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Building yourself takes a lot of time.

In 7 years we did 2 renovations and 1 new build, even renovations should not be underestimated in terms of time.
Our then new build (all done independently) took 1 1/2 years until moving in.
At that time the basement wasn’t quite finished yet, although we were on the construction site every day, including Sundays towards the end.
Even if you say you get help, don’t rely on it; the longer the construction takes, the fewer people remain willing to help.

Our current new build we are having done by a company, of course we will still do some things ourselves, but we are 18 years older now just like some of our former helpers who have partly passed away.

I don’t know how old your father or father-in-law is, who is doing the plastering,
construction work is hard manual labor. I would think carefully about doing everything yourself.

What use is it to you if you end up exhausted afterwards.

Hello,

It is quite something to want to do so much yourself.

I am grateful that you described your experience so realistically. Thank you very much for that!

When I answer related questions from interested parties in a comparable way, I usually get facial expressions that would still be politely described as "incredulous." No layperson can imagine that EL requires time, money, and a lot of nerves. What you have accomplished in EL is usually the maximum that I can recommend to a potential builder in good conscience – although, if I feel that I am being heard, I try to limit EL to the outdoor facilities.

I very rarely have builders who want to do EL excessively; but if they do, I can sign Silvia’s post. In the end – as long as health is not impaired – most relationships lie in ruins before the builders. It is an enormous burden on a relationship to share life with the property & co. for a long time, to transfer the job (mostly craftsmen who dare to take on this mammoth project) into the private sphere.

I would not voluntarily take on this emotional valley of tears; "just" to be able to say: "I have a house" ... "built with my own hands" pushed in the background. However, if you look closely, you quickly realize that it is solely about the unconditional will to enter the homeowners' club; at all costs ... resistant to advice regarding the possible consequences ...

Rhenish greetings

We also built turnkey and "only" did the floor coverings, interior finishing of the basement (adding walls, plastering, painting) and small things (installing doors, installing lamps, painting walls in color, attaching decorations to sockets, installing sanitary fixtures, etc.) ourselves. But honestly, that’s completely enough! We actually spent the entire last year dealing with the house, every weekend, every day after work, and all vacation days went to coordinating with craftsmen, inspections, tidying up/cleaning up, and own work—even though we had a lot of help from friends and family and our own building surveyor. And even after this one year, I wouldn’t say we’re finished; there are still plenty of smaller construction sites (some baseboards, missing outdoor lighting, etc.).

I would never dare to build a house myself; my nerves, time, and relationship are simply more important to me, and above all, I would be afraid of overestimating myself and my skills and that the whole thing would drag on endlessly!

I see the problem the same way. We are currently (core) renovating our house. And we are doing a lot ourselves. That takes a lot of time and would not be possible without help from friends and family. Most of the time it doesn’t work right away, and when it does, you usually need double to triple the amount of time you originally estimated. And there are so many details you don’t think about beforehand that also take up a lot of time. The other problem is that you often don’t have the right tools or the right materials. Buying or renting tools also costs a lot of money. In the end, you usually only save on wages. I don’t know if I would do it the same way again But now it is going to be carried through first.

I can only agree with the critical voices here. Do not underestimate the work, the mental and time strain. We ourselves also built "turnkey," and the entire annual vacation of my husband and my current free time (with a small child at home) was needed for painting and laying the floor. Besides that, outdoor areas, installing lamps, curtains, assembling the garden shed, and all the many little things that come during and after the actual house construction. With two full-time jobs, more is hardly realistic.

Our neighbor set his mind on building his house himself. He himself comes from construction, as do his father and brother. In addition, friends who know about it and neighbors... so he raised the entire shell, insulated it, installed underfloor heating and screed, did the interior plastering, and mostly did the interior finishing himself except for the electrical work. Only the roof was done by a professional company. Meanwhile, this has been going on for over a year, the upper floor is still far from finished inside, the exterior plaster is missing - he has spent every weekend, the entire vacation, and holidays with helpers on the construction site. Meanwhile, he himself says that he would not do it again, and the remaining work will now mostly be completed by commissioned companies. So that there is at least a little time left for the family and the children. Because they usually end up being the ones who suffer. Especially since he clearly feels the physical strain – and he is only 35! So think carefully about it!

An acquaintance (electrician) built his house himself with the help of his wife, his father, and occasional helpers. When he had no clue at all, he did it with a company and worked as a helper; he read up on the subject and dared to try everything. For example, he had a mason and then worked as an assistant for the mason himself. His wife took care of the organization and cost planning (where to get which company or which building material cheaply) and also actively supported the construction. Both worked full-time during the construction phase and did the construction in all their free time (after work, weekends, vacation). If someone, for example, had to be present during the week to supervise a company, then the father took over. All in all, they saved a lot of money, which they then could invest in the equipment of the house. From the purchase of the plot to moving in, 20 months passed. After moving in, works like tiling the basement and landscaping were and are still being done... so I followed the whole thing and occasionally helped, and I have to say, it is possible if you want to... However, there were no children here, and both really had an iron will and at critical points skilled helpers. (but you should also be able to rely on the helpers). But they already lived in a condominium and didn’t have to pay rent. That might also be an important point regarding financing.