Is the basement cost estimate realistic?

t. That of course brings completely different challenges. I would be interested to know how others have solved the issue with the second escape route? Is there a separate cellar staircase here?

Either that. Or since you are planning a light well anyway: a window of sufficient size and climbing aids such as handles, footholds, etc.

I have a cross trainer, a treadmill, a power rack, a cable tower and free weights. That should be enough for the next 30 years - even with lower ceiling height ;)

I have 220 cm height in the cellar and overhead press standing or clean and jerk with the barbell just doesn’t work anymore. Those 20 cm more make a huge difference.

Maybe I can help you with current figures: the shell construction costs for our WU basement, approx. 145 sqm area, shell height between 2.69 and 2.82 m (depending on the area), walls as prefabricated parts, ceiling filigree+in-situ concrete, including insulation 14 cm (however not completely, as part of the area is an uninsulated garage, and part is open as a basement, i.e. the insulation there will be added later), with 2 light shafts & 2 windows, including factory preparation for electrical installation (flush-mounted boxes and empty conduits embedded) are about 106 TEuro.

Our foundation is partly somewhat special (strip foundation, plus frost skirts on the open sides) and we have a ceiling step - both are quite expensive, so surely a simple floor slab but with all wall surfaces insulated would probably be about the same price in the end.

That means purely for the shell construction without earthworks or interior finishing you can expect about €750 per sqm - depending on the region certainly somewhat more expensive, due to higher labor costs. But it shouldn’t actually be much more.

Thanks for your input. In the meantime, I also spoke with a basement builder. He said that for a normal WU basement with about 90 sqm floor area (he had just calculated it), the cost in the shell construction phase (with 2.5 meters raw interior height) including four light shafts and 10 cm insulation (floor slab and exterior walls) is around €70,000 to €80,000 provided that no special foundation is required. Additionally, there are the costs for the earthworks and the costs for the interior finishing. If I then calculate the 90 sqm with your €750 per sqm, I come to €67,500, which is at the lower end of the estimate – but does not sound unrealistic... Thanks!

So, all in all we spent €70,000 for 55 sqm of basement. The ceiling height is 2.30 meters, otherwise everything is kept rather simple. Two rooms have tiles (self-installed), one [Betonfarbe] and one vinyl floor (also self-installed).

We should have paid around 49k in 2019 for a basement (semi-detached house) with about 70sqm. Too expensive for us back then. We invested the money elsewhere and are now very happy without a basement.

Isn't it perhaps more sensible to consider the attic. With the right roof, a lot of storage space is possible there. Heating and such can also be accommodated there.