Does the real estate market increasingly force more families to build?

It is quite easy to build a house if you are price flexible. Setting the right priorities and building economically-smart is much more challenging.

That may be true. But depending on the region, construction companies are very busy, and this is also noticeable in the prices. Even with simple construction methods. We are currently seeing this ourselves when obtaining various offers. Even simply built prefabricated houses have become quite expensive by now.

I am already super happy and glad to have a house AND to have gotten it cheaply. Everything else will come with time. It bothers me much less that we don’t have a wardrobe and a proper kitchen (camping stove, no sink, etc.) than it used to bother me back then to live in a rental apartment with all its disadvantages (especially in the form of the people around). Just the fact that we can do whatever we want here now and everyone else has to stay outside, even at a good distance, is priceless.

When it comes to whether buying is worth it, quality of life is not priced in with a single cent. But that is the main reason to buy. Especially if you don’t want to inherit anything. That’s why building wealth doesn’t matter to me at all. Although we bought back then with only a small income, without equity, and now according to the calculator we have so much income that we are no longer middle class, nothing has really changed in our lives. Still never been on vacation, a used car, the house is still a construction site, and still satisfied. Maybe we will manage to install a kitchen next year or the year after, and by that I mean our old kitchen that we took from the rental apartment. It’s just that the floor is still missing at the moment. But that would already be an absolute dream. Ergo: with low demands you can also be quite simply happy.

That may be. But depending on the region, the construction companies are very busy and this is also clearly reflected in the prices. Even with simple construction methods. We are currently seeing this ourselves when obtaining various offers. Even simply built prefab houses have meanwhile become quite expensive.

That is true. Building has become very expensive. Therefore, my special respect goes to those who manage this with clear financial expectations and limits. Those are the ones who can be especially proud, because they have accomplished something special. Those who can simply pump more money into the construction site find decisions easier. That is how I meant my statement.

It is rather the costs around the house (earthworks, excavation, parking spaces, retaining walls, terraces...) that can really add up, especially on a slope.

Yes, and you cannot influence those.

This forum corresponds to reality. When I look around where we live, even among those who do a lot of work themselves, our house is not out of the ordinary in terms of size or equipment.
There are also semi-detached houses here, 120 sqm single-family houses up to upscale equipment on 240 sqm.

The Flair house builder usually does not come here. Why would they?
Much of what is discussed here, floor plans, smart home, is not their world.

Nice that now there is someone with experience in the "catalog house area," not meant negatively.

How often do newcomers get told the house and budget don’t match?
How often are they urged to save?
There are more suggestions for downgrades than upgrades.
Unfortunately, this is often ignored.
I would be curious to see how this continues.
Additional financing? Zwegat? Foreclosure? Or will the Flair be built after all?

Considering that building land is scarce, the requirements for living space size should be somewhat more modest. Some floor plans would also benefit from eliminating the kids’ bathroom and dressing room.

The menu is luxurious I have a book from the 30s in some box and the meal proposals looked poorer back then. Especially concerning heating costs. Potatoes were cooked for several meals. Boiled potatoes, the leftovers then fried potatoes, mashed potatoes were reused in the soup. Meat and sausage almost not at all. The handwritten cookbook from my grandma contains everything from pancakes to egg liqueur. It is only focused on what the farm and garden provide. A lot of time was invested in canning, pickling, and gardening. Slaughter days, baking days, days when sauerkraut was pickled, apples and potatoes were harvested, or elderberries and sloes were collected were long days when everyone had to help and all other work was left undone.

I am already really happy and glad to have a house AND to have gotten it cheaply. Everything else will come with time. It bothers me much less that we don’t have a wardrobe and a proper kitchen (camping stove, no sink, etc.) than it did back then living in a rental apartment with all its disadvantages (especially in the form of the people around). Just the fact that we can now do whatever we want here and everyone else has to stay outside, even at a good distance, is priceless.

When asking whether buying is worth it, quality of life is not priced in at all. But that is the main reason to buy. Especially if you don’t want to inherit anything. Building wealth is absolutely not what it’s about for me.
Although we bought back then with only a small income, without equity, and now according to the calculator have such an income that we are no longer middle class, basically nothing has changed in our life. Still never been on vacation, a used car, the house is still a construction site, and still satisfied. Maybe next year or the year after we’ll manage to install a kitchen, and by that I mean our old kitchen that we took from the rental apartment. The floor is simply still missing at the moment. But that would already be an absolute dream.
Therefore: with low expectations you can easily become happy.

That said, I think you should try to at least get a functional kitchen after a certain time... especially when the kitchen is already there and only the floor is missing. And no wardrobe either? For me those are essential things that should actually already be there at the beginning.

That’s just my opinion.

I also see vacations as very important.

Best regards