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Thread: House building costs per square metre?

  1. #1
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    Question House building costs per square metre?

    I'm hoping someone could give me some ballpark figures for house building costs in New Zealand.

    Say I'm looking to build a house that's 200 square metres plus double garage on a flat bit of ground which is close to utility connections.

    What do you reckon I'd be paying for..

    1. a house built to basic, cheap specs.
    2. a house built to what for want of a better description I'll call above average without any luxuries,
    3. an "executive" type house with top quality fittings, designer kitchens and the like.

    I know it's a bit like asking how long is a piece of string, but it's ballpark numbers I'm hoping you can give me.

  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by jambo View Post
    I'm hoping someone could give me some ballpark figures for house building costs in New Zealand.

    Say I'm looking to build a house that's 200 square metres plus double garage on a flat bit of ground which is close to utility connections.

    What do you reckon I'd be paying for..

    1. a house built to basic, cheap specs.
    2. a house built to what for want of a better description I'll call above average without any luxuries,
    3. an "executive" type house with top quality fittings, designer kitchens and the like.

    I know it's a bit like asking how long is a piece of string, but it's ballpark numbers I'm hoping you can give me.
    Ballpark figure for basic would be $1000 per metre.
    Above average for $2000 per metre and for "executive" would be $3000 per meter.

    Ian

  3. #3
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    Yup agree with that

  4. #4
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    i'm not promoting these guys but the website probs is the most informative for what you get for your money.
    http://www.a1homes.co.nz/

  5. #5
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    With recent changes to the NZ building code (due to earthquakes in NZ) - Fletcher's is allocating roughly $1700/sqm cost to build. For basic house $1000/sqm is not doable at minimum building code.

    On the surface, architect designed and built houses don't offer a doubling on the cost of the ACTUAL house to build (material costs). The reason why it's a lot higher is your paying a large portion of the build towards the architectural designers and not actual materials going into the house or increase size of the house. The sub-contractors they use do not get double the wages or double of the cost of materials. Just because one chooses a $2000 shower head tap fixture doesn't mean the whole cost of the house goes from $1500 to $3000/sqm. There has to be a radical requirement to the whole house that would warrant the high price tag.

    Location is very important. The cost to build in Auckland is far higher than in Christchurch. Yet you're getting the same house and size - why? Because the labour costs is a lot higher. What a painter would get $25/hr in Christchurch, in Auckland they could be getting $35 or $40/hr.

  6. #6
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    Thanks for your replies and your link victoria24.

    Quote Originally Posted by Super_BQ View Post
    With recent changes to the NZ building code (due to earthquakes in NZ) - Fletcher's is allocating roughly $1700/sqm cost to build. For basic house $1000/sqm is not doable at minimum building code.

    On the surface, architect designed and built houses don't offer a doubling on the cost of the ACTUAL house to build (material costs). The reason why it's a lot higher is your paying a large portion of the build towards the architectural designers and not actual materials going into the house or increase size of the house. The sub-contractors they use do not get double the wages or double of the cost of materials. Just because one chooses a $2000 shower head tap fixture doesn't mean the whole cost of the house goes from $1500 to $3000/sqm. There has to be a radical requirement to the whole house that would warrant the high price tag.

    Location is very important. The cost to build in Auckland is far higher than in Christchurch. Yet you're getting the same house and size - why? Because the labour costs is a lot higher. What a painter would get $25/hr in Christchurch, in Auckland they could be getting $35 or $40/hr.
    So have even the non quaky bits got an expensive new code to follow or just places near faults?

    I imagine Fletcher'ss cost are BIG boys prices. A dad and son type builder with surely be a lot cheaper?

    What you say about Auckland and Christchurch seems the same as London vs the rest of the UK in terms of wages and building costs.

    There's a nice guide to building costs for different sized houses in different regions of the UK here, http://www.homebuilding.co.uk/buildcosts.

    This months costs are here http://www.homebuilding.co.uk/files/...ber%202011.pdf

    Anything like this doing the rounds in NZ?

  7. #7
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    Where might one find the NZ building code online?

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  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Super_BQ View Post
    With recent changes to the NZ building code (due to earthquakes in NZ...
    Which changes are you referring to? And how much [$/m2] have the costs been increasing due to this?

    http://www.dbh.govt.nz/UserFiles/Fil...ugust-2011.pdf does not allow for unreinforced concrete slabs anymore everywhere in NZ and increases one particular of the safety factors only in the Canterbury earthquake region. The first one just requires some reinforcement to be added; so resulting price changes especially in AKL should be minimal. The increase of safety factor is affecting the typical timber framed single storey residential building also not too much; just a little more bracing and some more ties.


    Quote Originally Posted by Super_BQ View Post
    Location is very important. The cost to build in Auckland is far higher than in Christchurch. Yet you're getting the same house and size - why? Because the labour costs is a lot higher. What a painter would get $25/hr in Christchurch, in Auckland they could be getting $35 or $40/hr.
    On the other side rural country is general more expensive because of transport costs for materials. Think about locations like Haast, Milford Sound or just Twizel.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by jambo View Post
    Anything like this doing the rounds in NZ?
    The Department of Building and Housing publishes estimated building costs and also a building cost calculator.

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