Is it possible to save costs smartly when building a house?

Hello, we are building a semi-detached house with about 150sqm of living space and 200sqm of garden. The contract will be signed next week, construction starts in late autumn. We have decided on the technical completion stage and will do some work ourselves: floors, tiles, sanitary fixtures, attic conversion, interior doors, outdoor area, painting. We have done our homework on financing and have also negotiated with the construction company for a long time and have now reached a good price. Since building a house always sucks a bottomless hole in the account as you know, we are now thinking about the details and where we can save costs. What are your experiences? For example regarding:

[*]Where to get sanitary fixtures cheaply? Also: Are branded products really worth it here? [*]Ditto kitchen appliances – is there a good method to find display models? [*]How did you manage outdoor areas cheaply? [*]Where and how to buy doors cheaply?

And so on... I look forward to your experiences!

I'm putting myself in hot water again, smile. Faucets etc., if Aldi has something, that's ok. Go for it. Good quality. Toilet bowls etc., from Bauhaus, Hornbach and so on. I think I would still choose brand-name products there. Electrical appliances display models, check on Amazon for used like new or used very good. Redcoon does something like that too, calls it B stock. We got our Jura coffee machine like that for 600 instead of 750. And it was like new. My wife's Siemens washing machine is also one of those and was in use for years and never broke down. Until today. Other affordable shopping sources are Ikea, especially for bathroom furniture and kitchens, Fliesen Harry, if you have that where you live. For paving stones and such, ebay also works. How often does someone still have 1.5 pallets standing there and just wants to get rid of them! That's it for now. Karsten

Hello, we are building a semi-detached house with about 150 sqm of living space and 200 sqm of garden.

Oh, so the "grandma's little house" is not going to be torn down after all?

[*]Where to get sanitary fixtures cheaply? Also: Are brand-name products really worth it here?

I'll say: those without a name have nothing to lose. He who buys cheap, buys twice. I wouldn't skimp on quality (abrasion class of the tiles, etc.): if in the end of the financing you "build again right away" because everything is already worn out, that's no fun. Paying "only" 100% because you save the 20% surcharge for the label "Nobelhuber" is fine; paying 70% for junk, and later another 70% because junk doesn't last long, adds up to 140%. So even more than if you had treated yourself to the Nobelhuber stuff ;-)

Investing hundreds of thousands of euros and then saving 100 EUR here on an electrical device and 20 EUR there on the fittings. Definitely worthwhile.

Quality has its price, that applies to land, house, equipment, etc.

There is something in every price range, but it's not called priceCLASS for nothing. Of course, you get higher quality and more durable items, equipment, etc. for a little extra. Just a class higher. Or buy cheap and redo it in 10 years. As you wish.

Provided you don’t overpay, I always find it funny how people talk about such topics. There are all kinds of qualities and you have to see what you want. And I, for example, take something durable here and something cheap there. Because it’s worth it to me and there I know it will break soon anyway. Just as an example.

There is nothing wrong with DIY store stuff. It’s cheap and breaks soon, but at first it saves money. Or you invest more initially and enjoy it longer. That works too.

Keramag, for example, also sells rather inexpensive ceramics under the label Allia, which have the same surface quality as their styling series. Allia has only a few basic types, mostly rounded shapes. If you like it, it's fine. Entire authorities, schools, and daycare centers are equipped with it. Karsten

And many many many GÜ single-family house constructions if you do not pay extra and take the standard...