New construction planning - Am I calculating incorrectly?

Our very first estimate was also 180,000 euros + land.

Before the first discussions, our plan was to spend a maximum of 230,000 € including land.
After the first discussions and calculations, we increased it to 270,000 €.
And to get from the Energy Saving Ordinance to Kfw70, the currently planned amount is 280,000 €.

- Roller shutter box for all windows, exterior window sills made of aluminum, interior window sills made of marble
- Sanitary fixtures from Kaldewei, Keramag, and Hansa, bathroom tiled floor to ceiling and guest WC tiled 2m high
- Floor in kitchen, storage room, utility room, and hallway also tiled including edging
- Electrical materials from Busch and Jäger in sufficient quantity (kitchen 8 pcs, living room 10 pcs, etc.)
- Interior doors with real wood veneer and stainless steel door handle sets
- etc., etc., etc...

Reads really well in my opinion and the materials don’t sound like the cheapest either.
You can definitely calculate with this, or what unexpected costs could still come up?

Even with one or two extras like underfloor heating, solar, blinds and a few extra switches,
a little own work deducted and in the end about 150 - 155 thousand euros, we should be able to manage with our budget, right?

Our house also cost just under 150,000 turnkey (without painter and floor coverings except utility room, kitchen, and bathrooms).
With underfloor heating, chimney for "le Camin," controlled residential ventilation, and KfW70, a few extras like blinds on the ground floor, silicone resin plaster, colored windows, and other upgrades each worth 1,000 to 2,000, we are at 190,000. Sure, you can do without it if you don’t have the money!
On “good building ground,” we have additional costs of about 8,000 for floor slab upgrade and earthworks. Rain cistern offer is around 5,500. You can’t do without either!
Our extra electrical costs amount to about 4,200... without bus system, speaker cables, empty conduits, and electrically operated blinds.
The prices are not outrageous.
As electricians, for example, we have to cover the bedrooms. We choose carpet... 30 €/sqm... plus pickup or delivery, adhesive, baseboards. I calculate 50 €/sqm. The same goes for one room with parquet as well as the tile work, where I can compute twice the material price for installation by a professional.
Oh: 30/60 tiles... cost us no extra charge. Probably the type of installation, joint design, joint color...
Whoever wants the disciplined white 15x20 tiles in the bathroom without extra charge: congratulations... not to my taste, but that keeps the price limit.

What actually shapes the desire to own a home? Colorful pictures, the urge to finally be independent and free? To have space?
In my opinion, this contradicts the premise of being satisfied with the standard. That does not mean you can’t live well with it, but: Doesn’t a homebuilder always want something more than the standard? Film: Once in a Lifetime... wife Trudi pushes her husband Bruno into a corner at every selection appointment, “Oh Bruno, we are only building once…” But Bruno is already up to his neck in water and has already taken out the third home savings contract to handle the costs. In the end, they realize that for the repayment they could have afforded the nicest apartment.

“Once in a Lifetime” by Dieter Wedel, 1974, story of owning a home, a must-watch for all homebuilders!

(I think I’m slowly becoming known for double posts, but I’m a woman after all ;)) I want to add: I think construction companies that offer turnkey prefabricated houses are preferable as nationwide providers: regionals have more "reputation" to lose qualitatively, and besides, they get different conditions with "neighboring" trades. That’s my gut feeling. I compare building a house to buying a car: some treat themselves to a mid-range SUV, others are happy with the Duster because it brings the owner utility at favorable conditions: it reliably gets them from A to B, yet the craftsmanship is only adequate and you never know what the Duster will do after 5 years... it will be worth much less much earlier than the mid-range car.

So somehow it seems we have misunderstood each other from the very beginning...!

As mentioned, we are just at the very start of our planning and actually don't know exactly where and how! The when is also still open! The only thing that is somewhat set is our budget, and the amount is partly based on the already mentioned reason that we don't want to face unsolvable problems in 10 years or if something unforeseen happens. Well, talking about 5,000 or 10,000 euros more, so a maximum of 250,000 euros, could still be discussed but we definitely won't go up to around 300,000 euros. We would have about 50,000 euros of equity, so a financing amount of max. 200,000 euros! Sure, based on our income, we could currently afford to cover much more, but I think for the aforementioned reasons, we wouldn't be able to sleep peacefully anymore.

Maybe because I mentioned a turnkey price, the wrong impression arose that we exclusively want to build turnkey, which is absolutely not the case! I am open to everything and probably able to contribute some own work due to my training.

The question "We have budget X, what’s possible?" would probably have been more appropriate.

Maybe you also know the feeling that you then start rummaging through the internet to get an overview of the multitude of possibilities and variants. Of course, you also come across one or the other tempting offer, many of which may be relatively dubious, that may be so.

But I am still convinced that there are also reputable "low-cost providers," otherwise, they wouldn't have been on the market for years or even decades. Moreover, you find a lot of positive feedback about them! With them, it should definitely be possible to build a "normal" turnkey house within our budget.

Of course, I am aware that in such a case, one must pay more attention to the construction service description! I also understand that if I want KfW (funding), I have to pay for KfW, just like geothermal energy, ventilation system, etc.!

But I also know some people who happily and contentedly live in their own home without this, in my opinion, "gimmick." Perhaps also happy precisely because they saved several tens of thousands of euros in investment and are willing to pay 50 or 100 euros more per month in maintenance.

Rising energy prices are not really an argument for me either, because wood and wood pellets as well as the electricity for the heat pump and the ventilation system will also increase!

Also, for example, electricity... of course, everywhere today they tell you that you "have to” have a proper number of sockets and switches in every room because you build only once and what if... But honestly, I also thought like that once and accordingly have 17 sockets in a 25 sqm living room, of which at least 10 have never even come close to seeing a plug! But you have to have them...

Network...! In the age of laptops, tablet PCs, and smartphones, this is no longer necessarily up to date if you want to be as flexible as possible! More and more people have only such devices instead of a fixed PC! Does it make sense then to put CAT7 cables and corresponding outlets for hundreds or even thousands of euros into all walls? 300 MBit WLAN, with appropriate repeaters for the range, and everything is top! If the speed is still not enough, you buy a powerline starter set for 100 euros, with a data rate similar to direct network connection but much more flexible!

Floor coverings...! Of course, you don’t want to install cheap bargains for 5 euros per sqm! But do you have to calculate carpet for 50 euros per sqm and tiles and parquet for 60-100 euros as normal standard? Can you not also get high-quality, calibrated 60/30 granite tiles or porcelain stoneware for 25 euros per sqm in an offer? Is laminate flooring for 15€/sqm in children's rooms and bedrooms inferior standard?

And, and, and...

If you think like this, I understand why our price expectations differ so much!

Therefore, I find generalized answers in which numbers are thrown around wildly without knowing preferences, wishes, opinions, and tastes and judging from this "you can forget your budget," "you can easily calculate with amount X in additional costs" or "not everyone has to build" quite counterproductive and frightening!

And I am still convinced that with our budget, the dream of owning a house can definitely be realized, and that too in a nice, normal standard... :D!

So until then...

Hello,

When I read the prices of 300-500T€ here in the forum, then with 280T€ for a KFW 70 city villa with 125m² living space including land, we are also cheap with 47T€. Not included in our price is a kitchen, as hopefully the old one will serve a few more years, and no ventilation system either. Since we planned the incidental building costs somewhat more generously thanks to a building expert, there could also be a part left for the later planned garage and carport.

I just wanted to spontaneously write that you want to build in the eastern part of the country as well, where the land and construction prices are generally cheaper...

However, if I understand you correctly - TEUR 280 - 47 - 40 - I come back roughly to €1,500.00 per sqm/living space for a KfW 70 efficiency house (with "only" TEUR 30 for incidental building costs as a deduction to about TEUR 1,600.00/sqm/living space). So, my cost estimates are quite good?

Topic fireplace
1. you need a floor insertion ladder -> extra cost

I find that cheeky, it should actually be included in the scope of services.

2. you need a walkable attic -> extra cost

That, on the other hand, is to be seen as normal, since most providers include a walkway, and this "path" is generally enough to store decorations and ski equipment.

3. you need a roof window -> extra cost
4. you need some steps -> extra cost

These positions together do not cost a fortune because you do not need a real double casement window but only an escape hatch. With the few steps, an affordable investment.

5. if the roof pitch is unfavorable, the chimney must be correspondingly high and the chimney sweep needs an attached ladder -> extra cost

That does not depend on the roof pitch but rather on the position of the flue inside the house itself. The end of the flue – I believe it would be no different in the east – must end 1.00 m higher than the last window of the neighboring house.

Shower
A nice example of something that was not included in all the compared building service descriptions with us, for example, is a shower enclosure.
Each time, only the shower tray was included.

The shower enclosure also has nothing to do with the house building service. Besides, there are countless models – how should a fixed price be reasonably calculated without annoying the builder? Many buy a floor-level shower nowadays; then no shower enclosure is needed but a privacy screen – then you can safely avoid the trouble with calcified water.

Selection of materials
While we stayed relatively much in the standard for the actual house selection of materials (color, roof tiles, front door, windows, window sills), I personally found the selection at the tile specialist and sanitary wholesaler most tempting. On the subject of electricity, a large item will also be added (more light switches, sockets, network, satellite system, etc.).

That is why my cost estimates always include TEUR 10 for extras. I hardly know any builders who do not weaken at this point during the selection of materials ;)

Rhenish greetings

Points 1 to 3 do not exist with us either... Our chimney is climbed from the outside. There are footholds on the roof. We must provide a ladder for him to get onto the roof. Roof pitch below 30 degrees. Cost: 4850 for the chimney