Land and ancillary construction costs - Is the budget for house construction realistic?

First of all, a: Hello to everyone!

For some time now, I have been reading, informing myself, and researching the topic of "house construction." Since I have hardly any connection to the construction industry, I find the house construction forum a real enrichment and hope to gain more clarity in this - for me - nebulous subject.

Then to the first step:
So far, we (wife, teacher, 29; child 3 months; me, business economist; 29) are renting and have now been thinking about building.
But (unfortunately) I have no idea what budget I should expect for such a build...

These would be the key data:
A) Plot of land
Plot: approx. 150,000 EUR (approx. 510 sqm) in a (for us) top location [Speckgürtel einer bayerischen Großstadt] - fully developed with soil report and on greenfield land.

Plus incidental purchase costs (Are these covered by the additional construction costs?)

However, the development plan states:
A cistern or storage and infiltration shaft with at least 6 m³ must be present.
What does that mean in terms of costs?

B) Additional construction costs
Additional construction costs: approx. 40,000 Euro (according to this forum)

C) House
Planned house (form or appearance is determined):
KfW 70,
solid construction (36.5 cm brick),
simple construction: no offsets or similar: square with a roof on top (sorry to all architects here, but I have no idea what this building style is called: Bauhaus? Atelier house?)
140-160 sqm (5-7 rooms [one to two study rooms], 1 bathroom) living space
Usable area: approx. 25 sqm

Gable roof,
2 floors,
slight slope (the lowest floor would be half in the slope; is this referred to as a basement?),

Underfloor heating,
air-water heat pump,
parquet and tiles,
electric blinds (no venetian blinds)

Overall it should be an upscale (buzzword..) finish (but no designer toilets, only a standard bathtub, shower, and 1 washbasin...).

Double garage as a prefab garage,

No significant own contribution (we do not intend this also for warranty reasons...)
Outdoor facilities would be taken care of by us (seeding lawn, etc.)

Construction should be via architect or general contractor [but with VOB clauses: subcontractors only after consultation, sample selection only after approval by the builder] (so not with a developer).
How much should I budget for this? Is the statics included in the additional construction costs?

Plot with additional construction costs would be around 200T (190T from A and B + 10T buffer)
If I calculate 1500 Euro per square meter for 160 sqm, I come to about 240T (rounded 250T)
=> 450T Euro preliminarily as budget...

As often mentioned, it may be that - out of ignorance - I have counted some items twice or calculated usable areas differently/incorrectly...

Online calculators show everything from 370T to 550T...

Is a house construction [with plot and additional construction costs] realistic with a budget of A) 400 B) 450 or C) 500? Whether it is possible will be discussed at the appropriate time in another thread

And outside of planning:
I) Can I budget about 5000 Euro for a fireplace (in the living room)?
II) Kitchen with about 10-15T?

Thank you very much!

OnSite

Hello,
at first glance, the following things have caught my attention:

[*]Purchase incidental costs are not included in the ancillary construction costs
[*]Regarding the foundation costs, you should take a close look at the soil survey beforehand
[*]1500 euros is rather a low estimate for Bavaria if I remember correctly. The building expert can certainly say more about that.
[*]I am still missing the costs for painting work and floor coverings (each around 10,000 euros)
[*]Costs for outdoor facilities were also not taken into account
[*]Do you mean the "chimney" or the stove itself with the fireplace? There are large variations here.
[*]From experience, the kitchen is rather at the higher value.

I hope this helps you a bit already.

Hello Jochen,

Thanks already regarding the founding costs:
they give me a bad feeling, especially because the rainwater does not fully infiltrate. (According to the soil report, this does not work because the soil is not permeable.)

I have the feeling this could get expensive...

If you had a soil report for exactly this plot and your house in hand, you would also have a construction recommendation to calculate with.

Rainwater infiltration via a cistern cost us about 5000. The earthworks contractor installs it.

Regards Yvonne

Hello,

Additional purchase incidental costs for the plot (Are these covered by the incidental construction costs?)

Take a look here:

However, the development plan states:
A cistern or storage and infiltration shaft with at least 6m³ must be present.
What does that mean in terms of costs?

Quite nonsensical, especially since the soil is not permeable. Regarding costs, it depends on whether you just want to collect rainwater for garden irrigation or have an additional house connection, for example for the toilets. The costs then tend to be between EUR 5,000 and 7,000.

B) Incidental construction costs
Incidental construction costs: approx. 40,000 Euro (according to this forum)

Mostly sufficient. Just keep in mind that the costs for painter and flooring work as well as the landscaping (including access to the plot) are not covered by the incidental construction costs.

C) House
Planned house (shape or appearance is determined):
KfW 70,
solid construction (36.5 cm brick)
simple construction: no offsets or similar: square with a roof on top (sorry to all architects here, but I have no idea what this building style is called: Bauhaus? Studio house?)
140-160 sqm (5-7 rooms [including one or two offices], 1x bathroom) living space
Usable area: about 25 sqm
Gable roof,
2 floors,

With a gable roof, it is initially a simple, two-story single-family house.

slight slope (the lowest floor would be half in the slope; is this referred to as a basement here?),

No, it is a lower floor.

Underfloor heating,
water-air heat pump,
parquet and tiles,
electric shutters (no venetian blinds)

Overall it should be an upscale (buzzword...) finish (but no designer toilets, just a standard bathtub, shower, and one washbasin...).

Double garage as a prefabricated garage,

No significant own work (we do not plan that for warranty reasons either...)
We would take care of the outdoor facilities (sowing lawn, etc.)

I estimate you will be around EUR 300,000 for the single-family house, plus costs for the prefabricated garage, incidental construction costs, painter and flooring work, as well as landscaping. Since the soil is not permeable, additional costs for sealing due to stagnant moisture and/or seepage water will arise. This can be EUR 6,000 but also EUR 10,000; depending on the recommended type of sealing by the soil expert.

Construction should be via architect or general contractor [but with VOB clauses: subcontractors only after consultation, selection only after approval by the builders] (so not with a developer).
How much should I budget for this? Is statics included in the incidental construction costs?

Interesting - do you trust yourself to also control the tendering, evaluate the services of the craftsmen to be selected, check invoices, etc. as a non-specialist?

No. Statics is – at least in my list (link above) – not included because it is usually included in the fixed price of the general contractor/construction manager. I cannot assess from a distance what costs to plan; it can be EUR 3,000 but also EUR 6,000 – it always depends on the scope.

Plot with incidental construction costs would be around 200,000 (190,000 from A and B + 10,000 buffer)
If I calculate 1500 Euro per square meter for 160 sqm, I come to about 240,000 (rounded 250,000)
=> preliminary budget 450,000 Euro...

You cannot calculate “only” for 160 sqm, you want an additional 25 sqm of usable area... that does not pay for itself.

I am rather assuming the following calculation:

Plot: EUR 150,000
Single-family house as KfW 70 SFH: EUR 300,000 (for 185 sqm gross floor area)
Provision for sealing lower floor: EUR 10,000
Prefabricated garage 6 x 6 m: EUR 10,500 (without strip foundations, since costs for slope are different than on flat terrain)
Incidental construction costs: EUR 40,000
Painter work + flooring in own work: EUR 20,000
Outdoor facilities in own work: EUR 10,000 (only the essentials)
Provision for extras: EUR 10,000

All in all, about EUR 550,500.

And outside the planning:
I) Can I budget about 5,000 Euro for a fireplace (in the living room)?

For the pure chimney flue: yes. The cost of the fireplace itself would be added. Cheaper if the chimney flue is placed externally as a stainless steel chimney flue. But it depends on the architecture of the single-family house; stainless steel may not fit the look everywhere.

II) Kitchen with about 10-15K?

Depends on your taste; there are no limits upwards when buying a kitchen.

Rhineland regards

Hello Building Expert,

thank you very much for the detailed answer!

Pretty nonsensical if the soil is not permeable, by the way. Regarding the costs, it depends on whether you want to collect only the rainwater for garden irrigation or an additional house connection, for example for toilets. The costs tend to be between TEUR 5 and 7.

That is exactly my biggest problem, that I cannot estimate whether we are talking about 2000, 5000, or 10000.

I estimate that you will be at around TEUR 300 for the single-family house, plus costs for the prefabricated garage, incidental construction costs, painter and flooring work, as well as landscaping. Since the soil is not permeable, additional costs for sealing due to waterlogging and/or seepage water will be incurred. That can be TEUR 6 but also TEUR 10; depending on what form of sealing the soil expert recommends.

Again, such a risk point: waterlogging and/or seepage water. So with the 10T I am not really on the safe side, am I? Or is there theoretically a residual risk that it could become more expensive due to the slope/gradient?

Interesting - do you also trust yourself to control the tender, evaluate the services of the craftsmen to be selected, check invoices, etc. as someone not from the industry?

I have acquaintances who would dare to evaluate and select (all craftsmen themselves), and I would in any case go through the tender with a building surveyor.
But I follow the maxim: don't do business with your friends.
Unfortunately, this has often led to enormous tensions in the private sphere (especially regarding warranties... example: "You installed the part on Saturday..." or "The material was procured by you as leftover stock from the hardware store...")
And we all agree: criticism is always easy.

I have also experienced in my circle of acquaintances that not much can be saved. [I also hold this view...]
Here too, one must be honest: if a fixed price (e.g., developer) is set, then only quality can be cut if problems/additional costs arise during the construction project.
The sub-sub story is usually such that not the most reasonably priced provider receives the contract, but the cheapest...
And to be cheap, only personnel and material can be saved. (Machines cost, and are indispensable...)
We also looked at some developers and their service descriptions - the tenor is: During the fittings phase, the lower price is usually assumed (e.g., 20 euros per square meter for tiles), some special editions of bathroom fixtures and/or the minimum number of sockets. Fits upgrades or other special requests (like underfloor heating) are expensive...

For the pure chimney flue: yes. Costs for the chimney itself would be added. It is cheaper if the chimney flue is applied from outside as a stainless steel chimney flue. But it depends on the architecture of the single-family house; stainless steel does not always fit the look.

Now I also know why the developer houses always have the stainless steel pipe on the facade.

All in, about TEUR 550.5

Many thanks! - With that, the building project is off the table, especially because of the risk regarding the property.

For us, a rental property remains the first choice (and continue to save equity), or buying an existing property would then be a real alternative.
But let's see what the current low interest rate policy and the excessive construction and real estate prices will bring in 10 years...