“Add R400,000”: SA Confused About Construction Expert’s Construction Costs for 4-Bedroom House

“Add R400,000”: SA Confused About Construction Expert’s Construction Costs for 4-Bedroom House

  • A construction content creator shared a detailed pricing breakdown for building a 4-bedroom house
  • The house plan includes four bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, a lounge, kitchen, dining room and double garage
  • South Africans questioned whether the pricing was realistic, with many suggesting additional costs like furnishing and foundation work weren't properly included
A post went viral.
A construction company shared a post on TikTok showing how much the total cost of building a 4-bedroom house would be, but Mzansi couldn't believe it. Images: @mjlesenya
Source: TikTok

A construction expert has revealed the estimated construction costs for a 4-bedroom house, sparking major debate among South Africans about whether the pricing is too good to be true.

TikTok user @mjlesenya, who regularly shares construction-related content and building cost breakdowns, posted detailed pricing information on 31 August 2025, which quickly went viral.

The content creator shared a cost estimation invoice for building a modern 4-bedroom house. The house plan includes four bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, a lounge, a kitchen, a dining room, and a double garage. According to the breakdown, material costs range from R210,000 to R292,000, covering blocks, bricks, cement, sand, roofing tiles, wood, nails, plastering materials, and aluminium for windows and doors.

Read also

“This is cheaper than buying a house”: Contractor breaks down cost of building 3-bedroom home, SA divided

The labour costs are estimated at R128,000, including R32,000 to R44,000 for building work, R27,000 to R36,000 for roofing services, R30,000 to R40,000 for plastering, and R4,000 to R8,000 for aluminium installation. The total estimated construction costs for the 4-bedroom house come to R420,000.

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

The house design shows a modern structure with a front veranda, double garage, and open-plan dining and lounge area. The layout includes a kitchen, lobby, and passageway leading to the four bedrooms, a main bathroom, a master ensuite bathroom and a back veranda. The post received over 6,000 reactions, 200 comments, and 3,000 shares as South Africans showed massive interest in the building costs.

A post went viral on TikTok.
A construction company shared photos showing how much they charged a client to build a 4-bedroom home. Images: @mjlesenya
Source: TikTok

Mzansi reacts to construction costs

South Africans shared mixed reactions about the pricing in the comments section.

@tsutsa warned:

"Guys, you need to add another R400,000.00 for furnishing."

@phililfelicity joked:

"When a person posts a house plan or a video with design, we ask for estimates. When estimates are posted, we review estimates. There's nothing you can do to satisfy a human being."

Read also

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

@lebohang_tembe asked:

"Do you bring your material, or must I buy it?"

@the_aardvark requested:

"Please do the same for a 4-5 bedroom double-storey house."

@slindokuhle_nkosi enquired:

"Do you guys do renovations?"

@user1094591495347 warned:

"Project cost is mostly influenced by the level of detailing and finishing specification. From my construction experience, a 4-bedroom at that price, you will have problems; it will either be substandard materials or poor workmanship."

@thabiso_lucious requested:

"Please assist with a quote for 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom, kitchen, sitting room, dining room and single garage"

@mpafane questioned:

"On the building items, I think you missed a 1 in front of the 50 and 70k... I mean, the foundation alone won't be enough on 70k."

Buying vs. building a home

According to Ooba Home Loans, building a house usually costs 20 to 30% more than buying one that’s already built. But in the long run, it can save money since you don’t need to renovate, you’ll pay less for upkeep, avoid transfer duty, and may even get some tax breaks. New homes are also energy-efficient and often worth more thanks to modern designs.

Read also

American man debunks African myths with modern Johannesburg apartment tour on TikTok

Building has other perks too; you can add the latest tech, be the first to live in the home, and sometimes face less competition when buying land. The downsides are that it takes a long time to build, delays can happen, and you might need somewhere else to stay while construction is going on.

View the TikTok post below:

3 Other stories about people's homes

Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.

Source: Briefly News

Authors:
Nerissa Naidoo avatar

Nerissa Naidoo (Human Interest Editor) Nerissa Naidoo is a writer and editor with seven years of experience. Currently, she is a human interest writer at Briefly News and joined the publication in 2024. She began her career contributing to Morning Lazziness and later joined Featherpen.org. As a TUW ghostwriter, she focused on non-fiction, while her editorial roles at National Today and Entail.ai honed her skills in content accuracy and expert-driven editing. You can reach her at nerissa.naidoo@briefly.co.za

Tags: