I visited a, in my opinion, very impressive mid-range house and was somewhat surprised/shocked after learning the costs (which were proven to me with invoices): The house had cost just under 1 million €. Considering a living area of 300 m2, I really think that is a considerable price,
Mid-range house with 300 m².. Your acquaintances are proud of their house, gladly telling and showing you how one can build with the necessary money. Good for them, but 300 m² of living space is not standard, not even in southern Germany.
We had our 140 sqm one-and-a-half-story house built in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in 2016 for €164,000. With a rough estimate after moving in, including all costs (additional construction costs, incidental purchase costs, outdoor facilities), it was just under €300,000.
The Energy Saving Ordinance, wages, and consumer price indices will probably add a few percent compared to 2018, but that would not make the construction €10,000 more expensive right away.
As a note, I don’t know the house costs of any of my neighbors, and I only share mine anonymously or with good friends. Many other house builders will likely do the same.
Only builders comparable to your acquaintances tend to boast about prices, showing what they have, but usually you cannot really compare yourself to them.