Building a house is something that should flood you with excitement and happiness! If you’ve decided to build a custom home, the world is your oyster when deciding on the building materials needed to build a house. 

But what are the best materials to build a house? What factors must you consider when choosing all materials needed to build a house? What do you do if you’re already on a shoestring budget? 

We’ll discuss the material cost to build a house and how to factor that into your decision-making when choosing the best material to build a house.

How to Choose the Right Materials For Building Your House? 

When choosing the right materials for building your house, there are a few factors: quality, cost, sustainability, longevity and time. While you can build your home out of anything you like, different styles of housing, like duplexes or Fonzie flats require different types of materials to guarantee their structural integrity and pass safety inspections, than, say a single-level bungalow.

Quality of Materials 

The primary consideration, outside of how much each material will cost, is what types of materials are of greater quality than others (that perform the same task) and whether or not their quality is worth the asking price of that material. 

The average material cost to build a house in Australia is between $1500 and $2000 per square metre, this average doesn’t necessarily account for imported materials or utilising sustainable materials to build a house. Importing materials will increase your costs significantly, versus using Australian-made materials. 

When deciding between the best material to build a house, consider finding a balance between quality and price, unless money is no object, build a house out of marble and gorgeously sourced oak.

Cost of Materials 

While there are many different materials to build a house, the cost of these materials can vary greatly based on the time of the build, availability of those materials, upfront sourcing costs owed by your contractor, the type of material and how much of it is needed.

According to HiPages, the most common types of materials are brick for the exterior cladding, timbers for the framing and terracotta tiles or steel sheets for your roofing, with steel sheeting being among the cheapest.

Are Your Materials Sustainable? 

One of the main ways to save money down the road is to invest upfront in sustainable materials to build a house. For example, there is widespread use of renewable energy sources in Australia, with 40% of all electrical supply done by renewable energy in 2023. One of the ways to build more sustainably is to place solar panels on your roof, or ground-mount a solar array. 

Another sustainable material can be found in cork used in insulation or choosing an environmentally-friendly timber like grey gum. When it comes to asking how much do materials cost to build a house? The better question might be, how much am I saving by using eco-friendly materials to build a house, or implementing sustainable/renewable energy practices once my home is built? 

Be on the lookout for companies that say that they practice sustainable building during their construction projects. Ask to see examples of these practices and speak to their former clients before just going with any one project contractor because they claim to build sustainably. 

How Long Do Different Types of Material Last? 

All materials needed to build a house have a different lifespan, which can vary greatly depending on the location of your build: for example, a solid steel frame structure built near the seaside may experience more rapid corrosion (because of the salt in sea spray) than a timber framed home. 

In general, stone is among the longest-lasting type of building material, whether used as an interior option on countertops or flooring, or as an exterior cladding. However, stone varies greatly based on the type of stone you use. 

Marble and granite are among the most expensive, but engineered stone will be banned this year due to its association with increased silicosis among tradespeople. However, Corian, granite and porcelain are among the cheapest options for stone constructions in the country. 

Timber brings up the rear as the type of material with the shortest lifespan on average, of between 15 and 40 years for above-ground construction before it begins to decay. Various environmental factors like wet weather, pre-installation treatment and post-installation painting or staining can increase its lifespan. 

Steel is among the longest-lasting materials for internal framing. Meanwhile, hardwood floors are among the most expensive flooring, but last the longest, outside of concrete or stone. 

How Much Time Do You Have to Source the Desired Materials? 

If your budget isn’t a problem, the time it may take to source imported materials could be. If you wish to build your home from non-native timbers or non-native stone as an exterior cladding, you may be waiting for your contractor to receive the building materials needed to build a house. 

Calculate the cost of materials and labour to build a house, considering your timeframe. Know that if you’re on the clock to move into your new home, you may have to make sacrifices when it comes to materials for those more readily available to continue or complete the project on time.

What Materials Are Commonly Used to Build a House?

Exterior Cladding 

Brick is most commonly used and is cheapest at $650 to $815 per 1,000 bricks laid by a bricklayer. 

Concrete is another cheaper method of exterior cladding for your home, at $50 to $150 per square metre. However, concreting doesn’t always provide the most appealing exterior look. But, it is among the cheapest materials to build a house with. 

Timber is another common exterior material and can be purchased with fire-resistant, weather-resistant and termite-resistant properties (for an additional cost). However, timber is among the most expensive of building materials at $1,300 to $1,500 per square metre for basic timber framing (using structural plantation pine), not including any specific material requests you may make of your carpenter.

Framing 

The framing of your home will create strength within the exterior cladding. While timber is expensive to build an exterior cladding with, it’s actually the cheapest type of framing available for most residential uses and is among the most suitable. Unfortunately, timber’s drawback for framing uses is its lifespan (between 15 and 40 years above-ground) and not all timbers are created equally. 

Another option for framing is steel. Favoured among high-rise apartments and condos, steel framing has tremendous strength and longevity that far outperforms timber frames, however, their costs are significantly higher at between $1,300 and $2,000 per square metre.

Flooring

Flooring is like painting in a home: you likely have many options. Among the most popular materials to floor a home are laminate flooring, which costs between $30 and $40 per square metre. Wood floors cost an average of $100 per square metre, with softwood floors made from native timbers costing around $50 per square metre.

Other Aesthetic Choices 

There are many different aesthetic options when it comes to building a home and choosing alternative materials. For example, you can choose purchase recycled furniture instead of brand new pieces, or a heat pump system instead of traditional electrical heating can save you money on electricity bills. 

Energy-saving appliances, such as on-demand hot water heaters and low-flow toilets and showers, are among the best cost-saving decisions you can make.

Final Thoughts 

Whether you’re taking on a knockdown rebuild or are starting with a blank slate, choosing the right building materials is a must for anyone designing their own home and striking the right balance between cost, quality and aesthetic appeal is a huge challenge.

Provincial Homes are here to help you strike the right balance and design and build your perfect home that fits your vision and wallet. Contact us today to get started on your journey to home ownership!

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are some frequently asked questions we receive on the subject of what materials are needed to build a house in Australia.

What is the Cheapest Material Used to Build a House in Australia? 

Among the cheapest materials used to build a house in Australia is corrugated steel exterior cladding, with brick being the second-cheapest material.

What are Most Australian Houses Made of?

The most common materials for house construction in Australia are brick and timber. These materials are widely used due to their availability and durability.

What is the Strongest Material Used to Build a House? 

 

The strongest material used to build a house is stone. However, it comes with a hefty price tag due to the costs required to excavate, shape and move it into place.