Croatian reveals full cost breakdown of building holiday home on the coast

Croatia

Investing in tourism remains a popular form of investment in Croatia, whether through adapting an existing property or building something new.

A young Croatian has shared his detailed experience of building holiday homes for rent on Reddit, shedding light on both the true costs and the challenges faced along the way.

On a 1,200-square-metre plot located “somewhere between Zadar and Omiš”, he built two houses – one of 265 m² and the other of 64 m² – along with a 32 m² swimming pool.

Although he initially budgeted €350,000, the final cost came to between €450,000 and €500,000. Building was carried out traditionally, with block construction.

He waited eight months for the permit, while construction itself lasted 14 months from foundation to completion.

Cost breakdown

The builder, who earned his money through social media and selling a blog to a foreign buyer, shared a very detailed list of expenses:

• Roh-bau (structural shell): €127,000
• Joinery (PVC): €19,000
• Ceramics (floors, bathrooms, pool): €38,000
• Facade: €37,000
• Electrical and plumbing installations: ~€30,000
• Underfloor heating and air conditioning: €19,000
• Furniture, kitchen, wardrobes: €60,000
• Televisions (5 units): €5,400
• Bathrooms: €8,000–11,000
• Interior doors (14 units): €6,200 (half price from Bosnia)
• Landscaping: €8,300 artificial grass, €18,000 for terrace-to-pool “beach” and paving
• Excavation and site preparation: ~€23,000
• Boundary walls: €17,500
• Engineers, architect, permits: €10,000–14,000
• Plastering: €14,000
• Waterproofing materials: €3,500 (self-installed)
• Painting materials: €600–700
• Pool installations: €6,000
• Pool heat pump: €4,300
• Flat roof: €18,400 (two houses)
• Roof sheet metal work: €4,800

“Every little thing you fail to plan ends up blowing the budget. Every quote is like a market stall price – it depends on the day and the craftsman. That’s why I always asked for at least three or four offers before making a decision,” he explained.

Stress and lessons learned

He admits that the process was stressful, particularly as “absolutely no tradesman delivered on time” and most tried to raise prices at the point of payment.

He and his father spent almost every day for eight months on the building site themselves, estimating their own labour saved between €40,000 and €55,000.

“When it comes to building, what you think is saving money often becomes a cost later. Pay less at the start and you’ll pay double when it falls apart,” he reflected.

With the houses now complete and ready for guests, agencies have projected seasonal net earnings of €43,000–52,000. This would mean a return on investment within 9–11 years.

However, not everyone was convinced. Some Reddit users warned that the income estimates were optimistic, noting that realistically around 90–100 booked days could be expected in a season, rather than 120.

Others, including engineers, pointed out areas where costs seemed low or high, suggesting that adding solar panels could reduce long-term running expenses.

Moje iskustvo sa gradnjom kuće za odmor u Dalmaciji
byu/8kappa incroatia

Despite the challenges, the builder says the satisfaction makes it worthwhile. “It was very stressful, but also beautiful. When my wife and baby visited after a few days and saw the progress – her smile, and seeing the baby crawl and play – it made everything worth it.”