Woman in Construction Breaks Down Cost of Building 3-Bedroom Home, SA Divided

• South Africans were divided by a young construction manager’s calculations of how much a 3-bedroom house would cost
• The builder hopped on TikTok to explain her company’s rates and shared a rough sketch of the home’s structure
• Social media users thought the prices were both absurd and reasonable, depending on an individual’s financial circumstances
• Briefly News asked financial expert Fulufhelani Mashapha for practical financial advice to help young South Africans overcome historical economic disadvantages and achieve property ownership

A young South African construction manager, Langelihle Conco, shared a rough breakdown of costs for a three-bedroom house

The young lady explained that the process of transferring the design plans from paper to the construction, otherwise known as setting out, would cost about R8000. The price raised eyebrows online and demotivated a number of people.

Conco continued with her breakdown and highlighted that the foundation construction would cost nothing less than R75000. This project would include a stoep footing.

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Briefly News asked financial expert Fulufhelani Mashapha what practical financial advice she would give young South Africans aiming to secure property ownership. She said:

"It’s advisable to save in advance for the deposit, bond registration fees, and legal costs, as these upfront expenses—excluding the deposit—can amount to approximately 10% of the property's value."

Construction manager breaks down costs of building 3-bedroom house

The assembling of the internal and external walls, which is referred to as superstructure brickwork, would cost R60000. The roof construction normally requires R120000 to complete.

One would need to spend R14000 on the home’s external plaster and paint project. Doors and windows would require R14000, while floor tiling would need R30000.

The electrical and plumbing project is a total of R55000. The internal finishes of the house, like furniture and cabinets, would require R50000, while the external finishes, such as paving and landscaping, would cost R15000.

The manager explained that they require an allowance of 10% to add to their estimated cost for preliminaries, a cost that is not directly linked to the actual construction, but related to the project.

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The total cost of building a three-bedroom house is estimated at around R485000. Conco also explained:

“Please note that the costs depend on your location and the material used, as they can vary.”

SA amazed by cost of building 3-bedroom house

Social media users were divided by the required amount to build the home from scratch and said:

@✨wrote:

“This is cheaper than buying a house, though, let’s be honest.”

@Ballin was not impressed:

“I thought of not commenting, but unfortunately, I’m a civil engineer and I’ve got something to say about these steep prices. She said tiling is R30k. My sister, using 600 x 600 tiles, can’t cost over R15K for that house. Foundation for R75K? Y’all are cooking those quotations.”

@Just_here said:

“Honestly, this is doable considering a three-bedroom house costs anywhere between R1.5 million to R2.5 million.”

@Themba Zulu suggested:

“I wish you had shown us a 3D presentation of the actual house, so that we have a better understanding.”

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@Bucky Boy was not convinced:

“Guys, building is expensive, but a foundation for R75k? No way.”

@Freya lasirenn wrote:

“We built a four-bedroom house with a kitchen, lounge, three toilets, and a garage for less than this, and it’s been standing strong for years.”

Watch the TikTok video below:

3 More home-related stories by Briefly News

• South Africans were stunned by a real estate agent’s listing of a shabby rental property in a posh Cape Town suburb.
• A beautiful South African interracial couple from Cape Town documented their move to the countryside and into a 100-year-old cottage.
• South Africans were thrilled to hear about how they could afford R3.1 million luxurious homes from a real estate agent.

Source: Briefly News