Please please do some research on the cost of building a house. It is a key element in understanding our housing issues.
We hear “affordable” housing screamed all the time , but what is an affordable house?
Let’s define that first.
Your log cabin project is the cost to supply the kit. We could do the same with a bricks and mortar house. Order all components to be stored on site and they will match the £50k in your example.
Now ask what the assembly cost is. For a typical house the cost is £2000 per sqm (assembly and materials).
You might be able to get it down to £1500 if you are involved a bit more. So let’s use £1500 x 132 (your log house) and you get a real cost of £198k. Now buy some cheap land to sit it on. Say £100k. Is a £300k house cheap?
Maybe it is in London but would it be cheap in Nottinghamshire?
Houses are expensive let’s face that fact. Yes prices are distorted by the financial system but they still cost a lot.
When writing about this topic we must outline what a real house costs to build in different parts of the U.K. then we can see how distorted the financialisation of the housing market impacts the actual buy price.
I take your point, John, and I know I am exaggerating, but I do it and post links like that to shift the Overton window. So much of the build cost is to satisfy regulation, while the cost of the land is another unnecessary cost of government. The house itself is not expensive in comparison.
Please please do some research on the cost of building a house. It is a key element in understanding our housing issues.
We hear “affordable” housing screamed all the time , but what is an affordable house?
Let’s define that first.
Your log cabin project is the cost to supply the kit. We could do the same with a bricks and mortar house. Order all components to be stored on site and they will match the £50k in your example.
Now ask what the assembly cost is. For a typical house the cost is £2000 per sqm (assembly and materials).
You might be able to get it down to £1500 if you are involved a bit more. So let’s use £1500 x 132 (your log house) and you get a real cost of £198k. Now buy some cheap land to sit it on. Say £100k. Is a £300k house cheap?
Maybe it is in London but would it be cheap in Nottinghamshire?
Houses are expensive let’s face that fact. Yes prices are distorted by the financial system but they still cost a lot.
When writing about this topic we must outline what a real house costs to build in different parts of the U.K. then we can see how distorted the financialisation of the housing market impacts the actual buy price.
I take your point, John, and I know I am exaggerating, but I do it and post links like that to shift the Overton window. So much of the build cost is to satisfy regulation, while the cost of the land is another unnecessary cost of government. The house itself is not expensive in comparison.