Hello,
even though this question has been asked many times before, I would like to ask it once more. I am planning to build a single-family house with approximately 120 - 130 sqm (1,290 - 1,400 sq ft) of living space plus a storage room and garage. From what I have read in this forum, a rough estimate could be calculated as follows:
Now I am my own spoiler because the budget is only 210,000 euros. So, at this point, I should give up the building project, but I cannot understand that it is not possible to build a house for 210,000 euros. I would describe my requirements as simple in terms of fittings but high when it comes to quality. I don’t need any luxury, but I can’t stand flimsy windows/doors or creaky stairs. I don’t want much, but what I have should be solid. If I take this on, I want to be quite sure that this budget limit will not be significantly exceeded.
Specifically, I would say the following: simple floor plan – terrace – no slope – shutters (roller shutters) – no curtains inside, instead blinds – no frills – all tiled except for bedrooms and children’s rooms – bathroom with toilet – separate guest toilet – no underfloor heating – no electric shutters/blinds/skylights – no automatic ventilation system – walls and ceilings painted white with textured wallpaper. As the only luxuries, I would like a wood-burning stove in the living room and a network connection in every room. Everything kept simple but of solid/durable quality. For DIY work, I would do the painting (wallpapering/painting) and outdoor areas myself. I would also install the flooring in the rooms that are not tiled (bedrooms/children’s rooms) as well as handle the cleaning up. Preferably built with a solid construction method.
Now the big question: Is this completely unrealistic? Or how should one go about building a simple but solid house for 210,000 euros?
Thanks and regards
even though this question has been asked many times before, I would like to ask it once more. I am planning to build a single-family house with approximately 120 - 130 sqm (1,290 - 1,400 sq ft) of living space plus a storage room and garage. From what I have read in this forum, a rough estimate could be calculated as follows:
| 130 sqm x 1,500 |
| Additional construction costs |
| Garage |
| Outdoor areas |
| Kitchen |
| Painting/flooring |
| Miscellaneous |
| Total |
Now I am my own spoiler because the budget is only 210,000 euros. So, at this point, I should give up the building project, but I cannot understand that it is not possible to build a house for 210,000 euros. I would describe my requirements as simple in terms of fittings but high when it comes to quality. I don’t need any luxury, but I can’t stand flimsy windows/doors or creaky stairs. I don’t want much, but what I have should be solid. If I take this on, I want to be quite sure that this budget limit will not be significantly exceeded.
Specifically, I would say the following: simple floor plan – terrace – no slope – shutters (roller shutters) – no curtains inside, instead blinds – no frills – all tiled except for bedrooms and children’s rooms – bathroom with toilet – separate guest toilet – no underfloor heating – no electric shutters/blinds/skylights – no automatic ventilation system – walls and ceilings painted white with textured wallpaper. As the only luxuries, I would like a wood-burning stove in the living room and a network connection in every room. Everything kept simple but of solid/durable quality. For DIY work, I would do the painting (wallpapering/painting) and outdoor areas myself. I would also install the flooring in the rooms that are not tiled (bedrooms/children’s rooms) as well as handle the cleaning up. Preferably built with a solid construction method.
Now the big question: Is this completely unrealistic? Or how should one go about building a simple but solid house for 210,000 euros?
Thanks and regards
Nutshell schrieb:
A company that generally doesn’t take on projects under 150,000 (USD) is immediately out of my shortlist!I don’t know about others, but if a client more or less knows what they want (which they really should before signing anything), then the price differences between developers in a region are minimal. If one is significantly cheaper, it usually means some low-quality materials or work have been used, which I don’t want. Otherwise, the prices end up being the same or very similar.Hello! From my experience, there are so many additional costs that people don't even think about at first (simply because they’re unaware), and these expenses add up quickly. For example, preliminary and follow-up surveying, building permit / planning permission fees, costs for sewer connection, possible barriers or fencing, construction power rental (box), construction electricity (which is later settled with the tradespeople but must initially be paid by the homeowner), water, and so on.
Are you planning to build a KfW 70 house? Then you will also need an energy certificate, which can only be issued by an energy consultant... These costs can add up very fast.
Hansi02
Are you planning to build a KfW 70 house? Then you will also need an energy certificate, which can only be issued by an energy consultant... These costs can add up very fast.
Hansi02
Good evening,
thank you very much for the numerous replies. As I mentioned before, I already suspected that the space would be very tight. I just keep wondering whether all the houses I see really cost 300,000 EUR or more (ready to move in). With the land, you quickly reach 400,000 to 500,000 EUR. You also know the people and have an idea of their jobs and approximately what they earn. That makes you wonder how others manage it. But anyway, I’m not others. It has to work for me.
@Nutshell
Have you already built your KfW 55 house, and are these the final costs, or is this an estimate?
Regarding the suggestions for a cheaper kitchen: In my current condominium, I installed a new kitchen five years ago. I negotiated and bargained like in a bazaar, but no matter what I tried, it ended up costing 12,000 EUR. Of course, it’s possible to spend 5,000 EUR less, but then you probably only have base cabinets instead of drawers, and likely no corner cabinets either.
As for the plot of land in question: Unfortunately, it costs about 125,000 EUR (600 sqm (6,458 sq ft), serviced). The latest information is that you will need to raise the ground level by about 70 to 100 cm (28 to 39 inches), which will also increase the additional construction costs somewhat.
@kaho674
Are you serious that a fully tiled house with roller shutters/blinds and a wood stove is already considered a luxury house?
I will gather a few more details and may ask a question or two here, but at the moment, it looks like it won’t work out. It seems that the only way to achieve this is through a low-cost provider (are we allowed to mention names here?). There are companies offering a house for 120,000 EUR, including painting. I have heard about this in the neighborhood. It was a few years ago, but the electrical wiring was simply installed inside the wall insulation, with no intermediate layer. If it has to be such a cardboard box, then I’d rather not. If cost reductions can only be achieved through quality, then this is definitely not for me.
I have already included a 15% contingency in my budget. No matter who I have spoken to so far, all building projects ended up costing 10 to 30% more. That’s why I think this should not be planned right from the start.
Looking forward to more opinions and best regards,
Mutz
thank you very much for the numerous replies. As I mentioned before, I already suspected that the space would be very tight. I just keep wondering whether all the houses I see really cost 300,000 EUR or more (ready to move in). With the land, you quickly reach 400,000 to 500,000 EUR. You also know the people and have an idea of their jobs and approximately what they earn. That makes you wonder how others manage it. But anyway, I’m not others. It has to work for me.
@Nutshell
Have you already built your KfW 55 house, and are these the final costs, or is this an estimate?
Regarding the suggestions for a cheaper kitchen: In my current condominium, I installed a new kitchen five years ago. I negotiated and bargained like in a bazaar, but no matter what I tried, it ended up costing 12,000 EUR. Of course, it’s possible to spend 5,000 EUR less, but then you probably only have base cabinets instead of drawers, and likely no corner cabinets either.
As for the plot of land in question: Unfortunately, it costs about 125,000 EUR (600 sqm (6,458 sq ft), serviced). The latest information is that you will need to raise the ground level by about 70 to 100 cm (28 to 39 inches), which will also increase the additional construction costs somewhat.
@kaho674
Are you serious that a fully tiled house with roller shutters/blinds and a wood stove is already considered a luxury house?
I will gather a few more details and may ask a question or two here, but at the moment, it looks like it won’t work out. It seems that the only way to achieve this is through a low-cost provider (are we allowed to mention names here?). There are companies offering a house for 120,000 EUR, including painting. I have heard about this in the neighborhood. It was a few years ago, but the electrical wiring was simply installed inside the wall insulation, with no intermediate layer. If it has to be such a cardboard box, then I’d rather not. If cost reductions can only be achieved through quality, then this is definitely not for me.
I have already included a 15% contingency in my budget. No matter who I have spoken to so far, all building projects ended up costing 10 to 30% more. That’s why I think this should not be planned right from the start.
Looking forward to more opinions and best regards,
Mutz
Mutz schrieb:
@kaho674
Are you serious that a fully tiled house with roller shutters/blinds and a wood stove is already a luxury house? Haha, no! But tiling everything is much more expensive than, for example, laying laminate everywhere. And having roller shutters everywhere is definitely more costly than not having any. What I meant is that you want to build a "NON-luxury house," but then you include all sorts of extras as standard that aren’t really budget-friendly.
For comparison, we also don’t have extra money. So we put the wood stove on hold for now, only installed roller shutters on the ground floor (which was really painful for me), tiled completely as well—but separated the material from the contract because otherwise it would have been too expensive. So it seems your "NON-luxury house" will probably be better than my plain ordinary house, even though you want to spend less. And we live in one of the regions with the most affordable craftsmen and plots...
So if you’ve been thinking about this for so long and believe it should be possible, I would recommend gathering your detailed house requirements first. Include everything related to the plot as well—like foundation costs, etc. Ask forum members who are willing to share their expense items, and collect everything that applies to you. I recently even saw a construction blog with full cost details. That might help you get a better sense of what costs are realistic.
Mutz, we asked ourselves exactly the same question: How do others handle this?
The Federal Statistical Office regularly publishes a construction price index, which shows that the prices for residential buildings have increased by 20 to 25% since 2005. Ask your colleagues when they signed their contracts...
We wanted to build for €200,000... today I laugh about our naivety.
We compared several providers and spent a long time browsing forums, writing down everything we found. That’s when the additional costs became somewhat clear. Still, we were surprised—just as you mentioned—by the amount of fill used. 80 cm (32 inches) was planned, but it ended up being about 1 m (39 inches) on average. That cost around €12,000.
We had set aside €30,000 as a contingency for situations like this. In the end, that money was gone, and we still didn’t have a garage built 😉
You are budgeting way too tightly. A tiler charges between €40 and €80 per hour. To tile an entire house, it takes about a week with two skilled workers. Baseboards and silicone joints also add costs that aren’t obvious at first. Having an entire house wallpapered and painted will cost you between €5,000 and €8,000. And the costs keep adding up step by step like this.
I’m not saying it’s absolutely impossible to build for that amount, but you’re taking an extremely high risk. Let’s say the builder cuts corners and uses inferior materials. After a few years, you might find that your walls are damp, or the timber framing has started to rot. That gets expensive. Or you start construction, and the company submits one claim after another because they simply leave out expensive items from the contract or bill according to “consumption.” You run out of money and are left with an unfinished shell. Where would you get the additional €15,000 needed to protect the house from the weather?
These are certainly worst-case scenarios and the kind you see on “building disaster” shows. But they do happen, and more often with cheap providers than with established ones.
Right now, the tradespeople are simply dictating the prices.
The Federal Statistical Office regularly publishes a construction price index, which shows that the prices for residential buildings have increased by 20 to 25% since 2005. Ask your colleagues when they signed their contracts...
We wanted to build for €200,000... today I laugh about our naivety.
We compared several providers and spent a long time browsing forums, writing down everything we found. That’s when the additional costs became somewhat clear. Still, we were surprised—just as you mentioned—by the amount of fill used. 80 cm (32 inches) was planned, but it ended up being about 1 m (39 inches) on average. That cost around €12,000.
We had set aside €30,000 as a contingency for situations like this. In the end, that money was gone, and we still didn’t have a garage built 😉
You are budgeting way too tightly. A tiler charges between €40 and €80 per hour. To tile an entire house, it takes about a week with two skilled workers. Baseboards and silicone joints also add costs that aren’t obvious at first. Having an entire house wallpapered and painted will cost you between €5,000 and €8,000. And the costs keep adding up step by step like this.
I’m not saying it’s absolutely impossible to build for that amount, but you’re taking an extremely high risk. Let’s say the builder cuts corners and uses inferior materials. After a few years, you might find that your walls are damp, or the timber framing has started to rot. That gets expensive. Or you start construction, and the company submits one claim after another because they simply leave out expensive items from the contract or bill according to “consumption.” You run out of money and are left with an unfinished shell. Where would you get the additional €15,000 needed to protect the house from the weather?
These are certainly worst-case scenarios and the kind you see on “building disaster” shows. But they do happen, and more often with cheap providers than with established ones.
Right now, the tradespeople are simply dictating the prices.
kaho674 schrieb:
Recently, I even saw a construction blog somewhere with complete costs. That might give you an idea of what costs are realistic.Not the house costs, but the incidental construction costs from my construction blog:
Construction costs / Incidental construction costs
To give interested readers an idea of what savvy builders plan for and what the uninformed must expect:
- Notary for land contract.......................453 €
- Site plans................................................183 €
- Notary for mortgage registration.................454 €
- Tax office land transfer tax..................3037 €
- District court land register entry...............104 €
- District court land register........................1025 €
- Soil survey.......................................655 €
- Building permit....................................634 €
- Water supply association.........................1926 €
- New development area infrastructure...............26000 €
- Electrician for construction power box.....................388 €
- Plumber for water meter/construction water......257 €
- KfW124 preparatory interest...........................8 €
- Private builders association......................90 €
- Update of foundation slab per report....3800 €
- House surveying.....................................584 €
- Earthworks (45cm (18 inches) topsoil removal etc)....3053 €
- KfW124 preparatory interest.......................124 €
- Topping-out ceremony..................................500 €
- Approx. 100 m3 (130 yd3) topsoil disposal...........1800 €
- Green manure............................................25 €
- Pickaxe.................................................20 €
- Construction electricity advance payment................100 €
- Building inspection expert...........................370 €
- Preparatory interest......................................260 €
- Construction water advance payment................390 €
- Sectional door in anthracite color.......................1250 €
- Window opening in storage room.............65 €
- Household insurance for storage.....................30 €
- 2 frost-proof outdoor water faucets...........370 €
- Preparatory interest....................................180 €
- Moving company, storage transport..............1000 €
- Tips for movers......................................40 €
- Ladder (for chimney sweep).....................80 €
- Wheelbarrow................................................75 €
- Mailbox..............................................120 €
- Rental of drying equipment, 2 weeks...................230 €
- Cable reel (always needed).........................70 €
- Fan heater...................................................40 €
- House number (incl. ancillary costs)................43 €
- Drill bit for external wall insulation...................................15 €
- Professional painter...................................170 €
- Miscellaneous hardware store items...................................50 €
- Drywall, special services..............1000 €
- Rainwater and sewage shaft...................3000 €
- Pre-wall installations for bathroom....................1200 €
- Bathtub, 180 x 80 cm (71 x 31 inches) + installation............1000 €
- Rainwater and sewage cistern.....2950 €
- Heating platform.......................................110 €
- Utility room fitted cabinets (Ikea)..................600 €
- Gas connection.......................................1500 €
- Civil engineer for connections.............................510 €
- Supplementary permit, garage...............90 €
- 2 outdoor lights, up/down....................100 €
Planned / Estimated costs
Tile upgrade + own labor..............10000 €
Sanitary upgrade.............................................2000 €
Electrical upgrade...........................................4200 €
Electrical connection........................................1410 €
Own labor tasks have only just begun…
Moving company, storage, 10 €/day...........
Moving company, transport to new build...........
Holiday home for one month..............................990 €
Wow, a window in a prefabricated garage would cost 441 €! Rip-off!!!
🙂
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