ᐅ Home Construction: How Can I Cost-Effectively Determine the Price of a House?

Hello!

I am new to the forum and have been considering the idea of building a house for a few weeks now.

Unfortunately, my plans depend heavily on the budget :o. I understand that nobody can just name figures out of thin air, but... where can I get cost estimates?

The house I have in mind is small and simply built (rectangular floor plan, about 50-60 m² (540-645 sq ft), no basement, heated with a central pellet stove) and has open galleries, so only a few interior works would be needed (I would do most of it myself or through acquaintances, etc.). So far, so good.

Now I would like to a) know if such a house would be structurally sound at all and b) find out what it might cost (of course not down to the exact thousand). Who can I contact to find this out? If I go to an architect who charges several thousand dollars just to tell me at the end that I can’t afford it, I haven’t gained anything. I am willing to pay for this information, but since the project is still uncertain, the costs shouldn’t be exorbitant. Are there any services for this kind of consultation? Does anyone have experience with this?

Thanks for your help!
Best regards
wildesdenken

I believe that an architect who takes a first look during an initial consultation and can roughly estimate the costs will not immediately charge several thousand. After our first contact, the architect came out to our property and made a very preliminary sketch for us, and that didn’t cost us anything!

I would simply recommend approaching an architect and explaining what you would like to know and whether, and how much, it might cost. A phone call doesn’t cost anything...

Hello, basically I can only agree with Orschel, but maybe there’s an even simpler way.
Take a look around among your acquaintances or family. It doesn’t necessarily have to be an architect. Surely there is a draftsman, master bricklayer, master carpenter, construction technician, site manager, or civil engineer around somewhere. They can all help you to first clarify your ideas.

At the moment, I can’t imagine how you would get 50 to 60 sqm (540 to 650 sq ft) of open galleries, or what you mean exactly with a pellet stove (you probably mean a wood stove).

If you then have a hand sketch (or more), and your wishes are summarized in a brief construction description, you can get a free quote from prefabricated house builders or property developers.

But if you really want to take this seriously (I think you are quite inexperienced in this topic), go to an architect or better yet a planning civil engineer who can advise and support you. Even if they charge money for it, in the end it won’t be more expensive than having it built by a property developer or prefabricated house builder.

Best regards, Friedrich.