I thought I would raise this topic as alot of people has asked similar questions but no straight forward answers.
What would you prefer to build with and why?
For example:
Do you prefer brick as you don't have to paint it?
Do you prefer Hardiplank as you have the weatherboard look but it is termite resistant, fire resistant and doesn't rott?
Or do you just just prefer weatherboard as its what you feel comfortable with?
Please feel free to give you opinions
It all depends on where you are building, some of the options arent available now in fire prone areas in Vic.
I voted render - lol.
Not sure how you'd build a house with render - but hey everything is worth trying once.
I personally like brick, here in WA it doesn't cost extra, it has good thermal efficiency (double brick), solid walls - you can't punch a hole in them (he he, not that I would!).
Also living in a somewhat fire prone area I feel safest with brick too.
I don't particularly like the look of weatherboard, and it doesn't help that most non brick houses I've lived in have been really hot / really cold. But in saying that a single brick house I lived in, in Perth was west facing and that was also terribly cold in winter and really really hot in the summer.
Painting, well I guess the good thing about brick is that it can be rendered for people who don't like the "brick look".
But if money was no object I would be open to say building a house that had a combination of modern materials (corrugated iron etc etc).