Building a house can be an enormously expensive process. However, there are several things that you can do to keep the cost of your project to a minimum. Read on to find out more.
Opt for roof trusses instead of rafters
The roofs of most older properties are made with rafters; a collection of sloping timber boards which join the external walls of a house to the peak of the roof. These boards are secured into place by timber joists. Rafters are made from thick, expensive slabs of wood which need to be cut, assembled and installed on the building site. It can take several weeks to prepare and install a roof of this kind.
Due to the high cost of the type of timber you would need to build this type of structure and the length of time it would take to assemble and install it, opting for a roof made from rafters would almost certainly increase the amount that you end up spending on both labour and materials.
The roofs of most modern properties, on the other hand, are built with roof trusses, like the ones provided by Prefab Technology Pty Ltd. This is largely because roof trusses provide almost the same level of structural stability as rafters, at a much more affordable price. Roof trusses are comprised of numerous lightweight timber boards, which intersect with one another to form a structural network.
Unlike rafters, roof trusses can be built off-site. This means that, after being delivered to your plot, they can be installed within a matter of days. This could save you thousands of dollars in labour costs. Additionally, because the timber used for trusses is much lighter than that used for rafters, it is far less expensive.
Get involved
One of the easiest ways to reduce the cost of your house-building project is to do some of the simpler tasks yourself, rather than paying a labourer to do them for you. Jobs such as painting walls, installing cabinets and fitting doors will probably be well within your capabilities, even if you do not consider yourself to be a DIY expert.
A word of caution, however; if you decide to go down this route, it is crucial to recognise the limits of your own abilities and to seek out the help of a professional tradesperson when necessary. Attempting major work that requires a certain skill level (such as carpentry or plastering, for example) could end up being a huge false economy, as you may end up having to pay someone to correct your low-quality workmanship.
