The cost of constructing a new property in France in 2014 averaged €1,310m², up by around 5.0% on that for 2013 (€1,244m²).

The figures come from the statistical service of the French government.

There are of course regional differences, reflecting the cost of building labour and materials in each region, as well as differences in the type of construction.

The cheapest region in which to build was Centre, where the average cost was €1,171m².

The regions where costs were highest were Alsace (€1,446m²) and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (€1,442m²).

The study says nothing about the specification or standards used, but the overwhelming majority of the properties are developer or artisan led built homes, not individual properties designed by an architect.

Where an architect was engaged then the national average construction cost was €1,658m², with an average surface area of 149m².

The average size of the homes was 123m². Largest homes were in Alsace (154m²) and Lorraine (140m²). Smallest average homes size were in Poitou-Charentes (116m²), Pay de la Loire (116m²) and Languedoc-Roussillon (117m²).