New single-family house - realistic estimate of construction costs? Experiences?

Whether 120m² is enough for you should be decided by yourselves. We also made sure not to build too huge. However, we built 160m² and planned for 2 children. If there should be 3, we have the option to expand the attic. All friends/acquaintances with houses/house construction range between 190-250m². But no matter, that’s your thing.

In general, it must be noted that the price per m² increases the less m² you build. Because certain costs (house connections, sanitary installations, etc.) cannot be reduced just because you build smaller. Children’s bathroom and such frills excepted.

For 120m² I would definitely not assume less than €2000 construction costs per m².

And please include things like rainwater drainage, outdoor facilities, etc. Entrance platform, paving yard, terrace etc. start at €15,000-20,000.

If I were you, I would wait until the lady is back at work. The planning can already begin. The equity is great!! Conditions are met, but don’t plan too tight.

The total seems too high to me, because how are families supposed to afford that? I am therefore considering waiting until the prices fall because they can't sell the building plots.

Good question! I estimate the plots will sell like hot cakes; there won’t be a lower price. For construction costs, 2000 euros/m² plus additional costs is already realistic. But of course, it depends ...

I am not familiar with new development areas, that was not an option for us. But does such a thing even exist, that prices are lowered at some point? I mean, then surely the builders who bought at a higher price would riot?

Now I’m asking myself, how realistic are these figures for construction costs? It’s a large new development area, with over 300 building plots in a suburban location, catchment area of a city with 250,000 inhabitants. All building plots are in this size range. The total seems too high to me, because how are families supposed to afford that? I am therefore considering waiting until prices drop because they can’t sell the development area. I would be glad if someone could share their experience regarding their own construction costs and selling of building plots in large development areas. Is a price drop to be expected at the current time?

Why should prices drop? We currently have a new development area, the plots (30 were sold by the city) at 360 euros per square meter (and that is already cheap). For the building plots there were already 700 applicants on the waiting list and of course all plots were immediately allocated. Here, there are no building plots at all, and if there are, enormous sums are demanded (not rarely more than 500,000 euros). Your 120 sqm for three children seems rather tight to me and you are not planning a basement either. Just for the technical room and for the two corridors, upstairs and downstairs, quite a bit is lost. For construction costs, you have to reckon with 2,000 euros per sqm; the smaller you build, the more expensive it gets per sqm. Usually it ends up being more expensive than planned in the end; you also have to think about the outdoor facilities (paving and fence in particular).

Best regards Sabine

Even in large development areas, in my experience (we searched for plots for 3 years and "applied"), there are more applicants than plots. Some of those who receive a contract then do not take the plot after all, and it goes to the next person. This cascade can run for 2-3 years, but eventually all plots are sold. If a plot has been traded for 3 years, the original price suddenly appears reasonable or even cheap - because the building plots, for example, in the next construction phase are already 10% more expensive.

If you build a "normal" house size with simple architecture in southern Lower Saxony, 2000 euros/sqm is too expensive. However, your house is too small for such a consideration, as others have already written. From today's perspective, I would by no means consider 120 sqm appropriate for a family with more than one child. Such a house is also difficult to resell. Then better the simplest standard and a carport instead of a garage. I don't know where you come from - for us "simple standard" means that construction costs are between 1,500 and 1,600 euros/sqm.

Better to add another 5K€ for a double garage. Plan 20-25K€ for exterior facilities. This whole "we'll do it later" is just talk. Money is tight at first, and not being able to properly sit outside for several summers is really annoying. In a new development that isn't selling, I'd be skeptical. I'd look for the catch.