Cost estimation for a single-family house with a large garage on a slope

Hello everyone,
some time has passed and we really haven’t made much progress with our planning yet. After what felt like a thousand appointments and meetings, we now have a somewhat suitable offer (in terms of design, not price :-P) from a solid construction company.
Maybe you can give an assessment whether the offer is clearly too expensive or quite realistic. The flat rates of 2000-2500 € per sqm don’t really help me assess. Are we already at the upper end with our equipment or still in the middle … If I only take the house price, we are at 2550 € per sqm including garage, but without incidental construction costs and outdoor facilities.

We have an offer with a house price of 510k.
For this we get:
- Solid house with 36.5 cm aerated concrete
- 11.9 x 8.4 m house; 200 sqm living space (154 sqm ground + upper floor; 46 sqm basement)
- 10 x 7 m garage (roof as roof terrace without covering)
- Knee wall 1.85 m, roof pitch 25 degrees
- Roof insulated up to the ridge
- Architect-engineer services, such as building permit applications, blower door test
- String scaffold, construction electricity, construction toilet, construction water, disposal, storage site setup (on the property)
- Geological survey
- Earthworks, only excavation of the foundation pit and lateral storage (for soil classes 2-5), no transport/disposal
- Drainage, connection of the downpipes, tightness test under the base plate
- Frost-free foundation, gravel filter layer, ..
- Basement with perimeter insulation
- Concrete light shafts
- 5 m Hörmann sectional door, electric; partial railing on garage roof
- Roof tiles: Frankfurt pan
- Air-water heat pump Vitocal 200-A Viessmann (300l); Vitocell 100-V +100-E
- Central ventilation upper floor-basement living area, Vitovent 300-W
- Sanitary Ideal Standard "Connect Air"
- Backwater valve for sewage-containing wastewater 'Pumpfix F'
- Venetian blinds in living/dining kitchen (6x); rest roller shutters
- 3.50 m sliding lift door
- All shading electric
- Tiles up to 30 € per sqm, 20/20 wall and 30/60 floor; entire ground floor, bathroom/toilet and stairwell basement
- Vinyl planks 2 mm thick, glued, incl. screed height adjustment in living room basement and entire upper floor
- Woodchip wallpaper painted white, except for basement rooms and garage, here only paint
- Solid wood staircase (standard is ugly)

In addition, according to my calculations:
- 25k material costs for outdoor facilities (very optimistic :-/ ... should be done as much as possible in self-construction)
- 15k for fence
- 25k earthworks transport
- 3k building application
- 400 € chemical soil analysis
- 2k € surveying of the house
- 10k house connection for utilities
- 5220 € for technology (satellite system and power cables in the garden)
- 25k kitchen
- 15500 € other odds and ends like lamps, furniture etc.
- 10750 € upgrade for staircase, doors, colored windows, ..

--> 652k €

and suddenly that is 152k over my pain threshold for a move-in ready house.

Finally, someone in the forum who plans thoroughly and in detail again. Great! I even believe that it could be somewhat cheaper overall, but not by much.

Unfortunately, prices are like this at the moment, but you also have a lot included.

If you want to save:
Instead of general contractor, build with individual contracts, about 50,000 savings.
Own work for painters, floors, etc. within a manageable scope about 20,000.

Otherwise, I think earthworks could become cheaper. However, the garden definitely more.

Sounds realistic and in my opinion not overpriced, but "normal".

For the kitchen (you can get something "decent" for 18-20k), odds and ends, and the fence, you could still save a little bit.

Looks nicely detailed, your planning. What should the outdoor facilities include? The approach for the material seems quite generous to me, a lot of paving and terrace, a pond? Also the 15k for the fence. Chestnut stakes hold very well and cost little. I also find them nicer than the wire things or modular walls – of course, it’s a matter of taste. With this soil class, posts are quickly set and the fence is no problem to assemble anyway. 15.5k for odds and ends and furniture – depending on how much you take with you – if you keep an eye on the budget, that’s more than enough. For 25k you get a great kitchen. Manufacturers are throwing discounts around, there is potential for savings in there.

I would currently consider that realistic in BW unfortunately. 2550€ per sqm including the garage. Without the garage, you are probably close to 3k€ per sqm. Your additional construction costs are probably still too low for the outdoor area. For the earthworks, it depends on the soil class or classification. A friend of mine is currently building in BW with an architect and separate contracts. 250m2 and is currently at 800k without outdoor area. We are not talking about “golden faucets” or anything like that. His equipment is not cheap (underfloor heating, electric shading...). Many here already see that as the lowest standard. If the house “naked” is already 10k above your pain threshold, you know the answer. Unless the pain threshold is not insurmountable. Currently, you will not be able to build a 200m2 house including additional construction costs, outdoor area, equipment and garage in BW for 500k. You approach the planning correctly. Not as “naive” as many others. Thumbs up for that.

Thank you for your assessments. I had feared that it is probably a realistic offer. The "pain threshold" might be surmountable under certain circumstances. If I don't include the purchase of the land, I can sleep better :-P. I still find it insane and wonder how the average person is supposed to afford this. We have to spend our entire inheritance on the construction and still pay off for 30 years or more. Without equity/inheritance, the shell construction from the basement would probably already be the end. Okay, we just have to invest capital where others put in muscle power.

If you want to save: Instead of a general contractor, build with individual contracts, about 50,000 savings. Own work on painters, floors, etc. within a manageable scope about 20,000 Otherwise, I think earthworks could be cheaper. But the garden will definitely cost more.

Individual contracts conflict with my need for security. Here I don't know what will come out in the end. If it goes badly, we will be 50k over instead of under. This happened to a colleague of my husband. Another one is currently struggling with a wrong calculation from the structural engineer, because some beams were too short and the roof will now be lower or something like that. Ultimately, emotionally I am exactly 50k away from signing with the general contractor.

What do you think will cost more in the garden? The materials already or if we have to move earth for it? The plan is to pile up an 8x10 m garden. We do not have a soil analysis yet, only the one from the road construction. This gives hope that we will be in class 3-4 and can use the excavation for filling. The slope should then run out over 3 m length back to the natural level so that we don't have to catch anything with L-walls or the like.

Unfortunately, we cannot perform own work. We definitely cannot do tiles on the ground floor, so only the upper floor and basement remain. The savings for the upper floor probably don't pay off for us either. We have no helpers available. We can only work on weekends, which would mean that we could only move in later. We still have to pay for the materials. For painter work and flooring (excluding tiles and shower WC) with garage painting in the basement, we would get credited under 4k.

Your planning looks well detailed. What should the outdoor facilities include? The approach to the material seems quite generous to me, a lot of paving and terrace, a pond?

- Paving in front of the garage (approx. 7x6); - Path and entrance area in front of front door, where stairs (probably 5-7 steps) will be necessary - Terrace covering (70 sqm) - maybe a garden shed and play equipment Just because of the stairs, the item is probably calculated very tight.

Also the 15k for the fence. Chestnut picket fence holds very well and costs little. I also find it prettier than wire things or modular walls - of course, a matter of taste. With the soil class, posts are quickly set and the fence is no problem to build anyway.

Indeed, calculated somewhat generously. My hidden buffer for the outdoor facilities is mentally included here. I looked at picket fences as a transitional solution. But they are still quite expensive for that.

15.5k for odds and ends and furniture – depending on how much you take with you – if you watch the budget, it’s more than enough.

Everything will be taken along. Theoretically, only the child has to be newly furnished. Some saving potential exists, but also unrealistic at the same time. Lamps already devour quite a bit. Toilet brush holders and such trinkets, lots of small items that don’t matter individually but add up.

For 25k you get a great kitchen. The manufacturers throw discounts around, there is saving potential there.

For kitchen (for 18-20k there is already something "decent"), odds and ends and fence, you could easily save a bit more.

25k is a quite realistic price. The appliances will make up most of it for us. The quality class of the kitchen manufacturer could still offer saving potential, so the kitchen could probably be realized for 15-18k. But then there are no rubber seals on the doors/drawers, and the drawers have no glass walls, only bars, and there are no glass fronts either...

His equipment is not cheap (underfloor heating, electric shading...). Many here already see that as the lowest standard.

I see that as my personal minimum standard as well. I know the construction industry sets other standards. Smart home has already been completely removed from the calculation; I would personally see that as a high-end standard.