions	39,400	33.53	4.88
Party walls: 215mm solid dense concrete blockwork		550 m2 @	£30
Blockwork partitions: average 140mm thick		170 m2 @	£18
Timber stud partitions: 100 mm thick, quilt insulation		260 m2 @	£30
Glazed screen to stair lobbies: single-leaf panelled door		4 @	£3,000
Internal doors	32,100	27.32	3.97
Entrance doors: single-leaf, frame, ironmongery		12 @	£520
Fire-rated doors: single-leaf, frame, ironmongery		41 @	£325
Unrated doors: single-leaf, frame, ironmongery		50 @	£250
Wall finishes	25,600	21.79	3.17
Plasterboard drylining to blockwork		860 m2 @	£6
Ceramic tiling to kitchens and bathrooms		190 m2 @	£50
Decorations: two coats emulsion paint		2950 m2 @	£2
Allowance for picture rails and trims		Item @	£5,000
Floor finishes	28,400	24.17	3.51
Proprietary floating floor system: 22 mm chipboard, foam-backed softwood battens		920 m2 @	£16
Sand/cement screed: mesh reinforcement, resilient closed-cell foam layer		105 m2 @	£10
Ceramic floor tiles to kichens		100 m2 @	£50
Carpet to communal lobbies		60 m2 @	£35
Moulded softwood skirtings		970 m @	£4
Cove ceramic skirting to kitchens		110 m @	£15
Ceiling finishes	11,100	9.45	1.37
Two layers plasterboard: two coats emulsion paint		820 m2 @	£10
Coving to reception rooms and bedrooms		970 m @	£3
Furniture and fittings	180,900	153.96	22.39
Allowance for fully-fitted kitchen to developer's specification: units, oven, hob, extractor hood, mircrowave, fridge, freezer, dishwasher, washer-drier and waste disposal		12 @	£12,000
Allowance for built-in bedroom furniture		12 @	£3,000
Bathroom mirrors		24 @	£25
Matwell to communal lobby		Item @	£300
Sanitary fittings	42,000	35.74	5.2
Allowance for sanitary fittings: fully-fitted bathroom/shower room to developer's specification, two WCs, two wash-hand basins, bath, shower, including all fixtures and fittings		12 @	£3,500
Disposal installations	5,100	4.34	0.63
PVCu rainwater downpipes and fittings		Item @	£1,000
PVCu soil and vent pipework and fittings		1175 m2 @	£13.50
Water installations	15,900	13.53	1.97
Hot and cold water supply: dedicated mains service to each dwelling, direct mains feed to all cold water outlets, calorifier, pipework and fittings		1175 m2 @	£13.50
Space heating and ventilation	45,900	39.06	5.68
Low-pressure hot-water central heating sytem: fan-assisted blanced-flue boiler, wall-mounted steel-panel radiators, single-zone thermostatic control		1175 m2 @	£35
Extract fans and ductwork to kitchens and bathrooms		19 @	£250
Electrical installations	29,400	25.02	3.64
Mains and sub-mains installation		Item @	£5,000
Small power installation to apartments		1115 m2 @	£9
Lighting and luminaires to apartments		1115 m2 @	£12
Emergency lighting, lighting and small power to common areas		Item @	£1,000
Lift installation	20,000	17.02	2.48
Eight-person, 0.4 m/second, electro-hydraulic lift		Item @	£20,000
Communicative installations	17,800	15.15	2.2
Telephone points		24 @	£50
Socket points for cable-access television		24 @	£250
Mains-operated smoke alarms		24 @	£150
Closed-circuit television entry-phone system		Item @	£7,000
Preliminaries and contingencies	66,900	56.94	8.28
Management costs, site establishment and supervision, allow 7%			£51,900
Contingency sum, allow 2%			£15 000
Total construction cost : building only	808 000	687.66	100

	Element cost (£)	Cost/m2 gfa (£)	% of total cost
Site works	33,200	28.25	n/a
Surface car parking and access roads, coated macadam on granular fill, including allowance for external lighting		600 m2 @	£27
Paths and walkways: brick and block pavers on sand base, kerbs and edgings		200 m2 @	£35
Soft landscaping: imported top soil, cultivate, turf, plants and mature trees		Item @	£7,000
Ornamental railings and street furniture		Item @	£3,000
Drainage	15,000	12.77	n/a
Clayware and PVCu below-ground drainage		Item @	£5,000
Allowance for manholes and inspection chambers		Item @	£10,000
External services	30,000	25.53	n/a
Share of costs of extending mains services from site boundary and connection charges		Item @	£30,000
Minor building works	3,500	2.98	n/a
Masonry-built bin stores to match main building		Item @	£3,500
Preliminaries and contingencies	7,300	6.21	n/a
Management costs, site establishment supervision, allow 7%		ghjlhjlk	£5,700
Contingency sum, allow 2%		gl;hk;hkl	£1,600
Total construction cost : external works only	89,000	75.74	n/a

Overall construction cost	897,000	763.4	n/a

		net extra (saving) cost/m2 gfa (£)
Alternative element specifications
(extra over costs are inclusive of preliminaries and contingencies)
Substructure
Contaminated land: share of site investigation costs - item @ £1500		1.39
Site clearance: disposal of contaminated waste (assumed 50% normal, 50% polluting). Rate excludes landfill tax - 1000 m3 @ £15		13.91
Methane gas membrane, laid on hardcore bed and blinding with insitu concrete ground slab - 410 m2 @ £30		3.42
Extra over for insulation to ground floor slab - 410 m2 @ £6		2.28
Extra over for piled foundations - 410 m2 @ £95		36.64
Semi-basement car park of insitu concrete frame and retaining walls complete with drainage and surfacing - 410 m2 @ £205		68.04
External walls
Cavity wall: two-skin blockwork, insulated cavity, Western red cedar weather boarding - 160 m2 @ £78		0.45
Windows and external doors
Softwood windows and screens instead of PVCu - 215 m2 @ £280		9.97
Hardwood windows and screens instead of PVCu - 215 m2 @ £340		21.94
Internal walls and partitions
Metal stud partitions instead of timber - 260 m2 @ £35		1.21
Floor finishes
Quarry tiles to kitchen instead of ceramic - 100 m2 @ £27		-2.13
Space heating and ventilation
Extra over for condensing fan-assisted gas boiler - 12 @ £300		3.51
Extra over from room thermostats - item @ £2000		1.95
Communications installations
Voice-only entryphone sytsem - item @ £2500		-4.38

Regional variations
All costs in this model are based on a scheme in outer London and should be adjusted by the following location factors for schemes in other areas:
Inner London	1.06
South-east	0.97
South-west	0.92
East Anglia	0.91
East Midlands	0.88
West Midlands	0.89
Yorkshire and Humberside	0.9
North-west	0.93
North	0.91
Scotland	0.92
Wales	0.88
Northern Ireland	0.77