Rough cost estimate of a single-family house with an architect

We are currently exploring many possibilities and trying to clarify questions that arise in the process.

From an outside perspective, it seems as if you are planning a whole handful of houses at the same time (or just one, but in such a way that when one corner is fixed, all the others wobble again). Sometimes the base plate is already concrete down to its exact elevation, and the next week the wall construction is still up in the air. It can make your head spin just reading it. And now you write that the bird hasn’t even taken off yet, the flight attendant is still explaining the life vests.

Don't forget the additional costs, such as [Garten], [Küche], [Einrichtung], etc. You can easily add another 100,000 euros on top of that.

Otherwise, 450,000 euros is also calculated very tightly; at most, it's standard in terms of equipment. No natural stone floors or anything like that.

I think you're doing pretty well with 2000,- Eus per m². Additionally, I see 10k completely excluded for the extra children's bathroom and earthworks - depending on the plot.

Do you mean €2,000/m² plus or including fees for planning and execution/accompaniment?

Don't forget the additional costs, like garden, kitchen, furnishings, etc. You can easily add another 100k€ on top.

Yes, we also have these costs on the list. Would add a carport to the whole thing, but partially omit furnishings

Otherwise, it's also very tightly calculated with 450,000 euros, with equipment being at most standard. No natural stone floors or anything like that.

Hm, also here the question whether you understand the 450k including or excluding architect fees. We now would see the standard slightly above standard, since in strongly upscale/luxury a lot of natural stone is used, massive interior doors, room-height glazing, generous and luxurious bathrooms, etc.

Do you mean 2,000€/sqm plus or including the fee for planning and execution/accompaniment?

So for us, the execution and planning were included in the price. However, we finished building in 2014...

So we are with the pure construction costs of cost groups 300 and 400 at a price per square meter of about 2,600 EURO here in BW. The costs also include a partial basement with a 22 sqm hobby room and 48 sqm of usable space and a partly integrated garage with 56 sqm. We have a total of 206 sqm of living space on the ground floor and upper floor. On the ground floor there is a 26 sqm covered terrace.

Additional costs then include connection fees, planner costs, and of course the land as well as the outdoor facilities.

However, all these numbers are of no use to you. Because we do a lot of work ourselves. We did all the roofing work ourselves. Chased the slots ourselves and pulled the cables ourselves. The uncle has a painter and plasterer business and so on.

Every house has to be considered individually and all your planning is ultimately for nothing.

Write down what rooms you would like on which floor. Specify your budget and then either go to an architect or a general contractor.

We talked to 3 architects in advance and provided them with this data. All 3 created rough concepts for free and then we chose one.

If you are already worrying so much and partly driving yourself crazy, you won’t survive your construction...

WOW... 2,600€/sqm excluding architect’s fees and a lot of own work is quite a figure. But of course you are absolutely right, and this number doesn’t tell me much in this case, since you have completely different costs due to the basement and the garage.

We talked to 3 architects in advance and shared this data. All 3 created rough concepts for us free of charge and then we decided on one.

We just find it difficult to interpret the offers. We have a floor plan that matches our ideas very well and is also comparable. Unfortunately, the price per sqm varies significantly at times, so we are trying to determine which numbers are more likely correct. Of course, these can still deviate, but for example, if 2,300€/sqm including architect’s fees is more likely than 2,500€/sqm including architect’s fees, that helps a bit.