Realistic cost estimate: Single-family house with unfavorable development location

Thank you very much, that is exactly the constructive and positive response (not "that's all nonsense" – but "this is what you can do instead") that I had hoped for. The story about the family with the four children is exactly the kind of thing we have in mind. What if it turns out to be twins, etc... you can't plan everything, but we want it so that at least some of the more likely adversities/luck in life are covered. It's also clear that everything will turn out differently anyway. By the way, the dressing room is only that big because of the shape of that corner. But you have to say, we're not the type to fill it up with fancy shoes and a handbag collection. I’m more thinking: gifted clothes that the child still has to grow into, bed linen, sleeping bags, seasonal clothes, suitcases, toys that you stash away for a few months and then bring out again, and so on... But if we could steal 2 sqm from the dressing room and add it to the children's rooms, we would do it immediately. The floor plan just doesn’t allow it because of the two annoying gables. You have to choose your poison somehow, and we will discuss this with the draftsman. Our wish from the start was "larger children's rooms and fewer rooms upstairs," but then we had to realize that’s not so easy. If you leave out the tiny study upstairs, you end up with a ballroom-sized hallway again.


Yes, 500,000 all in, but we are also happy that not everything has to be perfectly paved and planted at the construction site right from the start; that can grow over the years as the budget recovers. I know many people here find the idea impossible not to immediately bring in the garden landscaper and build the Thuja hedge right away, but that's not the case with us. However, the paving work will definitely hit the budget; we can't avoid that.

You misunderstand me. For the exterior facilities, I only calculate the essentials. That means the street, parking spaces, house entrance, maybe a small terrace. But no gardener will come. That's why the assumption that you underestimate the costs. The same applies to the house. In my opinion, way too big. Apart from that, you probably have a knot in your head regarding the dormer. Nobody says that walls have to be attached directly to it.

I can only agree that it is easily underestimated. I would never have believed during the planning phase how much money we are now spending on the garden, even though we will do almost everything ourselves. Outdoor facilities are a material battle and you definitely have the material. A larger driveway with 4m width and turning area in front of the house also hits hard, especially if you only use gravel.

I can only agree that it is easily underestimated. I would never have believed during the planning phase how much money we are now spending on the garden, even though we will do almost everything ourselves.

What would be your approximate approach with the experience after the planning phase?

Calculate everything thoroughly, from x sqm of paving to y plants, garden house, carport, and so on. And be honest about it. Besides larger unplanned additional costs due to the slope on the property and the resulting retaining wall, the patio roof also hits hard. The paving is, of course, more expensive than originally calculated back then, and I wouldn’t have thought I’d be spending so much on plants right now. There’s always some small stuff coming up (e.g., €200 for KG pipes to connect the garden house to the cistern) and that adds up too... Of course, part of it is also because the garden will now be much better than originally planned. That’s why I think it’s very important to consider beforehand what you want. Since appearance and spaciousness are obviously important here, I would rather plan a bit more.

Honestly, nobody dies if the garden and the terrace are not finished just 2 weeks after moving in. My father-in-law has almost completely finished his garden now, the brick barbecue is currently being built. They have been living there for 10 years.