Hello everyone,
I have been a quiet reader of this forum for several months now and, naturally, I have been thinking about building a house. During this time, I have gathered quite a bit of information and would like to start by expressing a big thank you.
I had actually hoped that quietly reading would be enough since there are many members here and an active exchange of ideas. Unfortunately, I am not making progress with my planning because my requirements (and those of my partner) differ quite a bit from the majority, especially concerning space and project size.
I hope you can help me.
First, a little about us:
We are a young couple, both just 30, planning to build a house in a few years. If everything goes as planned, we want to start in 3-4 years. Our planning might seem a bit early, especially since prices are constantly changing (unfortunately not in favor of builders), but I like to plan ahead and have really enjoyed the process over the past few months. Currently, we are working in the hospitality industry in Switzerland to save up equity because we earn significantly more here. Unfortunately, my partner wants to leave Switzerland within 2 years at the latest to be closer to her family again, so after that, our saving potential will be quite limited. By that time, we expect to have saved around €120,000 of equity but will only be able to save a maximum of €10,000 per year after leaving Switzerland.
We have been living in small apartments ranging from 25m² to 35m² (270 to 375 sq ft) for the past 5 years and are naturally longing for more space in the future. However, we are still quite modest when it comes to this. We have spent months planning back and forth and agree that we don’t want more than a maximum of 100m² (1,080 sq ft). We definitely do not want children and are absolutely sure about that. We actually only need about 70-80m² (750 to 860 sq ft), but I want to stay flexible and therefore plan for an extra 10-20m² (100 to 215 sq ft).
Our garden should not be too large either, since we are not the type to invest much time in maintenance. A simple garage or a carport for one car would be sufficient. This might all sound like we want to save as much as possible everywhere, but that is only partly true. Everyone wants to spend as little as possible, and despite having a reasonably solid amount of equity, the fact remains that a large loan will not be an option in the future. However, we think it makes more sense not to invest in space we are sure we won’t need but rather in better quality finishes and fittings.
I know from this forum that the price per square meter increases significantly with smaller houses because many costs are fixed regardless of project size. Therefore, I have generously calculated €1,900 per square meter (€176 per sq ft). I would like a one-and-a-half-story house with a ground floor of about 50-60m² (540 to 645 sq ft) and a finished attic of about 25m² (270 sq ft), giving a total of about 85-95m² (915 to 1,025 sq ft).
I want the ground floor to be very open, with a living room of about 22m² (235 sq ft) and a kitchen with a dining area of about 14-16m² (150 to 170 sq ft). I also have in mind about 7m² (75 sq ft) for a utility room, with the rest consisting of the staircase, entrance area, and a small guest toilet. On the upper floor, there should be a bedroom of about 10m² (110 sq ft), a bathroom of about 8m² (85 sq ft) with a shower only, no bathtub, and the remaining space allocated to closets and storage. Speaking of storage: in case that question comes up, we are very minimalist and don't accumulate many things. We are confident that despite the lack of a basement, we won’t need much space. Over the years, we have always kept very few belongings and regularly did large decluttering.
What is disadvantageous for the price, but something I’d like: I don’t like most of the floor plans I have seen. I prefer a simple, square design without many corners or angles, but would like relatively large windows that reach down to the floor. Regarding the roof shape, I actually prefer a flat roof or a shed roof, although I have often read that these tend to be more expensive and problematic in terms of sealing. If the price difference is really that high, a gable roof would also be fine. I would accept the sloping ceilings upstairs.
Since I need significantly less living space upstairs than on the ground floor, I would also like a small open space (void) over the living room. However, if this has a strong negative impact on the price, I can do without it.
I haven’t given much thought to heating and technical systems yet, but underfloor heating on the ground floor would be desirable, and an active ventilation system sounds interesting. The question is whether the roughly €10,000 average price I found would still fit into our budget.
Since we will have no heirs and want to build this home for ourselves, it would be interesting regarding energy what really makes sense in the long term over the next 40-50 years at a reasonable price-performance ratio. I don’t want the worst insulation and energy rating, but I also don’t think it needs to be a full passive house, as I’ve read here that many measures only pay off after 30-40 years. So a middle ground probably makes the most sense. I hope I’ve explained this clearly enough, though it might seem a bit confusing.
Here is a rough overview of all the data I have tried to put together with the knowledge I’ve gathered so far:
Plot of land: Not yet acquired, prices in the area we want to move to are about €65,000 to €85,000, fully serviced.
Desired size: 85-95m² (915 to 1,025 sq ft)
Preferences: Simple design, no basement, small garden, carport or simple garage, not the cheapest finishes
Equity: About €120,000
Future saving potential: About €900 per month
Own work contribution: Practically none, no skilled tradespeople in our circle and we’re not handy.
Estimated costs by me:
House: About €160,000 - 170,000
Land: About €75,000
Foundation slab: About €15,000?
Additional building costs: About €30,000?
Contingency buffer: €15,000?
Total roughly €300,000.
Is my estimation roughly correct? Or have I overlooked something essential?
The €300,000 would also be roughly our upper limit. I think the small size, simple square design, low space requirement, and modest landscaping speak in favor of a good price. On the other hand, the individual wishes, especially probably many floor-to-ceiling windows, open plan design, possibly the void, and an active ventilation system, speak against it.
I am sure I have missed some things and hope for your help with a relatively realistic cost estimate, saving potential, and other details I might have overlooked.
Thank you very much in advance, and sorry for the long text.
I have been a quiet reader of this forum for several months now and, naturally, I have been thinking about building a house. During this time, I have gathered quite a bit of information and would like to start by expressing a big thank you.
I had actually hoped that quietly reading would be enough since there are many members here and an active exchange of ideas. Unfortunately, I am not making progress with my planning because my requirements (and those of my partner) differ quite a bit from the majority, especially concerning space and project size.
I hope you can help me.
First, a little about us:
We are a young couple, both just 30, planning to build a house in a few years. If everything goes as planned, we want to start in 3-4 years. Our planning might seem a bit early, especially since prices are constantly changing (unfortunately not in favor of builders), but I like to plan ahead and have really enjoyed the process over the past few months. Currently, we are working in the hospitality industry in Switzerland to save up equity because we earn significantly more here. Unfortunately, my partner wants to leave Switzerland within 2 years at the latest to be closer to her family again, so after that, our saving potential will be quite limited. By that time, we expect to have saved around €120,000 of equity but will only be able to save a maximum of €10,000 per year after leaving Switzerland.
We have been living in small apartments ranging from 25m² to 35m² (270 to 375 sq ft) for the past 5 years and are naturally longing for more space in the future. However, we are still quite modest when it comes to this. We have spent months planning back and forth and agree that we don’t want more than a maximum of 100m² (1,080 sq ft). We definitely do not want children and are absolutely sure about that. We actually only need about 70-80m² (750 to 860 sq ft), but I want to stay flexible and therefore plan for an extra 10-20m² (100 to 215 sq ft).
Our garden should not be too large either, since we are not the type to invest much time in maintenance. A simple garage or a carport for one car would be sufficient. This might all sound like we want to save as much as possible everywhere, but that is only partly true. Everyone wants to spend as little as possible, and despite having a reasonably solid amount of equity, the fact remains that a large loan will not be an option in the future. However, we think it makes more sense not to invest in space we are sure we won’t need but rather in better quality finishes and fittings.
I know from this forum that the price per square meter increases significantly with smaller houses because many costs are fixed regardless of project size. Therefore, I have generously calculated €1,900 per square meter (€176 per sq ft). I would like a one-and-a-half-story house with a ground floor of about 50-60m² (540 to 645 sq ft) and a finished attic of about 25m² (270 sq ft), giving a total of about 85-95m² (915 to 1,025 sq ft).
I want the ground floor to be very open, with a living room of about 22m² (235 sq ft) and a kitchen with a dining area of about 14-16m² (150 to 170 sq ft). I also have in mind about 7m² (75 sq ft) for a utility room, with the rest consisting of the staircase, entrance area, and a small guest toilet. On the upper floor, there should be a bedroom of about 10m² (110 sq ft), a bathroom of about 8m² (85 sq ft) with a shower only, no bathtub, and the remaining space allocated to closets and storage. Speaking of storage: in case that question comes up, we are very minimalist and don't accumulate many things. We are confident that despite the lack of a basement, we won’t need much space. Over the years, we have always kept very few belongings and regularly did large decluttering.
What is disadvantageous for the price, but something I’d like: I don’t like most of the floor plans I have seen. I prefer a simple, square design without many corners or angles, but would like relatively large windows that reach down to the floor. Regarding the roof shape, I actually prefer a flat roof or a shed roof, although I have often read that these tend to be more expensive and problematic in terms of sealing. If the price difference is really that high, a gable roof would also be fine. I would accept the sloping ceilings upstairs.
Since I need significantly less living space upstairs than on the ground floor, I would also like a small open space (void) over the living room. However, if this has a strong negative impact on the price, I can do without it.
I haven’t given much thought to heating and technical systems yet, but underfloor heating on the ground floor would be desirable, and an active ventilation system sounds interesting. The question is whether the roughly €10,000 average price I found would still fit into our budget.
Since we will have no heirs and want to build this home for ourselves, it would be interesting regarding energy what really makes sense in the long term over the next 40-50 years at a reasonable price-performance ratio. I don’t want the worst insulation and energy rating, but I also don’t think it needs to be a full passive house, as I’ve read here that many measures only pay off after 30-40 years. So a middle ground probably makes the most sense. I hope I’ve explained this clearly enough, though it might seem a bit confusing.
Here is a rough overview of all the data I have tried to put together with the knowledge I’ve gathered so far:
Plot of land: Not yet acquired, prices in the area we want to move to are about €65,000 to €85,000, fully serviced.
Desired size: 85-95m² (915 to 1,025 sq ft)
Preferences: Simple design, no basement, small garden, carport or simple garage, not the cheapest finishes
Equity: About €120,000
Future saving potential: About €900 per month
Own work contribution: Practically none, no skilled tradespeople in our circle and we’re not handy.
Estimated costs by me:
House: About €160,000 - 170,000
Land: About €75,000
Foundation slab: About €15,000?
Additional building costs: About €30,000?
Contingency buffer: €15,000?
Total roughly €300,000.
Is my estimation roughly correct? Or have I overlooked something essential?
The €300,000 would also be roughly our upper limit. I think the small size, simple square design, low space requirement, and modest landscaping speak in favor of a good price. On the other hand, the individual wishes, especially probably many floor-to-ceiling windows, open plan design, possibly the void, and an active ventilation system, speak against it.
I am sure I have missed some things and hope for your help with a relatively realistic cost estimate, saving potential, and other details I might have overlooked.
Thank you very much in advance, and sorry for the long text.
I would definitely prefer a single-story layout given the size. Mainly because you know you can stay inside without much effort until old age.
Depending on the type of house you want to build in terms of budget, architecture, heating, etc., I would personally always lean towards around 120m2 (1,292 sq ft). Nothing is more frustrating than realizing later that you’re missing a room. On the other hand, the additional 20m2 (215 sq ft) won’t break your budget. Why? I know many people who were sure they wouldn't have children, even medically impossible in some cases, and yet it still happened. Until then, or even if it never happens, you’ll enjoy having a guest room or hobby room.
P.S. Don’t forget additional purchase costs like property transfer tax, notary fees, etc.
For comparison: We are building a 170m2 (1,830 sq ft) house all-inclusive for 325,000 with similar land costs. So, with your equity and saving potential, 100m2 (1,076 sq ft) is definitely feasible, and even a bit more, considering the financial circumstances mentioned above.
Depending on the type of house you want to build in terms of budget, architecture, heating, etc., I would personally always lean towards around 120m2 (1,292 sq ft). Nothing is more frustrating than realizing later that you’re missing a room. On the other hand, the additional 20m2 (215 sq ft) won’t break your budget. Why? I know many people who were sure they wouldn't have children, even medically impossible in some cases, and yet it still happened. Until then, or even if it never happens, you’ll enjoy having a guest room or hobby room.
P.S. Don’t forget additional purchase costs like property transfer tax, notary fees, etc.
For comparison: We are building a 170m2 (1,830 sq ft) house all-inclusive for 325,000 with similar land costs. So, with your equity and saving potential, 100m2 (1,076 sq ft) is definitely feasible, and even a bit more, considering the financial circumstances mentioned above.
You may not realize how much a person changes over the years—especially between the ages of 30 and 40—and that also affects your outlook on life. Hobbies can also develop over time. Working in the hospitality industry, for example, sometimes opens up irresistible opportunities abroad. For that reason, I would pay some attention to the resale value of your project. It’s not unlikely that your professional and personal circumstances will change. Also, as people get older, they may prefer to sleep alone, making two bedrooms quite desirable.
All these considerations lead to a bungalow with two bedrooms and about 100sqm (1,075 sq ft).
All these considerations lead to a bungalow with two bedrooms and about 100sqm (1,075 sq ft).
D655321 schrieb:
Hello everyone,
I have been quietly following this forum for several months now and, naturally, am considering the idea of building a house.Why does this sentence seem to appear in every second thread recently? Is it meant to suggest, “Hey, I might have only one post (actually just this one), but I have been here forever and will become an active contributor in this forum”?
The rest seemed like too much text for now; I will have to take another look when I have more time.
PS: There is also an off-topic section where you can introduce yourself, even if you still need a lot of experience with housebuilding and don’t yet feel confident posting in the technical forums. Otherwise, threads like these always leave a somewhat unpleasant impression on me.
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