ᐅ Our Dream Home: Approach

I can already see that this is often underestimated and costs quickly spiral out of control if you’re not careful. It’s really important to carefully assess your financial capabilities and plan everything thoroughly. And, of course, to hope for a reputable builder...

McEgg schrieb:
... When we build, we want to do it right the first time (with everything included). Still, of course, we don’t want to overextend ourselves...

Well, McEgg, you should also consider what and how much you really need.
What does “doing it right” actually mean? Often, people end up living in cramped spaces and suddenly develop a size obsession. How many people are you building for? If there are five of you, the rooms are usually full after about 20 years. The basement often just stores things you no longer really need. Steam showers and whirlpools go unused because the cleaning effort is too much. A double garage is a luxury; one car can also be parked under a carport, and so on.
A small family often curses the long hallways.
That’s why it’s worth thinking about your real priorities and daily routines — afterwards, you can cut out some square meters and unnecessary expenses. Usually, a 10cm (5 inches) smaller bathroom will suffice instead of a large bathroom 😉 Regarding small luxuries, it should be noted that these often don’t even appear in the initial budget.

Personally, I also believe that building “only once” is not enough. Usually, after 20 or 30 years, needs change so much that the house no longer meets them, making it worthwhile to consider moving to a “new” property.

ypg schrieb:


Personally, I also believe that "building just once" is not enough. Usually, after 20 or 30 years, your needs change significantly, and the house you built no longer meets them, so it’s worth considering moving to a "new" property.

I completely agree. I’m in my early 40s and will be living in my third own property in a year (it just evolved from a single apartment to a household of five people). Build properly, but not for eternity—build for your current needs...

Unfortunately, changing properties is made less attractive by increasing real estate transfer taxes, hefty broker fees, and so on.
Here in Saxony, the real estate transfer tax is still at 3.5%, but most brokers charge 7.14%.

Musketier schrieb:
Unfortunately, changing property ownership becomes less attractive due to rising property transfer taxes, high realtor fees, and so on. Here in Saxony, the property transfer tax is still at 3.5%, but most realtors charge 7.14%.

What you want vs. what you have to do. Over the years, some costs tend to balance out. And if you’re frustrated by realtor fees, you should try to sell your own house professionally without an agent. With the resulting profit from the sale, the additional costs might well cover themselves 😉

Really good information and suggestions that you have shared here. It will definitely help us when the time finally comes.... Thanks.... 🙂