ᐅ Building a House Independently

Created on: 12 Aug 2015 22:13
J
Johannes1988
Good evening,

I am new here but occasionally follow some of the posts. A brief introduction: I am 26 years old, a tax consultant, and I live in NRW, near Cologne.

Next year, I would like to build a house on my own. I would be very grateful if you could provide feedback on my building project and whether it is realistically achievable.

The plan is for a house with an accessory apartment for my parents, without a basement. The total size of the house should be around 300 sqm (3,230 sq ft). It will have two full floors, and the attic will not be developed. Possibly a KfW 70 standard house.

Next year, I will have two months of parental leave. The plan is to complete the shell construction with two skilled workers and one layperson (myself). My first question is: is this achievable within two months?

Second question: is my construction volume realistic? I am planning total costs for the house and plot at about 400,000€ (approximately), with the land costing around 130,000€, leaving about 270,000€ for the house.

I estimate material costs at around 180,000€ (including heating, roof tiles, plumbing, etc.). The remaining 90,000€ is planned for skilled labor.

Additional information: Among my acquaintances, I know a roofer, a window installer, and an electrician, who will do their work for free; I only need to provide the materials. Furthermore, I have a contact who works at a large building materials supplier and will grant me a staff discount.

I would like to start in April (parental leave begins at the end of May) and ideally move in by October.

Are my plans realistic?

Thank you in advance for your feedback.

Best regards

Johannes1988
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toxicmolotof
13 Aug 2015 21:08
Johannes1988 schrieb:
I almost thought that I was actually referring to 300 sqm (3230 sq ft) of usable area.

No, you’re not referring to that either. You are forgetting the wall surfaces that need to be deducted. If it’s not just one large room, about 20% of the wall area is lost, regardless of whether it’s living or usable space. You are talking about 300 sqm (3230 sq ft) of floor area.
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Johannes1988
13 Aug 2015 22:19
Ah. Okay, sorry guys. So, the floor area is 300 m² (3,229 sq ft). Now, going back to my construction project, considering it has a floor area of 300 m² (3,229 sq ft).

Is this feasible?
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toxicmolotof
14 Aug 2015 00:20
In my opinion, not worth that price, even with various extras.

There’s a 4 or 5 right at the front. With a few more extras, it can quickly become a 6.
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ypg
14 Aug 2015 08:38
... And certainly not within this time frame either!
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Bauexperte
14 Aug 2015 15:28
Hello Johannes,
Johannes1988 schrieb:

A brief introduction: I’m 26 years old, a tax advisor, and I live in NRW, near Cologne.
At such a young age already a tax advisor, so you must have studied?
Johannes1988 schrieb:

Next year, I would like to self-manage the construction of a house [10 x 15] ... It will be a house with a granny flat for the parents, without a basement. The house should be about 300 sqm (3,229 sqft) in total. Two full stories, the attic will not be converted. Maybe a KfW 70 standard house.
Bold, especially without the proper background (which in your case is missing - apart from the fact that "maybe KfW 70" doesn’t really work, since from 01.01.16 KfW 70 effectively corresponds to the Energy Saving Ordinance standard).
Johannes1988 schrieb:

Next year I will have two months of parental leave. The plan is to build the shell together with two skilled workers and one layperson (myself). First question: Is this possible within these two months?
Where is the hidden camera?
Johannes1988 schrieb:

Second question, does my construction volume fit? I’m planning total costs of about €400,000 for house and land. The land costs about €130,000, leaving approximately €270,000 for the house.

I estimate about €180,000 for material costs (including heating, roof tiles, sanitary installations, etc.). The remaining €90,000 are planned for skilled labor.
I know tax advisors tend to be very interested in numbers. Unfortunately, this won’t help you much in your case 😉

For a house of this size, if it is to be built turnkey, you should calculate roughly €346,000. In addition, all the usual suspects apply, such as ancillary construction costs, painting/flooring work, landscaping, garage, and reserves for extras, etc. This means your budget will probably start with a 6. You simply cannot achieve your calculations with the subsidies you might receive.
Johannes1988 schrieb:

Additional information: In my circle of acquaintances, I have a roofer, a window installer, and an electrician who will do the work for free, only materials have to be paid for. Furthermore, I have a contact who works for a major building materials supplier and will grant me an employee discount.
The employee discount as a cost-saving measure is, in my opinion, the only item you can safely count on. For everything else, I would be cautious and reserved. Friends and acquaintances have private lives and are often more talk than consistent manual work.
Johannes1988 schrieb:

Are my plans realistic?
No.

Best regards, Bauexperte
S
Steffen80
14 Aug 2015 15:38
Johannes1988 schrieb:


Next year, I have two months of parental leave. The plan is to build the shell construction with two skilled workers and one layperson (myself). My first question is whether this is possible within two months?

I recommend reading the following book beforehand: "The Top Five Regrets of the Dying" by Bronnie Ware (ISBN 3442341299)

Best regards, Steffen