Feasibility Single-family house + land 400,000 €

3000 euros net is not bad either, but you have to see it in context: You are probably tax class 3 and your wife tax class 5? Then your net is only that high because of her costs. You have to look at the total income. Ultimately, of course you can afford a house – but a 300,000 euro house including all additional costs is hardly feasible nowadays. At least not if you are not able to contribute a lot of your own work (and I am not talking about the usual floor coverings and painting work). The 100% financing could still work because you are a civil servant. Of course, it costs more in interest. In your place, I would simply go to the house bank and get advice. Until the building savings contract is “mature,” that will take some time anyway, and in the meantime you should urgently increase your savings rate. Unfortunately, you have missed that in recent years.

The problem is not your salary, but the total household income in connection with the imaginary construction costs of 400k€. As has been written several times before, the 400k€ is too little for everything and then 4.1k€ becomes tight. Do you have children? If you don’t have children yet, from my point of view the matter is already decided. Because your wife’s salary is not compensated by child benefits/parental allowance/, etc. in combination with expenses like daycare, etc.

Furthermore, if you start building, no Baukindergeld will be given anymore. The deadline is in 9 months. And with the high subsidy program that was decided yesterday, the "rich subsidy" will not be extended. I simply cannot imagine that.

Baukindergeld for two children

We are both 36 and have one child (child benefit included in income 2)

Well, one or two children? Regardless, the Baukindergeld will soon be exhausted and gone, so don’t plan on it for now.

Maybe in a few years, when more equity has been built up.

More equity is always good. Unfortunately, time is against you, since typically you want to have everything paid off by retirement.

How about a second full-time job and an existing property?

I actually thought that with just under 3000 net on average in Germany I didn’t earn that badly. However, that apparently doesn’t apply to the community of home builders, where I have read threads with completely different incomes. There is a reason why not everyone can afford their own home, maybe we just have to accept that. I admit that in the years since the start of my working life I could have saved a bit more, but I didn’t. Reason came with age.

The "problem" is the expensive house construction, especially in Bavaria. You earn well on average nationally, but just not well enough for a house.

Where exactly do you live or want to build? There are some regions in Bavaria where you can still get something for under 300€/sqm! Of course, you have to accept longer travel times...

Well, one or two children? Regardless, the Baukindergeld will soon be used up and no longer available, so don’t plan on it for now.

We have one, the second is on the way. In terms of salary, the second child will basically bring the same net result (second child benefit, child supplement, lower private health insurance contributions).

I am not counting on Baukindergeld or Bavarian homeownership subsidies or other grants; I disregarded these in the first financing offer from the bank, since you never know if you will actually receive anything from these funds. However, the first financing referred to a lower amount (€350,000). According to the bank, this would not be a problem and would be easily financeable. For a house, at least €100k more would be needed.