Construction costs are currently skyrocketing

Of course that existed, it was just the exception. Today you get weird looks if you’ve done something yourself.

I don't know anyone who, when building a house, doesn't at least contribute some labor. Painting is the absolute classic.

In what parallel world do you get weird looks for doing your own work?

In which parallel world do you get strange looks for doing it yourself?

Well, I was already given weird looks because I pulled in network cables, satellite cables, and speaker cables myself. Of course with installing sockets, empty conduits, etc. the whole package. Some people even raised their eyebrows so high it was like they broke them.

Before I built, I watched house construction sites in the area for years and then went by 1-2 years after completion to ask how their experiences were after a year. Some people configured the entire house IN ONE DAY (everything, every socket, every tile), then transferred the money and maybe viewed it from the outside 1-2 times before moving in.

I don't know anyone who hasn't contributed at least a little bit of their own labor when building a house. Painting is the absolute classic. In what parallel world would you be looked at strangely for doing your own work?

uh here for example? Very few painted themselves here, almost everywhere the painter's van stood in front of the door for weeks. Many even had the lawn sown... Even the bank's appraiser and the furniture movers from Höffner were totally stunned that I did a lot myself and even waived the furniture assembly service for a mere 500 EUR...

Of course that existed, it was just more the exception. Today people look at you strangely if you have made something yourself.

And no, it wasn’t a clay hut but a house. It still stands today and I am looking over at it right now. But for example with a shared load-bearing wall with the neighbor – saves money, but doesn’t appear in any statistics. Wooden false floors where you hear every step from the floor above. So yes, beautiful houses, back then a dream, but anyone who only looks at the price is comparing apples to oranges.

That was just as rarely the exception back then as it is today. Whoever had an office job and corresponding salary 50 years ago built turnkey. Whoever was/ is working in a manual trade back then as now contributes a lot of own work in order to somehow afford the hut.

The only change compared to back then: there are significantly more academics than back then.

Yes. It's a strange idea that the department head or authorized signatory crawled around his own place on weekends 50 years ago, laying parquet or painting the baseboards.

It would also be absurd, because if everyone had done that themselves 50 years ago, why would you have needed parquet layers or painters?

Uh, here for example?
Almost nobody here painted themselves, the painter’s van was parked in front of the door for weeks almost everywhere.
Many even had the lawn sown...

Even the bank’s appraiser and the furniture movers from Höffner were totally stunned that I did a lot myself and even skipped the furniture assembly service for a measly 500 EUR...

Funny how the world changes. Half a year ago you stated exactly the opposite.

324,000 EUR for a turnkey 152m² house and I didn’t lift a finger.

https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/hausbau-kosten-wie-waren-die-bei-euch.44602/post-607638
Still had that quote in mind, but had to search for the right post for 5 minutes. There are a few other posts by a certain xMisterDx in that thread claiming that own contributions are nothing and it’s better to have it done by others ;)