Budget: Costing for a Modular Home

Building on a budget is probably the biggest challenge for anyone building a new home. Unless of course you’re a billionaire and you’re building your tenth mansion in some secluded waterfront getaway! But for the rest of us… how can you make it easy to work out the cost to build your new home? The last thing you want is to get your project underway and then find out that you missed some important part of the budget and then run into issues trying to finish off.

So – what does it cost to build a modular home? Hopefully we can make it easy for you to build on a budget so that your project goes to plan. The building industry is notorious for hitting up home builders with ‘Extras and Variations’ and trying to profit grab for any little excuse.

The most important thing is to have a very clear understanding of what’s included in the price and what you have to pay for. That’s why we make it easy to work out the cost to build with a Uniplan modular home with the “5 step home budgeting tool” that gives you a simple but complete template to work out your building budget.

There are four parts to check off when working out your cost to build a modular home:

Step 1: Land costs

Of course, if you’ve already got your land ready jump straight over this step – you’re already on your way! if not – it’s important that you check out all the cost of buying and preparing your land. Make sure you budget for the legal/conveyancing costs. When checking out land give careful consideration to any works you would need to do before being able to build on it, such as tree clearing, earthworks, etc. Often you will find if land appears very cheap it’s because there is some hidden cost to build that the owner hopes you don’t find out about – which isn’t very helpful when you’re building on a budget.

Step 2: Planning and Approvals

As much as everyone hates having to get council approvals, they’re a necessary evil. Luckily, at Uniplan we make it easy for you seeing as we look after this whole process for you. While we don’t charge for doing so, there are of course charges and fees payable to the council. This can vary wildly depending on your council and what your development is. If you’re adding a second dwelling to a property the costs are going to be more than just building a normal home. Typically for a standalone modular home you should allow about $6,500. This includes the council approval, soil tests, site survey, home warranty insurance, etc.

Step 3: Cost to build the Modular Home

Now that you have your land and approvals the next step is your new modular home. With Uniplan we make it easy and make sure that we give you a contract that clearly explains what is included and what is excluded. Seeing as all our Uniplan modular homes are built in the controlled environment of our state-of-the-art factory, not only is the build quality superior, but controlling the costs and building on a budget is very predictable. The cost to build your modular home will include delivery to your site, all the costs associated with installing the home on foundations, and completing all internal and external finishes.

Step 4: Site-works and services

While Step 3 includes all the costs of installing your new modular home on your site there are some site costs which are excluded and you need to make allowances for. This includes the connection of services (electricity, water, sewer and stormwater). The costs for this will vary depending on your site. If you’re on a rural block you will new a septic sewer system, rainwater tank and may have to run power from a distance. Uniplan can make it easy for you by providing all the information you need to get your plumber and electrician to provide you a quote for this.

There could also be conditions the council requires such as a new driveway or landscaping.

If you want to start writing up a clear and simple building budget then download your copy of “5 step home budgeting tool” or reach out to one of our friendly team to talk you through the process.