ᐅ Is it possible to save costs smartly when building a house?

Created on: 16 Apr 2017 20:43
F
Flauti
Hello,
we are building a semi-detached house with around 150 sqm (1,615 sq ft) of living space and a 200 sqm (2,153 sq ft) garden. The contract will be signed next week, and construction will start in late autumn. We have chosen the “technical completion” stage and will do some of the work ourselves: flooring, tiling, sanitary fixtures, attic finishing, interior doors, landscaping, and painting.

We have done our homework for the financing and negotiated extensively with the builder, so we now have a good price.
As you know, building a house always takes quite a toll on the budget, so we are now focusing on the details and where we can save costs. What are your experiences? For example, regarding:
  • Where to get sanitary fixtures cheaply? Also, are branded products really worth it?
  • Likewise, kitchen appliances – is there a good way to find display models?
  • How have you managed to do landscaping cost-effectively?
  • Where and how to buy doors at a low price?

And so on…
I’m looking forward to your experiences!
G
Grym
25 Apr 2017 08:47
The furniture store here offers a lowest price guarantee (so if you bring in an offer from the kitchen studio, they will undercut it) and installs for 29 euros per appliance. Of course, there is no warranty on third-party appliances.

The film on the windows makes them more durable, and even if something happens, it is less noticeable with textured film.

In the end, the statement "white isn’t so bad either" is not quite the level of enthusiasm I expect when building a house. :-)