ᐅ Is it possible to build a new house for €900 per square meter?
Created on: 3 Sep 2024 21:04
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Ottowillswisse
Hello everyone,
After my house purchase unfortunately fell through, I happened to start a conversation with someone from a new development in town.
He told me that the average cost for new builds is usually around €3000 per m² (approximately $280 per ft²), which is quite expensive. But he built his 100 m² (1,076 ft²) flat-roof bungalow with an architect for only €900 per m² (around $85 per ft²). How he managed that: wall construction consists of 17.5 cm (7 inches) calcium silicate bricks + 15 cm (6 inches) insulation with a thermal conductivity of 0.035 W/(mK) + 1.5 cm (0.6 inches) plaster (this is apparently the cheapest possible wall build-up).
Most of the interior work was done by himself, so for example, the kitchen cost €2000 (about $2200) purchased from a DIY store, and the bathrooms were tiled and the fixtures installed by himself. Laminate flooring and tiles were also installed as DIY for a maximum of €15 per m² (about $1.40 per ft²). Interior plaster on ceilings and walls, interior doors, windows, and the front door were also installed by himself.
The design is very simple with small window areas, and the excavated soil was reused in the garden, for example. The house has no photovoltaic or solar system. Hot water is provided by a tankless water heater, and heating is done with an air-to-air heat pump, that is, a split air conditioning system.
What do you think about such a construction cost? It seems somewhat unrealistic to me.
Best regards
After my house purchase unfortunately fell through, I happened to start a conversation with someone from a new development in town.
He told me that the average cost for new builds is usually around €3000 per m² (approximately $280 per ft²), which is quite expensive. But he built his 100 m² (1,076 ft²) flat-roof bungalow with an architect for only €900 per m² (around $85 per ft²). How he managed that: wall construction consists of 17.5 cm (7 inches) calcium silicate bricks + 15 cm (6 inches) insulation with a thermal conductivity of 0.035 W/(mK) + 1.5 cm (0.6 inches) plaster (this is apparently the cheapest possible wall build-up).
Most of the interior work was done by himself, so for example, the kitchen cost €2000 (about $2200) purchased from a DIY store, and the bathrooms were tiled and the fixtures installed by himself. Laminate flooring and tiles were also installed as DIY for a maximum of €15 per m² (about $1.40 per ft²). Interior plaster on ceilings and walls, interior doors, windows, and the front door were also installed by himself.
The design is very simple with small window areas, and the excavated soil was reused in the garden, for example. The house has no photovoltaic or solar system. Hot water is provided by a tankless water heater, and heating is done with an air-to-air heat pump, that is, a split air conditioning system.
What do you think about such a construction cost? It seems somewhat unrealistic to me.
Best regards
Ottowillswisse schrieb:
To avoid misunderstandings: This means that the electrical system, water supply, and wastewater installations in my acquaintance’s house were carried out by qualified professionals. Without a licence, at least the connection would not have been possible otherwise.https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
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Buchsbaum0663 Sep 2024 22:28Nice topic and thanks for raising the question.
Of course, you can build a house for 900 euros per square meter. Even comfortably and with some luxury. You just have to do it the right way.
Where there’s a will, there’s a way, and it also depends a bit on your personal skills.
Materials are not that expensive; you just need to know where to get them cheaply. Today, you can learn everything yourself. You don’t even need a mason—except for the first row, everything is glued together, like Lego for adults.
Thanks to all the building systems available, construction is easier than ever. You just have to plan carefully how you build to optimize costs. You can already buy pre-measured windows and plan your window openings accordingly.
You can take second-grade Poroton bricks. Tiles are available cheaply. Doors and sanitary fixtures can be bought in Poland. Nowadays, you can even buy online, and they deliver to Germany. The roof has to be done by professionals. I had roofers from Poland, and I bought the tiles at Jacobi in Langenzenn directly from the factory. But I also had 500 square meters (5,382 square feet) of roof covered with engobed beaver-tail tiles.
Always check out hardware stores and building material suppliers to buy special lots. Keep an eye on auctions and buy from insolvencies. This works quite well right now.
As you may know, I bought my kitchen for 2,500 euros, which was priced at 50,000 euros in the kitchen showroom. A bit of luxury is definitely worth it.
Of course, you can build a house for 900 euros per square meter. Even comfortably and with some luxury. You just have to do it the right way.
Where there’s a will, there’s a way, and it also depends a bit on your personal skills.
Materials are not that expensive; you just need to know where to get them cheaply. Today, you can learn everything yourself. You don’t even need a mason—except for the first row, everything is glued together, like Lego for adults.
Thanks to all the building systems available, construction is easier than ever. You just have to plan carefully how you build to optimize costs. You can already buy pre-measured windows and plan your window openings accordingly.
You can take second-grade Poroton bricks. Tiles are available cheaply. Doors and sanitary fixtures can be bought in Poland. Nowadays, you can even buy online, and they deliver to Germany. The roof has to be done by professionals. I had roofers from Poland, and I bought the tiles at Jacobi in Langenzenn directly from the factory. But I also had 500 square meters (5,382 square feet) of roof covered with engobed beaver-tail tiles.
Always check out hardware stores and building material suppliers to buy special lots. Keep an eye on auctions and buy from insolvencies. This works quite well right now.
As you may know, I bought my kitchen for 2,500 euros, which was priced at 50,000 euros in the kitchen showroom. A bit of luxury is definitely worth it.
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nordanney3 Sep 2024 23:30Ottowillswisse schrieb:
That was meant in the sense that average earners can hardly afford it anymore My concern is related to that as well. Average earners can still buy or build a good house. But not with the expectations of recent years. Construction costs in relation to income are still very low (historically, looking at the past 45 years).
Ottowillswisse schrieb:
So the walls were still built by a mason Ottowillswisse schrieb:
Electrical, water, and sewage installations were carried out by professionals. I therefore specifically question the 900€ and want to say: no, that’s not possible. At least not all in.
You should keep in mind that you still have to purchase the land, and you will probably not be able to get a loan for materials and skilled labor. It’s a DIY project, and that requires passion.
My neighbor did it the same way: using Ytong. In his fifth year of installing the brick slips, he became chronically ill. The house was only completed after a very cheap sale. I was told that the bathroom was made up entirely of leftover materials.
My neighbor did it the same way: using Ytong. In his fifth year of installing the brick slips, he became chronically ill. The house was only completed after a very cheap sale. I was told that the bathroom was made up entirely of leftover materials.
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Ottowillswisse24 Nov 2024 21:55Hello community,
sorry for only getting back to you after 3 months. I recently spoke again with the builder, and he told me that he works as a bricklayer himself and has friends in the various trades, so although all the work was done by skilled professionals, he had very low labor costs and practically only had to pay for materials. My question is: Do you think it is possible to build a house with some own work on flooring and painting for €1,700 per m² (about $158 per ft²) of living space?
Kind regards
sorry for only getting back to you after 3 months. I recently spoke again with the builder, and he told me that he works as a bricklayer himself and has friends in the various trades, so although all the work was done by skilled professionals, he had very low labor costs and practically only had to pay for materials. My question is: Do you think it is possible to build a house with some own work on flooring and painting for €1,700 per m² (about $158 per ft²) of living space?
Kind regards
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nordanney24 Nov 2024 22:23Ottowillswisse schrieb:
My question is: Do you think it’s possible to build a house with DIY floor coverings and painting work for €1,700 per m2 of living space?Yes, if you do the entire house yourself. However, you have to factor in your time, broken friendships/marriage, injuries and accidents, and of course lost income. It will take your time. Oh, and you also need certified professionals, since various trades require licensed experts—for example, external wall insulation (ETICS) is not permitted as DIY. Installing water pipes is also not allowed. And so on.
Finally, you also need enough money, because a project like this is only possible with 100% equity. Banks will not finance it.
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