Total cost of architect-designed house

Hello dear community,

my girlfriend and I are planning to build our first house with an architect and are somewhat in the dark regarding the total costs.

Our budget:

360,000.00 euros

less 60,000 euros for the plot (fully developed, including all ancillary purchase costs)
less 10,000 euros for the kitchen
less 15,000 euros for exterior work done by ourselves

Remaining 275,000 euros for house construction costs including architect fees.

Now the question is whether one can get the following house for that:

About the location/plot:

- 570 sqm
- rural location in Sauerland in NRW

About the house:

- brick by brick
- 125 sqm - 135 sqm
- no basement
- geothermal heat pump -> underfloor heating
- carport
- basement: utility room, kitchen, guest WC with shower, small storage room, living/dining room
- upper floor: large bathroom, bedroom, dressing room, 1 large or 2 small rooms
- pitched roof
- electric shutters
- KfW funding if possible
- turnkey

We would like to do the interior painting, the exterior work, and the flooring ourselves. (Please deduct the material costs for the painting and flooring from the above 275,000 euros, I have not done this as I cannot estimate what such things cost in a mid-price range.)

Now the question is whether the remaining 275,000 euros less xy euros for the costs of painting and flooring are enough to pay for an architect and the rest?

Many thanks for all answers!

Have you ever looked at a house of this size? I would describe it as a dollhouse. My tip: go to a prefabricated house exhibition, look at houses there and ask about the living space. That would be the first step for me. Then consider how you envision your future, whether children are planned as well. Maybe you will have visitors from time to time. And don’t forget that part of the living space will be taken up by the technical room if you build without a basement. You can find the architect’s fees in the HOAI. If you estimate €20,000 for that, you’re probably not wrong. Also don’t forget the incidental construction costs. You might think that’s peanuts. If you forgo the garage, you at least need a parking space for 2 vehicles. That has to be paved. Since you might also want to set up a terrace and you don’t want it to look like a construction site around the house forever, I’d guess that €15,000 won’t be enough by a long shot. Still, first and foremost I would assess my needs and if I’m already building a house, the space should not be too tight. Maybe others here in the forum have more solid arguments.

Well planned, 125 sqm can also be spacious. The price can be right, but there is little room for luxury. Air heat instead of geothermal? Saves acquisition costs diligently.

If you go to an architect, you can have the possibilities reasonably assessed in an initial consultation.

For how many people is the house supposed to be? I don’t see a whole crowd of children, and there are happy families on 110 sqm.
In that respect: 130 is okay, the architect’s costs don’t vary much with the size, whether 125 or 130.

Hello everyone, first of all thanks for the answers.

So, for biological reasons we will stay two people, which does not bother us further. Therefore, we do not need the most space and do not want to hide from each other.

Primarily, it is about whether you can get the desired architect house for the available money......?!?!?

Simple answer: YES - for the money you get an architect-designed house. However, you can also get a house from the general contractor or the prefabricated house company for about the same price. They are all comparable (perhaps the prefabricated house is a bit more expensive). All house variants can also be planned by the architect.