ᐅ Costs of Different Types of Houses

Hello everyone,

I have just started reading up on the topic of building a house, even though the desire to do so is still quite vague at the moment. This is more likely to be a project for the next five years. I feel like I’ve already spent dozens of hours here in the forum 🙂

Right now, I’m trying to get a sense of what makes a house expensive, which things are energy inefficient, and so on. That’s why I’m interested in whether there are any general guidelines for comparison.
Disclaimer: I understand that it always depends on the individual situation. Nevertheless, I could imagine that some rough rules of thumb have become established.

• First of all, I would like to know: how does a bungalow compare to a house with two full stories? (In terms of costs and the effort to achieve a KfW standard). My youthful recklessness tells me that a bungalow is cheaper to build but more expensive to insulate because of the larger ground/exterior surface area.
• The same question applies to a two-story house compared to a 1.5-story house (I know, that doesn’t really exist ;-) ) with knee walls but no attic.
An attic is certainly great for storage, but initially it’s dead space that requires an additional intermediate ceiling and more exterior surface area.

• Also, I like the idea of an L-shaped (living room) layout with a terrace nestled inside the inner corner.
Does deviating from a cubic shape significantly affect the price? I would assume that especially if aiming for KfW standards, this could get tricky because corners are presumably complex to insulate. Or are these just minor issues?

• The same question comes up regarding dormers and possibly a third or fourth gable.
• How much does the roof pitch affect price and energy efficiency? (My assumption: a flatter roof uses less material and also exposes less surface area).

One more disclaimer: I am not trying to plan the cheapest possible house. Nor do I want to optimize every decision solely for KfW standards (I don’t even know yet whether I want or need KfW certification).
I’m just trying to get a feel for how building decisions influence cost and energy efficiency. After all, I don’t want to plan something completely unrealistic. When it gets more concrete, of course, I’ll consult an architect.
Until then, I want to build some background knowledge.

Thank you & best regards from the cave.