There are literally thousands of plans from which to choose when building a new home. Use the table below as a guide to the basic costs to build a standard house.
You'll also need to find out exactly what you're getting, taking into account everyone's inclusions lists, site prices, developer guidelines, facade styles, and landscaping and fencing, to name a few. There's a lot to consider.
Source: Savvy.com.au
Deciding on a builder because of their cost per sqm rate can be very deceptive. There are many hidden costs of building which may not be included in builders advertised prices.
For example, Soil testing and contour survey (1-2k), site costs (vary $10-$70k), BASIX – in NSW only (8-10k), Driveways, Landscaping and sometimes even the flooring (10-30k).
Be aware that Standard Inclusions vary considerably between builders.
Get a good picture of your finances and find out how much you can afford from a bank or broker. It's best to do find out what budget you're comfortable with before you start visiting displays and looking at designs, that way you will have a clear idea of what you can afford and what you can't, which will save you time and hassle searching for designs.
If you're a first home buyer you may qualify for the various government benefits available. The grants and stamp duty exemptions can mean a saving of up to $20,000 in some states in Australia, so make sure to check if you're eligible and apply for the benefits. If you meet the state rules as a first home buyer, most states will offer you a substantial reduction in stamp duty. The discount given depends on the cost price of the property and other factors.
It's common to have two mortgages when building a new house. The first is a normal mortgage on the land. To buy the land, you'll need a deposit, which is usually 10 percent of the purchase price, then you pay the rest on settlement.
The second loan is a construction mortgage for the home. Construction loans and home loans have one major difference: rather than the lender paying the builder in one lump sum, the home loan repayment will be made in stages after an agreed set of milestones have been reached. You will benefit by only paying interest on the amount paid out, which saves you money. Once the house is completed, construction mortgages revert to normal home loans.
Ultimately the decision in choosing a builder rests in how much design input you would like to have, what land you have bought and how much you have to spend.
Project Home Builders, or pre-designed Home Builders, typically have a library of designs to choose from which they have built many times before, and often have display homes you can visit and walk through to get a feel for your new home. They have the benefits of big buying power often building hundreds of homes each year. However, you can be limited with the number of customisable options available. There may be fees to customise or sometimes they will not be able to customise their plans as you may want.
When selecting a standard plan take into account the orientation of the block, the builder may be able to flip a standard design if required.
They usually will also have limitations on what land you can build on, preferring flat or nearly flat blocks. Check with the builder about site costs to prepare the land and any extra costs associated with site preparations.
Custom Home Builders create a one-of-a-kind home, typically no two builds are ever the same for them. They usually have a range of standard plans that they can customise to create a unique floor plan which suits your exact needs, or they can start from scratch using their own designers or you can bring your own plans.
The options available from a custom home builder are a lot broader and you will be a lot more involved in the process if that's what you want. Typically custom home builds are only restricted on your budget and building limitations.
Get house designs and build costs emailed to you that suit your new home requirements & budget. Enquire online here.
Whether you are looking to build in a new estate, knockdown rebuild or a designer home we have an extensive builder network all over Australia.
We can recommend plans from builders in your area to suit your budget, block size, and home requirements so you can save time searching.
If you have land, we will quickly arrange complete build prices to suit your land size, desired inclusions & budget.