New single-family house construction without garage in self-performance

Hello everyone,

now a silent reader is becoming active,
in the near future, or probably within the next 2-3 months, the start of the construction of a single-family house is planned for me and my fiancée.
So now a few background infos on how and what is planned or to be built and some info about the finances.

About me and my fiancée:
Me:
Age: 24
Profession: Trained road builder with a master craftsman’s certificate, currently working as project manager in the field of construction projects for substations/building construction/building renovation
Her:
Age: 21
Profession: Tax clerk, currently studying business law, aiming to become a tax consultant as well as further education to become a certified public accountant

Finances:
Equity capital: Currently about 40k€ split into 20k€ in funds, 5k€ in ETFs, 15k€ bank balance
Net income: 4700€
Monthly savings: 2800€
The net income will increase to about 5,300€ within the next 2-3 months due to promotion at my job and hers as well.
So financially we can afford quite a lot since neither of us has reached the end of the line (as the saying goes) and there are no limits upwards for both of us, especially she will make an incredible leap within at the latest 2 years when she finishes her studies.

Construction costs/financing:
Plot: 70,000€ fully developed (711m² level ground, embankment to the street, see picture)
Construction costs (more below): 300,000€
Additional construction costs: will be paid fully from equity capital
Connection costs approx. 8,000€ (probably considerably less)
Amount to be financed: 400,000€
Will be borne by both of us about 1400€ (status from 4 weeks ago, 25 years term and special repayments of 5-8% depending on provider possible, I can’t recall the exact interest rate off the top of my head)

Basis:
The decision to build a house was very quick for both of us, unimaginable for most, maybe hard to understand, but we found each other and strangely this thought always lingered subconsciously both for her and me.
Then I just brought it up how it would be to move in together since we already spend nearly the whole day together outside of work and get along, and above all, don’t get bored, don’t run out of conversation topics, or get annoyed by each other’s tidiness; we are both meticulous tidiers and sometimes keep everything too clean.
So we summarized the costs of an apartment, compared them, and then decided that building a house is by far the better option for both of us and fits our understanding of home ownership much better than a condominium that in our region is either poorly maintained or has completely exaggerated prices.
The decision didn’t come overnight and is also coordinated with the family.

The house:
After we really finally agreed to build a house, I started ordering various catalogs and then, using a construction design program, incorporated all our ideas and showed them to my beloved, and we both fell in love with the draft. Once it was clear how it looked, currently only the staircase and living room are being slightly redesigned by the architect because we planned the open freestanding staircase a bit too openly (and windows much too large), and after reviewing his house, which is built almost exactly like ours, we realized there was too much visibility or openness. For us, a large spacious kitchen with lots of storage space, an island, and a side-by-side refrigerator is a wish and indispensable since we both love cooking and spend a lot of time in the kitchen.
Then a very large living room with dining table was important to us, but also a retreat area in the living room for cozy sitting, chatting, and reading, like a fireplace room. It was also important to have a private bathroom upstairs including sauna preparation in this bathroom, the future children should also have their own bathroom, based on experience from the current living situation. Additionally, there will be a guest bathroom with a shower because some relatives often travel from over 200 km away and also simply to have a toilet on the ground floor.
Then large windows facing the garden on the ground and first floor parents’ bedroom so that the sun shines nicely into the garden from midday and thus provides a nice light incidence in summer and winter. Otherwise, only an office had to be planned that is sufficiently large for both of us since we both will be working from home or my employer allows me to actively use home office.
So that was our basis and then we started talking about fittings and could decide on them practically immediately without many discussions, and then we started looking for the plot. We never thought we'd find something within 2 months, but as luck would have it, a plot became available right next to her parents’ house that fits our house perfectly, and it was found out by her father that the owners wanted to sell it, so we didn’t hesitate long. Since I am already integrated in the village, it was absolutely an option for me to move there and shift my center of life about 5 km.
Additionally, I am an absolute craftsman and nerd when it comes to building; I didn’t learn what I love to do and what I love by chance, and I really mean it—I love construction and the stress that comes with it.

Now to the overall details:
- About 180 m² living space
- 2 full floors
- Without basement, but insulated ground slab (similar to Jakodur)
- No development plan
- Heating via district heating
- Underfloor heating in almost all rooms (both allergic to house dust)
- City villa style, we like this modern, simple black/grey style without much fuss
- Brick veneer facade
- 3 bathrooms (1 for children, 1 for parents, 1 guest bathroom including shower)
- Utility room as space for washing machine, storage, and home technology with high corner window
- No garage
- Space and rooms for 2 children
Still undecided:
- Photovoltaic system for electricity generation on the roof
- Lighting with spots in the roof overhang

Now regarding the construction phase: the house will be built entirely on our own. The only things we will outsource are the architect’s services (a friend of the family is significantly cheaper than usual) and probably the roof truss.
Why is it possible to do everything by ourselves: (that’s why costs of about 2k per m²)
Earthworks, shell construction, interior finishing, heating and sanitation, electrical work are all master craftsmen within the families who will support us and have already been asked and promised their services.
I will build the shell with 2 masons, the interior finishing with our circle of friends, about 20 have already promised or still owe us a little. Also, some material costs can be saved since father and brother work in wholesale at the building materials dealer.
The connections for the utilities are already laid up to the property boundary during the current expansion and will therefore be cheaper for me due to professional contacts at the relevant agencies; unfortunately, I am not allowed to do this myself even though my professional qualification would allow me to do so.

So whoever has read this far, I also trust you to give me positive as well as negative feedback on the draft (the latest will be attached only tomorrow after the conversation with the architect) and on everything around it. I’m looking forward to your answers, suggestions, and critiques.

Can you please fill out the questionnaire? https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/grundrissplanung-unbedingt-vor-Beitrag-Erstellung-lesen.11714/

Where is north? Please include a north arrow on the floor plans

About the floor plan EG: the staircase bothers me Where is the kitchen, where is the dining area?

OG: The master area is huge. Little storage space in the walk-in closet

I would plan a small utility/storage room on the upper floor. Laundry happens there and brooms and such also need to be stored somewhere.

Have you already drawn your furnishings into the floor plan? I see, for example, the space between the staircase and terrace as quite tight for a dining table

Well, a house with about 330 sqm of net floor space which, due to the poor room layout, offers roughly the usefulness of a simple 140 sqm house. I would first wait and see what the architect makes of it. Structurally, that would also be quite a challenge – if possible at all. And even with a complete EL, €300k for what you see there is very optimistic. District heating is expensive.

...there are people in my family of whom I know less than I do of you

You seem to be a romantic

Regarding the costs, I’ll hold back, I can’t judge whether that works and I can’t estimate how much potential for savings there is. You should still take the usual warnings seriously... it’s not just about professional experience (I’m assuming there is some in the family) but also about the factor time. Doing it yourself often takes longer. Does everyone you asked have exactly the time when you need them? Does it all flow smoothly, etc.

I’ll look at the draft only in the current version. Otherwise, it’s pointless.

Otherwise, I’m pretty wiped out from reading ;p

I also see the problem with the intermediate ceiling, but: your glass fronts (all together: 7.40m + 5.40m + 11.20m) with Einau are heading towards six figures. That will be really bad. If you reduce the windows, the support surface for the ceiling automatically increases. Additionally, a wall at the back of the U-staircase as another support in the area of the long span and everything will be fine (with a lot... a very lot... of reinforcement).

I have friends not far from your place of residence who also built their house themselves after work, on weekends, and during holidays (and already with several children at that time) and thus created a very beautiful building. The cost savings are enormous - therefore I can well imagine that you can build a small palace with your budget. The strain on your nerves is great but manageable. If you manage this together, the likelihood of mastering other life challenges together also increases.

I can’t do much with your design as it does not correspond to my life preferences at all. Therefore a few questions:

[*]How much retreat space will you actually need? The fragmented "parent sleeping area" contains the potential for the additional space you want)
[*]Check elsewhere how comfortable you feel in narrow rooms with recesses, for example when you are in a restaurant. It is hard for me to imagine creating coziness in the living area.
[*]Should the potential children, when they are a bit older, also use the sauna?
[*]Large rooms only feel spacious with appropriate ceiling height. Keep this in mind with your construction costs.
[*]What importance does the central staircase have for you? It is indeed centrally positioned but neither serves the purpose of optimizing walking paths nor an architectural highlight. From my point of view, it simply costs a lot of built-up space without bringing advantages.

Think more about "how" you want to live with your fiancée than "in what." The architecture of the house is really good when it accommodates your life and not just occupies a house.