ᐅ Costs for Foundation/Basement of a Timber House

Hello Forum,

we are planning to build a prefabricated wooden house (log profile, 9 cm (3.5 inches) thick) with the following dimensions:

Step by step, we would like to add features such as plumbing, a reinforced roof, and of course insulation and exterior cladding.
Additionally, the first step would be to build a foundation. Now the question came up whether it would make sense to invest in a basement right away and what the cost would be. The reason is that the space of about 60 m2 (645 sq ft) is quite limited. With a basement, we could gain some extra space and have a dedicated area for electrical and water connections.
Our questions are:
- How much does the foundation alone cost?
- How much does a basement of approximately 15 m2 (161 sq ft) plus foundation cost (preferably under the room with 28.53 m2)?
- What do you think about this plan in general?

We would be very grateful for your assessments.

Good luck

What will the house be used for?

@hampshire: Initially as a weekend or guest house. Possibly for permanent use later, but that would of course require insulation and so on first.

In general, we would also be interested in the forum’s experiences and assessments regarding the use of the house. As mentioned, we plan to use 90mm (3.5 inches) beams, then insulate with glass wool and clad the exterior. The floor and roof would be treated the same way. Do you see the feasibility of obtaining an energy performance certificate in this case?

meisterbauer96 schrieb:

-What do you generally think of the plan?

Distance.

We regularly encounter clever strategists here who plan on the concept of modular houses, tiny houses, or similar, aiming to gradually build a permanent residential building step by step or year by year. And it always fails because of the same regulatory reality that opposes such unrealistic ideas:

A residential building is a residential building. For it to be approved, it must comply with thermal insulation regulations, among other requirements, with no exceptions just because year-round occupancy is not intended in the near future. Also, you could remove the backseat of your car, but that wouldn’t reduce its consumption; the same applies to connection costs for utilities, which are the same for a weekend cottage as for a full-year family home. The chimney sweep comes just as often for inspections, and nothing here scales down. Therefore, it is better to buy a proper car right away than to build a soapbox. The same story applies to the basement: it won’t be much cheaper than a normal full basement, which is just frustrating.

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@11ant: Thank you for your very kind feedback! That could definitely be a key point for obtaining an energy performance certificate. However, the manufacturer also offers insulation packages directly. I have no concerns about insulating the house all at once. Whether it will pass certification remains to be seen. In any case, we believe this is the right plan. As mentioned, we would initially use it as a weekend house, so cost is an important factor. We can do without a basement. We definitely like the style of the house. Therefore, we would appreciate any further experiences with these kinds of log houses. Searching the internet reveals many interesting posts.