Hello dear members,
First, I would like to introduce myself.
My name is Christopher, I am a little over 28 years old, and I work as a technical draftsman.
I have extensive experience in industrial assembly and large projects both domestically and abroad. Besides that, I am also engaged in artistic work, and this is my first step toward building a house.
The dream of owning a home has existed for several years, although I have to say that I am a lifelong single and intend to remain so by choice.
However, I do have a young son.
In my area, rent costs are outrageous. For example, for about 70sqm (750 sq ft), I pay nearly €900 (almost $970) all-inclusive rent.
I gave up my assembly work abroad about two years ago and now hold a well-paying job as a technical draftsman in the metal industry.
As I mentioned, I am artistically inclined and have always been a do-it-yourselfer and planner as much as possible.
A typical single-family house is definitely out of the question for me as a lifelong single, as it is simply too expensive. Instead, the idea came up to basically build a “flat” on my own land—a bungalow.
But the whole thing should not become a huge undertaking, so (please don’t judge me) I want it to be a low-budget project. I will forgo all the extras that nowadays seem standard. I am also forgoing a basement. The only thing I could imagine is underfloor heating.
The bungalow’s floor plan is planned to be L-shaped.
The reason for trying to build the bungalow on a relatively small budget is that I cannot accept the fixed package prices from various builders. Even if I can afford it, I don’t want to pay more than necessary. In most forums, you get strange looks when you talk about saving costs. I simply don’t want to help finance someone else’s new luxury car.
Now, to the idea:
To reduce costs, I have the following plan for building the L-shaped bungalow:
About 100sqm (1075 sq ft) of living space.
From a company or with their support, I want only the foundation slab, the external-external walls (meaning the outer L-shaped side, is that understandable?), and the flat roof to be installed. No masonry interior walls, and the interior L-side should be made entirely of glass elements. Can you imagine what I mean?
To support the ceiling, I could accept an unsightly support post at the bend.
All utility lines should be available only at central locations, so expensive installations running across the house would be avoided (kitchen and bathroom right next to each other).
I want no interior walls because, first, I prefer open spaces due to my artistic approach, and second, I only want the bathroom, one bedroom, and possibly a small storage closet as separate rooms—which I would then build myself using drywall as needed.
So basically, an L-shaped loft on private land.
Heating will be with wood—a wood stove or open fireplace. My parents have been heating only this way for a long time and are very satisfied.
For any installations, I have people within my close circle.
There are also enough masons and plasterers available.
Is it possible to realize this with prefabricated walls, or would you recommend masonry?
What have I forgotten?
What else should be considered?
What costs should I expect?
We will temporarily leave out local building regulations.
I believe I can realize the project with a budget of about 100,000 to 150,000 (without land).
What costs would you estimate for a 100sqm foundation slab? (I have very good contacts with the son of a large concrete company, so I could get concrete relatively cheaply.)
Would you try to get the floor-to-ceiling windows cheaper abroad? After all, it is quite a few meters.
What I would like to know in general is whether such a simple bungalow is doable within this budget—with self-labor assumed—or if I am setting myself up for failure?
As a single person, I don't want or can’t take on debts of $300,000 because I want to continue living, so no single-family house. It should be simple, low-maintenance, and, if possible, affordable at roughly the current rent level. An apartment does not come into question because I absolutely hate them!
I also don’t want to start visiting construction companies yet because I am still quite young, so I would probably be an easy target for being taken advantage of. My current halfway knowledge about house building is not enough for those negotiations.
Where did you get your information about real costs, what is really necessary, and so on?
I am attaching an image from Google to roughly illustrate what I have in mind (unfortunately not an L-shaped bungalow but should give an idea) — basically just a foundation slab, two exterior walls, a ceiling, and the rest glass.
The glass in the picture is too expensive, I know.
Best regards
The Greenhorn Gustl
First, I would like to introduce myself.
My name is Christopher, I am a little over 28 years old, and I work as a technical draftsman.
I have extensive experience in industrial assembly and large projects both domestically and abroad. Besides that, I am also engaged in artistic work, and this is my first step toward building a house.
The dream of owning a home has existed for several years, although I have to say that I am a lifelong single and intend to remain so by choice.
However, I do have a young son.
In my area, rent costs are outrageous. For example, for about 70sqm (750 sq ft), I pay nearly €900 (almost $970) all-inclusive rent.
I gave up my assembly work abroad about two years ago and now hold a well-paying job as a technical draftsman in the metal industry.
As I mentioned, I am artistically inclined and have always been a do-it-yourselfer and planner as much as possible.
A typical single-family house is definitely out of the question for me as a lifelong single, as it is simply too expensive. Instead, the idea came up to basically build a “flat” on my own land—a bungalow.
But the whole thing should not become a huge undertaking, so (please don’t judge me) I want it to be a low-budget project. I will forgo all the extras that nowadays seem standard. I am also forgoing a basement. The only thing I could imagine is underfloor heating.
The bungalow’s floor plan is planned to be L-shaped.
The reason for trying to build the bungalow on a relatively small budget is that I cannot accept the fixed package prices from various builders. Even if I can afford it, I don’t want to pay more than necessary. In most forums, you get strange looks when you talk about saving costs. I simply don’t want to help finance someone else’s new luxury car.
Now, to the idea:
To reduce costs, I have the following plan for building the L-shaped bungalow:
About 100sqm (1075 sq ft) of living space.
From a company or with their support, I want only the foundation slab, the external-external walls (meaning the outer L-shaped side, is that understandable?), and the flat roof to be installed. No masonry interior walls, and the interior L-side should be made entirely of glass elements. Can you imagine what I mean?
To support the ceiling, I could accept an unsightly support post at the bend.
All utility lines should be available only at central locations, so expensive installations running across the house would be avoided (kitchen and bathroom right next to each other).
I want no interior walls because, first, I prefer open spaces due to my artistic approach, and second, I only want the bathroom, one bedroom, and possibly a small storage closet as separate rooms—which I would then build myself using drywall as needed.
So basically, an L-shaped loft on private land.
Heating will be with wood—a wood stove or open fireplace. My parents have been heating only this way for a long time and are very satisfied.
For any installations, I have people within my close circle.
There are also enough masons and plasterers available.
Is it possible to realize this with prefabricated walls, or would you recommend masonry?
What have I forgotten?
What else should be considered?
What costs should I expect?
We will temporarily leave out local building regulations.
I believe I can realize the project with a budget of about 100,000 to 150,000 (without land).
What costs would you estimate for a 100sqm foundation slab? (I have very good contacts with the son of a large concrete company, so I could get concrete relatively cheaply.)
Would you try to get the floor-to-ceiling windows cheaper abroad? After all, it is quite a few meters.
What I would like to know in general is whether such a simple bungalow is doable within this budget—with self-labor assumed—or if I am setting myself up for failure?
As a single person, I don't want or can’t take on debts of $300,000 because I want to continue living, so no single-family house. It should be simple, low-maintenance, and, if possible, affordable at roughly the current rent level. An apartment does not come into question because I absolutely hate them!
I also don’t want to start visiting construction companies yet because I am still quite young, so I would probably be an easy target for being taken advantage of. My current halfway knowledge about house building is not enough for those negotiations.
Where did you get your information about real costs, what is really necessary, and so on?
I am attaching an image from Google to roughly illustrate what I have in mind (unfortunately not an L-shaped bungalow but should give an idea) — basically just a foundation slab, two exterior walls, a ceiling, and the rest glass.
The glass in the picture is too expensive, I know.
Best regards
The Greenhorn Gustl
Perhaps it is possible to have a small house built by an affordable home builder without any extras (no roller shutters, small windows, etc.) for 150,000 euros plus all additional costs. However, a bungalow is much more expensive than a one-and-a-half-story house (larger foundation slab, bigger roof, straight walls all around). This "budget bungalow" will not look like the "designer architect bungalow" shown in your posted picture. These floor-to-ceiling aluminum window elements including sliding doors already cost a small fortune, and the ceiling must also meet special requirements without load-bearing interior walls, so it’s not a standard solution. You cannot simply heat with an open fireplace without a proper heating system; there are surely regulations to comply with in Austria as well. If it were that easy to build such a luxury glass bungalow for so little money, you would probably see many of these houses instead of mainly small one-and-a-half-story houses with small, white plastic windows. Talk to a few home builders and get some quotes; then you will see what you can get for your money.
Best regards,
Sabine
Best regards,
Sabine
S
Steffen8017 Aug 2017 08:25Nice that a few people get straight to the point. I’m always too lazy for that.
C
Caspar202017 Aug 2017 08:41Actually, all this effort might be in vain, but since this isn’t just about building a cheap, standard house for a family with kids and a dog, I’d like to share a few words from my side.
Unfortunately, the low-cost version (square-shaped, simple design, "few" windows, built a thousand times) is hardly feasible.
Oh, so many people skip the basement these days because it’s just too expensive. It’s definitely not standard anymore. By the way, underfloor heating costs quite a bit (and requires space for the equipment; suddenly you don’t have just a storage room but a utility room), and how does that fit with your wish for simply having an open wood stove?
By the way, living space is not the same as the footprint. You can easily add at least 10% more to the latter.
Then go ahead. We’d love to be impressed by your proof.
By the way, I hope the so-called additional building costs are not included in that estimate.
Your picture already shows many visible steel supports, not to mention the hidden ones. But if even one support post is “ugly” for you… okay, but it’s expensive.
Just the shading (external venetian blinds – see the thin cables in the picture...) will cost you a fortune. Otherwise, you’ll end up like a rotisserie chicken.
Maybe start by drawing your loft on graph paper at millimeter scale. You might then realize that you’ll need significantly more than 100 m² (1,076 sq ft) to create that kind of atmosphere, or to make a nice open space.
Also, things like electrical outlets only in the center of the bungalow? Well, in the picture there are definitely floor boxes near the windows. Such a floor box for 1–2 outlets costs around 200–300 EUR (€).
When I (and also in the pictures) think of a loft, it’s not the usual 2.x meters ceiling height but at least 3.5–4 m (11.5–13 ft) or more. Otherwise, it’s no longer “lofty.”
Better start with architects. What you want is not standard; but if you have already filled several sheets of millimeter paper, you’ll get quite specific estimates about prices.
From the companies that produce those materials and systems?
Concrete is the cheap part. The foundation work (that is, what is under the concrete; or what must be removed or replaced) usually costs significantly more.
But why don’t you ask your professional contact what the slab will cost?
---
With more determination, and ultimately a considerably bigger budget, this could definitely become an interesting construction project.
Gustl89 schrieb:
A typical single-family detached house is definitely not an option for me as a permanent single, simply because it's too expensive
Unfortunately, the low-cost version (square-shaped, simple design, "few" windows, built a thousand times) is hardly feasible.
Gustl89 schrieb:
I’m avoiding all the fancy stuff that seems to be standard nowadays. I’m also skipping a basement. The only thing I could imagine is underfloor heating. The bungalow’s floor plan should be L-shaped.
Oh, so many people skip the basement these days because it’s just too expensive. It’s definitely not standard anymore. By the way, underfloor heating costs quite a bit (and requires space for the equipment; suddenly you don’t have just a storage room but a utility room), and how does that fit with your wish for simply having an open wood stove?
Gustl89 schrieb:
About 100 m² (1,076 sq ft) of living space.
Gustl89 schrieb:
What costs would you estimate for the slab foundation for 100 m² (1,076 sq ft)?
By the way, living space is not the same as the footprint. You can easily add at least 10% more to the latter.
Gustl89 schrieb:
I think I can realize the project with 100,000 to 150,000 (without land).
Then go ahead. We’d love to be impressed by your proof.
By the way, I hope the so-called additional building costs are not included in that estimate.
Gustl89 schrieb:
To support the ceiling, I can imagine an ugly post at the corner.
Your picture already shows many visible steel supports, not to mention the hidden ones. But if even one support post is “ugly” for you… okay, but it’s expensive.
Gustl89 schrieb:
What have I forgotten?
Just the shading (external venetian blinds – see the thin cables in the picture...) will cost you a fortune. Otherwise, you’ll end up like a rotisserie chicken.
Gustl89 schrieb:
All the installations should simply be available at central locations, so expensive running of pipes and wiring across the house would be eliminated (kitchen and bathroom right next to each other).
I don’t want any interior walls because 1. I like everything open for my artistic work, and 2. I actually only want to separate bathroom, one bedroom, and maybe a small storage room – which I would build myself later with drywall as I please.
So basically, it’s an L-shaped loft on my own land.
Maybe start by drawing your loft on graph paper at millimeter scale. You might then realize that you’ll need significantly more than 100 m² (1,076 sq ft) to create that kind of atmosphere, or to make a nice open space.
Also, things like electrical outlets only in the center of the bungalow? Well, in the picture there are definitely floor boxes near the windows. Such a floor box for 1–2 outlets costs around 200–300 EUR (€).
When I (and also in the pictures) think of a loft, it’s not the usual 2.x meters ceiling height but at least 3.5–4 m (11.5–13 ft) or more. Otherwise, it’s no longer “lofty.”
Gustl89 schrieb:
I don’t want to start checking out construction companies yet,
Better start with architects. What you want is not standard; but if you have already filled several sheets of millimeter paper, you’ll get quite specific estimates about prices.
Gustl89 schrieb:
Where did you get reliable information about actual costs and what you really need, etc.?
From the companies that produce those materials and systems?
Gustl89 schrieb:
What costs would you estimate for the slab foundation for 100 m² (1,076 sq ft)? (I have very good contact with the son of a big concrete company, so I could get the concrete relatively cheap)
Concrete is the cheap part. The foundation work (that is, what is under the concrete; or what must be removed or replaced) usually costs significantly more.
But why don’t you ask your professional contact what the slab will cost?
---
With more determination, and ultimately a considerably bigger budget, this could definitely become an interesting construction project.
C
chand198617 Aug 2017 09:09Gustl89 schrieb:
I believe the project can be completed for 100,000 to 150,000 (without land).What exactly does that mean? Does that include additional building costs?
Gustl89 schrieb:
With the mentioned 100,000 to 150,000, you can probably put up a simple L-shaped “hall” without interior walls, plaster, kitchen, etc. Basically a shell for self-finish.No one here would consider that as “completing the project.” So you and the commenters will likely be talking past each other.
If you want a “shell hall plus roof” for 150,000, that might be possible. But probably not exactly as you imagine it. You say you want to avoid unnecessary extras, but three things—L-shape, glass wall, and underfloor heating—are all extras.
By the way, even a shell hall will not be without interior walls, unless more expensive solutions are used to span the space. That would be a fourth extra.
It will also depend on the land. Any earthworks needed will add significant costs. A flat site with a good soil report would be the conditions you need.
If you’re a hands-on person, why not try to buy an existing property as a project and renovate it as cheaply as possible with as much self-labor as you can?
Curly schrieb:
However, a bungalow is much more expensive than a 1.5-story house This is usually true for family homes, but not for a single-person house. Based on a total of 90 sqm (970 sq ft) of living and usable space, which corresponds to roughly 110 sqm (1,185 sq ft) for the foundation slab, dividing the house into one and a half stories does not result in cost savings. Basic shape is rectangular, with a gable roof (truss construction, about 20° roof pitch). Nordlys extra light
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