Why building a house almost always costs more than calculated

We're definitely treating ourselves to a rain shower panel. But only one.

Does your wife use it too?
With my wife, it would never be in use. There are only showers or hair, but never at the same time.

Doing work yourself is quite a thing. You can actually save quite a bit, but you also have to bring a lot of time.

Three neighbors of mine do a lot themselves. I admire them for their weekly commitment, the will to get it done each time, the skills they demonstrate, as well as the confidence to tackle the work even at the risk that the result may not be perfect.

One neighbor is now moving into his house after 3 years of construction. The second has been living in the house he mostly built himself for half a year. However, he moved into the half-finished house six months ago and continues to work on it every weekend. The third also moved into the house when the screed drying was almost done. With his wife and baby. Since then, he has worked almost every evening and every weekend. Starting with the flooring, then installing his photovoltaic system, paving work, building a dry stone wall, etc. The garage integrated into the house was not accessible for a year because, due to the missing paving, the concrete slab was too high. But then not afterward either, because a huge amount of tools and materials were stored in the garage.

I admire these builders for their skills, their courage, their patience, and their determination to subordinate everything else to the work.

I wouldn’t admire something like that because it can destroy a lot in the family - especially moving into a half-finished house. It was our top priority that the place is finished inside and there isn’t a single unfinished room anywhere.

Does your wife use that too? With my wife, it would never be in use. There are only showers or hair, but never at the same time.

It is for me For me, it is mainly about the nebulizer. That way, I can significantly raise the room temperature within a few minutes. Alternatively, there would be a steam generator from Hoesch. But those are even more expensive.

I wouldn’t admire something like that because it can destroy a lot within the family – especially moving into a half-finished house.

It was our top priority that the place be finished inside and that there were no more shell rooms anywhere.

Same with us.
My wife’s requirement: The children’s rooms must be finished and the kitchen (including appliances) – which basically meant: The whole house must be finished inside.
Only the outdoor facilities were not a problem.

The families cooperate here. I also think that you have to coordinate well in advance so that everyone is clear about what’s coming. Only then can you approach it.

So a shower easily costs 1,000 euros more, having two means 2,000 euros more.

Glass partition instead of shower curtain x2 = 1,500 euros.

Electric roller shutters are also a thing, starting at 150 euros each, rather more... with 10 windows 1,500 euros.

Different switch program... easily 2,500 euros more than standard.

Garage 9x3 instead of 6x3... 2,500 euros more.

This list can be extended arbitrarily, but these were just roughly 10,000 euros in "extra wishes" and I'm not even close to what’s possible.

That’s exactly what tox means.
By the way, I can recall a discussion where the planned shower curtain in the kids’ bathroom was disparaged as social housing... Yet the idea is well thought out: parents save themselves the hassle of cleaning behind it.
Electric roller shutters, underfloor heating, wide washbasin... all become standard... One should ask oneself whether one really needs/wants it or could easily do without it, but then the house might appear inferior...