New construction 2025/26 in BW - feasible with 950k all-in?

Juggling numbers and prices alone for the outdoor areas (and elsewhere) is ultimately not necessarily meaningful. A flat or gently sloping plot can largely be designed by oneself or with little effort. We have no fence, but we have gradually planted shrubs and paved almost nothing, instead we generously used limestone gravel 8/16. Our plot is 1400 sqm, I did not calculate it down to the euro but certainly we spent less than 30,000 on curbs, 30 sqm of paving and our own work in the area that was possible without machines. In the garden we also used leftover wood or looked nearby on classified ads, simply using the existing/ leftover material sensibly. Instead of steps we simply have a light slope, because steps cost money; as a boundary on one side we piled up a small embankment of leftover soil. I do not want to say that we have the best solution but it is one within our possibilities and instead of investing in an expensive fence, mailbox system etc., I would rather have that gain in comfort inside the house or simply save the costs. When I look around the neighborhood, I see exactly these considerations and then subsequent structures made of fences etc., but unfortunately little imagination or courage for unusual, inexpensive solutions. I see it similarly inside the house. As often discussed here, there is second-choice parquet for under €30 and maybe then, contrary to wishes, you just have to do it yourself once, because in the long run you will have to repair/build things yourself in your own house anyway, so why not start with it right away when building the house and learn. At the time we laid solid floorboards and after 35 years they are still there today. They do not cost much more than €30 at the sawmill nowadays either. Keywords and numbers without clear context can obscure realities in both directions, words like "luxury" or "upscale" etc. say exactly nothing because they are rated completely differently by people. Back in our first house I had fun looking at what I could have saved without really negative effects. I stopped at 100,000 DM, but that would definitely have been possible. This included: lift/sliding doors, sliding doors inside the house, special bricks, fireplace cladding, "special things" and way too much paving, huge terraces with consequently more expensive awnings, wind sensors, and much more. These are just examples but precisely those which alone are not problematic in sum but make a large sum and in my opinion, that is often the problem. Not the nice mailbox, but the consistency behind it. I have already seen here in the forum some houses that have become beautiful with low costs, based on the saying "in a figurative sense": necessity is the mother of invention. When I look around in residential areas I see little necessity... but rather many fences, garage complexes and expensive hardware store solutions. Added to this is the demand that everything must be finished immediately, that also costs money, because during a longer construction period you meet this or that person and learn something that can be helpful for my inexpensive implementation.

We could do without controlled residential ventilation, we haven’t had it so far and I don’t miss anything

With this reasoning, you could also stay living there or buy a simple house, because really nothing is "missing". Of course, you can also build without controlled residential ventilation, but then you should think about the circumstances of the necessary ventilation and be honest with yourself. Do you really go into every single room several times a day and ventilate? Equating this here with a fireplace and stove is almost worse than "apples & oranges".
The same goes for the basement. Certainly, it has its uses, but many things have uses, and yet the question arises whether because of that I might run out of financial breathing room elsewhere.
I have had houses with basements and now without. Life is not fundamentally different and I really don’t miss the basement. Those are exactly the points where you quickly present 50,000-100,000-150,000 euros as "indispensable", although they are not. There are always arguments for and against.

But I have a new building, completed in 2021 (purchased turnkey from the developer). Solid aerated concrete 36.5 cm. However, the house is too small ... family planning then and now do not match :D and now the opportunity arises to build again.

But I have a new build, completed in 2021 (turnkey purchased from the developer). Solid aerated concrete 36.5 cm. But the house is too small ... family planning from back then and today do not match :D and now the opportunity arises to build anew again.

That’s also why the basement (you hardly see it today with a utility basement). We are also one of very few houses with flat land that built a pure utility basement. I would never want it any other way - especially since I see how the double garages are bursting at the seams and the cars are parked somewhere on the street.

For me, it is simply an absolute privilege to have SPACE. With 140m² without a basement with a large family, you inevitably don’t get that. For me, that’s also a very big point on the PRO single-family house side, especially also PRO basement. But yes.. it’s of course very individual.

But do consider the controlled residential ventilation for real. The above-mentioned arguments from my predecessor on the topic of ventilating are definitely relevant.

With this reasoning, Dui could also stay living there or buy a simple house, because really nothing is "missing." Of course, one can also build without controlled residential ventilation, but then one should think about the circumstances of the necessary ventilation and also be honest with oneself. Do you actually go into every single room several times a day and ventilate?

After now almost 4 years of experience without controlled residential ventilation, I can say that this is not necessary. We ventilate in the morning and evening, when we anyway raise and lower the shutters. As soon as it is warm outside, doors and/or windows are always open here anyway.
Otherwise, during the day, one opens the front door more often or ventilates additionally as needed if one stays in a room longer.

After now almost 4 years of experience without controlled residential ventilation, I can say that it is not necessary. We ventilate in the morning and evening when we are already opening and closing the shutters. As soon as it is warm outside, doors and/or windows are always open here anyway. Otherwise, during the day you often open the front door or ventilate additionally as needed when staying longer in a room.

At first, I thought I needed controlled residential ventilation to avoid mold (which is indeed the case) - meanwhile, the comfort of not having to ventilate every room individually is simply incredibly high for me.

Knowing that you NEVER have to check on it – when you are on vacation or similar – or telling the children that they should please ventilate the rooms again now.

And by the way: the recommendation is clearly to ventilate 3-4 times a day. The risk of mold naturally increases with shorter ventilation times.

Also: in a usable basement, controlled residential ventilation would be necessary anyway, especially if you have no way to properly ventilate the rooms. Drying laundry in the basement, etc...

I just find the added value brutal and would NEVER build without controlled residential ventilation again.