Evaluation of construction project and cost estimation for a single-family house

other costs:

[*]kitchen costs -> approx. €15,000
[*]furniture, lamps, decoration -> €0 / we would take them with us at first

I consider the kitchen cost estimate to be significantly too low. We were at the kitchen studio yesterday, and with our upscale but not extraordinary wishes, they mentioned at least €25-35k. Maybe we can manage with €25k, but I assume your requirements are similar – then €15k will no longer be enough.

Specifically, Town & Country Flair 152 RE would be a good option by leaving out a wall. Here in the forum, the €3,000/m² is currently mentioned rather as a lower limit for a new single-family house build. Does this really correspond to reality, and how does the quite large difference of 150 m² * €3,000/m² = €450,000, for example, come about compared to the Town & Country Flair, which is set at €312,500 in our region? What hidden costs come up in the case of Town & Country? Ultimately, more or less the same regional companies are working on both options. Or do we have a fundamental misconception here?

Well, I built exactly that Town & Country Flair 152RE with my ex-husband with a few changes to the floor plan.
For us, the basic price was about €195k at some point in 2018/19, and in the end, we came to around €250k for the house. However, we upgraded the heat pump, for example, which is now standard. To what extent the offer is sufficient for you regarding tiles, etc., you have to decide yourself. We upgraded relatively little in this respect.
As for the companies: yes, these were all regional companies that could also be on the construction site for architect-designed houses or other providers. They all did proper work.
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

(...) As for the companies: yes, they were all regional companies that can also be on site for architect-designed houses or other providers. They all did proper work as well. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

They can and do. I just built a Flair 152 in a new development with 88 plots, and the craft companies that worked for me were also deployed by other house building companies. Up to houses built by construction contractors for private use.

But you just have to cope with carrying the stigma of the "Oh Town & Country??? That wasn't enough for more? That's too bad. I'd rather have stayed in the rental apartment if I can't have a 223m glass balustrade." because their sign is on the property ;)

I think the kitchen budget is set far too low. We were at the kitchen studio yesterday and with our upscale but not extraordinary wishes, they at least mentioned 25-35k€. Maybe we can manage with 25k, but I assume your demands are similar – then 15k won't (any longer) be enough.

Matter of opinion. Friedrich Merz, an income millionaire, also places himself in the middle class... perception can sometimes be that distorted.

If it has to be, because the budget doesn't allow more, you can also get a kitchen for 15k. It will just be Nobilia or Pino and not Schüller or Nolte.
At the kitchen studio you pay 2,000 EUR for a cooktop, online you get it for 1,200. And it goes on like that.

And... this is added... such "estimates" are part of the sales tactic. If the kitchen planner says "Yes, you should plan around 30k" and you say without batting an eye "Yes, that was also our expectation"...
Then he knows he can sell you a lot of unnecessary expensive stuff...

If the customer then hesitates and says "Oh. 30k? Well, 20k is our limit." then he knows there isn't much to gain. Either he rejects immediately, then he's a charlatan and belongs in insolvency in the coming crisis. Or he then focuses with you on what a kitchen really needs.
And that is primarily functionality, only then comes design and the real wood bar counter or the complete equipment with premium drawers.

I am overwhelmed by your effort, all the personal offers, and your valuable input.

@ CC35BS38

The €785,000 were already including all incidental costs and broker commission for the existing house. However, today we received information from an expert that the house has major problems with subsequent and uneven settling. As a result, the house is slightly tilted, and the doors, windows, and floors are crooked by a few degrees. We did not notice this directly during the viewing. The house would need to be underpinned in the next few years for stabilization with a kind of subsequent pile foundation. Putting the financial side aside, this issue is too risky for us, and thus the property is off the table.

and

I would very much like to come back to your offers once a new build becomes more concrete. I will then contact you personally. Many thanks again for the offers.

@ k-man2021

Geothermal energy is basically the most appealing to us as well. Whether it can be implemented sensibly will probably only become clear during the concrete planning, as it depends on the many factors mentioned.



We currently have an Ikea kitchen with Siemens appliances from the internet and are extremely satisfied with it. Although it is now about five years old and therefore possibly no longer directly comparable in price, it didn’t even cost half of €15,000. Since we would like to do the same for the next kitchen, I consider the €15,000 quite realistic and possibly even somewhat high. The alternative would be a showroom kitchen; the budget should also work there. But I believe you right away that the budget for a kitchen from the studio including installation might not be enough, and the scale, as with so many things, is open toward the higher end. Thank you for your note.



I had a hearty laugh at your comment “Oh Town & Country??? Didn’t make it for more?” Luckily, we are building for ourselves and not for the neighbors. And yet, we have always gotten along great with everyone in the neighborhood. I hope a supposedly simple construction standard will not change that in the future either.

For us, it is less that we cannot afford more; we do not want to put all our equity into the €800,000 budget, plus there is a conservative financing rate over 20 years. That way, we would be debt-free by the latest at age 50. Should things turn out tough or something go wrong, we might be able to compensate with retained equity or a longer financing period.

Rather, it is a question of what you really need and whether it then provides a long-term added value. In our case, that would probably be a larger plot of land rather than KNX. But that is an individual topic that everyone would answer differently, and that’s a good thing.

The topic of Town & Country versus building costs of €3,000/m² is still a mystery to me. Is so much really saved with the standard floor plan and pre-made processes? After all, model homes, franchise partners, etc. also have to be paid for. Can nearly a six-figure amount still remain that is passed on to the builder?

Here it would probably be a larger property with us than . But that is an individual matter, which everyone would answer differently, and that is a good thing.

Hehe - just wait until the selection phase. I’m also quite "old school" about it. With the electrician, everything standard, a few extra sockets here and there, and then my question: Can I have one central switch for all the blinds with a timer at one point - and suddenly KNX was included in the offer :-) and after a few phone calls and trimming down I now have KNX in the house (mini version) for a minimal surcharge compared to all the mess of switches I would have had otherwise... GD