Is it cheaper to buy or build a summer house?

Having a summer house adds an entirely different effect in your garden. It looks classy, spacious and is super handy and helpful as an additional room to your house. For a lot of people, though, building a summer house can seem like too much of a hassle and can be too costly. But, what if we tell you that it doesn’t have to take a lot of time and effort. On one hand, you can build your own house. On the other hand, you can buy one, which is ready to be placed onto your lawn and ready for use. Which option is cheaper, though? Well, keep reading this article where we break down the costs, time and effort it takes to buy or build a summer house.

Building your own garden house can seem like too much of a hassle

What do you need to consider before you decide to build your own summer house?

Building the house yourself definitely has quite a few disadvantages. First of all, you need to consider the time it is going to take. Building a house from the ground up is no easy feat, even if it is just a small one. You need to find people and construction workers, who are going to dig up the ground, set the foundations and build the house. Construction labour is quite expensive. Furthermore, just one person won’t be able to do the job, you are going to need at least 3 or 4 people. Then, you need to consider the price of the materials you are going to use. In general, a lot of people try to save money by buying low-quality materials. However, they always end up regretting this decision. Then, when you add in the furniture and interior decor, the value just keeps going up.

Hiring a contractor to do the job can be quite expensive

What is the cost of building a summer house?

As we have already mentioned, hiring a contractor can be costly. On average, private contractors charge between £150-£250 a day. Naturally, the bigger the house, the more time it is going to take to build. Therefore, the total cost for the contractors goes up. Next, you need to think about materials. Depending on the materials you choose to use, the price can range anywhere from £1000-£5000. But, as we said, saving money by buying low-quality materials is not advisable. After all, you want to build a summer house, which is going to last and won’t need to be renovated every year. Finally, add in the price for any permits you may need, as well as eveyrthing you need to decorate the inside and the final cost might even shock you.

The final cost of building the house might shock you

Why buying is cheaper than building

In general, if you just look at a few prices online, you might start thinking that building is cheaper. However, building a house can have a lot of hidden, unforseen costs. While building, there are so many things which can go wrong. For example, while digging to set the foundations, you might experience a pipe burst. That means not only more time and effort, but also the need for a plumber, which in turn means more money being spent. Furthermore, those unforseen costs can appear at any time throughout the whole process. So, whenever you compare costs, definitely take that into consideration.

Building can have a lot of hidden costs

The upsides of buying a summer house

If you still haven’t decided, here’s the upsides of buying, instead of building the house. First of all, buying the house is perfect for people, who just don’t have the time for building. It is quick, easy and completely free of hassle. Second of all, you can spare yourself all the time you are going to spend choosing contractors, materials and everything else that comes with having to build something yourself. What’s more, you won’t have contractors coming in and out of your house for an extended period of time. And, last but not least, you will spare yourself a lot of digging into the ground and dirt. Buying the house means that all lyou have to worry about is the interior. It will be placed on the location you pick and then all that’s left for you to do, is to decorate. And who doesn’t love decorating?

There are a lot of upsides and a lot less hassle in simply buying a summer house