House construction costs, how were they for you?

I think it’s good when someone puts a lot of personal effort into the construction together with their buddies. This is quite common in rural areas. You have to be aware that those who help you will also expect help in return. Often, this means years of building, even when your own is finished.

Some guidance and, for several years now, YouTube videos do not replace years of training. One should be aware of that. Most houses with a lot of personal effort that I know of have defects that would not be accepted with a general contractor + expert. Of course, there are also cases where almost all trades are represented within the family, and there is often exemplary work done.

Yes, of course we were in a positive special situation because we could live with the parents. If it is somehow possible due to space reasons, I would recommend it to everyone, as you save a lot of money (rent, etc.). But of course not everyone has such a starting situation, I am aware of that...
It can of course lead to tensions on both sides (for example if it drags on), that has to be considered beforehand...

Yes, of course as an amateur you sometimes make mistakes, that happens, but they must not be gross mistakes or neglect (especially no safety-relevant ones!!). But that's what a professional site manager and/or experienced people are for.
Everything went well for us.

And yes, of course as a layman (sometimes significantly) needs more time than a professional craftsman. But your labor costs you not €60-80/h and upwards.
I preferred it to take longer than to hand over huge sums to expensive companies. For which I would then again have to pay off the loan for many YEARS LONGER with a small salary...

The statement "Anyone can have it done if they have the money" was not intended to be disparaging at all but simply: those who earn a lot of money are of course allowed to have it built and don’t have to lift a finger. No question. I would probably do that too. But it does take a lot of guts and a lot of learning/organizing to get your own home up and running.
Money, as always, makes many things in life easier.
Of course, you may also be proud to have a well-paying job that enables you to have your house built.


"We simply had no choice. We had the choice between doing a lot ourselves or not building at all."
That was exactly the same with us too!

According to Haus.de: "The shell construction costs for a house make up an immense portion of the total new construction costs. Around 40 to 50 percent of the total costs usually fall on the shell."
And here again at least half of it is labor time that the contractor makes you pay well for!! And especially bricklaying/stone setting can be learned very quickly (if someone shows you professionally and watches your hands at the beginning. Very important!!)

Sanitary / heating, for example, I left everything to the professionals since I’m not familiar with that.
We did a lot of the electrical work ourselves beforehand (here it is, of course, an advantage that the father is a trained industrial electrician. Although industry and house are different fields) and just left the proper connecting, etc. to the professional.
Etc.: For the various trades, we did a lot ourselves and left the difficult things to the professionals!

Regarding aerated concrete: soundproofing luckily doesn’t play a very big role in our village. Unless you live right on a country road.

"This gives you a feeling in the house of 'I did that.'"
Exactly! No matter where in the house you stand/sit/lie, I keep thinking back to the construction time and remember: it was such and such, back then we did this and that. The fun was not neglected either.
If you move into a finished "nest," personally I would miss the "bond" to the house that you have built over the whole time.
(just like, for example, with raising children... You build a bond with the child!)


"I think it’s good when someone puts a lot of own work into the construction with their buddies. That is quite common in our rural area."
Unfortunately, that is no longer very common. The willingness to help is unfortunately decreasing more and more. You have to be clear about that if you do a lot of own work.
Friends are not hired craftsmen. They come (or don’t) when it fits into THEIR schedule.
You can rather count on family/relatives!
Of course, you must also be willing to help them!

"Most houses with an extreme amount of own work that I know have mistakes you wouldn’t accept with a general contractor + expert."
What exactly do you mean there? What happened?

So we are quite proud of our own work, it's not just about saving money. When you really get into the craftsmanship in depth, you get to know and love your house. And we only have to hire craftsmen for a few things now, you don't learn it just for that one time. Next time you can always do it, and you get better and better. And we can help friends sometimes. In times of devastating shortage of craftsmen, a big factor from my point of view.

Oh, and by the way, the only major mistakes we've had so far were caused by professionals. By German, regional craftsman companies. Electrical wiring mislabeled (e.g. also the stove connection, but not so important, the electrician doesn’t die then, but the customer who thinks he turned off the stove’s fuse^^), plumbers drilled into tiles, caused a hairline crack, and then who knows how long water happily ran from the shower through the wooden beam ceiling down to the wooden staircase below. Liability for damages? Nope. Not voluntarily. You would have had to involve a lawyer. Well, the electrician company sent someone again to check the rest. Meh. We also had good craftsmen, but mostly bad ones.

And yes, of course, as a layman, sometimes significantly more time is needed than a professional craftsman. But for that, your labor doesn't cost you 60-80€/h or more. I preferred it to take longer than to hand over huge sums to expensive companies. For which I then, in turn, have to pay off the loan for many YEARS LONGER with a small salary...

People are simply different. My labor costs me essentially three different things: 1. Money => while I am working on the construction site, I can't earn money elsewhere 2. (Free) time => while I am working on the construction site, I can't play with my child or do nice things with my wife 3. Health => because I am a layman on the construction site and do this work in addition to my regular job, I reach my physical limits here. That is okay for a few weeks (during vacation) or weekends. But I would not want to put myself through that over a longer period. At the end of 2018, we completed our financing at 1.45% with a 30-year fixed interest rate and constant payments. Our home essentially pays for itself through inflation, simply put. Our monthly burden amounts to 800 euros. What value will this amount still have in 25 years? Honestly, I don't care if the financing runs five years longer or shorter. And we don't have to pay off anything here either. We pay down.

"I think it’s good when someone puts a lot of their own effort into the construction with their buddies. That’s quite common in our rural area." Unfortunately, that is not so common anymore. The willingness to help is unfortunately decreasing more and more. You have to be aware of that if you do a lot of DIY work. Friends are not paid craftsmen. They come (or not) when it FITS INTO THEIR SCHEDULE. You can more likely count on family / relatives! Of course, you also have to be willing to help them!

"Most houses with a lot of DIY work that I know have mistakes that you wouldn’t accept with a general contractor + expert" What exactly do you mean by that? What happened there?

Incorrectly installed insulation, waterproofing, no straight walls, window and door openings don’t fit, cables run wildly, uneven screed. Many things only become noticeable when the property is no longer quite new and suddenly the basement wall gets wet, mold develops, or a nail hits a cable that shouldn’t even be there. My husband and I have helped on several construction sites, and often we thought, it wouldn’t happen like this in our house. Many things are also simply done because that’s how the grandfather did it. I also know buildings with a lot of DIY work that I would buy immediately. Almost every trade is represented in the family and they have learned it. Anyone who works for a reputable craftsman Monday through Friday definitely doesn’t botch their brother’s/nephew’s/daughter’s construction on the weekend.

There are two sides to everything. There are also general contractor builds that probably anyone without two left hands could do better. The individual trades are apprenticeships and not without reason. One should simply not forget that.

Hopefully you stay in the forum. People who do a lot of DIY work keep appearing from time to time. Sure, most are (still) using general contractors, but more and more suffer from rising costs.