ᐅ Self-performed work – Flooring, painting, tiling, and what else?

Hello everyone,

I am wondering what tasks can be done by yourself when building a single-family house to save some money. I’m fairly handy and can imagine that I can do quite a bit myself.

Here’s what comes to mind so far:

• Flooring
• Painting work (painting, plastering, varnishing)
• Tiling/shower/bathroom (my father is a tiler)

What else could be done by yourself?

Best regards,
Marko

Hi,

we have the same questions ourselves.
Are you planning to build traditionally (solid construction) or using a prefab house manufacturer?
I am also very curious about the answers.

The question is more about how much time you can or want to realistically dedicate alongside work and family (if applicable).

In my opinion, buying and installing sanitary fixtures yourself is worthwhile. If you want something a bit special, though, it quickly becomes quite expensive.

Floor coverings, tiles, and painting work involve a lot of effort, which you shouldn’t underestimate.

We were credited €2400 for doing the painting ourselves. After subtracting the cost of materials, considering the huge amount of work, not much was really left over. It wouldn’t have been worthwhile for us in any case.

As is clearly stated in every building guide, everyone initially overestimates their own labor. Wallpapering an entire house without professional painters easily takes about 3 full weeks of full-time work, including painting, taping, and sanding the walls beforehand.

Installing floor coverings is also not something done quickly. Covering 50 square meters (540 square feet) across 4 rooms took us 5 full days with 2 carpenters, and the flooring was actually quite easy to install (including baseboards).

If you take time off work for your own labor, the house must be ready for that work at exactly that time. If your own work starts earlier, it can delay subsequent trades (possibly incurring extra costs...). If construction is delayed, you risk wasting your vacation time. You also have to consider that the building process itself can be exhausting, and you need your vacation to avoid burnout.

If you stay home unpaid, you have to factor in lost income. For example, if you stay home for 1 month, earn 2,000 Euros net, and save a contractor bill of 3,000 Euros, you have only generated 1,000 Euros worth of own labor. And that’s the catch. Materials are always required, whether you do the work yourself, family members help out, or you hire a contractor.

The only “real” own labor that effectively lowers the final price is when family members or friends who are experts in their field work for a low rate. Trades that are well-suited for this—especially since there are many professionals you might know—include tiling, electrical work, and painting.

Topics on this:
https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/Eigenleistungen-wie-viel-kann-man-wirklich-sparen.10562/

and, importantly, always consider all costs:
https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/versteckte-kosten.8642/

Experiences with owner-performed work: https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/kosten-Maler-verputzen-Bodenbeläge.7269/

Thank you for all the responses. We want to build using solid construction.

Then I will add the following point, as someone suggested it.

• Buy and install plumbing fixtures ourselves