ᐅ Ongoing Operating Expenses for a Single-Family Home

I would consider the €150 for electricity from @blackm88 quite reasonable. If the heating system is properly sized, no electric heating element will turn on, and even if it does run for an hour, it’s negligible. Property tax of €25 would be an amazing deal. We don’t live in a prime suburban area and pay about €600 per year.

For waste disposal, check the website of the company responsible. There are different plans. In our case, there’s a base fee, then charges depending on whether you use a 60, 120, or 240-liter (16, 32, or 63 gallons) bin, a separate organic waste bin, extra fees if you exceed the allocated pickups, and credits if you use less. They provide an A5 size sheet with a detailed table. However, €40 per month is quite high.

Ralf_1980 schrieb:

Do you really think that 400 euros per month is enough? For a 160 m² (1,722 sq ft) house and 3 people, I would have guessed more around 600 to 700 euros.

Additional costs don’t increase proportionally with living space. 80 liters (21 gallons) of waste is still 80 liters (21 gallons) whether for 2 or 4 people.
The same applies to water. Electricity costs increase slightly. The multiplier for property tax depends on the area.

As @Zaba12 says: don’t get hung up on minor details, calculate your house build—it’s complicated enough!

350-400€ per month for a new single-family home under 200 sqm (2,150 sq ft) should be a reasonable estimate.
Most items are difficult to compare because they vary regionally (and you will need to calculate or estimate them yourself).

From my perspective:
Water might be a bit low if it includes wastewater and stormwater.
Garbage is way too high; we pay 12€ – this varies from region to region.
Street cleaning/winter service is missing, if the city provides it there.
Property tax is probably too low, but that can only be guessed. The calculation method is completely opaque.
Chimney sweep is fine if applicable.
Insurance is way too high. We pay around 380€ per year including natural hazard and glass coverage. New builds typically get significant discounts. It also depends on the region, e.g., flood zone or not.
Electricity just for household use seems a bit high, but you can estimate that yourself based on your consumption.
Gas is also rather high.
Repairs, reserves, etc. are up to each person. In my opinion, it’s unnecessary to build reserves at the beginning if you’re still on undeveloped land. The money usually goes into the “final finishing.” After that, you can reassess. It also depends on your personal liquidity whether you want to set aside money separately or not. Dead capital, etc.

Also consider a wide range, but with 300 to 400€ (about 320 to 430 USD) you should be on the safe side.

For us, the annual costs (if I haven’t forgotten anything) are:
200€ (about 215 USD) electricity/heating
200€ (about 215 USD) building insurance
600€ (about 645 USD) water
160€ (about 170 USD) waste disposal
400€ (about 430 USD) internet
90€ (about 95 USD) home contents insurance
350€ (about 375 USD) property tax
60€ (about 65 USD) chimney sweep
I’m not including Netflix, mobile phone, etc. here.
Total: 2,060€ (about 2,215 USD)
Or: 170€ (about 180 USD) per month

Additionally, it’s advisable to budget another 100€ to 150€ (about 110 to 160 USD) per month as a reserve for maintenance costs.
That would bring the total to around 300€ (about 320 USD).

Lumpi_LE schrieb:

Our annual costs are (if I don't forget anything):
200€ electricity/heating

200€ electricity? Per year? Or is that only the electricity for heating?

Lumpi_LE schrieb:

have a photovoltaic system

Lumpi, with or without storage? I just want to make sure I don’t have to lower my estimate for additional expenses.