Building your own home? Here is where it will cost you

An architect and quantity surveyor can help keep you on the right track

In the past, houses were very simple; they were generally square or rectangular with a simple roof and footprint. These houses were straightforward to cost and build. Picture: iStock

DEAR Kieran, My partner and I are looking to build a new home on our farm in West Cork. We have what we believe to be a reasonable budget, judging by what some friends and family members have built for in the past, but we are very new to the whole house building process and everyone seems to have a different opinion on what a reasonable budget is and how much we should pay. It all seems very complicated and uncertain

Can you please tell us what are the key factors that affect the cost of a house and how we could best ensure we are getting the best value when we build?