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!
So, if I deduct the plot of land at an average of 70,000 euros (€70,000), the basement at €60,000, and the heat pump including drilling with estimated additional costs of €12,000 from your total budget of €350,000, I end up with €208,000.
That is €20,000 less than we are planning for our 9x9 m (29.5x29.5 ft) house without the land but including additional construction costs.
However, you want more than 40 m² (430 ft²) additional living space, brickwork, and underfloor heating in the basement.
We are building in Saxony with a local company. Labor costs here are not higher than where you are.
With planned costs of €60,000 for the basement, wouldn’t it make more sense to choose a somewhat larger plot, build a slightly bigger house, and add a prefabricated garage or garden shed on the property instead of having a basement?
That is €20,000 less than we are planning for our 9x9 m (29.5x29.5 ft) house without the land but including additional construction costs.
However, you want more than 40 m² (430 ft²) additional living space, brickwork, and underfloor heating in the basement.
We are building in Saxony with a local company. Labor costs here are not higher than where you are.
With planned costs of €60,000 for the basement, wouldn’t it make more sense to choose a somewhat larger plot, build a slightly bigger house, and add a prefabricated garage or garden shed on the property instead of having a basement?
What companies quote as $250,000 is almost always excluding additional construction-related costs. As mentioned, those can increase dramatically, especially if you don’t even own the land yet.
You can always forget about the initial price you are quoted. And don’t forget to factor yourself in—our house was initially planned at $190,000. Well, after working with the designer and upgrading the technical specifications, we ended up at $215,000.
We bought a seemingly completely straightforward plot of land... or so we thought. By now, nearly €20,000 (about $22,000) in extra costs have come up, and what was initially estimated as €20,000 (about $22,000) in additional construction costs has suddenly doubled to €40,000 (about $44,000).
Whether you build a parking space or a carport (which, by the way, are usually not cheaper than a garage) is mostly governed by your local parking space regulations. For example, we have to build two parking spaces.
Regarding the land: be prepared to pay around 2% for notary fees and 5% land transfer tax (also called stamp duty or property purchase tax). If you actually buy 800 square meters (8,600 square feet), you’re looking at close to $100,000 right there.
You can always forget about the initial price you are quoted. And don’t forget to factor yourself in—our house was initially planned at $190,000. Well, after working with the designer and upgrading the technical specifications, we ended up at $215,000.
We bought a seemingly completely straightforward plot of land... or so we thought. By now, nearly €20,000 (about $22,000) in extra costs have come up, and what was initially estimated as €20,000 (about $22,000) in additional construction costs has suddenly doubled to €40,000 (about $44,000).
Whether you build a parking space or a carport (which, by the way, are usually not cheaper than a garage) is mostly governed by your local parking space regulations. For example, we have to build two parking spaces.
Regarding the land: be prepared to pay around 2% for notary fees and 5% land transfer tax (also called stamp duty or property purchase tax). If you actually buy 800 square meters (8,600 square feet), you’re looking at close to $100,000 right there.
If I work backward from your costs:
208,000 euros
minus minimal landscaping costs of 5,000–10,000 euros
purchase and ancillary building costs of 30,000–40,000 euros (you can find a detailed breakdown at Bauexperte)
additional cost for clinker brickwork of 8,000 euros
If you then also subtract an estimated 10,000 euros for special requests such as hardwood flooring, high-quality tiles, upgraded bathroom fixtures, and upgraded electrical fittings, you end up with 148,000 euros for a standard house.
Now you can research online to see what size you can get for that budget.
208,000 euros
minus minimal landscaping costs of 5,000–10,000 euros
purchase and ancillary building costs of 30,000–40,000 euros (you can find a detailed breakdown at Bauexperte)
additional cost for clinker brickwork of 8,000 euros
If you then also subtract an estimated 10,000 euros for special requests such as hardwood flooring, high-quality tiles, upgraded bathroom fixtures, and upgraded electrical fittings, you end up with 148,000 euros for a standard house.
Now you can research online to see what size you can get for that budget.
In the specification from a developer, it states that you either get a 17.5 cm (7 inches) wall with 14 cm (5.5 inches) external thermal insulation composite system (ETICS) or facing brickwork with 11.5 cm (4.5 inches) veneer brick, 14 cm (5.5 inches) mineral wool insulation, and a 17.5 cm (7 inches) wall (total thickness minimum 41.5 cm (16.5 inches)) at the same price as an inclusive service. In that case, there would be no extra cost. Of course, the question is whether you only get the usual standard red bricks or if it’s possible to choose something nicer.
For the plot, we currently have a good option in sight, which costs 61,500 EUR for about 720 m² (7,750 sq ft) and is commission-free. It has already been surveyed, and sewage connection is available on the property. Electricity and telecommunications are available in the street. A gas connection is not needed or desired. If you add 2% notary fees and 4% property transfer tax, that would be approximately 65,000 EUR, which fits within our desired budget (theoretically it could cost a bit more), leaving 285,000 EUR for the house.
The easiest item to remove from the wishlist is the parquet flooring in many rooms. As mentioned, sewage connection is available on the example plot (as it is on most plots in the desired area), and gas is not required since the heating and hot water will be provided solely by geothermal energy. Of course, this will require further calculations to verify its efficiency.
Excavation of the foundation pit (which can be very expensive) is included with all the construction companies we have considered so far for soil classes 3-5 according to DIN 18300, and the soil class on the neighboring plot to the example plot is 3. Therefore, no additional costs would likely arise here.
I have budgeted 20,000 EUR for a waterproof concrete basement (white tank). According to the local developer I contacted, a white tank costs around 8,000-12,000 EUR extra for a floor plan of my size. A basement with a budget of 40,000 EUR is, as already mentioned, similar among most providers for an area of approximately +/- 100 m² (1,080 sq ft) and is already factored in.
The administrative, surveying, and soil report costs I have estimated correspond roughly to what is found in online sources. I had not considered notary fees for the plot, but that is a relatively smaller expense. Temporary construction electricity and water have also been included.
So, it is quite possible that something is still missing somewhere. However, I cannot imagine that more than 40,000 EUR+ in additional costs would come up apart from those already calculated.
According to an architect, you should expect around 300 EUR / m³ for a “normal” house according to the energy saving ordinance and about 400 EUR / m³ for a passive house. These are very rough estimates. For our dimensions, that would be approximately 275,000 EUR - 400,000 EUR. I believe we are still far from a passive house.
Here is my complete budget again (already adjusted according to the feedback):
Bathrooms (2) 10,000.00 €
Kitchen (1) 10,000.00 €
Furniture 15,000.00 €
Deep drilling (100 meters (330 feet) / 2 x 50m (165 feet)) 3,900.00 €
Heat pump e.g. geoTHERM Plus 7,000.00 €
Temporary construction electricity + water plus inclusive service 500.00 €
Soil report 1,500.00 €
Administrative fees 1,000.00 €
Contract review 1,000.00 €
Execution review 2,000.00 €
Underfloor heating (approx. 250 m² (2,690 sq ft)) 12,500.00 €
Floor tiles for underfloor heating (approx. 190 m² (2,045 sq ft)) 15,200.00 €
Tiles (approx. 190 m² (2,045 sq ft)) 5,700.00 €
Wooden stairs ground floor/upper floor 1,000.00 €
Insulation material (mineral wool approx. 250 m² (2,690 sq ft)) 2,500.00 €
Veneer bricks (approx. 250 m² (2,690 sq ft)) 7,500.00 €
Hollow bricks (approx. 250 m² (2,690 sq ft)) + interior plaster 12,500.00 €
Basement with white tank including concrete stairs 60,000.00 €
Roof 20,000.00 €
Windows + doors 8,750.00 €
Additional construction costs (connections) 15,000.00 €
Estimated material costs 212,550.00 €
Plus labor, architect or developer, land
For the plot, we currently have a good option in sight, which costs 61,500 EUR for about 720 m² (7,750 sq ft) and is commission-free. It has already been surveyed, and sewage connection is available on the property. Electricity and telecommunications are available in the street. A gas connection is not needed or desired. If you add 2% notary fees and 4% property transfer tax, that would be approximately 65,000 EUR, which fits within our desired budget (theoretically it could cost a bit more), leaving 285,000 EUR for the house.
The easiest item to remove from the wishlist is the parquet flooring in many rooms. As mentioned, sewage connection is available on the example plot (as it is on most plots in the desired area), and gas is not required since the heating and hot water will be provided solely by geothermal energy. Of course, this will require further calculations to verify its efficiency.
Excavation of the foundation pit (which can be very expensive) is included with all the construction companies we have considered so far for soil classes 3-5 according to DIN 18300, and the soil class on the neighboring plot to the example plot is 3. Therefore, no additional costs would likely arise here.
I have budgeted 20,000 EUR for a waterproof concrete basement (white tank). According to the local developer I contacted, a white tank costs around 8,000-12,000 EUR extra for a floor plan of my size. A basement with a budget of 40,000 EUR is, as already mentioned, similar among most providers for an area of approximately +/- 100 m² (1,080 sq ft) and is already factored in.
The administrative, surveying, and soil report costs I have estimated correspond roughly to what is found in online sources. I had not considered notary fees for the plot, but that is a relatively smaller expense. Temporary construction electricity and water have also been included.
So, it is quite possible that something is still missing somewhere. However, I cannot imagine that more than 40,000 EUR+ in additional costs would come up apart from those already calculated.
According to an architect, you should expect around 300 EUR / m³ for a “normal” house according to the energy saving ordinance and about 400 EUR / m³ for a passive house. These are very rough estimates. For our dimensions, that would be approximately 275,000 EUR - 400,000 EUR. I believe we are still far from a passive house.
Here is my complete budget again (already adjusted according to the feedback):
Bathrooms (2) 10,000.00 €
Kitchen (1) 10,000.00 €
Furniture 15,000.00 €
Deep drilling (100 meters (330 feet) / 2 x 50m (165 feet)) 3,900.00 €
Heat pump e.g. geoTHERM Plus 7,000.00 €
Temporary construction electricity + water plus inclusive service 500.00 €
Soil report 1,500.00 €
Administrative fees 1,000.00 €
Contract review 1,000.00 €
Execution review 2,000.00 €
Underfloor heating (approx. 250 m² (2,690 sq ft)) 12,500.00 €
Floor tiles for underfloor heating (approx. 190 m² (2,045 sq ft)) 15,200.00 €
Tiles (approx. 190 m² (2,045 sq ft)) 5,700.00 €
Wooden stairs ground floor/upper floor 1,000.00 €
Insulation material (mineral wool approx. 250 m² (2,690 sq ft)) 2,500.00 €
Veneer bricks (approx. 250 m² (2,690 sq ft)) 7,500.00 €
Hollow bricks (approx. 250 m² (2,690 sq ft)) + interior plaster 12,500.00 €
Basement with white tank including concrete stairs 60,000.00 €
Roof 20,000.00 €
Windows + doors 8,750.00 €
Additional construction costs (connections) 15,000.00 €
Estimated material costs 212,550.00 €
Plus labor, architect or developer, land
I am not a professional, and almost everything I write here is just basic knowledge or intuition:
Bathroom (2) 10,000.00 €
Only one bathroom planned? Are wall tiles included in this? No guest toilet? If you can live with DIY market products, this might work. However, not every builder will install them for you. With wall tiles, the budget gets tight. Check online how much a washbasin with a matching cabinet costs... you’re looking at around 1,500 right away.
Kitchen (1) 10,000.00 €
If you don’t have special requests, yes.
Furniture 15,000.00 €
Leave out this item... you probably won’t have that much left in the end.
Deep drilling (100 meters/2*50m) 3,900.00 €
Heat pump, e.g., geoTherm Plus 7,000.00 €
I can’t say much about these points, except that you are probably forgetting all the connection materials like pipes, etc. The drilling can quickly become either impossible or very expensive due to hard rock layers.
Construction electricity + construction water plus additional services 500.00 €
If anhydrite screed is used, the construction electricity will probably cost much more, as you need it at least partially for drying. I would estimate an additional 1,000.
Soil survey 1,500.00 €
Fine, assuming no suspicion of unexploded ordnance.
Official fees 1,000.00 €
A building permit (planning permission) can be much more expensive. It depends on the hours and the hourly rate.
Contract review 1,000.00 €
Could be about right.
Execution inspection 2,000.00 €
Do you mean a final inspection or supervision?
Underfloor heating (approx. 250 m² (2,690 sq ft)) 12,500.00 €
No idea.
Floor tiles suitable for underfloor heating (approx. 190 m² (2,045 sq ft)) 15,200.00 €
About right.
Tiles (approx. 190 m² (2,045 sq ft)) 5,700.00 €
Could be correct.
Wooden stairs between ground and upper floor 1,000.00 €
I don’t think that's enough. We had to pay an extra 1,000 just for the risers in the stairs. I don’t think you’ll get more than a temporary construction stair for 1,000 more.
Insulation material (mineral wool approx. 250 m² (2,690 sq ft)) 2,500.00 €
Facing brick (approx. 250 m² (2,690 sq ft)) 7,500.00 €
Porous bricks (approx. 250 m² (2,690 sq ft)) + interior plaster 12,500.00 €
Basement with watertight concrete shell including concrete stairs 60,000.00 €
Roof 20,000.00 €
Sounds too low... Are roof tiles included? Insulation? Chimney?
Windows + doors 8,750.00 €
No way... check how much exterior doors cost. You can easily spend 3,000 on a decent door alone. Interior doors that are decent quality also cost around 400 each including frame and fittings. And you probably want triple-glazed windows.
Additional construction costs (connections) 15,000.00 €
Where are the earthworks? Where are the paving stones for the driveway? You will have to do all that at some point. “Later” doesn’t really work because where is the money supposed to come from? I also think you are seriously underestimating the labor costs. This all seems very low.
Bathroom (2) 10,000.00 €
Only one bathroom planned? Are wall tiles included in this? No guest toilet? If you can live with DIY market products, this might work. However, not every builder will install them for you. With wall tiles, the budget gets tight. Check online how much a washbasin with a matching cabinet costs... you’re looking at around 1,500 right away.
Kitchen (1) 10,000.00 €
If you don’t have special requests, yes.
Furniture 15,000.00 €
Leave out this item... you probably won’t have that much left in the end.
Deep drilling (100 meters/2*50m) 3,900.00 €
Heat pump, e.g., geoTherm Plus 7,000.00 €
I can’t say much about these points, except that you are probably forgetting all the connection materials like pipes, etc. The drilling can quickly become either impossible or very expensive due to hard rock layers.
Construction electricity + construction water plus additional services 500.00 €
If anhydrite screed is used, the construction electricity will probably cost much more, as you need it at least partially for drying. I would estimate an additional 1,000.
Soil survey 1,500.00 €
Fine, assuming no suspicion of unexploded ordnance.
Official fees 1,000.00 €
A building permit (planning permission) can be much more expensive. It depends on the hours and the hourly rate.
Contract review 1,000.00 €
Could be about right.
Execution inspection 2,000.00 €
Do you mean a final inspection or supervision?
Underfloor heating (approx. 250 m² (2,690 sq ft)) 12,500.00 €
No idea.
Floor tiles suitable for underfloor heating (approx. 190 m² (2,045 sq ft)) 15,200.00 €
About right.
Tiles (approx. 190 m² (2,045 sq ft)) 5,700.00 €
Could be correct.
Wooden stairs between ground and upper floor 1,000.00 €
I don’t think that's enough. We had to pay an extra 1,000 just for the risers in the stairs. I don’t think you’ll get more than a temporary construction stair for 1,000 more.
Insulation material (mineral wool approx. 250 m² (2,690 sq ft)) 2,500.00 €
Facing brick (approx. 250 m² (2,690 sq ft)) 7,500.00 €
Porous bricks (approx. 250 m² (2,690 sq ft)) + interior plaster 12,500.00 €
Basement with watertight concrete shell including concrete stairs 60,000.00 €
Roof 20,000.00 €
Sounds too low... Are roof tiles included? Insulation? Chimney?
Windows + doors 8,750.00 €
No way... check how much exterior doors cost. You can easily spend 3,000 on a decent door alone. Interior doors that are decent quality also cost around 400 each including frame and fittings. And you probably want triple-glazed windows.
Additional construction costs (connections) 15,000.00 €
Where are the earthworks? Where are the paving stones for the driveway? You will have to do all that at some point. “Later” doesn’t really work because where is the money supposed to come from? I also think you are seriously underestimating the labor costs. This all seems very low.
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