Hard rules. No hidden costs. No markup. The materials cost for a complete 84 square metre family home in Portugal. Every line item. Every assumption. Published openly so you can verify, challenge, and improve it. A single parent on a median salary, with €15,000 saved and a €30,000 loan, can afford a three-bedroom home. It is our job to make that enough.
These are stated openly and held by design. If a build exceeds these numbers, the system has been assembled incorrectly, or the component specification has been violated.
Why these numbers are achievable. The conventional construction industry charges what the market will bear. A €150,000 house contains perhaps €35,000 in materials. The remainder is labour markup, contractor overhead, architect fees, project management, financing costs, and profit margin at every layer. Hestia removes every layer between the materials and the occupant. The family buys the materials directly, follows the protocol, and builds. The only remaining costs are the materials themselves, a short engagement with a structural engineer for stamp approval, and whatever professional services the owner chooses to hire rather than do themselves.
This is the weathertight structure: walls, roof, floor, foundation, windows, and doors. Everything that keeps wind and rain out. Nothing that makes it comfortable to live in yet. No concrete. No rebar. The house is over-engineered, but the cost is minimal.
| Item | Quantity | Unit € | Total € | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPAL Euro Pallets | 90 | €10 | €900 | Logistics depot, any EU country |
| OSB3 Sheets (2500x1250x15) | 32 | €14 | €448 | Builders merchant |
| I-Joists (240mm x 5m) | 24 | €21 | €504 | Timber merchant, cut to length |
| Helical Ground Screws | 16 | €40 | €640 | Specialist supplier, installed |
| Sill Beam Timber | 30m | €8/m | €240 | Treated softwood, builders merchant |
| Ring Shank Nails (3.1x90) | 3,000 | €0.04 | €120 | Hardware store |
| PU Adhesive (EN 204 D4) | 15 tubes | €8 | €120 | Builders merchant |
| Breather Membrane | 2 rolls | €55 | €110 | Builders merchant |
| Roofing Steel Sheets | 45m² | €12/m² | €540 | Metal merchant, cut to length |
| Roof Battens | 60m | €3/m | €180 | Treated softwood |
| Double Glazed Windows | 4 | €350 | €1,400 | Standard sizes, local supplier |
| External Door + Frame | 1 | €450 | €450 | Steel or timber, local supplier |
| M12 Bolts + Washers | 100 | €1.50 | €150 | Hardware store |
| Joist Hangers | 48 | €4 | €192 | Simpson or generic, hardware store |
| Timber Cladding (exterior) | 65m² | €15/m² | €975 | Treated softwood, local merchant |
| External Paint / Stain | 20L | €25/L | €500 | Breathable, timber merchant |
| Guttering + Downpipes | 25m | €12/m | €300 | Plastic or aluminium, hardware store |
| Floor Decking (OSB3) | 12 sheets | €14 | €168 | Same as wall OSB |
| Floor Insulation (below) | 38m² | €12/m² | €456 | Rock wool or EPS, builders merchant |
| Damp Proof Membrane | 1 roll | €180 | €180 | Under floor, builders merchant |
| Butyl Tape + Sealants | assorted | - | €200 | Hardware store |
| STRUCTURAL SHELL TOTAL | - | - | €18,100 - €25,400 | Range depends on window/door spec and cladding choice |
Everything that makes the home function without grid connection. These are optional in a grid-connected build, but they are included in the complete home price because the Hestia system is designed for genuine off-grid capability.
| Item | Spec | Total € |
|---|---|---|
| Solar PV (3kW) + Battery (10kWh) | Panels, inverter, lithium battery | €4,000 - €5,500 |
| Solar Hot Water | Evacuated tube collector, 200L tank | €1,500 - €1,800 |
| Composting Toilets | 2x separating dry toilets | €1,700 - €1,900 |
| Water System | Rainwater collection OR mains connection | €1,500 - €3,500 |
| Smart Home Sensors | Shelly modules, WiFi, open firmware | €400 |
| OFF-GRID TOTAL | - | €9,100 - €13,300 |
Short, premium engagements with licensed professionals. Not a project manager for six months. A structural engineer for a week. An electrician for a day.
| Service | Scope | Cost € |
|---|---|---|
| Structural Engineer | Calculations + stamp for building permit | up to €2,000 |
| Blown Rock Wool Contractor | Supply + install, 2-3 hours on site | €800 - €1,200 |
| Electrician | Consult + sign-off on first-fix | €300 - €450 |
| Plumber | Wet wall + connection sign-off | €200 - €300 |
| PROFESSIONAL TOTAL | - | €1,300 - €3,950 |
| Item | Cost € | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Permit + Legal | up to €3,000 | Varies enormously by municipality |
| Tools (nail gun + saw, purchased) | €200 - €400 | Can be rented for ~€50 |
| Transportation | €400 | One truck delivery, 50km average |
| ONE-OFF TOTAL | €600 - €3,800 | - |
15% of total materials cost = approximately €4,400 - €6,800. This covers waste, price variation, mistakes, and the inevitable item you forgot.
| Shell materials | €18,100 - €25,400 |
| Off-grid package | €9,100 - €13,300 |
| Professional services | €1,300 - €3,950 |
| One-off costs | €600 - €3,800 |
| Contingency (15%) | €4,400 - €6,800 |
| TOTAL COMPLETE HOME | ~€50,000 |
The self-build labour advantage. In a conventional build, labour is 50-70% of total cost. In a Hestia self-build, labour is €0. The family, their friends, and their community do the work. The protocol is the skill transfer. One person who has built a Hestia home can teach ten people to build the next. The knowledge compounds.
If labour must be hired (elderly occupants, disability, time constraints), it is capped at €25,000. This is approximately 300 hours at €80/hour, roughly the time required for assembly and finishing by a small crew.
| Build Type | Cost per m² | 84m² Total | Time to Occupation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical EU new build (contractor) | €2,500 - €4,000 | €210,000 - €336,000 | 12-18 months |
| Prefab modular home (factory) | €1,800 - €2,800 | €151,000 - €235,000 | 6-12 months + lead time |
| Self-build timber frame (conventional) | €1,200 - €1,800 | €100,000 - €151,000 | 12-18 months |
| Hestia (self-build) | €595/m² | ~€50,000 | 3-6 months |
A single parent on a median salary, with €15,000 saved and a €30,000 loan, can afford a three-bedroom home. The total materials cost for a complete 84 square metre family home stays under €50,000. It is our job to make that enough. It is our job to make the numbers work. This is not charity. This is not subsidy. This is structural affordability, achieved by removing the intermediation that inflates cost, and by publishing the knowledge that enclosure has kept expensive.