Own work in new construction - what makes sense and is feasible?

That probably only works with individual awarding as well.

We build turnkey with a general contractor, who probably would have laughed at us if we had proposed carrying as our own contribution.

Why? Because they themselves didn’t carry anything either. The stones were delivered and placed on the foundation slab as accurately as possible so that the pallet was sufficient for the respective area.

Even the electrician had a subcontractor who was responsible for chasing.

And it goes like that through all trades.

The only thing we can do, because of professional experience, is plastering and painting, and that wasn’t included anyway.

And honestly, I also don’t feel like organizing people who can also fail (just like we can), and then you’re left hanging...

I think it’s great if others can implement it. But it’s not all just about being physically fit or having the motivation yourself.

Okay, that may have been a bit too general from me. There are other factors as well. But a lot is already possible with individual awarding, I think. If you’re willing to invest a lot of free time, you can definitely get a lot done.

If there are small children, definitely do not take them to the construction site (except children aged 5 and up in summer, they can then drive wheelbarrows full of gravel and sand! :eek:) So get grandma and grandpa involved. Unless they are craftsmen, then they belong on the construction site. Alternatively, hire friends with two left hands for childcare.

Has it already been mentioned?
- Base coat painting (sealing / thick coat) (-> own experience)
- Insulation under underfloor heating/floors (-> own experience)
- All kinds of masking work (-> own experience)
- Bury empty conduits for external cables in time (-> own experience)
- Setting L- and edge stones, paving (-> own experience)
- Leveling (sub)floor, sowing lawn or laying turf
- Planting trees
- Setting fences
- Cleaning up the construction site (-> own experience)
- Installing controlled residential ventilation pipes (-> own experience)
- Laying electrical cables (-> own experience)
- Laying bus cables (Smarthome) (-> own experience)
- Simple sanitary installations (washbasins) (-> own experience)
- Installing underfloor heating is also possible (on stapler plates or similar) (-> own experience)
- Installing interior doors (-> own experience)
- Installing windows (critical, but possibly better than FA ?)

Coordinate all self-performed work with the respective trades! Very important!

Trailer before / during construction. New car (now without a trailer hitch) only three months later ;-)

Is it worth installing a trailer hitch on the 200,000 km Ford just for the construction? Or is it better to buy a construction site vehicle? Serious question! I have no idea about cars.

Is it worth installing a trailer hitch on the 200,000 km Ford, just for construction? Or better to buy a construction site vehicle? Serious question! I have no idea about cars.

The trailer hitch can be installed relatively easily on most models (and later removed and sold again). But I would rather - if necessary - buy a small transporter/Caddy or similar for a very small amount of money. The main thing is 2 years of TÜV. My 4m double-axle trailer is 20 years old and will be sold again at purchase price over the course of the year. It has served its purpose for two years and cost about 200 € (cost - taxes, insurance, TÜV).

Or would you rather buy a construction site vehicle?

I was advised to do that as well, but I decided against it and used the normal (cheap) family car for everything.
Big items are delivered. Otherwise, protect the interior with blankets when it gets dirty and dusty with building materials.

It might be different if you drive expensive cars. In that case, the potential loss in value might outweigh it.
But buying used cars is no fun right now either.

I think everything that needed to be said has already been said here.

Own effort with small children: forget it! You need childcare for that.

Own effort only for things you have already done before or where you can't break anything.
I, for example, would not have dared to lay the floor myself. Floating click parquet is different from gluing down 1.4m wide country house planks. That's more like laying tiles.

You will surely ask yourselves during the work, "The €3,000 the craftsman would have cost might have actually been a good investment."