House construction costs, how were they for you?

For us, yes. We only had that in the summer after our move. Well, there were a few more lamps. But I think as long as you don’t ask them from 50km away and pay for their travel, they will do it, even for fewer lamps. Maybe there are a few other small things they can help with. They are definitely much easier to get "quickly" than electricians.

By the way, my husband is always amazed by the handling of lamp installations and such things in Germany. He has never done it and would never touch it because he grew up in Australia, and it simply isn’t legal there. You are not allowed to touch the electricals there. Lamps & co are, like kitchens, usually part of the standard equipment of houses and apartments and are sold/rented with them. This taking of kitchens and lamps was extremely strange to him at first. Many of the machines that are a standard part of a home workshop in Germany are also pro tools that nobody has at home there.

We have already had this topic. I don’t want to use someone else’s lamps. Tastes are just too different for that. But changing a normal lamp really doesn’t require any expertise. That’s why a moving company does it as well.

And exactly that was for us (and surely for many others) a reason to build new and to have the biggest finished after a "foreseeable" time. I see that with my parents-in-law: house from 1907?! Bought about 20 years ago and they are almost every year renovating, repairing, refurbishing something. That seemingly never ends. You just always have something to do! Without wanting to devalue an old house (don’t get me wrong!! ) @ WilderSueden 318k € ONLY for the basic package, plus all kinds of bigger items. That can really only be afforded by someone who earns very well or pays it off. And maybe also leaving part of the debt to the children who are supposed to inherit the house. I am really glad to have dared to build myself and to be at half the cost with the same living space! But of course, others may see that differently, which is perfectly fine

I love renovating and building! I have absolutely no problem with that. I love our old lady and would never want to give her up for a new house :). We have not had good experiences with the hammer. It probably really differs regionally.

But the next neighbor can also hang up a lamp for a bottle of beer.

It's not about the fact that I couldn't do it myself even with a few bottles of beer down, but about the nonsensical statement that laypeople have no business whatsoever dealing with electrical wiring. Nonsensical because – as long as the important steps are followed – it is not that dangerous and because it is completely unrealistic, since in the real world no professional comes for a lamp.

But the next neighbor can also hang up a lamp for a bottle of beer.

Exactly!! And you save especially when the electrician charges from 60€/h NET + travel! Here in the countryside people still really help each other. We have recently experienced this ourselves during the house construction. Even though we didn’t know a single one beforehand. I found that very "impressive" and supportive.

Yes, to each their own. Of course, old houses – as long as they are nice to look at – have their very special charm. I, for example, love old half-timbered houses (and therefore always enjoy visiting old historic villages/cities), they each have their own story, but living in such a house, I would much rather prefer our new house! (you have built something yourself for your family, where recently there was only a bare meadow)

I watched a video on Youtube about house construction: botched work / nightmare and rising prices / interest rates. The prospective homeowners do not inform themselves at all about the general contractor who is supposed to build their house and simply trust their statements (and their hard-earned half a million) blindly, and then they wonder how something like the pictures ends up happening. (You probably only have a house built like this once in your life). How can a company place the multi-utility house entry directly in the front door? (see picture) Don't the tradespeople think at all BEFORE they produce such crap??? Or walls stone on stone WITHOUT offset in the other picture? One building family built (or rather had built) their house for 5!!! years and it was only in the shell construction phase because the construction company kept making new mistakes and delayed the construction). Words fail you. Did you also experience such problems / botched work with your own projects?

Did you also experience such problems / botches with you?

No, and luckily we are not on TV because of it. Do you have a flawless house? Then congratulations, supposedly that doesn't exist either.