ᐅ Single-family house floor plan, 240 m², two full stories without basement, solid construction

Hello,

as the title already says, we are building without a basement. We are subcontracting the trades individually. We do not have an architect.

Submitted plans:
Ground floor:

Upper floor:

Side view:

Our electrical plans:
Ground floor

Upper floor:

I’m just asking again – you’re building 260 sqm (2,800 sq ft) plus a garage as planned for 550,000 euros including all additional construction costs? That would have only been possible with a standard finish even before the building crisis. It would be really interesting to know if such price per square meter is still achievable today without a lot of DIY work – and by that, I don’t mean design or planning tasks. Very intriguing. For our planned extension on a slab foundation, so without building services, we’ve been quoted at least 2,600–2,800 euros per sqm (242–260 per sq ft).

Yes, that’s correct so far. A detailed home construction diary showing what we’re doing would definitely be quite interesting. Unfortunately, I don’t have the time to keep one.

We work a lot with small father-and-son businesses and had to search quite extensively to find suitable companies that deliver quality, are affordable, and also allow us to participate in the work.

We are also building on a slope in Bavaria with a "basement" in reinforced concrete, 42.5cm (17 inches) thick walls, upper floor, attic, 220sqm (2,370 sq ft) total including a double garage, KfW40 standard, just under €520,000 managed by ourselves. It is all doable if it is not a turnkey project.

Schorsch_baut schrieb:

For our planned extension with a slab foundation, so without building services, we were quoted a minimum of 2600-2800 euros per square meter (approximately 242-260 USD per square foot).

Extension = small = high cost per square meter.

Here: large house and lots of DIY work. If you exclude those, you will end up with the frequently mentioned +/- 3,000 euros per square meter (approximately 279 USD per square foot) building costs on this forum, plus all the additional expenses.

Hello everyone,

I would like to give you an update to keep you informed.

The windows have been installed, and the interior plastering is currently underway. The screed will be poured in two weeks. Overall, everything is going largely according to plan, and we have stayed within budget.

A few comments on the trades:

Shell construction:
We hired a good and cooperative company. We agreed that we could build the garage ourselves and were allowed to use the company’s tools. This mostly worked well but was also exhausting and tight on time. At one point, we almost knocked down a corner, which was quite unfortunate and gave me a scare. In the end, however, everything went well. Costs increased by €4,000 (about $4,400) due to some last-minute changes.

Roof structure:
The roof frame was erected by the company. One employee and four helpers were involved in laying the roof tiles. This went very well despite the bad weather. We decided to purchase and install the insulation ourselves at short notice, which saved us €4,000 (about $4,400). With two helpers, it took us one week.

Building services:

We had to do all the chasing work ourselves, marking a baseline and indicating where everything should go. I noticed that building services technicians and electricians often prefer surface-mounted installations, saying: "Yes, you can cover that up later." Fortunately, I prohibited all surface-mounted work and did the chasing myself. Drywall construction takes longer and costs more than making a few chases in the wall. I strongly recommend avoiding any drywall or battens if possible. This often requires initiative because companies usually don’t suggest it themselves.

Electrical work:
The electrician has been the biggest headache for me so far. I have had to support and supervise him closely. However, he was the cheapest, and despite the problems, I would probably choose him again due to the huge price difference compared to other electricians. By now, I really can’t understand why electrical work is generally so expensive.

Windows:
We did very little ourselves here; everything was handled by the company. There was only a delivery delay with the windows. Unfortunately, I completely forgot about the interior window sills, but this was quickly resolved. A nearby stone workshop delivered the matching granite window sills within a week, which I installed in one day with a helper.

Plastering:
I did not anticipate some of the preparations needed for the plasterer. However, the delay with the windows gave me time to catch up. I was able to complete drywall work for the walls and other small tasks. We took on the garage sealing ourselves, which was more expensive because the company wanted to use a rigid sealing slurry. I personally preferred the flexible option, but it was significantly more expensive.

My conclusion so far:
There is always a lot to do, and diligent helpers are essential. Scheduling free time is difficult because you have to take the days as they come. Working as a team is more efficient; alone, it takes significantly more time. Good planning and time management are crucial, as is clear communication with the companies. You should not accept everything blindly. Sometimes poor workmanship is presented as good, and sometimes things are described as tricky when they are not always so in hindsight.