Floor plan of a 200m2 house, your assessment?

We had planned a large house (5 people) with 700k + buffer and it is expected to be at least 900,000.

What were the specific cost drivers for you? Are you still building as planned or have you changed/omitted something?

How do you currently live?

Currently in an apartment (approx. 130m2) with a lot of outdoor space (approx. 80m2 terraces). We are 58. At 35 we couldn't have afforded to build. Don't worry, I have no intention of leaving you. ;) I find the content comments very helpful. I will keep you updated...

What were the specific cost drivers for you? Are you still building as planned or have you changed/omitted something?

The shell construction was luckily agreed upon early and also started back in spring 2021. Since then, almost everything has become more expensive. Many things have been delayed. Mainly due to Corona and supply bottlenecks. And if a tradesman can’t come, all subsequent trades get postponed. For example, the plasterer canceled after the third rescheduling. The new one was then 20% more expensive… Insulation has also been a major cost driver. We now have to invest over €20,000 more than planned. Actually, almost everything has become more expensive than originally planned by our architect. So far, we haven’t really cut anything. But unfortunately, we are also not finished yet. We are lucky to be able to plan with quite a bit of buffer (which we haven’t told the architect about either). One consequence, however, was that we organize some things ourselves to make sure they happen on time (e.g., purchasing the electrical appliances for the kitchen, applying for subsidies). We don’t have the time (or experience) for doing any DIY work, but I am currently building the photovoltaic system entirely myself. This saves about €10,000 and I don’t have to make compromises.

I trust both to keep an eye on that! Moreover, it's a female architect (not a male architect) planner.

… because the attentive client learns that architects apply several variants of calculation (can) and one of them only calculates in cubic meters and therefore often errs negatively by about 20-30%. For HOAI, a good means to prevent the client from dropping out… because 200 sqm is not equal to 200 sqm…

Thanks, then, for the appeal not to discuss the budget any further.

So I assume my questions will not be answered?

With a given budget, some architects purely by chance also exactly meet the maximum budget. At least still during the planning phase...

… because the attentive client learns that architects apply (can apply) several variants of calculation, and one of them calculates only in cubic meters and often misses by about 20-30% negatively. For HOAI a good way to prevent the client from backing out… because 200 sqm is not the same as 200 sqm…

but it can also have advantages. Mine calculated the m3 of enclosed space at, I believe, €265. As a result, I stayed just under €300k with 1100m3 - saving €700 on the fee for surveying for the cadastral office. They charge a hefty surcharge above €300k in Lower Saxony :D