ᐅ House Costs – Cost Estimate

macpet schrieb:
Hello Bolzen,

when can we expect the first offers?

I happen to be working with similar key specifications for the house. 11x11.3m (36x37 feet) + corner garage with 68 sqm (730 sq ft) + 22-degree roof pitch without skylights, extended over the garage with a roof terrace above the garage created by the corner design + no basement with 2 full floors, the knee wall on the upper floor is 2m (6.6 feet).

Unfortunately, finding land offers is quite difficult for us, and prices range from €125 to €400 per sqm (€125 to €400 per square meter) even in rural areas.

So we are still waiting for the right land offer.

But maybe we can exchange or complement each other’s offers.

I myself keep coming back to a price of €320,000 for 36.5cm (14 inches) brick walls, many fixed-glass windows, and a simple cubic design + €50,000 for interior fittings + €80,000 for land of about 750 to 800 sqm (0.18 to 0.2 acres)

(I’m not willing to invest more than that).

I’m always interested in the estimates from Bauexperte, which I value highly, and I have contacted them in advance.

I haven’t started a blog yet, although the planning has been ongoing for about a year with around 1,000 hours in CAD, slowly taking shape.

But if the land doesn’t fit the house, it’s all a wasted effort.

So I’m looking forward to the first offers here and wish you good luck and patience.

Hi!

Yes, we can definitely stay in touch.
It’s best to request quotes yourself, as everything depends on the region and the attitude/honesty of the general contractor.

We have received two quotes so far, and they differ by almost €90,000.

Good luck!

Hi!

I would be interested in your opinion on the building specification! 🙂

First of all: thank you very much!

I am an advocate for having such documents. That’s exactly why I chose to build with an architect.

What is noted on page 1 of the document, I have covered in a 15-page contract with my architect plus annexes. If soil type, soil profile, load-bearing capacity, etc. are known, make sure to have them included.

Regarding the construction site setup: Where is the fence? Is the power distribution box closer than 30 meters (100 feet) and on the same side of the street as the property? In our case, for example, it isn’t; it’s 60 meters (200 feet) away and a cable duct will be built across the street. Does the contract specify how much each extra meter costs and what expenses you face if it’s on the opposite side of the street?

Another example: The specified scope of work for my structural builder (earthworks, cistern, pipes / house entry, foundation slab, and masonry) runs to 45 pages.

I haven’t read beyond the structural phase, which is only 2 pages in your case, but there is so much missing. I find many important details lacking, and the referenced DIN standards are fine but only cover the basics and the “surrounding” work with simple executions. Your drainage channel is routed up to one meter (3 feet) from the house? What about the remaining meters? I’m sure one meter won’t be enough...

Then your document goes straight on to windowsills... Everything is just touched on superficially.

However, I have also seen more detailed performance descriptions from other providers.

Well, in the end, it’s just a scope of work description and not a detailed bill of quantities / specification.

Hello,

Bolzen schrieb:

I would be interested in your opinion about the construction specification! 🙂

I won’t provide a full evaluation, as that requires a lot of time to do properly. However, just from an overview, I can say that the specification is at the lower limit and leaves many questions unanswered. What’s strange is that from 4.00 m (13 feet) height upwards, only 17.5 cm (7 inches) aerated concrete and exterior plaster are used. Keep in mind that the ground floor and parts of the upper floor are built with an external wall thickness of 48.5 cm (19 inches), which is a difference of 28.5 cm (11 inches). The specification says nothing about adjusting the upper floor’s wall thickness to the ground floor’s, for example with an external thermal insulation composite system (ETICS).

Conclusion: In my view, the specification does not deserve that name, as it leaves many important elements undescribed and instead focuses on comparatively inexpensive minor details.

Regards, Bauexperte

Hello to all three of you!
Thank you for your feedback. Yesterday, I went through the PDF, added comments, and took your notes into account.

@Bauexperte
The wall structure is already double-layered, but from 4 meters (13 feet) in height, the outer brickwork is replaced by aerated concrete with plaster.
Kind of a "changing façade," or however you want to call it.

For example, like in the attachment.

Is there something like a standard building specification? Or maybe one from a provider that you have found to be good before?

Best regards

Bolzen schrieb:

@Bauexperte
The wall structure already has a double-shell design, but from 4 meters (13 feet) in height, the brick outer layer is replaced by aerated concrete with plaster.
Essentially a "changing facade," or whatever you want to call it.

Yes, "changing facade" is correct. However, this detail is not evident from the building specifications, so the provider could—within the contract—install a simple 17.5 cm (7 inch) facade with exterior plaster above 4.00 m (13 feet) 😉

Bolzen schrieb:

Is there such a thing as a model building description?

Yes, it is available from consumer protection agencies. The question is how useful that is to you if your currently preferred provider does not accommodate change requests?

Regards, Bauexperte