How much house is realistic for us?

I don't know the land prices where you are, let's assume 100000 including additional purchase costs. Someone just has a locked offer for just under 130000 €, single-family house, gable roof, add another at least 30000-40000 to make it a Kfw70 with small extras, 25000 € incidental construction costs (we're in Nds after all), painter and flooring by craftsmen 20000, simple carport and paving 10000 (the essentials) => 325000... kitchen with 10000 and buffer... rounded up 350000.

You have to calculate 400 € in monthly additional costs.

Are you willing to restrict yourselves financially again???

asks Yvonne

I am willing to financially restrict myself again. But I am also realistic, I have gotten somewhat used to the carefree life, so I think a middle ground would be an option for us. A bit more than before, less than today.

The 350,000€ already sounds insanely high. How much would the monthly expense be approximately (I have no idea about such financings)? We can comfortably pay off for a maximum of 35 years. When I retire, I definitely want to be free of the loan. If, as mentioned above, the monthly installment is around 1500€, plus 400€ additional costs... Honestly, that would already make me sweat quite a bit. That is 1200€ more burden than now. It would be feasible, but then I would lack the buffer that I currently find very comfortable.

You can relatively easily extrapolate from the costs for the 330T €. Lower repayment is possible, but I would not recommend it. 400 ancillary costs are not unrealistic, but already generous for 130 sqm. Better to sweat now than every month for 30 years. But as I said - I wouldn’t have any concerns with 4T € net in our case.

rounded up 350000.

asks Yvonne

From my own experience - I am currently building - I can only confirm that.... It will be about the same for us. (160 sqm, double garage, but cheaper plot)

Greetings, torsan

Spending half of 4k net on housing? I think that's really a lot. I could definitely live with a third. Or do I have the wrong ideas about that?

The €350,000 already sounds insanely high.

It is... for building a house in Lower Saxony quite normal, however most people in your age group already have a small equity cushion, or the parents already let an inheritance portion flow during their lifetime, don’t have to finance over 100%, and are willing to do some DIY during the main vacation.

In Sehnde there are plots for about €70,000 (whether they have a good location, I can’t and don’t want to judge here)... without a realtor we are at €80,000... DIY with painting and laying laminate again minus €10,000... instead of €350,000 we are at €320,000.
I like to round everything up a bit because I know from our construction project that about €25,000 were unplanned, this money might have fallen into our lap, otherwise we would have had to extend our loan or would now be breaking our backs working on the terrace construction.

Who is your favorite home builder?

I think I linked my build blog in my profile... you gotta take a look

Questions are also answered via PM – I’d rather not name construction companies here since we have the specific company feedback forum for that, where we can also praise and criticize.

Regards Yvonne