ᐅ Is it possible to build a new house for €900 per square meter?
Created on: 3 Sep 2024 21:04
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Ottowillswisse
Hello everyone,
After my house purchase unfortunately fell through, I happened to start a conversation with someone from a new development in town.
He told me that the average cost for new builds is usually around €3000 per m² (approximately $280 per ft²), which is quite expensive. But he built his 100 m² (1,076 ft²) flat-roof bungalow with an architect for only €900 per m² (around $85 per ft²). How he managed that: wall construction consists of 17.5 cm (7 inches) calcium silicate bricks + 15 cm (6 inches) insulation with a thermal conductivity of 0.035 W/(mK) + 1.5 cm (0.6 inches) plaster (this is apparently the cheapest possible wall build-up).
Most of the interior work was done by himself, so for example, the kitchen cost €2000 (about $2200) purchased from a DIY store, and the bathrooms were tiled and the fixtures installed by himself. Laminate flooring and tiles were also installed as DIY for a maximum of €15 per m² (about $1.40 per ft²). Interior plaster on ceilings and walls, interior doors, windows, and the front door were also installed by himself.
The design is very simple with small window areas, and the excavated soil was reused in the garden, for example. The house has no photovoltaic or solar system. Hot water is provided by a tankless water heater, and heating is done with an air-to-air heat pump, that is, a split air conditioning system.
What do you think about such a construction cost? It seems somewhat unrealistic to me.
Best regards
After my house purchase unfortunately fell through, I happened to start a conversation with someone from a new development in town.
He told me that the average cost for new builds is usually around €3000 per m² (approximately $280 per ft²), which is quite expensive. But he built his 100 m² (1,076 ft²) flat-roof bungalow with an architect for only €900 per m² (around $85 per ft²). How he managed that: wall construction consists of 17.5 cm (7 inches) calcium silicate bricks + 15 cm (6 inches) insulation with a thermal conductivity of 0.035 W/(mK) + 1.5 cm (0.6 inches) plaster (this is apparently the cheapest possible wall build-up).
Most of the interior work was done by himself, so for example, the kitchen cost €2000 (about $2200) purchased from a DIY store, and the bathrooms were tiled and the fixtures installed by himself. Laminate flooring and tiles were also installed as DIY for a maximum of €15 per m² (about $1.40 per ft²). Interior plaster on ceilings and walls, interior doors, windows, and the front door were also installed by himself.
The design is very simple with small window areas, and the excavated soil was reused in the garden, for example. The house has no photovoltaic or solar system. Hot water is provided by a tankless water heater, and heating is done with an air-to-air heat pump, that is, a split air conditioning system.
What do you think about such a construction cost? It seems somewhat unrealistic to me.
Best regards
As nordanney already mentioned, when deviating from the standard, you usually only get credited a fraction of the actual manufacturing cost. Additionally, many turnkey providers are reluctant to coordinate with external trades (owner contributions "in the middle of the process" are often not welcomed or sometimes not permitted at all – to avoid disputes about who is responsible for any mistakes, for example). I’m not exactly sure how this works with Heinz von Heiden.
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Ottowillswisse25 Nov 2024 16:43mayglow schrieb:
As nordanney already mentioned, when deviating from the standard package, you usually get credited only a small fraction of the actual manufacturing costs. In addition, many turnkey providers are reluctant to coordinate with external trades (self-performed work "in the middle" of the process is therefore often not welcome or sometimes not allowed at all – to avoid disputes about who is responsible for errors in certain areas...). I’m not exactly sure how it works with Heinz von Heiden. And what if you don’t do any self-performed work but simply leave certain things out altogether? For example, a small photovoltaic system (which doesn’t really add value given its size) and the roller shutters.
Ottowillswisse schrieb:
Is there also the option to cancel or return?Often yes, but never worthwhile for you with any provider.Ottowillswisse schrieb:
For example, with the cheapest bungalow of over 100m2 (1076 sq ft), the unchangeable B760, a small photovoltaic system doesn’t make financial sense,Go to any café and ask what the price is without the tiny cookie. The photovoltaic system here is calculated as a promotional gift to nudge the last hesitant customer into signing. It’s meant to show how much the provider cares about your perception of their price fairness. Note, only the impression.Ottowillswisse schrieb:
My uncle works as a carpenter and has already offered to install the windows for me for just the material costs and a small fee. I also don’t really need things like roller shutters.An uncle who lays parquet flooring would be a bit more practical. The windows don’t come so late in the construction process that fitting an outsourced position wouldn’t disrupt things. Logistics penalties will cost you more than any credit could compensate. Especially since the profit margin is never credited back (actually, none of the margin really is).Ottowillswisse schrieb:
Now I’m sure that building a solid, architect-designed new house is not an option for me.Then you have at least not read or understood my post #22. Go to an independent building consultant – among whom an architect is not the worst choice – and have a preliminary design made and get advice on the fittings. Then you or the consultant can look for which house models from which providers are suitable. It might be a shell construction or a shell-and-core stage.https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
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nordanney25 Nov 2024 16:47Ottowillswisse schrieb:
And what if you don’t do any work yourself but simply leave things out? For example, the small photovoltaic system (which doesn’t really help given its size) and the roller shutters.I mentioned this earlier. It’s not that simple to just leave things out. You still need windows. And in NRW, there is a photovoltaic requirement for you. From 2025 onwards, new builds must include it. Maybe it’s required to ensure the building meets the necessary standards for new construction, because without photovoltaic, the house would be considered "too poor." That’s just speculation – I don’t know for sure.
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Ottowillswisse25 Nov 2024 16:5011ant schrieb:
Often yes, but never and with no provider worthwhile for you.
Go into any café and ask how much the price is without the small cookie. The photovoltaic system here is calculated as a promotional gift to persuade the last hesitant customer to sign. It is meant to show how important your perception of the provider’s pricing is to them. Note, it’s only about the impression.
A flooring installer would be a bit more practical. The windows do not come so late in the construction schedule that inserting an outsourced position here wouldn’t cause problems. The logistics disruption penalty would cost you more than any credit could cover. Especially since the profit share is never credited (actually, the entire margin isn’t).
Then you have at least not read or understood my post #22. Go to an independent building consultant – among them, the architect is not the worst choice – and have a preliminary design created and get advice on the fittings. Then you or the consultant look for house models from different providers that might fit. It might be a shell construction or a shell-and-core stage.So, in your opinion, is it possible to build an architect-designed house with EL for 1,600–1,800€ per m2 (approximately $175–$200 per sq ft) with low-cost/cheap fittings?Ottowillswisse schrieb:
And what if you don’t do any DIY work but simply leave out certain items? For example, the small photovoltaic system (which doesn’t really make much sense at that size) and the roller shutters. You can certainly request that, but don’t expect huge savings. (It’s already been mentioned that depending on the state, there may also be requirements for photovoltaic systems.)
In case of doubt, the argument will be that “then we have to redesign / adjust the energy certificate / and so on,” and you might save little or nothing at all (and you could actually be better off if your electricity costs are lower in the future). But ultimately, this should be discussed with the company you choose.
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