Hello everyone,
I’m writing because I’m feeling quite down.
My husband and I want to build a house. We already have a plot in mind. It is 400 sqm (4,300 sq ft) and located in a new development area.
Unfortunately, our budget only allows for a house costing around 220,000 euros.
So far, we have approached both solid construction (masonry) and prefabricated house companies, as well as an architectural firm and a local builder. None of them are able to build a house for this price.
We think our requirements are quite reasonable?!
Here are our details:
1 ½ stories
approximately 120-140 sqm (1,290-1,510 sq ft)
1 bathroom
1 guest WC with shower
3 bedrooms
Air-source heat pump with underfloor heating
and either an office
or a basement, but it must be built as a waterproof “white tank” (watertight concrete structure).
We would take care of painting and flooring ourselves.
Additional construction costs are not included, nor is the cost of the land.
What do you think?
Best regards, Malo
I’m writing because I’m feeling quite down.
My husband and I want to build a house. We already have a plot in mind. It is 400 sqm (4,300 sq ft) and located in a new development area.
Unfortunately, our budget only allows for a house costing around 220,000 euros.
So far, we have approached both solid construction (masonry) and prefabricated house companies, as well as an architectural firm and a local builder. None of them are able to build a house for this price.
We think our requirements are quite reasonable?!
Here are our details:
1 ½ stories
approximately 120-140 sqm (1,290-1,510 sq ft)
1 bathroom
1 guest WC with shower
3 bedrooms
Air-source heat pump with underfloor heating
and either an office
or a basement, but it must be built as a waterproof “white tank” (watertight concrete structure).
We would take care of painting and flooring ourselves.
Additional construction costs are not included, nor is the cost of the land.
What do you think?
Best regards, Malo
B
Bauexperte13 Feb 2013 13:58Hello,
That’s a casual remark – have you considered that the place of jurisdiction is always where the company is located? It’s not that simple to make cross-border claims in the worst case, even within an EU country.
Kind regards
holzinio schrieb:
Have you ever tried contacting or hiring companies from other EU countries?
Although there are many bad actors in the industry, there are also qualified craftsmen in Eastern Europe who are certainly much more affordable than their German counterparts.
That’s a casual remark – have you considered that the place of jurisdiction is always where the company is located? It’s not that simple to make cross-border claims in the worst case, even within an EU country.
Kind regards
Hello building expert,
first of all, thank you for the detailed breakdown. Actually, I still feel a bit discouraged. It really is a lot of money, and in many cases, you end up paying for a very long time for your own home...
The reason we want a house is that we have two children, and we want to give them the privilege of a *home* rather than moving from one rental apartment to another, as we were used to.
Would a semi-detached house be cheaper or more feasible? Here in our area, we could either attach to an existing one or build one without a partner since the building plot is still available!
first of all, thank you for the detailed breakdown. Actually, I still feel a bit discouraged. It really is a lot of money, and in many cases, you end up paying for a very long time for your own home...
The reason we want a house is that we have two children, and we want to give them the privilege of a *home* rather than moving from one rental apartment to another, as we were used to.
Would a semi-detached house be cheaper or more feasible? Here in our area, we could either attach to an existing one or build one without a partner since the building plot is still available!
With semi-detached houses, you basically only save on the land. About 250 sqm (2,690 sq ft) is usually enough. Whether that’s what you want... hmm, no idea.
Friends of ours live in one of these, and the workmanship was sloppy. They can hear their neighbor’s TV and every step on the staircase.
The defect was identified but can no longer be fixed. Now they’re stuck in a legal dispute.
What’s wrong with just saving diligently for another 1-2 years? Maybe the family can help as well.
I still consider that amount doable. But with two children, 120 sqm (1,290 sq ft) over 1.5 floors will definitely be a bit cozy.
Friends of ours live in one of these, and the workmanship was sloppy. They can hear their neighbor’s TV and every step on the staircase.
The defect was identified but can no longer be fixed. Now they’re stuck in a legal dispute.
What’s wrong with just saving diligently for another 1-2 years? Maybe the family can help as well.
I still consider that amount doable. But with two children, 120 sqm (1,290 sq ft) over 1.5 floors will definitely be a bit cozy.
I see the issue more from a construction expert’s perspective.
The living area might become tight given the size. It really depends on what you need, meaning how large the living space should be.
I don’t see any problem with the budget. We have €220,000 from the bank. The plot was provided as equity, plus around €15,000 in cash.
Key data:
Plot size 663 m² (7,133 sq ft)
Single-family house with timber frame construction
130 m² (1,400 sq ft) of “usable space” (including hallway, stairwell, etc.)
Gas boiler including solar thermal system
Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery
Underfloor heating in all rooms
Fireplace for wood stove
Precast concrete basement (but only black tank waterproofing and usable basement)
2 bathrooms
So far, it looks like we will comfortably manage. However, our additional costs (ancillary expenses) are relatively low compared to other regions in Germany.
The living area might become tight given the size. It really depends on what you need, meaning how large the living space should be.
I don’t see any problem with the budget. We have €220,000 from the bank. The plot was provided as equity, plus around €15,000 in cash.
Key data:
Plot size 663 m² (7,133 sq ft)
Single-family house with timber frame construction
130 m² (1,400 sq ft) of “usable space” (including hallway, stairwell, etc.)
Gas boiler including solar thermal system
Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery
Underfloor heating in all rooms
Fireplace for wood stove
Precast concrete basement (but only black tank waterproofing and usable basement)
2 bathrooms
So far, it looks like we will comfortably manage. However, our additional costs (ancillary expenses) are relatively low compared to other regions in Germany.
Malo78 schrieb:
Hello Der Da and heltino,
the plot costs 70,000, and we have some money set aside for incidental building costs. The 220,000 is the amount we want to finance from the bank! We don’t want to go higher than that.
So the total cost for the house, but without wall and floor coverings... as described above. No fireplace or anything else. *Basically* very simple (except for the underfloor heating / heat pump)!How much do you have set aside for the incidental building costs?
If the plot costs 70,000 and you have a total of 220,000, that leaves 150,000 for the house.
That won’t work with a basement, but without a basement and with extremely simple technology and fittings, it might just be enough—provided you really can cover all the extra costs—however, it would have to be really simple: no floor coverings, no ceiling finishes, no electrical extras, no plumbing extras, no landscaping, and no garage.
It’s really important to know what you have reserved for the incidental costs, or better yet, what you “think” will be enough for those costs.
Sounds harsh, but it’s meant well. You really have to be careful—there can be quite a few surprises. With property transfer tax, the notary, and all the paperwork that you can only roughly calculate online, it’s not done that easily.
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