Hello everyone!
After reading quite a bit in this forum over the past few days about basements/livable basements/square meter costs, I thought it would be good to get your assessment of our building project.
In short: Are we imagining something here that doesn’t fit our budget?
Our basic conditions are still quite flexible since we are very early in the process and only submitted an application for the planned development area two months ago. However, it looks like there is a good chance to get a plot there; so maybe the allocation will start around mid/end of next year. The whole thing is planned in a rural area in NRW.
That’s basically it…although I really did not expect the issue of the livable basement to cause us such a headache.
We were thinking of a budget for the house of 300,000 to 350,000 euros. Not turnkey, but “almost finished” each. We planned to do the flooring ourselves, walls, etc. Mainly for the basement, since my father and I also finished our parents’ current basement ourselves. If the single-family house could then be delivered turnkey on top and everything still fits the budget: even better. Well… was that wishful thinking?
We have already received two initial offers and are waiting for two more. For both quotes, the basement alone was about 60,000 euros, with the costs for the livable basement reaching approximately 120,000 to 140,000 euros! Ouch!
In the end, both offers were at least 420,000 euros, and with the second offer, they even hinted at a starting price of “five digits” if certain cases occur.
Have we so badly underestimated with our 300-350k euro (for the house)? Do we have to accept that what we want simply isn’t feasible with these requirements?
After reading quite a bit in this forum over the past few days about basements/livable basements/square meter costs, I thought it would be good to get your assessment of our building project.
In short: Are we imagining something here that doesn’t fit our budget?
Our basic conditions are still quite flexible since we are very early in the process and only submitted an application for the planned development area two months ago. However, it looks like there is a good chance to get a plot there; so maybe the allocation will start around mid/end of next year. The whole thing is planned in a rural area in NRW.
- The plan is for a 1.5-story single-family house with a basement apartment
- The building site is on a slope
- The basement will be for the parents, with a living area of 80sqm (860 sq ft). An additional 10sqm (110 sq ft) is planned as utility space (technical room, storage)
- Above that, as mentioned, a 1.5-story single-family house with about 120sqm (1,290 sq ft)
- The basement should slightly protrude to the south (towards the slope) to provide a small terrace for the ground floor
- We don’t have to pay for the land since the parents are covering that. Still, we expect to pay a typical two-thirds rent (+ rent for a parking space = at least 500€). That’s already nice
- Oh yes: both parts will be prefabricated. Due to various circumstances, the rather fixed and well-planned time frames for “when everything will be ready” are important to all of us.
That’s basically it…although I really did not expect the issue of the livable basement to cause us such a headache.
We were thinking of a budget for the house of 300,000 to 350,000 euros. Not turnkey, but “almost finished” each. We planned to do the flooring ourselves, walls, etc. Mainly for the basement, since my father and I also finished our parents’ current basement ourselves. If the single-family house could then be delivered turnkey on top and everything still fits the budget: even better. Well… was that wishful thinking?
We have already received two initial offers and are waiting for two more. For both quotes, the basement alone was about 60,000 euros, with the costs for the livable basement reaching approximately 120,000 to 140,000 euros! Ouch!
In the end, both offers were at least 420,000 euros, and with the second offer, they even hinted at a starting price of “five digits” if certain cases occur.
Have we so badly underestimated with our 300-350k euro (for the house)? Do we have to accept that what we want simply isn’t feasible with these requirements?
B
Bauexperte8 Aug 2016 13:33Wissi schrieb:
No, the 120 is our minimum requirement. Roughly estimated, we were thinking of an external width of about 10m (33 feet) to provide the parents with a minimum amount of window surface area. As I said: We are just at the very beginning and want to see where the journey can lead, what is feasible. Two examples:
- Without a recess for the terrace on the ground floor, for example 11.00 x 11.00 m (36 x 36 feet). That would give you about 90 square meters (970 square feet) in the basement, and the ground floor plus first floor together, depending on roof pitch, about 170 square meters (1,830 square feet). Altogether about 260 square meters (2,800 square feet) of heated living space.
- As before, but 10.00 x 10.00 m (33 x 33 feet) with the basement extended by 2.00 m (6.5 feet). The basement would then have about 92 square meters (990 square feet) of floor area, and the ground floor plus first floor about 150 square meters (1,615 square feet), depending on roof pitch. Altogether about 240 square meters (2,580 square feet) of heated living space.
This example can be varied as much as you like; at the end of the day, you will not be able to realize either size for a pure construction cost of USD 300,000 to 350,000.
Therefore, I would advise you to consult a good designer with your budget ideas—these are often hired externally for single-family homes—and clarify in an initial consultation what is possible.
Best regards, Bauexperte
B
Bauexperte8 Aug 2016 13:54Wissi schrieb:
Would you see it similarly for a solid (masonry) house? I don’t want to overlook this without at least considering this alternative.Yes; for your construction project, it initially doesn’t matter whether it is realized as a prefab or a solid (masonry) house.If the decision in favor of a prefab house is not yet final, choose a solid (masonry) house provider of your choice and discuss your plans with them. They will be able to tell you what financial and time effort it will ultimately involve.
Regards, Bauexperte
Wissi schrieb:
Would you approach this the same way for a solid construction house? I don’t want to overlook it without at least considering this alternative carefully.Find a good architect, have them study the plot and present a feasible design. Include an initial cost estimate. The advantages are obvious:
- You avoid troublesome sales pitches. Most of them lack substance, especially when a basement is added, which involves a subcontractor.
- Planning and execution come from a single source, including the basement, if desired.
That this referred to the sentence here
you do know that, right?
Conversations with suppliers and the resulting offers have already taken place, as mentioned at the beginning. I will also get offers from solid house builders.
Apart from that, the purpose of this thread was to get assessments exactly here. In this regard, suggestions like "Ask your supplier" are logical but help me less here.
You cannot realize both sizes for EUR 300,000 to EUR 350,000 in pure construction costs.
you do know that, right?
Conversations with suppliers and the resulting offers have already taken place, as mentioned at the beginning. I will also get offers from solid house builders.
Apart from that, the purpose of this thread was to get assessments exactly here. In this regard, suggestions like "Ask your supplier" are logical but help me less here.
B
Bauexperte8 Aug 2016 14:21Wissi schrieb:
You do realize that was referring to this sentence, right?Now I do.Even a builder specializing in solid construction can’t perform miracles. Usually, they are more affordable than a prefabricated home provider (due to the system), but not to the extent that you’d get a larger house for a lower price at the end of the day. A provider working like that would only last about three years.
Wissi schrieb:
Besides, the purpose of this thread was exactly to get assessments here. In that sense, advice like "Ask your provider" is logical but less helpful to me here.I gave you more than just a hint regarding your question, didn’t I? Otherwise, it’s a matter of "sender" versus "receiver."Regards, Bauexperte
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