Hi,
I have a budget of about 170,000 euros for a fully finished, move-in-ready house. I can install the electrical wiring and plumbing myself, and I also plan to do the drywall and tile or flooring installation on my own.
My uncle can install the windows for me, if that would significantly reduce the price.
The plot of land is already owned and does not need to be considered.
What is important to me:
Ground floor:
Open-plan living, dining, and kitchen area (with a corner layout)
Separate entrance hall (completely enclosed with a small entry area including a chest of drawers; staircase located within the entrance hall to avoid cold air spreading downstairs or upstairs)
Guest toilet with shower
Study (which could later be converted into a bedroom if needed, for example, when it becomes difficult to use the stairs in old age)
Utility room or storage room
Upper floor:
2 children's bedrooms
Master bedroom with an adjacent walk-in closet area or wardrobe niche
Bathroom with a shower, bathtub, and double sink
The house should have a full basement.
Basement:
Heating room
Laundry room (preferably adjacent to the heating room)
Storage room
An empty room for a potential workshop or hobby room
Would I be better off with a prefabricated timber frame house, or can I afford a solid masonry house?
My uncle will also provide a custom-made kitchen for material costs only. I would only need to buy the appliances.
I just want a solid house with decent features, nothing like a luxury villa.
Thanks for your help.
Regards,
Michael
I have a budget of about 170,000 euros for a fully finished, move-in-ready house. I can install the electrical wiring and plumbing myself, and I also plan to do the drywall and tile or flooring installation on my own.
My uncle can install the windows for me, if that would significantly reduce the price.
The plot of land is already owned and does not need to be considered.
What is important to me:
Ground floor:
Open-plan living, dining, and kitchen area (with a corner layout)
Separate entrance hall (completely enclosed with a small entry area including a chest of drawers; staircase located within the entrance hall to avoid cold air spreading downstairs or upstairs)
Guest toilet with shower
Study (which could later be converted into a bedroom if needed, for example, when it becomes difficult to use the stairs in old age)
Utility room or storage room
Upper floor:
2 children's bedrooms
Master bedroom with an adjacent walk-in closet area or wardrobe niche
Bathroom with a shower, bathtub, and double sink
The house should have a full basement.
Basement:
Heating room
Laundry room (preferably adjacent to the heating room)
Storage room
An empty room for a potential workshop or hobby room
Would I be better off with a prefabricated timber frame house, or can I afford a solid masonry house?
My uncle will also provide a custom-made kitchen for material costs only. I would only need to buy the appliances.
I just want a solid house with decent features, nothing like a luxury villa.
Thanks for your help.
Regards,
Michael
If you read through the forum, you’ll find almost all the figures:
roughly 1500€/m² (square meter) for the house; possibly somewhat cheaper if you do some work yourself
Basement 30,000-50,000€
Additional construction costs 30,000-40,000€
Kitchen: ask your uncle
Garage 8,000-30,000€
If the house ends up being built by increasing the budget and skipping the basement, I hardly believe your staircase design will fit well in the small house.
roughly 1500€/m² (square meter) for the house; possibly somewhat cheaper if you do some work yourself
Basement 30,000-50,000€
Additional construction costs 30,000-40,000€
Kitchen: ask your uncle
Garage 8,000-30,000€
If the house ends up being built by increasing the budget and skipping the basement, I hardly believe your staircase design will fit well in the small house.
No, you don’t. Masupilami is completely right with their answer. The easiest way would be to get specific quotes for shell houses and prefab houses.
By the way, the assumption that a prefab house is always cheaper than a solid brick-and-mortar house is not correct.
I just read that you want to have a basement. Depending on the ground conditions (do you need a waterproof concrete shell?), the basement alone costs from €20,000 (around $22,000) upwards. So the budget of €170,000 (about $185,000), as already mentioned, will by far not be enough for your requirements.
Maybe it would be better to look for a used house after all...
By the way, the assumption that a prefab house is always cheaper than a solid brick-and-mortar house is not correct.
I just read that you want to have a basement. Depending on the ground conditions (do you need a waterproof concrete shell?), the basement alone costs from €20,000 (around $22,000) upwards. So the budget of €170,000 (about $185,000), as already mentioned, will by far not be enough for your requirements.
Maybe it would be better to look for a used house after all...
B
Bauexperte1 Apr 2015 10:27Hello Michael,
I don’t think so. A much more important consideration is that hardly any general contractor/general builder will supply the windows and then have them installed by the homeowner or their helpers. That usually only works if you hire an architect.
I can skip an example calculation here, because you definitely won’t be able to cover costs with the mentioned budget—not even if you commissioned a high-end shell construction. The materials for interior finishing also need to be paid for, as well as insurance for any helpers, plus various fixed additional building costs.
Maybe take some time to read up here… It’s a widespread misconception that a prefabricated house is cheaper than a building constructed with solid masonry. Which provider is better within these categories theoretically depends on your yet to be made choice.
The most sensible advice I can give you is to keep saving or keep an eye out for an existing property that you can gradually renovate bit by bit with borrowed, saved, or current income. The alternative is that you literally fall for some competitors’ bargain offers and soon face a huge problem that can only be solved by personal bankruptcy.
Regards, Bauexperte
MichiQM schrieb:
My uncle can install the windows for me, if that would make a big difference in price.
I don’t think so. A much more important consideration is that hardly any general contractor/general builder will supply the windows and then have them installed by the homeowner or their helpers. That usually only works if you hire an architect.
MichiQM schrieb:
What’s important to me ...
I can skip an example calculation here, because you definitely won’t be able to cover costs with the mentioned budget—not even if you commissioned a high-end shell construction. The materials for interior finishing also need to be paid for, as well as insurance for any helpers, plus various fixed additional building costs.
MichiQM schrieb:
Which option is better for me? A prefabricated timber house or can I definitely afford a solid masonry house?
Maybe take some time to read up here… It’s a widespread misconception that a prefabricated house is cheaper than a building constructed with solid masonry. Which provider is better within these categories theoretically depends on your yet to be made choice.
MichiQM schrieb:
I just want a solid house with reasonable fittings, not a luxury villa or anything.
The most sensible advice I can give you is to keep saving or keep an eye out for an existing property that you can gradually renovate bit by bit with borrowed, saved, or current income. The alternative is that you literally fall for some competitors’ bargain offers and soon face a huge problem that can only be solved by personal bankruptcy.
Regards, Bauexperte
What is the original poster supposed to do with the existing plot of land if they buy an existing property?
Regardless, I don’t know how the real estate market currently looks in Bavaria, but in North Rhine-Westphalia, you won’t get a decent house for 170,000 euros (about 170K), at least not in the metropolitan areas. More likely, you could get a nice apartment depending on the size.
We also initially searched for existing properties ourselves.
Is the 170,000 euros (170K) your own equity, or is that the maximum amount you can get from the bank?
Would selling the plot of land be an option for you? If so, how much could you get for it?
Regarding prefabricated houses, I have to agree with the previous commenters. Reasonable-quality prefab houses are actually more expensive than comparable solid (brick or concrete) houses.
The advantage is partly a faster construction time, and compared to solid construction, you can achieve better energy efficiency or at least do so without much additional cost.
And personally, what mattered most to me was the feeling that fewer defects are likely to occur in prefab construction than in solid building. But that’s just an impression, which I can’t back up with data.
Regardless, I don’t know how the real estate market currently looks in Bavaria, but in North Rhine-Westphalia, you won’t get a decent house for 170,000 euros (about 170K), at least not in the metropolitan areas. More likely, you could get a nice apartment depending on the size.
We also initially searched for existing properties ourselves.
Is the 170,000 euros (170K) your own equity, or is that the maximum amount you can get from the bank?
Would selling the plot of land be an option for you? If so, how much could you get for it?
Regarding prefabricated houses, I have to agree with the previous commenters. Reasonable-quality prefab houses are actually more expensive than comparable solid (brick or concrete) houses.
The advantage is partly a faster construction time, and compared to solid construction, you can achieve better energy efficiency or at least do so without much additional cost.
And personally, what mattered most to me was the feeling that fewer defects are likely to occur in prefab construction than in solid building. But that’s just an impression, which I can’t back up with data.
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