Hello!
My girlfriend and I would like to build a house.
We already have a plot of land, so the 180,000€ is only for the house itself.
Our rough idea is:
- about 140m² (1,507 sq ft) of living space
- no basement
- gable roof
- garage
- medium-level interior finishing
We have many skilled tradespeople in the family who can help, so we can contribute a lot of work ourselves.
- Masonry for the shell construction (my father and uncle have already built 3 houses)
- Installing roof battens and roofing
- Installing interior doors
- Flooring (except tiles in the bathrooms)
- Wallpapering
These are the tasks we want to do ourselves. Because I work in 24-hour shifts, I have a lot of free time—24 hours working, then 48 hours off. We can also count on experienced helpers, like my father, who built his own house about 20 years ago. However, he couldn’t give exact information about building material prices because much has changed since then.
What do you think—would this be possible? Are there any forum members who have managed to build within this budget?
My girlfriend and I would like to build a house.
We already have a plot of land, so the 180,000€ is only for the house itself.
Our rough idea is:
- about 140m² (1,507 sq ft) of living space
- no basement
- gable roof
- garage
- medium-level interior finishing
We have many skilled tradespeople in the family who can help, so we can contribute a lot of work ourselves.
- Masonry for the shell construction (my father and uncle have already built 3 houses)
- Installing roof battens and roofing
- Installing interior doors
- Flooring (except tiles in the bathrooms)
- Wallpapering
These are the tasks we want to do ourselves. Because I work in 24-hour shifts, I have a lot of free time—24 hours working, then 48 hours off. We can also count on experienced helpers, like my father, who built his own house about 20 years ago. However, he couldn’t give exact information about building material prices because much has changed since then.
What do you think—would this be possible? Are there any forum members who have managed to build within this budget?
Nordlys schrieb:
...
Regarding Yvonne: No, I don’t think that others are entirely wrong. It’s just that here in the forum, it often seems like you shouldn’t even start unless your budget is over 400 per square meter (sq m) (about 37 per square foot). For us, it’s not the middle of nowhere, but a seaside resort with hotels, a promenade, etc. However, the land is already considered affordable for us locals at 115 per sq m (about 11 per sq ft). (For that, you get more square meters than in the south.) But it seems that in Schleswig-Holstein (SH) and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (MVP) people build somewhat differently – more basic. I don’t know any newer houses with basements here. I don’t know anyone who buys roller shutters or even app-controlled home automation. Expensive fences are rather rare. Simple driveways made with gravel are normal. The houses are smaller; ours is a bungalow measuring 13.5 by 10 meters (44 by 33 feet). High knee walls or urban-style villas are hardly found. Many build only to the KfW 55 energy standard or just basic. Walk-in closets and pantries usually don’t exist. Exterior doors are made of plastic, not aluminum. The building ground is mostly unproblematic. There are slopes, but they are moderate. All of this adds up. – Here, there is certainly no right or wrong, just a question of: do I want this or not? Somebody from MVP posted that their house, including land, cost about 257,000 (euros). Immediately, a forum user responded with the reflex that this must be an absolute bare minimum standard. I think: okay – if that’s the case, they live there now and they’re happy. What more could you want?Similar to our area near Hamburg:
Gravel or cheap paving in front of the garage. Most people don’t know what BUS or KNX systems are. Controlled mechanical ventilation with heat recovery was rarely installed in our new development. Few customized, and if so, hidden away.
Nevertheless: our house had a catalog price of under 150,000 (euros). Later, the lower right corner showed just under 200,000 without the garage.
Extras such as tiler, plumbing, and electrical work must be added.
Additional construction costs were around 20,000. But we also had to swallow hard when after the soil report our contingency was already used up – because of a reinforced foundation slab.
Before building, I also thought we would get a house for 150,000. I didn’t know about additional construction costs... surfing the forum wasn’t possible timewise since the house build wasn’t planned yet.
Best regards, Yvonne
The wage differences between the North and South are probably one of the reasons. If I call an electrician in the Stuttgart area, they don’t earn around 2,000 euros per month but rather about 3,000 euros.
Rent for a 70m2 (750 sq ft) apartment that is not in the worst neighborhood also costs around 700-800 euros excluding utilities, and so on.
Rent for a 70m2 (750 sq ft) apartment that is not in the worst neighborhood also costs around 700-800 euros excluding utilities, and so on.
Okay. I hear you also made tight calculations and were caught a bit off guard. A soil survey—what luck that it was already included with the land before the notary appointment, so we could check if there were any issues. There weren't. The troublesome catalog prices. Yes, I was also somewhat dazzled by the Team Massiv people and their price quotes. But my wife said she didn’t trust them, just a feeling that something was off, that they just wanted our signature... I often listen to my wife, luckily. And that the price wouldn’t stay at the posted 163 (we saved another 3 with Polish windows) was clear to me from professional experience, but the construction company’s boss also communicated that from the start. We should and will end up around 207 total, including all additional costs, fitted kitchen, painting, and basic landscaping. Excluding land, since we already owned that. The traps, where you have to be tough, are in what looks nice, the nice-to-haves. Tiles can cost up to 25. There are nicer ones for 30, but also options for 25. For the kitchen, Ikea was unbeatable—that’s what we’ll go with, otherwise, it would blow the budget. And so on.
It is what it is now. We don’t have more money. We need to finance about 50, but also pay it off quickly, because in about four years I’ll retire, which will significantly reduce the income. It’s just the two of us, the kids are grown, and we don’t need such a big house anymore. And hot water will come from a 49.90 tap without a design premium.
It is what it is now. We don’t have more money. We need to finance about 50, but also pay it off quickly, because in about four years I’ll retire, which will significantly reduce the income. It’s just the two of us, the kids are grown, and we don’t need such a big house anymore. And hot water will come from a 49.90 tap without a design premium.
B
Bieber081521 Feb 2017 06:31Nordlys schrieb:
There are only two of us, the children are grown up, and we don't need as much house anymore. This also has a significant impact on the overall costs.
Depending on the region, this is achievable... We stayed under 180,000 euros with a lot of personal effort (building the roof structure + roof box + roofing + interior doors + floor coverings + painting) and without land (140 m² (1,507 sq ft), without basement, gable roof, knee wall 1.30 m (4 ft 3 in)...) + garage (45 m² (484 sq ft)) + carport (approx. 22 m² (237 sq ft))...
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