Build a house yourself: What is involved in building a house?

Anyone who wants to build a house has undertaken a real major project, which will probably drag on for years and take up a lot of money and time. At the end there is a great reward for all the effort and expense: The individual dream house, designed entirely according to one’s own ideas. Of course, the way there is feasible and in most cases all the investments are worth it for the house, which will not only be the cozy home for the rest of life, but can also be taken over by the children and at some point – when it is paid off – will also be much cheaper than a rental house.

Nevertheless, building a house is and remains an elaborate and complicated matter, and all those who have undertaken to build their own house should know what is in store for them.

The requirements for building a house: precise ideas, a building permit, money and a plot of land

Who builds a house, needs naturally a budget as well as in addition suitable conceptions. Sufficient money for the acquisition of a property and for the building of a house have only the least humans, most will take up for this usually largest investment of the life a credit. A visit to the trusted financial advisor provides information about the financing topic. He will calculate on the basis of the available equity and the monthly income, which loan amount would be possible. Is it only enough for a small house? Or can a loan be taken out that would even make a large garden with a swimming pond possible?

If this question is presumably clarified, it is a matter of looking for a plot of land depending on the budget amount and getting an overview of what options are available. Real model houses or those shown in catalogs provide the necessary inspiration here, but of course also houses of family members, relatives and friends. In almost all parts of Germany there are model house parks, where present and future owners can look around.

For the house building it requires in addition a building permission of the responsible building authority, with which also already planning sketches must be submitted over it, how the later house is to look once. This leads to the next question: Whose help does a builder need when building his house?

Construction company, architect and building material supplier: Professional help in building a house

Building a house yourself does not mean doing everything on your own, because that is not realistic. The help of a construction company is definitely necessary, just because of the expertise that the contractors and workers have. Thus, the shell should definitely be done by professionals, as well as the plumbing and electrical installations.

Of course, it is also possible to leave the construction of the house completely in the hands of a construction company, which is probably the easiest, but also the most expensive alternative. Incidentally, those who lend a hand themselves also enjoy better credit terms with the banks. As a so-called “muscle mortgage”, the work that the builder himself puts into the house is counted as labor towards the equity capital.

An architect must also be consulted from the beginning, because he prepares the building plan and the sketches that the building authorities need to issue the building permit. The building materials should come from a reliable and trustworthy supplier; after all, they are the be-all and end-all of house construction and are decisive for the quality of the house, from stability to appearance and energy efficiency. Here it is worthwhile to obtain recommendations from acquaintances. There is bound to be a competent building materials supplier in every region. For example, in the west of Germany, especially for the Ruhr area in use, is the company Baustoffe Ruhr, a good example of a versatile, experienced supplier of building materials, which can supply building materials for everything from the skeleton of the house to the garden.

How volunteers can help build the house themselves

The more builders take on themselves, the more they will appreciate the help of volunteers – siblings, friends, acquaintances. Perhaps they can schedule a day or two to help out with the house and actively save money – after all, the more work the builder takes on himself, the lower the cost of the house, and of course that doesn’t mean the family has to do everything with their own hands. Anyone who wants to can lend a hand. The volunteers will certainly be delighted with a big housewarming party as a thank-you. Especially when it comes to the finishing touches to the interior of the house, such as laying floors and tiles or painting and wallpapering, even inexperienced helpers can provide valuable services. Those who have experience in building can help the professional builders with plastering and rough construction according to their instructions.

How volunteers can help build the house yourself

The more the builders take on themselves, the more they will appreciate the help of volunteers – siblings, friends, acquaintances. Perhaps they can schedule a day or two to help out with the house and actively save money – after all, the more work the builder takes on himself, the lower the cost of the house, and of course that doesn’t mean the family has to do everything with their own hands. Anyone who wants to can lend a hand. The volunteers will certainly be happy about a big housewarming party as a thank-you. Especially when it comes to the finishing touches to the interior of the house, such as laying floors and tiles or painting and wallpapering, even inexperienced helpers can provide valuable services. Those who have experience in building can help the professional builders with plastering and rough construction according to their instructions.

Ultimately, the effort involved in building a house should never be underestimated – even if it is a great thing to own a home that also exactly matches your personal ideas. Because many things take a long time, not only in the construction itself, but also in the bureaucratic processes that precede it (a building permit and loan approval usually take several months each) and there are many ancillary costs associated with building a house that are quite expensive. These are, among other things, the land transfer tax, the credit counseling, the notary fees and also a construction insurance should be concluded in any case. Nevertheless – this should not deter anyone. After all, anyone who plans everything properly and can rely on the help of professionals and volunteers will certainly not regret having built their own house and thus having given themselves and their children a piece of security.