Single-family house: Is the rate realistic? How much house can we afford?

I can reassure you, our new build cost significantly less than 1.1 million, although you are not entirely wrong about the gross income. However, our house construction ended up being significantly more expensive than originally planned: turnkey price +40% additional costs, which, despite some self-performed painting work and landscaping, still surprised us but could be absorbed quite unproblematically. (Although, the garage was cut and will not be built anymore)

In the village where our country is located, 12 houses have recently been built in the latest new development area. I know the owners and their jobs – none of them have a six-figure annual net household income. Not even close.

I can reassure you, our new build cost well under 1.1 million, but you’re not entirely wrong about the gross income. However, our house construction ended up being significantly more expensive than originally planned: turnkey price +40% additional costs, which surprised us despite some DIY work on painting and the outdoor area, but could be absorbed fairly smoothly. (Although, the garage was cut and will not be built anymore)

How can it happen that +40% gets added on top? I calculated our new build at 520k. Of that, 20 thousand are earmarked for sample selection. We’re doing the outdoor areas ourselves gradually out of pocket after moving in. Terrace, driveway, and paving are also done by the general contractor, meaning we have to take care of the fence and the topsoil where there is no paving.

The outdoor facilities we will do ourselves bit by bit out of our own pocket after moving in.

I personally consider that one of the biggest mistakes when building. 'That little bit outside'... can so quickly cost so much. A fence can easily cost €300 per section, robotic lawn mower, raised bed, topsoil, irrigation, planting, garden shed, canopy... just to name a few things. To just have that on top of the house payment like that, I find it... ambitious. Just my 5 cents.

How can it happen that 40% more is added on top? I calculated our new build at 520k. Of that, 20 thousand are allocated for sampling. We are doing the exterior work ourselves out of our own pocket gradually after moving in. The terrace, access path, and paving are also done by the general contractor, meaning we have to take care of the fence and the topsoil where no paving is laid.

One of the general contractors from whom we requested offers told us quite openly that 20 to 30% on top of their turnkey price is normal until you live in the house and the exterior is finished. For us, it turned out to be 40% because of the slope and the many terracing and retaining walls that became necessary. But there were also serious cost drivers in the interior finishing, especially the tile work is worth mentioning. And yes, of course, there was one or the other extra request, laundry chute (definitely install), KNX system, elaborate garden lighting (cables laid and lamps connected by ourselves)... Besides that, we also had to renovate our old building for renting...

have you already mentioned anywhere how big you want to build and what?

We have built Bremen / almost Lower Saxony and depending on where in Lower Saxony you are and whether you want to build solidly, I can warmly recommend our general contractor to you.

We will do the outdoor facilities ourselves after moving in, gradually at our own expense.
The terrace, access path, and paving are also done by the general contractor, meaning we have to take care of the fence and the topsoil where no paving is laid.

For us, the outdoor facilities were also only completed one year after moving in, and details like a second terrace with WPC decking and the garden pond were only added last year (both done ourselves, but with material costs easily exceeding 3000k).
However, I find it bad when the outdoor area visible from the street remains unfinished for too long. It is, after all, a visible sign to everyone that the money is lacking somewhere and maybe eventually there will be a distress sale or auction.