BUILDING NEW HOUSE ON ST.THOMAS?

Most build their own homes, doing the work with friends on the week-ends and paying contractors when the money is handy. This process usually takes a couple of years, but is cheaper than paying someone to do it all. Be prepared to pay MUCH higher contractors prices than most are familiar with in the United States. Ex.- U.S.= (approx.) $75 sq.ft. Whereas: STT= (approx.)$700 sq.ft.

700 a square foot wow everything i see has been about 200 p.s.f. for an average and higher with the high end things going into home i got a price turnkey and it was 175 p.s.f. complete which i thought i could still save money on if i did my own masonry work and tile work we will see

Kenny,

Most folks who build their own homes on island do so piecemeal, as Marty described, over a long period of time. If you were to pay a contractor to build you a masonry home on a lot you already own with average materials and no unforeseen issues, like boulders or uncooperative weather, you might be able to find someone who would do so for as little as $500/sf but it would likely still take at least a couple of years from start to finish. If you found a new masonry home for $175/sf in an area you'd be willing to live, you found a great deal!

whats more of an expense labor or matierial? the labor must be unbelievable beacause the concrete is a little over double what we pay in states and 8 inch concrete block are about a dollar a block more which the average house probably takes 5000 blk so apparently the labor charged is high on these homes being built when i was there i went to home depot to check prices and they honestly didnt seem bad comparing them to the states it just seeems like all the sites ive been looking at are much lower well time will tell

Well, I just have to put in my two cents. I don't live there, though I am thinking seriously about moving to STX. You are saying that building costs add up to $700.00 per square foot. Plus land. That means that a 1,000 sq. ft. little house would cost $700,000 plus the cost of the land.

At those prices I will go to the Bahamas.

Please do the math again to make sure you're right, because you seem to be miles apart from everything else I've been reading.

i think you guys better contact all the realtors on island beacause they have on there websites 175psf to 350 depending on what type of house your building same in the states you build a giant house all stone marble 30 psf tile best of everything ya you probably would be spending 700psf you forget to say 700 psf on the high end

I built on a different island and $700/sq. ft. sounds high but is not unheard of in the islands. I'd say the average is closer to $350/sq. ft. for a home with "builder's standard" finishes. If you want designer finishes you can easily spend two or three times that amount and that's where the $700/sq.ft. number probably comes in to play. The $175/sq. ft. number you read on the real estate web sites is unrealistic. Figure $125 to $150/sq. ft. for your slab floor, four masonry walls with rough openings for your doos and windows and framing and sheething for your roof (more if you have to deal with site preparation problems like high water tables or lots of rock). Everything else (harware, plumbing and electrical fixtures, floor and wall tiles, mastics, stains and paints (you'll use 3 times as much paint on the masony walls vs. the wallboard used in the States), light switches, doors, windows, roof finish (tile, metal, composite), etc. has to be imported so in addition to the cost of the material you have to factor in shipping, insurance and customs duty. That will add about 30% to your basic purchase price in the US.

Everything moves on island time. If you are in a rush, don't build. Everyone I know who built a home in the islands (myself included) was behind schedule and over budget, almost from day one. A good rule of thumb is get your best pre-construction estimates from your contractor and architect then add 50%. If the resulting number doesn't scare you then proceed. Take it from someone who has been there and done that - building a dream home in paradise is not for the budget minded. It helps to have deep pockets.

I know nothing about building a house in the VI. However, after almost 3 years of living here, my best advice is take any estimate/quote you are give and double both the cost and the time. In that way you might receive a nice suprise.

Or maybe not.