"How Much Does a House Cost to Build?"

This is one of the most common questions asked. The cost of building a home will depend on many factors:

1. Design complexity:

Cheaper build companies will only design a basic square home with a basic roofline. Most of the windows will be the same size. Internally, rooms will also be smaller to avoid engineering span requirements.

So, if you want a roofline going in all directions, raked ceilings and voided Living areas, you will be paying more than building a standard rectangular home.

2. Quality of materials:

As with anything, there are cheap materials, and there are quality materials. Compare door handles: one could be a plated handle from China that will bubble, chip and sieze quickly, while another will be a commercial grade stainless steel handle that will last forever.

Most builders will use a hollow core interior door. Some builders use solid timber (and even rare timber). The quality of the materials is an important factor to consider with the pricing.

3. Type of slab:

Many people believe a slab is a slab. However, there are two main slab types (raft and waffle) and both have many different variants including footing depths/sizes, thickness, viscosity of the concrete...

4. Inclusions:

Inclusions are a major factor that determine the cost of a home. Cheaper building companies may leave out items such as tiles and kitchens, or use cheap cabinetry, bathroom fittings, light fittings...

5. Markups:

Franchise fees, director's fees, mark-ups, supervisor fees... Sometimes a higher price is just a higher price.

Generally, in Queensland, an "investment" or budget project builders will build a home for $1100/sqm. The average builder will charge $1100-1200/sqm for a good quality home. Luxury builders will generally charge $1600-2000/sqm. In areas like Sydney and Melbourne, or even North Queensland, these rates could be 50% higher or more.

When building a home, you should determine what quality you want, and balance size/quality to suit.