Initial ideas for planning a small single-family house

Costs estimated by me:
House: approx. €160,000-170,000
Plot of land: approx. €75,000
Foundation slab: approx. €15,000?
Additional construction costs: approx. €30,000?
Buffer: €15,000?

Hi D655321,

a long text is okay – you can use this well to sort out your thoughts and ideas.

You have clear ideas and a plan (many don't ...).
I like that.

Regarding the "small house," I can help you, ours is tiny too. We are only two and unfortunately childless. You can get the floor plan by PM via email.

There was even a version of the house as a bungalow with the living space you mentioned.

There is a thread here: "What did your house cost." I also linked my house there and stated the costs per sqm / cubic meter (the total costs, for everything).

Keeping as small as necessary is not necessarily expensive but saves money.

Regarding your costs:
House: approx. €160,000-170,000
- Realistic, it could be 10-15k cheaper if you save on equipment. There are manufacturers that can manage this with good quality (as far as I know, not the manufacturer of my house, which was not that cheap). More details not here but only via PM. Info: I am a private person and report only personal experiences, respectively those of friends/acquaintances who were also builders. A bungalow in simple equipment of exactly the size you want – starting from the foundation slab – can be had for around €125-130k. Okay, that is the version for the poor, but it is very livable, even with the heating + ventilation you want. Given your requirements, I would clearly recommend the small bungalow.

Plot of land: approx. €75,000
- You have to know that... what you buy where. But please consider notary fees + property transfer tax. Also consider: location, location, location. Better invest €10k more here if the location, building ground, surroundings, infrastructure are good.

Foundation slab: approx. €15,000?
- No, please calculate around €20k first, but it strongly depends on the building ground. And whether deep foundation (80cm - 100cm) or shallow foundation with frost protection edge beam is done.

Additional construction costs: approx. €30,000?
- Yes, okay. That is a good starting estimate.

Buffer: €15,000?
- No, you forgot garden, kitchen, moving, and many small things. Please set at least €25k here. Better €30k. And make sure you buy a fully developed plot.

Keep staying realistic, your basic approach is definitely going in the absolutely right direction and mindset.

Thorsten

Why does this sentence seem to appear in every 2nd thread of the last few weeks? Is it meant to suggest, hey I only have one post (actually only this one), but I've been here forever and will become an active contributor in this forum.

The person has been registered since 11/25 last year. I am willing to believe what he says/writes. He also argues reasonably. Such posts are okay with me for now, let's see how things develop here.

Hello, you have the same personal prerequisites as we do, however, we place value on a bit of style in the equipment, but can do without electronic gimmicks. We would have also liked to build a bungalow, but according to the development plan it was not allowed. Thus, no office niche was planned, but an office/guest room, which can be used in case of illness. We solved the problem with generous space on the ground floor and less on the upper floor with an open space under an offset gable roof/shed roof, resulting in relatively little living space on the upper floor. However, we did not want to give up generous living space: no bedroom where you get claustrophobic or cannot properly get up beside the bed. The living room is not only airy but also open in view to the dining area, so that the room is not higher than it is wide. If the Wii is unpacked again, you could do lunges in front of the TV and there should also be space for hobbies. In this respect, I also give you the advice to plan some additional space for changes and extensions of your personality. Tools, decorations, bicycle and walking sticks want to be stored within reach and in an organized way. This makes life easier and has nothing to do with excessiveness. If care is needed later, you may possibly have a room with a shower toilet for the staff and with a sale a larger target group. With your equity you can afford an airy small house; I do not know the land costs in your favored area.

You can afford a light little house with your equity

I see it exactly the same way, actually the two could practically start the project immediately....

I'm a bit short on time right now, but thanks already for the assessments. I had actually originally thought of a bungalow, but then read here in the forum that it would be more expensive due to more floor space and more roof, but apparently, with my small size, I'm still in a range where it makes sense. If 15-20m² more really don't have much impact on the price, it's definitely a good idea to plan for more, but we also thought about the fact that there would be more cleaning, and especially in old age, it would be too big for 2 people. On the other hand, you have already mentioned good arguments for it... The fact that I noted that I have been reading along here for a while was actually just meant to signal that I have been doing a lot of thinking and research myself for some time before blindly opening a thread here with questions that have already been answered a dozen times. It wasn't meant to be rude or anything; I just wanted to be polite. I have more time to write this evening; just wanted to give a quick interim feedback and thank all the posters.

The fact that I mentioned reading along here for a longer time was actually only meant to signal that I have been doing a lot of thinking and research on my own for some time before blindly starting a thread here with questions that have already been answered a dozen times. It was not meant in a bad way or anything, just wanted to be polite.

Clearly rounds off my gut feeling.

People here really want to build genuinely and realistically, with sensible and realistic starting plans.

I am happy to help here. We'll get these two into their little house.