House with 100% own effort

I'm throwing a round of Pringles into the group and looking forward to more contributions. Am I seeing this right, you don't need electricity, light comes from candles, heating is done with wood, and you get water from the nearby stream/lake?

In the east, in the countryside, you might get something used for the price (if all the official paperwork etc. is included). But the houses look accordingly. That means a lot of work. And some material costs. As a newly built house? Theoretically maybe, but not in a way that you are allowed to live in it according to German regulations. Even microhomes cost €50k and more.

Do you only want to spend 20,000 or can you only spend 20,000? When building a house, you should always have a buffer and not be existentially threatened if it ends up being quite a bit more expensive than expected. Those who let a house be built turnkey know the approximate price. Usually, a lot of additional costs and such are already forgotten there. For what you are trying, hardly anyone will be able to give you experience values and a contractually guaranteed minimum performance does not exist. So in practice, it can be much much much more expensive than you first calculate. I can understand that most people here rightly amuse themselves about your fantastic request, but if you spend all the money you have on this adventurous attempt and can no longer pay for the essentials of life, that is sad.

Oh, I forgot. New construction and basement... yeah, then maybe you can start in 10 years if by then you’ve dug the pit with a shovel. It’s probably supposed to be done as DIY, right?

I’m really having fun!

So, then I'll get back in touch.

First of all, thanks for the answers. I'm already aware that the 20,000 is rather unrealistic.

What would you set as the absolute minimum for pure material costs?

The excavation for the basement... well, you have to get some machine help for that... That is also own work, but for day 2 you just have to rent an excavator. Although I was actually told that basements were dug that way back in the post-war period...

On the topic of electricity & co:
In general, we want to live independently and self-sufficiently (keyword self-sufficiency). Nevertheless, we of course don't want to give up the "luxury" of modern life (keyword sewage & internet). Also because of the children (bullying). So all these mandatory connections have to be made (and were not even included in the 20,000).

On the topic of can or want:
I'd say both. At the moment we are in the saving phase anyway. We want to avoid a loan anyway. So purely equity.

Of course, I've also thought about buying one of the old houses in the East. That would still be an idea. The problem with that: The old shacks naturally like to hide surprises (water damage, mold, dilapidated ceilings... I think you know what I mean) and a total renovation would be nice as a hobby project, but it also has to be manageable in terms of time.

With a new build I know: Okay, that takes 3-6 years with own work (or however long). With an old building renovation I might put in 2-3 years of free time, move in and then realize that something is wrong that basically makes the object uninhabitable. Especially since with old buildings a new heating system usually has to be installed anyway due to legislation...

Speaking of heating. How is that actually? They all have to be replaced at the moment. What if you throw out the oil boiler and then install a fireplace (of course approved by the chimney sweep). Is that okay or does the legislator have some complaint about that too?

Take a look at "Earthships." Theoretically, they can be realized with self-construction for 50k € and are quite self-sufficient. You won't get any lower unless you switch to trailers. Perhaps something like this can be done with television coverage and thus partially recover the costs, because it would be the first (or one of the first) of its kind in Germany. Or, if you are really completely flexible, try it in a cheaper country...