ᐅ Affordable Building Without Compromising Quality, Architect-Designed Home
Created on: 2 Jan 2024 12:33
I
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.
H
hanghaus20233 Jan 2024 13:07IIIIIIIIIIIIII schrieb:
I had to provide that during registration!
What am I supposed to do if I don’t even live in Germany? I had to enter some federal state. Then just write here where it is. As precise as possible. What’s with the hesitation? The plot belongs to you after all.
I
IIIIIIIIIIIIII3 Jan 2024 13:26hanghaus2023 schrieb:
Then just write here where it is. As precisely as possible. What’s the hesitation about? The plot belongs to you anyway. It really doesn’t matter exactly where the house is located. What good does the information do that the plot is in village X, Y, or Z?
The plot is in Austria, in the Alps.
Is it still too early to discuss the zoning plan?
The zoning plan can be summarized as follows:
* maximum of 2 full stories plus basement
* gable roof, running parallel to the slope
* dormer windows are allowed
* buildable area is sufficiently large
* neighbors are far enough away
* access road is from below
O
Oberhäslich3 Jan 2024 13:29Have you considered getting one or two quotes for the civil engineering work? The terrain is quite challenging, and you'll need access for semi-trailers, excavators, and low-loaders, meaning you’ll require a construction access road. It’s hard to assess from here. We just want to make sure you’re not underestimating costs by €100,000. It might go smoothly, but it also might not. You could need retaining walls, a lot of earth might have to be removed if the ground is unsuitable, or a significant amount of fill and compaction might be required. There could also be rock in the way. It’s also difficult to judge the utility connections from the photo. Costs vary dramatically between 5m (16ft), 30m (98ft), and 300m (984ft) for sewer, water, and electrical connections. You might have to manage rainwater separately or store it temporarily in a cistern... so it’s a bit uncertain. You should probably gather more information first. You don’t want these additional construction-related costs to ruin your budget.
Many useful tips have already been shared with you. In principle, you can save on anything related to electronics, as well as on aesthetics. For example, anthracite windows are significantly more expensive, and PVC (uPVC) windows are cheaper than aluminum or wood options. There’s plenty of reading material online, so this isn’t new information. But if you need help with your specific situation, the key details will be necessary.
You can save money on:
- Roller shutters instead of venetian blinds (these may not be necessary in certain rooms)
- Avoiding large window fronts or sliding/tilt-and-slide doors (which might require additional steel lintels)
- Decentralized ventilation systems instead of central ones
- For us, a 24cm (9.5 inches) wall plus 16cm (6.3 inches) insulation is cheaper than a 36cm (14 inches) wall
- Avoiding KfW40 standard homes or higher
- No smart home systems, manual room thermostats, roller shutters operated by straps
- Heat pumps from Daikin instead of Wolf, for example
- Smaller hot water tanks since it’s just for two people in Hamburg
- Fewer windows and roller shutters
- Q2 plaster finish instead of Q3, doing the remaining plastering and sanding yourself, possibly just painting (without fleece wallpaper)
- Smaller tiles under 80x80cm (31x31 inches) and minimal tiled areas
- No separate shower bathroom or just planning for one shower
- Affordable interior doors instead of solid wood (self-installation)
- Laminate or linoleum flooring
- Concrete roof tiles instead of clay tiles
- No extra colored finishes for windows or gutters
- Exterior walls painted white without extra charge
- Beech stairs instead of oak, concrete, or steel
- Skipping TV outlets and watching TV via DSL (lay your own LAN cables)
- Limiting the number of sockets and switches, no video intercom, no security cameras, no fingerprint door openers
- No fireplace
- Exterior aluminum window sills instead of stone
- Standard base paint instead of base plaster
- Drains placed as close together as possible and only as many as needed
- Water pipes for bathroom, toilet, and kitchen located near the utility room
- Lower knee walls instead of building them up
- Few or no roof windows
And so on. You probably already know most of this.
Many useful tips have already been shared with you. In principle, you can save on anything related to electronics, as well as on aesthetics. For example, anthracite windows are significantly more expensive, and PVC (uPVC) windows are cheaper than aluminum or wood options. There’s plenty of reading material online, so this isn’t new information. But if you need help with your specific situation, the key details will be necessary.
You can save money on:
- Roller shutters instead of venetian blinds (these may not be necessary in certain rooms)
- Avoiding large window fronts or sliding/tilt-and-slide doors (which might require additional steel lintels)
- Decentralized ventilation systems instead of central ones
- For us, a 24cm (9.5 inches) wall plus 16cm (6.3 inches) insulation is cheaper than a 36cm (14 inches) wall
- Avoiding KfW40 standard homes or higher
- No smart home systems, manual room thermostats, roller shutters operated by straps
- Heat pumps from Daikin instead of Wolf, for example
- Smaller hot water tanks since it’s just for two people in Hamburg
- Fewer windows and roller shutters
- Q2 plaster finish instead of Q3, doing the remaining plastering and sanding yourself, possibly just painting (without fleece wallpaper)
- Smaller tiles under 80x80cm (31x31 inches) and minimal tiled areas
- No separate shower bathroom or just planning for one shower
- Affordable interior doors instead of solid wood (self-installation)
- Laminate or linoleum flooring
- Concrete roof tiles instead of clay tiles
- No extra colored finishes for windows or gutters
- Exterior walls painted white without extra charge
- Beech stairs instead of oak, concrete, or steel
- Skipping TV outlets and watching TV via DSL (lay your own LAN cables)
- Limiting the number of sockets and switches, no video intercom, no security cameras, no fingerprint door openers
- No fireplace
- Exterior aluminum window sills instead of stone
- Standard base paint instead of base plaster
- Drains placed as close together as possible and only as many as needed
- Water pipes for bathroom, toilet, and kitchen located near the utility room
- Lower knee walls instead of building them up
- Few or no roof windows
And so on. You probably already know most of this.
S
Schorsch_baut3 Jan 2024 13:30Putting aside the arguments about the slope and the secrecy — of course, you can omit all comfort and style features if you want. That was already mentioned above. But looking at the example picture, the dream house clearly does not meet the material standards of social housing.
With a southwest orientation, shading is unavoidable in a modern new build. Unless you only install a few narrow slit-style windows, but in that case, you wouldn’t need a plot with a view either.
Some older friends of ours are currently building a bungalow without a basement as a retirement home. It’s about 140 square meters (1,500 square feet) for just under 600,000 without additional construction costs. Very simple in terms of fittings, plain render, concrete roof tiles, plastic windows, and located in an affordable area in North Rhine-Westphalia. No garage, but with photovoltaic panels and a heat pump.
With a southwest orientation, shading is unavoidable in a modern new build. Unless you only install a few narrow slit-style windows, but in that case, you wouldn’t need a plot with a view either.
Some older friends of ours are currently building a bungalow without a basement as a retirement home. It’s about 140 square meters (1,500 square feet) for just under 600,000 without additional construction costs. Very simple in terms of fittings, plain render, concrete roof tiles, plastic windows, and located in an affordable area in North Rhine-Westphalia. No garage, but with photovoltaic panels and a heat pump.
S
Schorsch_baut3 Jan 2024 13:39And I'll say this: when we were 30, we couldn't imagine having children at all. But at that time, we also weren't in a fortunate position to even consider building a house. What we would have built back then wouldn’t even have been suitable for pets. So make sure to leave room for expansion options in your plans. My wife wanted even fewer children than I did. Now she would like to have a third child. 😀
H
hanghaus20233 Jan 2024 14:21IIIIIIIIIIIIII schrieb:
I HAD to provide that during registration!
What am I supposed to do if I don’t even live in Germany? I HAD to enter some federal state. Most people just enter AT. Better than BY.
Similar topics