One of the most frequently asked questions Moss Brothers are asked is, “How much does a house like this cost”? Because each new home built is unique, special and different, the answer is not that simple.

How pricing works

Pricing Information Data

Moss Brothers have found that having a Price List is not a true reflection of what our clients want or what's important to them. In fact a price list is only a true reflection of what a building company would like to supply their client & that's not how the public would like to be treated these days.

From listening to what the proposed new homeowner would like; they are asking for a reasonably accurate guide of the cost of what they may want to build. To help achieve this we have listed here two average $ per square meter rates;

1. The regional average (that's the lower half of the north island)
2. The Moss Brothers average.

Because we are designers as well as builders the Moss Brothers average has been struck from what our clients have been asking us to design, specify and build for them over the past 12 months. A Moss Brothers quote is put together by what we call the "pricing mix" and that mix is made up from four main ingredients;

1. The client's budget.
2. The client's preferred house style i.e. what the house will look like from the outside once it’s finished.
3. The client's living and family requirements i.e. how many bedrooms, bathrooms, living areas or verandas etc…
4. What's important to the client i.e. what materials Moss Brothers are requested to build with or, how authentic looking should the house be or how much attention to detail is required? The only other price Moss Brothers give is the showhome because in this instance the owner (being Moss Brothers) has chosen the pricing mix therefore the price can be worked out exactly.

Interestingly, even using this method, it's important to point out that the larger the house is the $ cost per square meter reduces and adversely the smaller the house the greater the $ cost per square meter. Some explanations are the bulk-buying factor of a larger building and the lesser percentage of Kitchens, Bathrooms and service areas to the overall size of the average larger house.

The price for the Sheffield Homestead Show-Home is $560,000.00 INCL GST (ceiling heights - 3m & 3.6m) as-is, including floor coverings, drapes, light fittings, heating units and appliances but excludes services i.e. power, water, sewerage, gas and phone connection from foundation to connection point. Services are priced separately on a project-by-project basis as specific site information is obtained.
It must be emphasised that the dollar sum figures listed at the bottom of this page do not form part of any Moss Brothers "price list". Further to this, they cannot be considered as the "Moss Brothers" per square meter rate to build a house. Please note that these figures are gross assessments only and are for general interest and comparison and not for quotations.

Built to shell or lock-up

Over the years many Moss Brothers clients have asked to price a proposed house projects to lock-up or shell. The reason for this is, although many of these clients are competent enough to carry out the full construction themselves, what they lack is time. Time is essential during this phase of the project as many construction materials only have a limited guarantee life exposed to the weather. As a guide, a built-to-shell price is approximately 60 to 65% of the completed house price.

The First Meeting With Our Architectural Designer Is Free

If building a new home is an option for you then the best place to start is to ask for a meeting with the company Architectural Designer. This has been made so easy as the first meeting with him or her is absolutely free and no conditions apply. What this means is that this is a fantastic opportunity for you to pick the brains of an experienced and qualified designer without feeling pressured into making decisions from a pushy sales person. After that meeting not only will you have a better understanding of what your options are and how the building process works but also what Moss Brothers can do for you.

Some Average $ Per Sq M Rates As A Costing Guide

Reader to multiply the average rate (which includes GST) with desired size to achieve costing guide. Averages are based on a flat level building site with all weather access to the building platform for construction vehicles. Also, averages do not include services, by services we mean; mains power, sewerage, water supply, telephone cables and gas from house foundation to connection point at property boundary or wherever?

Moss Brothers Average:

3m Ceiling - House area x $2000.00 per sq m – Covered verandas x $1000.00 per sq m

2.7m ceiling - House area x $1750.00 per sq m – Covered verandas x $900.00 per sq m

2.4m ceiling - House area x $1500.00 per sq m – Covered verandas x $750.00 per sq m

Regional Average:

Moss Brothers have assessed that the average regional cost per m² to build a new residential dwelling is approximately $1,150 including GST. This figure was arrived at from articles in building industry bulletins - March 2004.