Average cost of French self-built home now €294,000

In 2017, the average amount needed to build your own house rose to €294,110, a rise of 5.58% compared to the €278,570 seen in 2016, according to a new study from building advice website, ForumConstruire.com.

This increase represents the rising average cost of a piece of house-building land, which has soared by 7.46% in the last 12 months, from €97,280 to €104,540, as reported by French news source Le Figaro today.

However, because land has become so expensive, the actual size of the average self-built property is actually decreasing. On average, the inhabitable space of an average self-built property today is less than 120m², compared to the 134m² average seen in 2010.

“It is difficult to say whether the trend will accelerate or reverse,” explained Thomas Modolo, communications manager at ForumConstruire.com. “[Especially] with the uncertainty surrounding zero interest loans. But we do know that houses are being built smaller and smaller.”