ᐅ Building a house with aerated concrete blocks ... – does it make sense?
Created on: 1 Jan 2020 19:44
H
hb-julia
Hello,
the company Ytong offers some quite nice houses. However, we don’t have any knowledge about construction and don’t want to do any work ourselves. But the company is currently advertising with this aspect. Is this only suitable for highly motivated people?
Or can/should you leave everything to them, and they then build a house where you could save up to 60,000 Euros (about 175,000 EUR instead of 115,000 EUR) through self-construction, ending up with a real urban villa?
What are your opinions and experiences regarding this?
Thank you!
the company Ytong offers some quite nice houses. However, we don’t have any knowledge about construction and don’t want to do any work ourselves. But the company is currently advertising with this aspect. Is this only suitable for highly motivated people?
Or can/should you leave everything to them, and they then build a house where you could save up to 60,000 Euros (about 175,000 EUR instead of 115,000 EUR) through self-construction, ending up with a real urban villa?
What are your opinions and experiences regarding this?
Thank you!
H
hampshire2 Jan 2020 10:22hb-julia schrieb:
What are the assessments and experiences regarding this? I see it quite similarly to @boxandroof.
In my experience, having knowledge and expertise in the subject helps to commission, oversee, and control the construction of a good and affordable house as a client. Your question about Ytong gives me the impression that you are relatively new to the topic. That’s completely fine. Building with Ytong can be very cost-effective. The same applies to other companies and building materials. What you first need is an understanding of the tasks that must be completed before you can live in the house. Your budget approach is achievable but very ambitious and beyond what many people expect. Whenever you want to achieve something extraordinary, you have to delve deeply into the subject—the expectations of many are not just random but based on experience and shared knowledge. Choosing the supplier "Ytong" alone will not get you to the goal of realizing the price you mentioned for an urban villa. It will require much more development.
With the company Ytong, you basically receive a large amount of documentation (structural engineering, building permit/planning permission, thermal insulation certificate, etc.) and several truckloads of blocks and windows, delivered to the curb.
The simplest city villa costs around 127,000 (127 TE) for 157m2 (1,690 sq ft).
You are responsible for excavating the foundation pit, laying gravel, and constructing the base slab yourself (10,000 to 20,000 (10 to 20 TE)). You also handle graveling the crane area and setting up the crane. Then you build the walls on the ground floor. Afterwards, someone from Ytong will come once more to install the ceiling for the upper floor, build a concrete staircase, and erect the roof structure. You install the ceilings yourself as well as the windows. If you still have enough vacation time and back strength left, you can also chisel grooves for the electrical wiring. A certified electrician must make the connections. No materials are included for electrical work; including a willing electrician, plan on about 10,000 (10 TE) for a simple installation.
A basic gas heating system by a professional, including everything, costs around 20,000, rather 30,000 (20 to 30 TE). The price can be higher depending on the heating concept. Bathrooms and similar rooms add at least 15,000, rather 25,000 (15 to 25 TE). I would never do this myself unless I were a professional. Then you can have the screed installed, about 5,000 (5 TE) more. Exterior plastering with scaffolding is around 10,000, rather 15,000 (10 to 15 TE). Interior plaster and sanding to Q3 finish costs about the same again.
So that adds roughly another 100,000 (100 TE) on top of the kit price. Let’s say 230,000 to 240,000 (230 to 240 TE) in total. That comes to approximately 1,600 Euros per m2 (around 150 USD per sq ft), assuming a lot of self-work and often saying “no” when asked “Would you like it to look nicer?” That is the final house price.
Craftsmen tend to add 5 to 10% per year, so depending on when you start building, you should add some extra budget. Also, no upgrades are included; all calculations are based on simple standard features.
There are still many “small things” missing, such as gutters, roof insulation including drywall, possibly a cistern, and other incidental costs, especially for utility connections. Plus landscaping, garage, small furnishings, and kitchen. Those depend on your preferences, the local authority’s requirements, and the plot of land.
A construction manager and/or a building savings contract would also be highly recommended, costing another 5,000 to 10,000 (5 to 10 TE).
The simplest city villa costs around 127,000 (127 TE) for 157m2 (1,690 sq ft).
You are responsible for excavating the foundation pit, laying gravel, and constructing the base slab yourself (10,000 to 20,000 (10 to 20 TE)). You also handle graveling the crane area and setting up the crane. Then you build the walls on the ground floor. Afterwards, someone from Ytong will come once more to install the ceiling for the upper floor, build a concrete staircase, and erect the roof structure. You install the ceilings yourself as well as the windows. If you still have enough vacation time and back strength left, you can also chisel grooves for the electrical wiring. A certified electrician must make the connections. No materials are included for electrical work; including a willing electrician, plan on about 10,000 (10 TE) for a simple installation.
A basic gas heating system by a professional, including everything, costs around 20,000, rather 30,000 (20 to 30 TE). The price can be higher depending on the heating concept. Bathrooms and similar rooms add at least 15,000, rather 25,000 (15 to 25 TE). I would never do this myself unless I were a professional. Then you can have the screed installed, about 5,000 (5 TE) more. Exterior plastering with scaffolding is around 10,000, rather 15,000 (10 to 15 TE). Interior plaster and sanding to Q3 finish costs about the same again.
So that adds roughly another 100,000 (100 TE) on top of the kit price. Let’s say 230,000 to 240,000 (230 to 240 TE) in total. That comes to approximately 1,600 Euros per m2 (around 150 USD per sq ft), assuming a lot of self-work and often saying “no” when asked “Would you like it to look nicer?” That is the final house price.
Craftsmen tend to add 5 to 10% per year, so depending on when you start building, you should add some extra budget. Also, no upgrades are included; all calculations are based on simple standard features.
There are still many “small things” missing, such as gutters, roof insulation including drywall, possibly a cistern, and other incidental costs, especially for utility connections. Plus landscaping, garage, small furnishings, and kitchen. Those depend on your preferences, the local authority’s requirements, and the plot of land.
A construction manager and/or a building savings contract would also be highly recommended, costing another 5,000 to 10,000 (5 to 10 TE).
Vicky Pedia2 Jan 2020 22:40Hello hb-julia,
There is nothing to add to @boxandroof’s assessment. Please continue to observe and learn! By the way, Ytong is also available under other brand names at lower prices!
There is nothing to add to @boxandroof’s assessment. Please continue to observe and learn! By the way, Ytong is also available under other brand names at lower prices!
Aerated concrete similar to Bremen? In the northern region, almost every builder uses aerated concrete blocks, known under brand names like Ytong, Hebel, Porit, or Hansabeton. All these blocks are nearly identical. Our builder actually used original Ytong because he valued the consistent delivery quality—blocks arrived intact, smooth, and dimensionally accurate. Nowadays, I see he has switched to Hansa. Apparently, they offered him a good deal.
So, you don’t have to order such a house directly from Ytong; this material is widely available throughout the north. The material has both advantages and disadvantages. One disadvantage is definitely its poor sound insulation. Also, since the material is porous, you have to drill carefully when attaching something to the walls. Soundproofing always depends on mass; since aerated concrete is full of air bubbles, it is lightweight and not dense.
But that is also the main advantage: its excellent thermal insulation without any need for expanded polystyrene (EPS). You can build a KfW 55 energy-efficient house using aerated concrete without requiring an additional insulation system—just block plus plaster plus exterior paint. No algae-covered walls, no damp walls, nothing like that. Just like in the old days: block, plaster, done well. It also saves labor costs. The blocks come in large formats, so the shell construction progresses quickly. I would choose it again any time. In my opinion, in this era of energy-efficient construction, it is the best block you can get. K.
So, you don’t have to order such a house directly from Ytong; this material is widely available throughout the north. The material has both advantages and disadvantages. One disadvantage is definitely its poor sound insulation. Also, since the material is porous, you have to drill carefully when attaching something to the walls. Soundproofing always depends on mass; since aerated concrete is full of air bubbles, it is lightweight and not dense.
But that is also the main advantage: its excellent thermal insulation without any need for expanded polystyrene (EPS). You can build a KfW 55 energy-efficient house using aerated concrete without requiring an additional insulation system—just block plus plaster plus exterior paint. No algae-covered walls, no damp walls, nothing like that. Just like in the old days: block, plaster, done well. It also saves labor costs. The blocks come in large formats, so the shell construction progresses quickly. I would choose it again any time. In my opinion, in this era of energy-efficient construction, it is the best block you can get. K.
hb-julia schrieb:
The company Ytong offers quite nice houses. However, we don’t know anything about construction and don’t want to do any of the work ourselves. Question-focused response)
You seem to be referring to kit houses. These only make sense if you are a DIY builder—and if you don’t want to change a single detail of the package. Ordering the "Miracoli for city villa" building material kit and then having a professional shell builder install it is not a good idea. The fact that large-format aerated concrete blocks are very suitable for DIY is really only relevant for self-builders.
Solution-focused response)
Your thread history shows a complex and vague uncertainty, which made me hesitate whether I should even give the question-focused answer above. I have concluded: not really for you, but for other readers. The answer for you is different: clarify your financing first and then take your budget result to an architect. Give them a wish list and tell them which Ytong model you would have chosen. Then don’t be surprised by anything. The architect’s possible reactions will likely fall somewhere between these two extremes: A) they see a huge gap between the example house and your wish list, then let them freely design a house based on your list; B) they see this house-building “mix” as it is (in terms of matching your wishes!) as a complete package, then instruct them to: find the people who will deliver the turnkey house for you and supervise the construction.
Otherwise, I see you remaining endlessly confused and asking next year whether a house made of steel or salt dough might be the solution.
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