Low-cost single-family house planning

Hello everyone,

as the topic already suggests, I would like to think about how to implement one’s own home as cheaply as possible yet according to the state of the [“Technik”] without having to make major compromises. The focus is initially on building relatively cheaply, planning further renovation work from the outset, but only implementing it after several years (more on that later).

Maybe you can confirm or disprove my ideas or contribute your own.

I have made the following considerations.

- Square, practical, good (without bay windows, curves, overhangs, or anything else)
- Raised basement (full basement) to reduce soil excavation
- Use excavated soil to raise the property or parts of it (saves transport)
- Plan the raised basement, among other things, as living space (e.g. bedrooms, full bathroom, utility room, additional rooms) reduces the footprint
- Flat roof (probably the cheapest option)
- Open floor plan to reduce interior walls (living room, dining room + hallway and kitchen)
- Central installation shaft (water, heating, ventilation, wastewater, electricity)
- Heating, bathrooms & kitchen(s) directly adjacent to the installation shaft
- Electrical wiring integrated into baseboards except for kitchen and bathroom (if permitted), ceiling lighting omitted
- Underfloor heating installed for all inhabited rooms, reserved for the others
- Use standard sizes for windows and doors, possibly reserve lintels for larger ones

Additionally, the following wishes should be planned but only implemented at a later date:
- Design of the masonry to allow an extension of a 2nd floor
- Garage in the basement prepared by inserting a lintel
- Staircase or at least space for one to the 2nd floor reserved
- Exterior basement stair lintel reserved

Own work could be provided as follows:
- Kit house for example made of sand-lime brick or aerated concrete with expert guidance
- Heating pipes, water supply and disposal (apprenticeship profession)
- Electrical installation (relatives)
- Property drainage / drainage system (apprenticeship profession)
- Complete interior finishing (partially apprenticeship profession)

Leave out the basement, then a lot is already saved.

I also think that there should be at least a minimum degree of "usual" construction, because that is exactly what saves. In addition, this ensures a usual market value of a house.

Many points above, in my opinion, even lead to a significant cost increase.

Where will the money for the second floor come from in a few years? If a larger windfall is actually expected here, it would be better to consider a partial expansion.

From my own experience, all the good intentions and ideas bring little; above all, you need a planner who is willing and able to implement such an unconventional building style.

My tip: Check your own financial strength and then explore what is offered on the market for it. Everything else will probably be a botch.

Regards, Ben

I'm also not a fan of debt financing - it only disrupts family peace. Better buy the land now and pay off the loan, then build when you have a bit more equity or income. Otherwise, I don't think a flat roof is always the cheapest option (please correct me). Have you ever considered buying an old used house and renovating it? (certainly not necessarily cheaper overall, but definitely better to finance "modularly" - like the motto: this year the electrical work, next year rooms 2 and 3, and after that a new bathroom, etc.).

Hello,

affordable or rather cheap?

- High basement (full cellar) to reduce earth excavation

You can't decide that yet, because it depends on the permitted eaves or ridge height for the property. Moreover, what you might "save" on earthworks, you will largely reinvest in the insulation and plaster of the additionally exposed facade.

- Use earth excavation to raise the property or parts of the property (saves removal)

Depends on what the soil report shows. If there is clay in the subsoil, distributing it over the rest of the property quickly becomes problematic.

- Plan high basement partly as living space (e.g. bedroom, full bath, utility room, additional rooms) reduces floor area

Why do you choose the most expensive way to create living space at all? Horrifying when I imagine that – due to the results of the soil report – you have to expect pressure water. Living in concrete walls is surely fun

- Flat roof (probably the cheapest option)

No.

- Open floor plan to reduce interior walls (living room, dining room + hallway and kitchen)

That requires more effort with concrete pillars or beams.

- Central installation shaft (water, heating, exhaust air, wastewater, electricity)
- Heating, bathrooms & kitchen(s) are directly adjacent to the installation shaft

There should always be only one central shaft. It only gets more expensive if the sanitary rooms are planned in opposite directions.

- Integrate electrical wiring into the baseboards except in kitchen and bathroom (if permitted), ceiling lighting eliminated

Into the baseboards? Why is that?

- Install underfloor heating in all inhabited rooms, reserve for the others
- Use standard sizes for windows and doors, possibly reserve lintels for larger ones

That's the least of it.

Additionally, the following wishes should be planned but implemented at a later stage:
- Design of the masonry to allow an additional second floor

Job for the structural engineer.

- Prepare garage in the cellar by inserting a lintel

Also structural engineering.

- Reserve staircase or at least space for one to the second floor

Reserve – are you sure you want to spend weeks removing ceiling and dust if a second staircase has to be installed later?

- Reserve exterior cellar stair lintel

Quite an expensive matter, plus additional costs for burglary protection arise.

Self-performed work could be done as follows:
- Kit house e.g. made of sand-lime brick or aerated concrete with expert guidance
- Heating pipes, water supply and disposal (apprenticeship)
- Electrical installation (relatives)
- Property drainage / drainage (apprenticeship)
- Complete interior finishing (partly apprenticeship)

Better find an architect and subcontract the trades individually; if at the end of the day any remain

Rhenish greetings

Hello everyone,
thank you for the numerous "comments". I will try to present my point of view a little more precisely

I also think that you should have at least a minimum level of "usual" construction because that is exactly what saves.

I thought I had taken this sufficiently into account with the rectangular shape, full basement, and flat roof. Of course, I could not have known that a raised basement and flat roof deviate from the "usual construction method"...

Where will the money for the second floor come from in a few years? better to think about a partial expansion.

Total costs are planned at €250k, which will be fully paid off after about 10-12 years. This does not mean that you have to spend the €250k upfront. A partial expansion is also planned, initially for three people (living room, bedroom, child’s room, bathroom, kitchen, hallway). Gradually, a second bathroom, second children’s room, hobby room, utility room & garage should be added. If it takes 15 years because more is expanded than initially planned, that is not a problem either.

I’m not a fan of forced financing either - that only disturbs family peace. Better buy the plot now and pay on it and build when you have a bit more equity or income

No forced financing, see above.

Otherwise, I don’t believe that a flat roof is always the cheapest option (please correct me)

Please enlighten me, if a second floor is planned, the ceiling to it will be completed. How could one put a simpler (flat) roof on that will last 10 years? I honestly cannot imagine that such a roof will cost several tens of thousands of euros. What possibilities do you think there are?

Have you ever considered buying an old used house and then renovating it? (certainly not necessarily cheaper overall, but certainly better "modular" to finance - i.e., like: electrical work this year, rooms 2 and 3 next, and then a new bathroom, etc.).

Yes, I have considered that or rather it was my first thought. Since the offered properties mostly differ significantly from the wishes and the conversion or modernization work is really expensive, the consideration ultimately was to build new. Besides, a modernized house is not really new and the costs for purchase and modernization exceed those of a new build (by far). In the end, you still don’t have what you imagined.

I would also like to respond to the comments from Bauexperte, but without a quote-in-quote function, the answers get taken out of context. I will nevertheless try to address them.

By the way, my assumptions are based on a fictional house build; whether raised or deep basement, ridge height, soil survey/clay soil is to be initially set aside and of course must be taken into account.

- Why is a rectangular house with full basement, one story, and flat roof the most expensive variant? Please clarify.
- Nobody talked about concrete walls (there are other materials too). I assume you refer to living in concrete walls in the basement. I don’t know what you do in the bedroom but for me, it is totally okay to have this in the basement, especially if it is a raised basement with sufficient daylight. The same applies to the full bathroom, utility room, and garage in the basement.
- Flat roof is not the cheapest variant? Which one then, please clarify.
- Electricity in baseboards, why not? What speaks against it? Please clarify.
- Supporting the outdoor basement stair lintel. Why should that be an expensive matter? Please clarify.

What do you think is the cheapest and safest construction method?! So far, I have only received rejections but no suggestions that I could follow up on!