The time has finally come to share the numbers: how much our plot and house in Uruguay have cost. I say “have cost so far,” not “the price of our finished house,” because the house is nowhere near finished. We live in a concrete shell, some windows are still missing, and there is a lot left to do. But the main expenses can now be put into one honest total.
This is our experience and our budget. I am sure I have forgotten some smaller purchases, and BPS can still recalculate the final bill. So the number below is not perfect accounting down to the last dollar. It is the minimum we can support with the main figures we remember.
After Mariupol, our main goal was to have a home of our own again
When we arrived in Uruguay, our biggest goal and dream was to have our own home. Our house in Mariupol had been completely destroyed. We then spent two years in Switzerland and eventually moved to Uruguay with one central idea: try to build something of our own again and finally put down roots.
My parents started looking at options around our second month in the country. At first we thought about buying a small existing house. It sounded faster and easier: buy it, move in and get on with life. But after seeing many houses, we were shocked by both the prices and their condition. Reasonable options easily went above $150,000, and many still needed a huge amount of work. That did not fit our budget at all.
So we decided that our only real chance was to buy land and build. It sounds simple in one sentence. At the time, we did not understand how many separate bills appear between the word “plot” and the night when you can finally put a mattress on the floor of your own house.
About 30 plots, often around $12,000 per 100 m²
The search took a long time. I have already told that story in /en/dom/uchastok/, but here is the short version. We probably saw about 30 plots. Around town, prices were often close to $12,000 per 100 m². At that rate, even a small 300 m² plot comes to about $36,000 and gives you very little space. That felt extremely expensive to me.
Eventually we found our plot about five kilometres from town: 1,000 m² for $50,000, or $5,000 per 100 m². There were a few plots at that price in the development, while the others were already $55,000 and above. We were happy to find something cheaper than most options, but also sad because we had planned to spend no more than $25,000 on land. The plot immediately took a large part of the money intended for the house.
There was not much room to wait. We decided to take the risk and buy while it was still available. The transaction added another 3% for the notary and 3% for the agency, $3,000 together. The plot and purchase fees alone therefore came to $53,000.
The pause after buying: architects, BPS and $900 monthly rent
After the purchase came a long pause. We learned that you cannot simply turn up and start building. We needed plans, architects, permits and BPS. The biggest surprise was architects asking about $12,000. That was impossible for us, so we stopped and tried to work out another route.
While we were thinking, we paid a team $1,500 to cut trees and clear the plot. Later we found an architect from a small town farther away, and the project cost $4,000. Utility connections added $1,800. Surveyors marked the four boundary points for $700.
Meanwhile the clock kept running. Rent was about $900 a month. The first seven months used roughly $6,000. That was when it became frightening: if we did not begin something soon, rent would eventually consume all the money and leave us with no apartment, no house and no building budget.
Local quotes did not fit even our budget for a shell
We spoke to local builders and received very expensive quotes. I described that process in /en/dom/poisk-stroiteley/. We could not afford even the shell, never mind a turnkey house. At one point it seemed that the whole plan would end with an empty plot and a nice dream.
Then we spoke with Ivan and Alexander. They offered to build the house shell with all materials for $40,000. That was still a huge amount of money, but it was a figure our family could just manage. My parents did not think for long: it was this or nothing. They agreed, and construction finally began.
Five months of construction: site toilet, BPS and septic tank
Even an empty building site creates new bills. The rules required a temporary toilet, and its rental cost about $900 over the project. Around a month after work began, the BPS bills we had feared started arriving. By the time of this article, we had already paid about $6,000, and that is only part of the final amount.
If things go well, BPS may recalculate everything at the end and the total could be around $15,000. If not, it may exceed $20,000. That is scary. As we understand it, the debt can potentially be spread over several years, but we do not yet have the final bill. This is why the table includes only the $6,000 already paid and shows the possible balance separately.
The septic tank cost another $1,200 and was installed quickly, in about a day. The shell was ready after roughly five months. Rent consumed almost another $5,000 during those months. Before moving in, we had spent about $11,000 on someone else’s housing. That is one reason we moved even without proper windows or a finished bathroom.
Moving into a shell without windows, a shower or proper doors
When moving day arrived, the house had almost nothing. Some windows were missing, the doors were not properly finished, and there was no toilet or shower. Over a few days my parents somehow installed an entrance door, ran pipes to the septic tank and built part of the bathroom wall.
We arrived around lunchtime and all worked together until night. At least we installed a toilet and finished enough of the doors to get through the night. That same day we bought five mattresses so we could sleep directly on the floor. They cost another $1,000. The door, pipes, bathroom materials and many small purchases are not included below because I cannot give an exact total for them now.
It was rough, honestly. But we could not keep paying rent and waiting for a perfect moment. The first days among concrete, OSB and floor mattresses are a separate story: /en/dom/zhizn-v-nedostroe/.
Itemised total: at least $121,100 already accounted for
| Expense | Amount | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 m² plot | $50,000 | $5,000 per 100 m² |
| Notary 3% + agency 3% | $3,000 | Purchase fees |
| Clearing the plot | $1,500 | Cutting and removing trees |
| Surveyors | $700 | Four boundary points |
| Architectural project | $4,000 | The more affordable architect |
| Utility connections | $1,800 | The combined figure we paid |
| House shell | $40,000 | Ivan and Alexander, including materials |
| Temporary site toilet | $900 | Rental during construction |
| BPS already paid | $6,000 | Final total still unknown |
| Septic tank | $1,200 | Work and installation |
| Rent before construction | $6,000 | About seven months |
| Rent during construction | $5,000 | About five months |
| Five mattresses | $1,000 | To move in and sleep on the floor |
| Minimum total | $121,100 | Some doors, plumbing and small costs excluded |
$109,100 covers the land, fees, clearing, plans, utilities, shell, temporary toilet, BPS already paid and septic tank. Another $12,000 is rent before moving in and the mattresses. Together, the minimum is $121,100. This is not the price of a finished turnkey house.
The total currently includes only the $6,000 already paid. If final BPS is about $15,000, our minimum rises to around $130,100. If BPS exceeds $20,000, the total will be above $135,100. Forgotten and unlisted small expenses remain on top.
Today, the same money probably would not be enough
Looking back, I think that if we started today with the same budget, we probably could not build even this shell. I honestly do not understand why everything keeps getting more expensive. Right now we are in survival mode and finishing one small thing at a time.
There is still a huge amount ahead: not all windows are installed, there are no proper finishes, and we need the bathroom, floors, ceilings and doors. This article is not the final price of the house. It is an honest snapshot of what it has cost us to have a chance to live on our own land again after our home in Mariupol was destroyed.
I am sure I have forgotten some expenses, but these are the main figures. That is our story and those are our prices so far. Thanks for reading.