ᐅ The same tiles throughout the entire ground floor and the bathroom – should we use the same ones in the basement as well?

Sorry, but for a floor that will last 30 to 40 years, saving 2,000 EUR won't really affect anyone's budget. There are roughly 2,500 other things where it would make more sense to save, especially since he wants the same tiles for aesthetic reasons as in the rest of the house.

As mentioned, you don’t save that much because no one uses 10 EUR tiles, not even in the basement...

He can also save money there. That way, he can spend more on the 50 truly important things, for example, the floor heating pipe spacing, concrete ceiling including the roof, basement included in the thermal envelope, walk-in shower with sloped screed instead of a bathtub, floor drain in the utility room, and the floor area. These are the items you really won’t want to alter later.

Besides, I wrote how I would do it, not a universal rule. And I mentioned that if he has the extra money, he can do it that way. But of course, you have to have the final say once again.

Huh? He’s still choosing tiles, which means all the other stuff like underfloor heating, upper floor ceiling, etc., has already been planned and ordered, if not even built?

Sometimes things get really strange here... if you say nobody needs a smart home, people get all worked up, talking about the Stone Age and so on, and if you say that you don’t save that much money with cheap tiles either, it’s the same. But I’m taking it in stride 😉

It’s also a question whether the tiler would even install cheap tiles with a material cost of 5 EUR (about 5.50 USD).

xMisterDx schrieb:

For most construction companies, flooring for the entire house is not included as standard. It might have been different in your case, but you’re also assuming a minimum price of 3,500 EUR/m² (around 325 sq ft) for basic finishes... ask yourself why...

Your statement was that installation costs more than the material. I disproved that with a counterexample. Whether the general contractor includes it or you hire the floor installer directly doesn’t really matter—just like the usual price of conventional laundry detergent. And if you value your own labor at zero cost, that applies even more so 😉
By the way, floors are often not included because potential clients tend to convince themselves otherwise. Laminate flooring is available for 20 EUR/m² (around 1.9 sq ft), so the flooring only costs 2,000 EUR (around $2,100) if you do it yourself... 😉

And yes, you can do it yourself. But I wouldn’t have managed that fast, especially not while preparing to move. Since you hired someone to handle the move, the costs roughly balance out. Still, it eventually becomes a false economy to install a relatively expensive and durable floor yourself in a crooked or uneven way.

xMisterDx schrieb:

or even already built?

That's right. The screed is laid and drying (unfortunately poorly with this humid lousy weather!)

xMisterDx schrieb:

The question is whether the tiler is even installing cheap tiles with a 5 EUR (about $5) material cost.

Meanwhile, I’ve received a price example / quote. How do you assess this?

HoisleBauer22 schrieb:

We planned tiles throughout the entire ground floor of our new build, similar to those in the attached photo. They are called Kermos Stoneline natural beige, 30 x 60 cm (12 x 24 inches). We also planned to use them as wall tiles in the bathroom. Now we're considering having them installed throughout the basement as well. Would that be "too much of a good thing"? I’d be interested in your opinions and photos.

We did it that way. In the ground floor entrance area, we used tiles almost identical to yours, extending as far as the guest toilet and wardrobe on the ground floor. The same tiles were also used upstairs in the master and children's bathrooms. We were consistently told that the result was a very cohesive, attractive look and concept.