Defensive offer, or have house prices become so expensive?

Ah yes, the time when one still approached the topic of building naively. I also once had the desire for a basement and a large garage where the Topcat including trailer could find its winter storage at the back. Now I am building without a basement, with a double carport and the trailer outside under the tarp. For €100,000 more than originally planned ;)

Ah yes, the time when one still naively approached the topic of building. I also once had the wish for a basement and a large garage ...

I find the necessary renunciation of a basement and garage good, maybe you will also see the advantages in the medium term. In my opinion, they both have in common that they are practical but not beautiful and their unpleasant appearance affects the surroundings. We are also building without a basement and garage, but unlike my husband, I am very, very glad about it. :) Now it will be an airy, bright, friendly carport with a transparent roof, crowned with flowers and plants. :-)

The plot is almost flat, sloping slightly to the north, max. 1m over 25m length. The reason we want to build is that our first child is on the way and we currently live in an apartment on the second floor. The layout of the rooms in our current apartment is not very suitable for living with a child. We have a plot in the new development area of the community. There were 15 lots and about 45 applicants. Regarding the basement, if we leave it out, I will need a utility room upstairs and also more space overall, which is more expensive than the basement.

... and also more space otherwise, which is more expensive than the basement.

Not necessarily. Often a basement is significantly more expensive than 20 sqm more above ground.

Basically always during the shell construction. The basement can only be cheaper on average if you omit a lot of living space there. But you could also do that in a utility room. Additional square meters above ground are much cheaper than the average for the entire house, even without additional bathrooms or something like that. I paid a good 13,000 EUR for 12m² more (above ground) in the general contractor contract, so about 1100 EUR / m² (contract from 2020, house in the final stages of construction). But that is without flooring and paint.

The plot is almost level, slopes slightly to the north max. 1m over 25mm length. [...] On the subject of the basement, if you leave it out, I need a utility room upstairs for it and also more space overall, which is more expensive than the basement.

For half a meter in the area of the house footprint, my basement rule clearly states that a basement is still a luxury - and even more so just to get a utility room above ground counted in the floor area calculation.

We have a plot in the new development area of the municipality. There were 15 lots and about 45 applicants.

Well then, congratulations on winning! (even if with such a dream ratio it was almost "easy").

And the layout of the rooms in our current apartment is not so great for living with a child.

So with twenty-six and only one child, I would normally have recommended a terraced house. But if the plot is already there, a semi-finished house is closer: ground floor finished, attic only prepped.