ᐅ Is it possible to build a new house for €900 per square meter?
Created on: 3 Sep 2024 21:04
O
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
O
Ottowillswisse26 Nov 2024 19:33kbt09 schrieb:
What price per square meter do you think you'll end up with? At least 1700. Because it remains
are nice, but don’t bring in much money.Only the finished ground floor would initially be about 80 m2 (860 sq ft), if you plan the upper floor as a potential for future expansion. If I calculate based on the unfinished upper floor (which still incurs costs) at 2000€ per m2 (about $200 per sq ft) of living space, I get 2000€ times 80 m2, which is 160,000€, plus additional construction costs, around 180,000€. That amount I can afford to finance.
Ottowillswisse schrieb:
Right now, I’m considering buying an architect-designed house either as a shell-plus or as a turnkey home, meaning I would build with the architect until the electrical, water/sewage, and heat pump with screed are completed, and then finish plaster, floor coverings, kitchen, and bathrooms including fixtures myself. You can also design a one-and-a-half-story house so that initially only the ground floor is finished, right? If you leave a house half empty, it’s better to build smaller from the start and move when you need more space. Otherwise, what you said is possible, yes.
Ottowillswisse schrieb:
If landlords get nervous just by hearing "German Shepherd," I probably shouldn’t expect to get a rental from them. I only know the dog as the best contact maker, both for apartments and land. With clearly guard dog breeds, this effect probably works less well.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
O
Ottowillswisse26 Nov 2024 19:4511ant schrieb:
If you plan to leave a house partly unoccupied, it’s better to build smaller from the start and move to a larger one when needed. Otherwise, what you suggest can work.
I only know the dog as a great way to make contact, both for apartments and land. With certain watchdog breeds, this effect might not work as well. Currently, I live alone, but that could change within the next 10 to 15 years. I imagine that adding an extension to a bungalow or moving later would be difficult. Here in my hometown, houses for sale are generally heavily overpriced because of the land. That’s why I thought about building a one-and-a-half-story house and only finishing the ground floor for now, so I could expand the upper floor in 10 to 15 years. This seems better than building an extension later.
T
Teimo198826 Nov 2024 20:21Ottowillswisse schrieb:
The finished ground floor alone would initially be about 80 m2 (860 sq ft), if the upper floor is planned as potential expansion. If I calculate based on the unfinished upper floor (which still causes costs) at €2000 per m2 (around $200 per sq ft) of living space, I end up with 2000€ times 80, which is €160,000, plus additional building costs, so around €180,000. I can finance that.Maybe this helps you. I am currently building a two-family house together with my brother, with (at least for this forum) an unusually high amount of own labor. Before Christmas, the screed will be installed. Once the screed is in, we are at about €1350 per m2 (around $130 per sq ft). The living area is 250 m2 (2,690 sq ft) because there are two apartments, but that also requires more installations. However, we only have one roof, one foundation slab, etc. Own labor includes:
-Roofing, roof insulation, vapor barrier, and later the attic ceiling and knee wall with drywall
-Electrical work entirely
-Earthworks
-Installation of roller shutters
-Insulation under the screed
-Horizontal waterproofing of the foundation slab
-Self-built prefabricated garage (I had one left over)
-Wood substructures for locksmith work (balcony roofing)
-Countless support tasks for the various trades
Additional building-related costs are another €160 per m2 (around $15 per sq ft).
So we are now already over €1500 per m2 (around $140 per sq ft) including additional building costs, with an above-average amount of own labor (for this forum).
Ottowillswisse schrieb:
The area of the plot where I am considering building is easily accessible for machinery and currently just a lawn. I hope your streak of luck continues and that the plot is not classified as garden land, which would mean it cannot be built on.
Ottowillswisse schrieb:
At the moment, I have €40,000 (about $43,000) in savings and a net monthly income of €2,300 (about $2,500). Yes, that should certainly be enough to build a nice house. Please keep us informed once you know more or after your appointment with the bank advisor.
Ottowillswisse schrieb:
What about the Obi Respekta kitchen unit KB210WGC 210cm (83 inches) gray-white? It’s probably just an affordable DIY store kitchen, but sufficient for now, right? The kitchen comes at the end, not at the beginning!
O
Ottowillswisse26 Nov 2024 20:27Teimo1988 schrieb:
Maybe this helps you. My brother and I are currently building a two-family house with an unusually high amount of self-performed work (at least for this forum). Before Christmas, the screed will be installed. Once the screed is done, we will be at about €1350 per m2 (square meter). The living area is 250 m2 (2691 sq ft) because there are two apartments, which also requires more installations. However, there is only one roof, one foundation slab, etc.
Self-performed work includes:
- Roofing, roof insulation, vapor barrier, and later drywall for the attic ceiling and knee wall
- Complete electrical installation
- Earthworks
- Roller shutter installation
- Insulation under the screed
- Horizontal waterproofing of the foundation slab
- Assembling a prefabricated garage (leftover from before) ourselves
- Timber substructures for metalwork (loggia roofing)
- Countless support tasks for the trades
Additional incidental construction costs add around €160 per m2 (square meter).
So, we are already over €1500 per m2 (square meter), including incidental costs, with a significantly above-average amount of self-performance (for this forum). Does your house have special features? For example, very large window areas? A loggia does cost quite a bit, right? At my parents’ house, the waterproofing alone cost more than €10,000 because the loggia leaked. But respect, I don't think I could manage that much self-performance myself.
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