Hello! We are in the very early planning stage of our single-family house. Without adding specific connections and electrical planning details yet, we created a floor plan with doors and windows to roughly calculate all the areas. Below, I have listed some cost estimates for which I am quite uncertain and would appreciate some advice.
The plan is to build a single-family house in Brandenburg (near Berlin) with a built-up area of 11.7m * 10.37m (38.4 ft * 34 ft) including a basement with a waterproof concrete shell ("white tank"). The construction style is solid with a high-quality clinker brick facade (with a distinctive color rather than a standard red tone). In terms of energy measures, besides the solid two-shell construction with good insulation (e.g., mineral wool) and correspondingly insulated roof, basement/foundation slab, and windows, only a geothermal heat pump will be installed, which is very well suited for this region (constant year-round ground temperature above 10°C (50°F) from 25m (82 ft) depth). From a cost-benefit perspective, I am not very enthusiastic about photovoltaic or solar thermal systems. Also, we do not want a mechanical ventilation system or similar because we have found them all disturbingly noisy so far (including the one in our current rental apartment), at least I do; my fiancée is a bit less sensitive.
I would now like some feedback on how realistic these estimates are:
Deep drilling approximately 100 meters (328 ft) total = 3,900 EUR
Heat pump, e.g., geoTherm Plus with a seasonal performance factor above 4 = 7,000 EUR
Bamboo parquet approx. 190 m² (2,045 sq ft) = 5,700 EUR
Tiles (approx. 190 m²) including tiled walls and high-quality tiles in the entrance area = 7,600 EUR
Insulating material approx. 250 m² (2,691 sq ft) with 14 cm (5.5 in) thickness = 2,500 EUR
Facing bricks / clinker bricks approx. 250 m² = 7,500 EUR
Poroton perforated bricks + interior plaster approx. 250 m² = 12,500 EUR
Underfloor heating approx. 250 m² (including partial heating of basement rooms) = 12,500 EUR
Basement with waterproof concrete shell approx. 80 m² (861 sq ft) usable area = 60,000 EUR
Windows and doors, roughly 25 pieces = 8,750 EUR
Additional construction costs (utility connections to the street) excluding official fees and construction water/electricity = 15,000 EUR
Altogether, my calculation (which also includes furniture, energy consulting, and similar items) comes to just over 200,000 EUR in material costs. However, as I mentioned, I am still quite uncertain about some of the above estimates.
For labor costs (wages), I have assumed a maximum of 15 skilled workers over a construction period of up to 6 months (with a construction time guarantee) amounting to 180,000 EUR. Is this a realistic assumption? Are significantly more or fewer skilled workers usually involved?
How would you rate the Vaillant appliances?
Thank you in advance for any support!
The plan is to build a single-family house in Brandenburg (near Berlin) with a built-up area of 11.7m * 10.37m (38.4 ft * 34 ft) including a basement with a waterproof concrete shell ("white tank"). The construction style is solid with a high-quality clinker brick facade (with a distinctive color rather than a standard red tone). In terms of energy measures, besides the solid two-shell construction with good insulation (e.g., mineral wool) and correspondingly insulated roof, basement/foundation slab, and windows, only a geothermal heat pump will be installed, which is very well suited for this region (constant year-round ground temperature above 10°C (50°F) from 25m (82 ft) depth). From a cost-benefit perspective, I am not very enthusiastic about photovoltaic or solar thermal systems. Also, we do not want a mechanical ventilation system or similar because we have found them all disturbingly noisy so far (including the one in our current rental apartment), at least I do; my fiancée is a bit less sensitive.
I would now like some feedback on how realistic these estimates are:
Deep drilling approximately 100 meters (328 ft) total = 3,900 EUR
Heat pump, e.g., geoTherm Plus with a seasonal performance factor above 4 = 7,000 EUR
Bamboo parquet approx. 190 m² (2,045 sq ft) = 5,700 EUR
Tiles (approx. 190 m²) including tiled walls and high-quality tiles in the entrance area = 7,600 EUR
Insulating material approx. 250 m² (2,691 sq ft) with 14 cm (5.5 in) thickness = 2,500 EUR
Facing bricks / clinker bricks approx. 250 m² = 7,500 EUR
Poroton perforated bricks + interior plaster approx. 250 m² = 12,500 EUR
Underfloor heating approx. 250 m² (including partial heating of basement rooms) = 12,500 EUR
Basement with waterproof concrete shell approx. 80 m² (861 sq ft) usable area = 60,000 EUR
Windows and doors, roughly 25 pieces = 8,750 EUR
Additional construction costs (utility connections to the street) excluding official fees and construction water/electricity = 15,000 EUR
Altogether, my calculation (which also includes furniture, energy consulting, and similar items) comes to just over 200,000 EUR in material costs. However, as I mentioned, I am still quite uncertain about some of the above estimates.
For labor costs (wages), I have assumed a maximum of 15 skilled workers over a construction period of up to 6 months (with a construction time guarantee) amounting to 180,000 EUR. Is this a realistic assumption? Are significantly more or fewer skilled workers usually involved?
How would you rate the Vaillant appliances?
Thank you in advance for any support!
In my opinion, your approach is not very effective...
Either consult an architect or a general contractor (GC) / main contractor, explain your requirements, and have them prepare a quote for you...
That way, you’ll get a rough idea of the costs involved... whether you end up choosing tiles that cost $40 or $30 is secondary and depends on how well the costs have been controlled up to that point.
As for the mechanical ventilation system, that sounds more like poor planning or installation... the airflow should be slow enough that, at normal settings, there is no noticeable noise.
Either consult an architect or a general contractor (GC) / main contractor, explain your requirements, and have them prepare a quote for you...
That way, you’ll get a rough idea of the costs involved... whether you end up choosing tiles that cost $40 or $30 is secondary and depends on how well the costs have been controlled up to that point.
As for the mechanical ventilation system, that sounds more like poor planning or installation... the airflow should be slow enough that, at normal settings, there is no noticeable noise.
Architects unfortunately do not do this very useful work for freeActually, they sometimes do... at least the initial drafts with rough cost estimates per m² (per sq ft)...
Later on, of course, you pay for it... just like with home construction companies...
Furthermore, craftsmen almost always calculate using a mixed pricing model... meaning they partly finance themselves through the materials sold to the customer!
If you now buy the materials yourself online, the craftsman might no longer charge €100 for installation but rather €250... or may refuse altogether because they do not want to guarantee “foreign” materials...
The problem is that these home construction companies only work with certain suppliers, and you often don’t get the best deals that way.Architect – scope of services – separate contracting of trades...
30 € per square meter for bamboo parquet… are you planning to install it yourself? You would just lay the parquet directly on the screed.
This item alone shows that you have planned at the very minimum. Apart from the fact that hardly anyone has all prices memorized, it’s unlikely that anyone will put in the effort to research them for free.
Did you plan a total budget of 380,000 for your building project? Am I understanding that correctly?
I’d say that will be tight, especially since you seem to have higher-end requirements (no negative judgment intended).
This item alone shows that you have planned at the very minimum. Apart from the fact that hardly anyone has all prices memorized, it’s unlikely that anyone will put in the effort to research them for free.
Did you plan a total budget of 380,000 for your building project? Am I understanding that correctly?
I’d say that will be tight, especially since you seem to have higher-end requirements (no negative judgment intended).
I would say you can forget about Internet prices right away. Visit a flooring store and you’ll see prices starting at 40 € per square meter (about $35 per sq ft) and going up to 100 € per square meter (about $92 per sq ft).
Even with bamboo, there are first, second, and third grades...
We face the same issue: we want as much as possible from one batch, and that’s already a problem with online retailers. They say it’s cheap, so don’t expect much.
If you want to source building materials yourself, go to your local building supplier and ask for quotes there. You’ll only run into problems ordering online. That starts with inaccurate product images and goes up to wrong deliveries or no deliveries at all because the items are currently out of stock.
Sure, everything can go well, but the risk that something will be delayed is huge. And what will the workers do if there’s no material? They will issue a bill and leave, and if you’re unlucky, they won’t finish within the scheduled time and will move on to the next customer. That means additional costs.
Aside from that, as a non-professional builder, you don’t think of many things. I’ve read a lot, learned a lot, and yet I’m still surprised every day. I’m glad to have a professional general contractor (GC) who takes care of all that stuff for me. The government paperwork is stressful enough already.
Even with bamboo, there are first, second, and third grades...
We face the same issue: we want as much as possible from one batch, and that’s already a problem with online retailers. They say it’s cheap, so don’t expect much.
If you want to source building materials yourself, go to your local building supplier and ask for quotes there. You’ll only run into problems ordering online. That starts with inaccurate product images and goes up to wrong deliveries or no deliveries at all because the items are currently out of stock.
Sure, everything can go well, but the risk that something will be delayed is huge. And what will the workers do if there’s no material? They will issue a bill and leave, and if you’re unlucky, they won’t finish within the scheduled time and will move on to the next customer. That means additional costs.
Aside from that, as a non-professional builder, you don’t think of many things. I’ve read a lot, learned a lot, and yet I’m still surprised every day. I’m glad to have a professional general contractor (GC) who takes care of all that stuff for me. The government paperwork is stressful enough already.
Perhaps I was a bit misunderstood. I have no intention of buying building materials online or sourcing them myself. My goal is simply to educate myself on the subject before consulting with an architect or construction company and receiving a cost estimate, so that I have an idea of the expected prices. Without assuming that every supplier is trying to overcharge, I still feel more confident if I have at least some understanding of pricing. But regarding the flooring, we seem to have cleared that up already. If the construction company were to suggest third-grade bamboo flooring for 100 EUR/m² (about $108 per square yard), I would know something is wrong.
Thanks so far for all the responses; I’ve already learned two things:
- An architect might be the better choice than a construction company for many individual requests
- My price expectation for bamboo flooring does not match reality
Thanks so far for all the responses; I’ve already learned two things:
- An architect might be the better choice than a construction company for many individual requests
- My price expectation for bamboo flooring does not match reality
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