ᐅ Affordable Building Without Compromising Quality, Architect-Designed Home
Created on: 2 Jan 2024 12:33
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IIIIIIIIIIIIII
Hello everyone!
I have been quietly following this forum for some time, and our house-building project (single-family home) will probably start in Q1/Q2.
I am wondering how to build a house in 2024 cost-effectively without compromising quality.
We have a budget of about 500,000-600,000 euros for the entire construction (excluding the land).
That is a lot of money, but not unlimited – I want to get the best out of it.
A brief overview of our project:
~120m2 (two floors), steep slope, no basement (not possible), 2 adults (maybe one child max in the future), undeveloped plot.
I assume that land development, slope work, and foundation slab will cost around 100,000 euros.
That leaves around 400,000 euros for a move-in ready house.
We have already looked at prefab house providers, but none of their offers matched what we wanted – customizing prefab houses is about as expensive as working directly with an architect.
The plan is to have the house built "ready for finishing" (shell and core) and carry out most of the interior work ourselves (walls, floors, tiles, bathrooms—only the tiling!—and outdoor terraces). We have sufficient craftsmanship skills for this!
Where is the best place to save costs?
What features are often installed without real benefit? (e.g., laundry chute, central vacuum system, automatic blinds, etc.)
Where should you definitely not save?
Should an independent expert inspect the work? Or is that a waste of money for a general contractor/architect-led build?
Should the construction contract be reviewed by a lawyer?
My current thoughts are:
* Simple building shape (rectangle), straightforward pitched roof construction
* No unnecessary home technology (ventilation system, smart home, etc.)
* Minimize large window areas
* Only a carport, no double garage
* The building method (timber frame, solid wood construction like Holz100, masonry) is still open – I prefer timber frame/solid wood.
* Good planning once is cheaper than planning two or three times
* Double checking is cheaper than fixing poorly done work afterwards
* A wood stove is nice, but a fireplace is also expensive.
Where else can you save? What unnecessarily drives construction costs up?
Our idea is:
If we skip things like a double garage, we have more budget for high-quality interior finishes.
We prefer to invest in interior finishing rather than, for example, a laundry chute, central vacuum system, automatic blinds, and so on.
I understand that features like a laundry chute can be subjective when it comes to being "unnecessary" or not.
The goal is to figure out what is essential for a house build, where one should definitely not save, and which elements can be omitted.
There are also significant price ranges for stairs, windows, doors, facades, and roof coverings.
Does it have to be an expensive branded roof? Will a cheaper option suffice?
With this "pre-planning," I also want to minimize the cost of architectural planning. If we come to the architect with a realistic, well-thought-out plan, it probably saves a few thousand euros... Also, an independent building surveyor can save money by detecting issues early on – once the progress payment is made, it is hard to get the money back.
Thanks in advance for your tips and opinions.
I have been quietly following this forum for some time, and our house-building project (single-family home) will probably start in Q1/Q2.
I am wondering how to build a house in 2024 cost-effectively without compromising quality.
We have a budget of about 500,000-600,000 euros for the entire construction (excluding the land).
That is a lot of money, but not unlimited – I want to get the best out of it.
A brief overview of our project:
~120m2 (two floors), steep slope, no basement (not possible), 2 adults (maybe one child max in the future), undeveloped plot.
I assume that land development, slope work, and foundation slab will cost around 100,000 euros.
That leaves around 400,000 euros for a move-in ready house.
We have already looked at prefab house providers, but none of their offers matched what we wanted – customizing prefab houses is about as expensive as working directly with an architect.
The plan is to have the house built "ready for finishing" (shell and core) and carry out most of the interior work ourselves (walls, floors, tiles, bathrooms—only the tiling!—and outdoor terraces). We have sufficient craftsmanship skills for this!
Where is the best place to save costs?
What features are often installed without real benefit? (e.g., laundry chute, central vacuum system, automatic blinds, etc.)
Where should you definitely not save?
Should an independent expert inspect the work? Or is that a waste of money for a general contractor/architect-led build?
Should the construction contract be reviewed by a lawyer?
My current thoughts are:
* Simple building shape (rectangle), straightforward pitched roof construction
* No unnecessary home technology (ventilation system, smart home, etc.)
* Minimize large window areas
* Only a carport, no double garage
* The building method (timber frame, solid wood construction like Holz100, masonry) is still open – I prefer timber frame/solid wood.
* Good planning once is cheaper than planning two or three times
* Double checking is cheaper than fixing poorly done work afterwards
* A wood stove is nice, but a fireplace is also expensive.
Where else can you save? What unnecessarily drives construction costs up?
Our idea is:
If we skip things like a double garage, we have more budget for high-quality interior finishes.
We prefer to invest in interior finishing rather than, for example, a laundry chute, central vacuum system, automatic blinds, and so on.
I understand that features like a laundry chute can be subjective when it comes to being "unnecessary" or not.
The goal is to figure out what is essential for a house build, where one should definitely not save, and which elements can be omitted.
There are also significant price ranges for stairs, windows, doors, facades, and roof coverings.
Does it have to be an expensive branded roof? Will a cheaper option suffice?
With this "pre-planning," I also want to minimize the cost of architectural planning. If we come to the architect with a realistic, well-thought-out plan, it probably saves a few thousand euros... Also, an independent building surveyor can save money by detecting issues early on – once the progress payment is made, it is hard to get the money back.
Thanks in advance for your tips and opinions.
hanse987 schrieb:
But for that, you also need a simple plot of land.It works for me too—I only have a ground floor, first floor, and attic, no basement, despite a 15m (49 feet) height difference on the site, no stilts or anything. The ground floor is built with its back wall against the slope and holds it back there. Three sides do not touch the ground. We enter the property from the ground floor level.
For me and also in the plans, our ground floor is not a basement, not a residential lower ground floor, but simply a ground floor.
rasudiger schrieb:
Unfortunately, helpful answers require as much information as possible. Most of the follow-up questions don’t come from casual visitors but from community members who have already reviewed thousands of posts and are asking precisely what information is still needed for a useful answer.
rasudiger schrieb:
Of course, you are free to share less, but then you will receive less or no input in return. Less input is rare. When information is vague and/or sparse, the feedback tends to become more speculative. Or if someone gives their own thread a nonsense twist (“nobody intends for two plus one meter to equal three meters”), then you also get nonsensical answers ;-)
haydee schrieb:
It applies to me too: I have only a ground floor, first floor, and attic floor, no basement, and that on a site with a 15m (49 feet) height difference, no stilts or anything.
The ground floor is built with its rear wall against the slope, holding it back there. Three sides do not touch the ground. We enter the property from the ground floor.
For me and also in the plans, our ground floor is not a basement or a partially underground living floor, but simply a ground floor. Yes, such cases exist and could be reasonably discussed because follow-up questions were answered clearly.
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IIIIIIIIIIIIII3 Jan 2024 12:44This is not on the BayernAtlas because it’s not located in Bavaria – I checked, and even if it were there, it wouldn’t be much more helpful than my picture, as it’s not that precise.
And yes, it is definitely building land – I am not planning to build on greenfield land.
If I had never mentioned a slope location, would you expect to know everything about the actual topic of the thread, such as exactly where and how the building will be positioned, along with a topographic site plan, utility connections, and neighbors?
I am not looking for advice on how to save costs because of the slope – I want to save costs everywhere else and get ideas and tips on where this could be done best.
There is no topographic plan yet; it is still in progress – as I have said multiple times, the project is at a very early stage. Once it is available, I can share it.
I can assure you that even with a view of the sky and scenery, the picture won’t be much more helpful.
That no one from the internet will come to visit me once the house is built is a different matter – you are welcome to share your private address.
Back to the main topic. In my "planning," I want to avoid the mistake of including every little extra that will just be removed later because it’s "not necessary" or "too expensive."
Can building engineers, architects, and prefab house providers try not to sell things that cause additional costs but don’t provide essential benefits? That’s where I would like advice.
The construction industry is just like any other – when you want a car, it’s often configured with nearly full options, half of which you don’t want or really need.
What is expected from me here is to show a topographic site plan including the floor plan and how the house will be built – I am about 6 to 12 months away from that stage.
I understand that more information could be helpful, but in my case, I don’t see how.
I’ll say it again: there is currently no useful topographic plan that would help here; it is still in progress. The plan showing the property boundaries doesn’t help with the "slope location" issue.
And yes, it is definitely building land – I am not planning to build on greenfield land.
If I had never mentioned a slope location, would you expect to know everything about the actual topic of the thread, such as exactly where and how the building will be positioned, along with a topographic site plan, utility connections, and neighbors?
I am not looking for advice on how to save costs because of the slope – I want to save costs everywhere else and get ideas and tips on where this could be done best.
There is no topographic plan yet; it is still in progress – as I have said multiple times, the project is at a very early stage. Once it is available, I can share it.
I can assure you that even with a view of the sky and scenery, the picture won’t be much more helpful.
That no one from the internet will come to visit me once the house is built is a different matter – you are welcome to share your private address.
Back to the main topic. In my "planning," I want to avoid the mistake of including every little extra that will just be removed later because it’s "not necessary" or "too expensive."
Can building engineers, architects, and prefab house providers try not to sell things that cause additional costs but don’t provide essential benefits? That’s where I would like advice.
The construction industry is just like any other – when you want a car, it’s often configured with nearly full options, half of which you don’t want or really need.
What is expected from me here is to show a topographic site plan including the floor plan and how the house will be built – I am about 6 to 12 months away from that stage.
I understand that more information could be helpful, but in my case, I don’t see how.
11ant schrieb:
Yes, there is even such a thing and it could be reasonably discussed because questions were usefully answered.
I’ll say it again: there is currently no useful topographic plan that would help here; it is still in progress. The plan showing the property boundaries doesn’t help with the "slope location" issue.
Consider how you will use the steep area later on. In our case, it will mostly remain wild nature.
Albert Haus, built as a timber frame, can handle such slopes without constructing towers, as can Wir-Leben-Haus as a solid wood builder.
Never lose sight of what you want and what you don’t. Everywhere you go, people try to persuade you to get things you actually don’t need.
We do laundry on the upper floor since that’s where most of it accumulates, so no laundry chute is required.
I would not install a central vacuum system. Instead, I prefer using two small robotic vacuum cleaners. A central ventilation system is, for me, a matter of comfort.
Allow for a contingency until the structural engineering calculations are completed. Ours caused an additional cost of about 20,000 due to a thicker floor slab, heavy reinforcement, and thicker retaining wall and foundation slab.
Albert Haus, built as a timber frame, can handle such slopes without constructing towers, as can Wir-Leben-Haus as a solid wood builder.
Never lose sight of what you want and what you don’t. Everywhere you go, people try to persuade you to get things you actually don’t need.
We do laundry on the upper floor since that’s where most of it accumulates, so no laundry chute is required.
I would not install a central vacuum system. Instead, I prefer using two small robotic vacuum cleaners. A central ventilation system is, for me, a matter of comfort.
Allow for a contingency until the structural engineering calculations are completed. Ours caused an additional cost of about 20,000 due to a thicker floor slab, heavy reinforcement, and thicker retaining wall and foundation slab.
H
hanghaus20233 Jan 2024 12:56Then you shouldn’t write something like this here.
What do you gain by lying here? I’m out of this conversation.
You save the most when you get help.
In the Bayernatlas, you can determine elevations with an accuracy of 10 cm (4 inches). This is very helpful for a hillside project. You can also see where the road is located there.
What do you gain by lying here? I’m out of this conversation.
You save the most when you get help.
In the Bayernatlas, you can determine elevations with an accuracy of 10 cm (4 inches). This is very helpful for a hillside project. You can also see where the road is located there.
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IIIIIIIIIIIIII3 Jan 2024 13:01hanghaus2023 schrieb:
Then you really shouldn’t write something like that here.
What do you gain by lying here? I’m out of this.
You save the most when you let someone help you.
In the Bayern Atlas, you can determine elevation to within 10cm (4 inches). That is very helpful for a hillside project. You can also see where the road is located there. I HAD to provide that information during registration!
What am I supposed to do if I don’t even live in Germany? I HAD to specify a federal state.
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