Construction costs are currently skyrocketing

Yes, of course not everyone gives great thought to the world and doesn’t have to. But when I look at what has been financed on the edge in recent years, the salary increases of the coming years are already anticipated and inflation is ignored. That leaves little reserve if things go wrong, and then it quickly becomes dangerous.

Well, you can see it in two ways. We’d probably be better off if a few years ago we had “simply” financed 110%. As long as you don’t approach it completely naively, I don’t think there’s much against taking certain risks. I tend to think through the worst-case scenarios (which some acquaintances find quite crazy), and then something like “If all else fails, then we just have to sell it, and in the worst case we still have debts without any collateral left. And in the absolute worst case, that means bankruptcy.” You can try a) to reduce the probability of that happening or b) hedge against it or c) just be aware that it’s a risk that exists and accept it. Before “if all else fails” there are still 20 other scenarios that turn out better ;)

It’s a bit unfortunate when you’ve convinced yourself too much and then your world falls apart if things don’t go as planned. But sometimes it’s just a matter of “adapting to the new situation.”

Okay, we didn't need an architect. The floor plan suited us as it was, so the general contractor could handle it.

I don't really know what "Bauleitung light" means either. Our site manager is an expert, but even if you hire an external one, what does that cost? 5,000 EUR?

For us, foundation deeper than 30cm, surveying, house connections/sewage connection, construction power/water, and of course everything related to the outdoor area are not included.

But even if I include our rather complex deep foundation and the rest mentioned above, I don't get over 2,250 EUR/m².

And I'm sure I can get 2 WCs, a bathtub, a walk-in shower. No pit toilet and no wash tub heated by wood fire.

PS:
Where are the remaining 750 EUR/m² hidden that I’m missing even for the simplest standard?

PS: Where are the remaining 750 EUR/m² hiding, which I lack even for the simplest standard?

Definitely not in the builder's wallet. And they won't be flushed down the golden toilet either. Honestly, anyone who pays 4000 bucks/sqm for standard is beyond help.

I know, I am building turnkey with Town & Country at just under 2,000 EUR/m², clearly below the standard of a Russian sobering-up cell from the Tsarist era.

No… :D what you are building is what is called standard.

PS: Where are the remaining 750 EUR/m² that I am missing for the simplest standard?

Clay roof instead of concrete, more sockets and two-way switches, sanitary fittings one grade better, instead of 25€/m² tiles 35€, walk-in shower a bit bigger, sliding door instead of 80 cm terrace door, stainless steel instead of plastic, roller shutters, etc… that roughly turns a standard into an upscale one. Town & Country does not build below standard, even if some here suggest that. Edit: by the way, this is not my opinion, but something I read earlier and that was confirmed this year by a financial bank.

I briefly looked into that one thread, 2 full floors plus basement just above the groundwater level probably drives the price up even without luxury features

60cm in the groundwater ;-)

I just want to briefly point out that I didn’t complain about the 4k/m² :-)

By now, after all the specifications and insights, I would classify our project as upscale equipment. At the beginning, it was different and the costs were significantly lower (~510k). But in recent months, we have lived very frugally, managed well, and despite difficult circumstances, managed to significantly increase equity. That’s why we are now allowing ourselves a bit more ;-)

I’ll try to make the costs a bit clearer:
KfW40 standard solid construction, filled Poroton T6.5 bricks
Basement executed as a white tank
156m² living space, simple floor plans, no large spans, no gallery, pantry or large window surfaces
2 full floors and basement
2 bathrooms with slightly upscale fittings
Garage 30m² with flat roof
Underfloor heating throughout (50% basement)
Air heat pump with buffer storage
Central ventilation system
Water softening system
Electrical installations according to HEA 2-star standard
Floor coverings average 50€/m² (porcelain stoneware, vinyl)
Ground floor with external blinds, upper floor with roller blinds, aluminum, electrically operated
Windows (plastic-aluminum) and front door (aluminum) from the mid-price range
Interior doors partly standard (approx. 400€/door) and three high-quality ones (ground floor, flush closing, 900€/door)
Approximately 45 ceiling spots (lamps not included in m² price)
Preparations for photovoltaic, pool and water-driven fireplace (pipes, electrics, etc.)

Additionally, 25k for KNX + video intercom + surveillance as well as 20k for photovoltaic and about 8k for the water-driven fireplace. These items are also not included in the stated square meter price.

The total project, including incidental costs (demolition of existing house) and all the bells and whistles, is now at 730k. Basically, I would say that building is still very doable for 2/3 of this amount; it always depends on your own standards and abilities/prerequisites.

Now I’ve laid all my cards on the table :)

I just have an invoice from February 2019 from Hornbach in my hand. Back then we still built a bit in the garden. The items are still available under the "old" article numbers in the online shop, so here is a price comparison 3.5 years later.

Ribbed reinforcing steel 8mm, 3m at €4.45 costs €6.00 today
Concrete formwork board 50x25x17.5cm at €2.40 today €2.95
Cement 25kg at €2.59 today €3.79