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
@ Kaho
I would argue that there are more flat roofs that are watertight than ones that leak!
If properly installed (which I always assume) and inspected annually, I don’t see any issues.
My employer is building the house for me, and I am responsible for construction supervision, either myself or, depending on the trade, through a third party.
I would argue that there are more flat roofs that are watertight than ones that leak!
If properly installed (which I always assume) and inspected annually, I don’t see any issues.
My employer is building the house for me, and I am responsible for construction supervision, either myself or, depending on the trade, through a third party.
MundS schrieb:
I would claim that there are more flat roofs that are watertight than leaky! I agree – however, flat roofs are probably the least tolerant roof type when it comes to construction quality, and poor workmanship is as much a part of building as amen is to church.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
S
Steffen8018 Aug 2017 18:55Each to their own... I prefer my 25 degrees Celsius (77°F).
nelly190 schrieb:
Why are you guys targeting the new user again? It’s always the same. Recently, someone shared their renovation experience with a small budget, and everyone was surprised.
It’s definitely possible to do much more for less money than you think.
Do you really believe that the contractor only gets paid based on their hourly wage? It’s more of a mixed calculation with overpriced building materials. @nelly190 ; this is simply the usual way things are around here.
When I read some of the threads here, I feel like I’m in the kitchen of the Atlantic Hotel. Insults and accusations are part of everyday life here.
According to the general opinion in house construction forums, the cheapest house on this planet costs at least 350,000 (plus all additional costs, of course). Anyone who claims otherwise is either lying or living at the level of a street homeless person.
If you don’t have a thick skin, it’s hardly enjoyable.
@Gustl89: I’m definitely not an expert when it comes to construction projects. However, I do believe that you can somewhat realize your dream. Why do I think that? Well, as you yourself said... If there are house suppliers out there offering turnkey houses for 200,000 to 250,000, then it should be possible to get a shell construction version for about 100,000 less.
Furthermore, I don’t expect your house to look exactly like the photo you posted. But you already said that yourself. It was meant to represent a “direction.” And I think that’s achievable. Just google “affordable architect-designed houses” or “low budget houses under 200,000.” You’ll really find some nice homes for a relatively modest amount.
You should also be aware that nowadays is a really tough time for home builders. Construction companies are making a lot of money right now. And of course, the common opinion here in the house building forum is that prices will only keep rising steeply from here. So tomorrow will already be tens of thousands more expensive than today. Build quickly now because it won’t ever be this “cheap” again.
I think with all your contacts, you can get along reasonably well with your budget. But for that, you really need to take your time, listen to some people here, and dive deep into the topic (but don’t let it drive you crazy). Everything is pretty hard without any knowledge.
There are some here in the forum who have already proven many others wrong. You just have to do some searching.
If in the end it costs 170,000 or even 180,000, so what?!
If you start with 180,000 in mind, it will probably go up to 200,000 later anyway.
So, you’re doing it right. You have to start somewhere.
One important and valuable piece of advice: Those in a hurry pay for it. So always stay relaxed.
Best regards,
Farilo
P.S.: Check out the advertisers/sponsors of this forum. Then you might understand the “attitude” of some people here on the board.
S
Steffen8018 Aug 2017 19:12There are some house providers offering a finished home (turnkey) for 200,000–250,000 euros.
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