Hey guys,

I found this part of the forum quite interesting - lots of mature Geekzone users which is nice to see.

To cut the long story short, I have a section in Wellington I want to build on; not crazy steep but certainly does have its slope. Luckily I have an architect friend who owns a firm in Auckland - so he has been designing the house for us. It's not a mansion or castle. We wanted 230m2 of house (has to be double storey due to the shape / slope of the land) including a double garage.

I thought the budget of 800k to build (without section) was going to be reasonable, but seems like it's not the case from reputable bigger companies. They seem to want minimum 850k+ (architect cost). I don't want to overcapitalise or have exceeding amount of mortgage. 

With outdoor areas included - it seems to work out close to 900k. When I spoke to one of the quantity surveyors - they said expect at least $3500/m2. Seems to fit (or more) with the current trend.

Sure I am not after a cheap build - but happy to consider a smaller company but has skills to build a family home that I will live in for 10-20 years to come.

Any suggestions or tips please? (I was even dreaming about solar panels - but now at this rate I will be pleased to have a drive way that is covered!)

Thanks....