Design Process
How much does it cost to build a 200 m² eco-friendly home?
*Update: Please contact our team for current pricing.
In another article, we already discussed the cost of building an eco-friendly home and showed an example case in which we calculated the final construction cost of a 100 m² house. Today we return to the topic, but this time to calculate how much it costs to build a 200 m² eco-friendly home, so that you can compare budgets and cross-check information when deciding whether you need a larger or smaller home based on construction costs.
But before we start with the cost calculations, we would like to share some guidelines to help you decide the right size for your new home. What is the difference between a 100 m² and a 200 m² house? Do I really need 200 m²? Let us look step by step at how to decide the size of your home.
How many square metres do I need for my home?
Clients often come to our studio unsure of how many square metres they need for their future home.
Sometimes it is not even necessary to make this decision, as the square metres are often defined by the family’s needs and the budget. In any case, it is important to have a clear idea of what it means to have a larger or smaller home.
To help with this, we propose 5 key questions you can ask yourself, which can greatly facilitate decision-making.
#1: What is my lifestyle?
To set the right priorities for your future home, it is essential to start by analysing your lifestyle and what your current home is like, so you can narrow down the spaces you will need in the new house.
It may help to ask yourself simple questions such as: Which rooms do I use more/less? Why do some feel more/less pleasant? Do they have too much/too little natural light or ventilation? Would I like to have more/less outdoor space?
#2: How and where do I see myself in a few years?
Thinking long term is very important, as your situation may be very different depending on whether you are considering living independently, as a couple, or if you would like to start a family.
Many clients who come to our studio wonder what they will do with a 200 m² house when their children grow up and move out.
We always advise them to look for dimensions in which they feel comfortable. In some cases, this means choosing smaller homes of around 100–150 m² with the possibility of extension, or opting for 200 m² homes with flexible spaces that allow their use to be changed in the future.
#3: What are my sustainability and energy-efficiency criteria?
Thirdly, we would like to highlight the direct relationship between the size of a home and its level of energy efficiency. The more square metres a home has, the more energy will be needed to heat it, cool it, or light it, and therefore the maintenance cost will be higher.
However, whether it is a 100 or 200 m² house, as architects we recommend that you always choose passive systems—those that do not require energy to operate—such as cross ventilation or south-facing windows to capture heat from the sun.
#4: What budget do I consider affordable?
Sometimes, before deciding on the square metres of a home, it is important to decide what your maximum budget is. If we take into account that the average construction cost in Spain is around €1,200/m², we can roughly estimate how much it costs to build a house based on its size and then check whether the project is viable.
In this regard, please bear in mind that nowadays banks usually only lend 80% of the total cost of the home and the plot, and that this 80% often does not include costs such as the architectural project or taxes.
#5: What type of house best suits my needs?
Finally, after asking yourselves the four questions above, we propose this last one as a summary and to bring everything together.
In this way, you will be able to conclude what type of house best suits your needs, in terms of square metres as well as spaces, sustainability, and quality of life.
And now, let us move on to the numbers and see how much it costs to build a 200 m² eco-friendly home.
Some preliminary considerations about the cost of building a 200m2 eco-friendly home
To assess how much it costs to build a 200 m² eco-friendly home, we will prepare a standard budget with compact plot dimensions and combined passive and active energy systems that will allow us, through architectural design, to save energy.
It should be noted that building a 200 m² eco-friendly home, compared to building a conventional home, involves a cost increase of around 20% to 30%. However, this budget increase provides notable improvements in the home’s quality in terms of energy efficiency and health, and it pays for itself in just a few years.
At the studio, we also work with natural materials—a decision that allows us to create healthy, toxin-free spaces, which has a very positive impact on our health, and that is priceless!
Lastly, another very positive aspect is the significant energy savings of eco-friendly homes. Bear in mind that more than 60% of a home’s expenditure goes towards heating. Therefore, if we choose good natural insulation and create a good bioclimatic design, we can save a great deal of money on home maintenance.
And now, let us move on to the numbers!
How much does it cost to build a 200 m² eco-friendly home
To assess how much it costs to build a 200 m² eco-friendly home, we break down the cost by item.
Let us look at an example of building a house located in a village on the outskirts of Barcelona.
We will divide the price breakdown into four blocks to obtain the approximate cost of a 200 m² eco-friendly home.
In any case, as always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us and we will help you assess it so that nothing is overlooked.
(1) PLOT (40–50%).
– Size: 700 m².
– What can affect the cost? The location, the type of subsoil.
– Estimated cost: €150/m².
– Total cost: €105,000.
(2) CONSTRUCTION (40%).
– Size: 200 m².
– What can affect the cost?: Materials, construction time, construction system.
– Estimated cost: €2,000/m² + 10% foundations.
– Total cost: €440,000.
(3) ARCHITECTURAL PROJECT (10%).
– Concept: architect’s fees and associated technicians.
– What can affect the cost?: Team experience, rigour.
– Estimated architect’s fee: 6–8% of construction (€30,000–€35,000).
– Estimated associated technicians’ fee: 30% of the architect’s fees (€10,000).
– Total cost: €40,000.
(4) PERMITS, ENDORSEMENTS AND TAXES (8%).
– Concept: Architects’ Association endorsement + City Council building permit.
– What can affect the cost? The municipality where it is built, the size of the house.
– Estimated cost: 8% of the construction cost.
– Total cost: €35,200.
FINAL COST: €620,200.
In any case, we hope this post has helped you get an idea of how much it costs to build a 200 m² eco-friendly home, from the prior analysis of your needs and lifestyle to the detailed adjustment of the budget you have available.