More and more Romanians are building their own houses. “The cost of recommendation expensive construction”

After the years of real estate boom, in which the “turnkey” housing purchases represented the most comfortable choice, more and more Romanians resort to their own construction to make savings. A construction specialist indicated for the “truth” some tricks that can keep prices under control.

More and more Romanians are building their own houses. Photo archive

The method was chosen as a natural response to inflation, in the context of increasing the prices for materials, but also of lack of confidence in the “system” of intermediaries, the construction of houses in their own can bring lower costs by up to 40%, say the market specialists.

“We are practically witnessing a resumption of the situation in 2008. After the real estate crisis, the Romanians did not cease to build, but they were personally involved, gave up developers and chose to manage their construction alone, from the roof foundation. The same phenomenon happens now, in 2025”, Said Cosmin Răileanu, the founder of the Vindem-ieftin.ro and the initiator of the virtual warehouse network.

“The cost of recommendation” is very expensive the construction

According to him, at present there is a clear reconfiguration of the beneficiaries' behavior. This is because the Romanian construction market is still deeply committed. Each link in the chain – developer, distributor, local supplier, craftsman or “Recommendations specialist” – adds a percentage that, finally, can be found in the price paid by the client. An important contribution in this regard is the masked commissions, applied at each stage, in the form of a”Recommendation cost“,”bonus“Or”consultant”.

Asked what “recommendations specialist” means and what this “recommendation cost” means, Cosmin Răileanu explained for “Adevărul” that “the whole construction industry works on recommendations”.

“I want to make a roof and I know someone who knows a craftsman, my acquaintance takes me to the craftsman who tells me how much the work costs and how much the materials cost, but in these costs the recommendation commission he gives to the one who brought the client. And look at the prices.said the expert for “Adevărul”.

Another method described by it for the increase in connructing is the one used by craftsmen. “They need the necessary materials, but they buy cheaper, poorly qualitative or without guarantee products. Or buy more materials than they need and return what they do not use, without knowing the customer.”he explained.

The cost of a house in its own direction

From the data collected from customers from all over the country, the average cost of building a house in their own, in the stage “to the red“, vary in 2025 between 350 and 450 euros/sqm, depending on the area, the materials chosen and the level of involvement of the beneficiary.

For a home of 100-150 square meters, this means an estimated budget between 35,000 and 65,000 euros. By comparison, the same house built by a developer or general entrepreneur can cost 30-40% more, due to commissions, fixed costs and margins imposed at each stage of the execution and supply chain.

How the prices of building materials have evolved

An analysis carried out by Vamm-ieftin.ro shows that in the last 12 months there have been constant increases in several essential categories of materials:

Brick: +17%

Iron concrete: +10-15%

Sandwich panels: +10%

Polystyrene and mineral wool: +5-8%

Cement: +3-5%

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“Propestions are a generalized tendency, which affects the entire supply chain. Even in their own directing, if the materials are not carefully chosen and are not ordered at the right time, the total cost of the construction can get out of control.”added the expert.

Reorganization on the construction market

On the other hand, against the background of reducing public investments, many construction companies that worked exclusively in state projects are beginning to reorient their workforce and technical capabilities to private residential projects. Which offers an important opportunity for those who opt for their own work.

“There will be more and more builders who will work with private beneficiaries. So far there is no offer, and people were buying” ready built “because they had no other option. Now, the builders come to the final customer, and the direction is becoming more accessible.”says Răileanu.

One of the largest sources of saving remains the direct purchase of materials from the producers. This method eliminates commissions and additions from deposits and retail chains.

“People who go directly to the factory receive, most of the time, standard price list. But we, through virtual warehouse, negotiate centralized at national level and get much better prices. This means that the same product can cost 15-25% less. And if we talk about a project of 50,000-60,000 euros, this percentage matters enormously”, Mentions the specialist.

The increases will accelerate

The market specialists told “truth“That things will not be better, estimating an accelerated increase in building materials, to which VAT will also contribute from August 1.

Dragoș Vlagali, general manager of Bauindusty DC, a company specialized in the marketing of construction materials responded to the request “truth“Regarding this year's prices comparison in relation to last year.

“VAT growth will definitely impact sales, but we hope that producers will print a priced policy because there is already a contraction of the request initially motivated by the period of the spring elections and now continued by the austerity measures presented by our government.”explained Vlagali for “truth”.

The increase of the VAT in August will put additional pressure on the real estate market and the construction sector, Sorin Lăpădatu, CEO Nexo Group, told “Adevărul”.

“The increase of the VAT announced for August will have a direct impact on the real estate market and on the entire chain in the construction sector. In a context already marked by inflation and the volatility of prices for raw materials, the additional increase of the construction materials will inevitably lead to the increase of the final costs of the new homes.

For Romanians who build or buy a house, this new wave of growth will mean a greater financial effort. The total costs, both for individual constructions and for purchases from residential projects, will be significantly higher.

As a result, it is expected that the request will be tempered in the next period. In this context, real estate developers will have to adapt: ​​to raise the level of quality of construction, to introduce innovative solutions and to provide more value added to keep Customers' interest in a growing market market“, added Lăpădatu.