Build a natural log house yourself?

Hello dear forum,

I am currently in Canada learning the fine art of log house construction. By now, I have become so infected by the log house building fever that I am seriously considering building my own house after my return. The foremost principle is that the house should be inexpensive! I don't want to take out hundreds of thousands of euros in loans and pay them off for my entire life. What I have in mind is a simple house! The floor plan should be a rectangle of about 8x9m. As for the roof construction, I only dare something simple. That means a simple purlin roof (of course made from round logs) without any frills. The interior walls should not be made of logs but rather traditionally built from masonry. That way you at least have some straight and, above all, bright walls where you can also hang a picture... For those who want to know more details, I am happy to send my first self-made construction drawings.

Now to my actual questions. Is it even allowed in Germany to build your own house (at least the shell made of natural logs)? I assume that for the building application, I would at least need proper plans from an architect? Or are there already other solutions by now? As I said, the floor plan is set, and the architect would only be there to bring it into the right form. Is there anything else standing in the way that I haven't thought of? Another important question is whether it is possible in Germany to heat a house exclusively with a masonry heater? Given the relatively small floor area, a properly dimensioned stove should be sufficient. I have seen houses here on site that were significantly larger and heated only with wood. For hot water supply, I had thought of a tankless water heater, and if it’s too cold in the bathroom in the morning, then an infrared heater can just be installed on the ceiling. You can tell I have given some thought to keeping costs down. However, I don’t know if this is allowed.

Regarding costs, I might be a bit naive, so here is the question whether I have forgotten something important: The developed plot in Germany is already available. Around €10,000 should be sufficient for the foundation slab. For the shell, I need about 70 cubic meters of good spruce wood. At a price of about €130 per cubic meter including delivery, that is roughly another €10,000. Thus the shell including part of the roof structure (rafters are still missing) could be realized for under €20,000. The interior finishing should also be cheaper compared to a "normal" solid house. Heating pipes and radiators are omitted because of the masonry heater. The electrical work is also quite simple in a log house, so the electrician would only need to come to connect the sockets since the drill holes for the cables are already made during the construction of the shell, and I am confident enough to lay the cables myself. Okay, the installation of sanitary facilities is also not exactly cheap, but since only one bathroom is planned, it should not get out of hand. The costs for the rest of the roof should not exceed €15,000 (rafters, insulation, tiles, etc.) I just realize that I have already written a pretty long text and, fearing that no one will read it until the end, I will just stop now.

So please bring me back down to earth and tell me everything I haven't thought of...

Many thanks to everyone who sheds a little light into the darkness. Greetings from Canada. Christian

I'm afraid that won't work. Keyword: energy saving ordinance. You have to comply with that for new buildings. For garden sheds and holiday homes, it may be that less strict regulations apply. But I don't know much about that.

It is often the little things that make building a house more expensive. Energy saving ordinance / rainwater use / infiltration shafts etc. You will also need windows and doors (front door, patio door) in your timber house - those cost a lot of money in Germany. The wastewater pipes / water supply pipes have to somehow get into the house and connect to the city / municipality sewer - that costs money! A wood stove means you have to a) store wood + get wood b) have a chimney and chimney sweep who takes care of it for you - that costs money again. Building applications may only be submitted by selected persons in Germany. As far as I know, these are draftsmen and architects. I think you still won’t manage a low-budget house like that.

Hello Christian,

I am currently in Canada learning the fine art of log house construction here.

Some time ago, I looked at a model house in the south of D; I could "steal" these houses - unfortunately, they are beyond the financial means I have set for myself.

The top principle should be that the house is cheap!

You can quickly forget that with a genuine and solidly built natural log house; I also doubt whether spruce is the right material here. It is important that the logs used are all of the same age - the thickness should be approximately the same anyway.

In DIY construction, that probably won’t work either, since the individual logs must already be prepared at the factory for the installation of windows, electrical systems, and technology. By the way - in my humble opinion - massive interior walls have no place in such a house; that would, in my opinion, ruin the character of the house.

Energy saving regulations or even a KfW standard are absolutely no problem - only, as already described, the whole thing will certainly not be cheap.

Rhenish greetings to Canada

Hey, thanks a lot for the first responses!

First of all, I am aware that I can't build a single-family house for 50€. But I don't understand where my thinking is wrong when I claim that the shell can be obtained cheaper overall than with a usual solid house. (25,000€, of which 10,000€ for the foundation slab and 10,000€ for the wood, 5,000€ for the crane; I won't count the 6 weeks of work...)

Regarding the objections about the Energy Saving Ordinance, do these refer to the wood stove as the sole heating source or to the insulation properties of the log walls?
@Bauexperte: You still owe me the reason why I can't build a natural log house cheaply! I studied forestry and trained as a forester before, so I should know a bit about wood. Without exception, ALL companies offering natural log houses in Germany work with spruce. Douglas fir would be an alternative, but since you can hardly find slow-grown Douglas fir anywhere in Germany, I would always prefer spruce (from high-altitude areas of the Harz, Thuringian Forest, etc.). I understand that a log must be "factory-prepared" for the installation of electrical wiring, windows, and doors. But that is quite simple with a log house. Anyone who can hold a large drill and drill vertical holes has already won. For the installation of windows/doors you need exactly one vertical cut with the chainsaw, into which a piece of angle iron is inserted. The window frame is fastened to this iron. The whole thing is then insulated, and the gap is covered with a decorative strip/board, and the window/door installation is done. I just want to say that building with natural logs is no witchcraft. Anyone with some practical experience will agree with me here. Of course, certain companies would never admit that... Opinions may differ about the massive interior walls. Personally, I just want a few "white" and straight walls in my house. Also, installing sanitary facilities on a wall that does not settle and is straight is much easier.

That's it from me for now... work is calling... Best regards, Christian