The old adage is that anyone who has contemplated proceeding with a new build has questioned “How much does it cost to build a house?” Or “What is the cost per square metre to build a house?” These are common questions for those undertaking their first ever house build or renovation. But even seasoned professionals, trades and developers have the same question.

So what’s the answer? While many want to know what is the average building cost based on design and cost per square metre, it can be a flawed approach. Why? Because nobody wants to be struck with extra hidden costs. And there are many factors within a building project that vary significantly.

These are some of the additional elements that are often omitted from the build cost:

1. The cost for groundworks

Land costs such as the dig-out and foundation preparation can vary hugely depending on site location, site gradient and slope, topography, ground conditions, site access, soil content and quality. So with these alone, an average build cost can be very hard to determine.

2. Floor coverings

The material costs of flooring in new house builds and renovations can vary greatly. There are a number of factors that can increase or reduce building costs such as:

Finished floor coverings
Engineered timber floor
Polished concrete
Vinyl planking
Carpet - wool or synthetic
Window coverings:
Blinds
Shutters
Curtains
Drapes

3. Landscaping costs

Driveways, paths, fencing, decks, planting, pergolas, letterboxes, are generally omitted from cost per square metre as they are not considered as part of the standard brief for a build. So it’s important to consider these additional costs including labour costs.

4. Heating and cooling

A heat pump or wood burner can cost approximately $4,000.00.

However, full home ducted air conditioning is priced at approximately $20,000.00.

Heat pump powered radiators sit at the price point of approximately $40,000.00

Of course, the addition of the above can add significant cost to the final budget and many of which are not raised when providing a price guide to the client.

We have covered the costs that may be omitted in the ‘price guide’ but what are some other factors that can affect the cost of a build? Here are some further considerations to review.

Location of the site

Is your house in a high wind zone? Coastal areas are exposed to sea spray which may require all stainless steel fixings, additional engineering requirements and/or higher spec insulation.

Size and shape of the house design

If we were to use an example of how the shape of a home can affect cost, we could look at two identical floor sizes, both 120 square meters.

One home 10m by 12m which would have 44 lineal meters of cladding (10m + 10m +12m +12m).

A very similar style house with the exact same floor area that was 20m by 6m, would have 52 lineal meters of cladding (20m + 20m + 6m + 6m) this is a 20% increase in cladding quantities.

Additionally, if we look at the shape of the home this too can have a huge effect, for instance a square or rectangle will have four corner junctions, but an ‘H’ styled footprint will have twelve. So you can see how the shape and design of your renovation really does impact the cost estimate significantly.

Expensive cladding

If you chose brick it will not require painting. However you will find there to be a moderate cost of materials as well as a moderate cost of labor to install.

Another option is high spec cedar, which incurs a high cost of material, a high labor content to install and it also requires staining.

House design specifications

Another factor that will impact the building costs estimate is your house design. Do you want simple and practical or sleek and sophisticated.

So as you can see, determining the average build cost of a new house build or renovating existing homes requires many factors to be considered. Once all factors of your building project have been taken into account, the resulting figure may sit comfortably within your budget.

So it’s important to outline your budget, design style and ‘must-have’ items and also take careful consideration when selecting a section.

Now that you are armed with all of this information, be sure to select a designer who will work carefully within these parameters of your build costs and budget to ensure your needs are met.

UltraBuild Tarankai

p.s. whenever you’re ready, here are 3 ways we can help with your house design and build…

Download our free Renovation Checklist to help you start planning your kitchen design. Click to Download.
Follow us on Facebook. It’s where you can see our team in action and keep up to date with recent projects we’ve completed and hear what others say about us.
If you’re ready to start your build or renovation then send us a message. We’ll get in touch and listen to your big ideas.

How Much Does It Cost To Build A House In NZ?