Construction costs are currently skyrocketing

You don’t have to pre-drill for floorboard screws

He probably means for the moldings. It’s better that way, otherwise they tend to split. I agree about tongue and groove boards, you don’t have to pre-drill them with floorboard screws.

If it were only the 60-70/h being billed, one could consider for many jobs whether the craftsman isn’t a good choice.

With 30k for heat pumps, where the material accounts for at most half (and is definitely available for 10k), the installers would have to work for at least 15k in wages, i.e. 200+ hours. But they are at most busy for 6 days with a journeyman and an apprentice. The rest goes into the pockets of the overpriced [WP manufacturers] and bosses. That is the outrageous part, not that 70€/h is charged for professional work.

In the meantime, I have had so much hassle with craftsmen and other service providers – I do everything myself that is not forbidden.

Cost plan for complete renovation of former barn with conversion to living space (really only brick walls and floor slab inside and concrete ceiling without insulation): around 90k for 100m2 – of which 10k are architect fees for the building application, 2k for structural engineering and thermal protection certificate, 20k for the [historic preservation barn windows], and the electrician with 3k for fuse box and inspection. The rest is material.

So if I screw squared timber into the roof structure or floorboards onto the squared timber, I prefer to pre-drill. I definitely do not take the risk of splitting a rafter in my roof structure.

The 50mm ventilation is stated like that in my handover documentation for the house. It would be stupid if I deviate from that. The point is that moisture that may arise in a special situation can escape.

And to end the debate for me. Sure, the professional can sometimes do it better than me and faster. But whether under increasing pressure he really does it better... and not just faster. I sometimes have my doubts. Given my income situation, it looks like I have to work a good 3, almost 4 hours for a craftsman’s hour at 70, 80 EUR. In my case mostly field service, so the whole day or even the entire week, sometimes a whole month away from home. You really reconsider if you can’t do it yourself.

And it doesn’t have to be 100%, especially not if you do it yourself. This standard is relatively new, I claim it only came into fashion in my generation (born 1983), rather later.

Everything has to be immediate. If the kitchen gets 2 ovens, they have to be there at move-in, otherwise please install blanks. Absolutely no inserts are allowed to remain empty for several months, etc.

Don’t get me wrong. If you can afford it, please. That’s what craftsmen live on. But most just can’t afford it. That’s why the loans are spiraling out...

That’s going to blow up in "our" faces...

There is currently a problem with a solar roller shutter. Velux charges 98 EUR for travel, 95 EUR/hour for the technician, 29 EUR for disposal and materials based on consumption in customer service. The solar set (I assume this is what we need) costs 400 EUR for this type of window. So. We googled, opened the window (safely possible, you don’t have to go outside or lean out in our case), after 5 minutes the old battery was out, we can buy the new one for about 100 EUR and then reinstall it.

Be glad it wasn't a frequency converter... my hourly rate is now over 200 EUR for non-regular customers. Travel time is charged based on effort.

We are currently insulating the roof - in DIY mode. My husband is quite skilled with crafts; in his "younger years" he helped out on construction sites. He said he installs the insulation much more precisely than the craftsman. That’s true as well. No craftsman is as meticulous as my husband. The vapor barrier is perfectly glued. No craftsman has worked so cleanly for us so far. Of course, the whole thing takes much longer. For a 135m2 gable roof (at the highest point you had to work on scaffolding over 6m high) we worked with one helper for 2 weekends... Cost factor? 3k all in (slab insulation 240cm, climate membrane from ProClima + suitable tapes and adhesives). How much would a craftsman charge for the work? Do you have reference prices?