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

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

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

Manager shares costs of building family home
A construction manager shared rough costs of building a 3-bedroom house. Image: @langelihle.conco
Source: TikTok

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.

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.

Read also

“You have such audacity”: SA unimpressed by underdeveloped rental house in bougie Cape Town suburb

PAY ATTENTION: Briefly News is now on YouTube! Check out our interviews on Briefly TV Life now!

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.

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:

Read also

“Children shouldn’t start from the bottom”: SA praises parents who bought their high schooler new Volkswagen

SA divided about construction costs
A construction manager shared rough costs of building a family home from scratch. Image: @langelihle.conco
Source: TikTok

@✨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.”

@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.”

Read also

A Reddit post about a South African-inspired restaurant bill in Manchester quickly sparked attention

Watch the TikTok video below:

3 More home-related stories by Briefly News

Source: Briefly News

Authors:
Chuma Nontsele avatar

Chuma Nontsele (Human Interest Editor) Chuma Nontsele is a human interest journalist for Briefly News (joined in 2024). Nontsele holds a Diploma in Journalism and started her career working at Daily Maverick as a news reporter. Later, she ventured into lifestyle and entertainment. Chuma has 3 years of experience as a journalist. You can reach her at chuma.nontsele@briefly.co.za