Unskilled owner

<p>Hey Adam -</p><p>Hard for us to give much of an idea for what you're talking about here - there are just far too many variables. Sounds quite basic, but you'll probably have to talk to some local builders about what it'll cost, and what sorts of things you'll need to consider.</p><p>For the footings - as an example - what you build and how much it costs will depend on the soil where you're building it. If the soil's liable to move a lot (i.e. if it's 'reactive'), that'll need to be taken into account. Likewise if it's near the coast, that might affect the kinds of materials that can be used so that it's not prone to things like corrosion or salt attack. Might need to be termite resistant. Might be in a bushfire prone area or somewhere that's subject to high winds, which could also affect the materials you can use (and how they're used).</p><p>What you're building will count as 'habitable' too, which means there's likely to be a particular set of rules it'll need to follow (as a Class 1a building).</p><p>The best idea by far is to have a chat with a few builders who work in the area you're hoping to build in to get an idea of what sorts of things you'll have to consider and what they're likely to charge for it. If you've seen something similar to what you're after in the same area, maybe track down the owners and see if you can talk to them about how they went about it. For what it's worth, most builders charge by the square metre (often regardless of what you're building with).</p><p>Could be a good idea to discuss your plans with someone in the housing / planning dept. of the local council too - they might have some great suggestions. Possibly worth looking into prefab / kit home kinds of things too?</p><p>Hope at least a bit of that helps! Let us know how it goes ;)</p>