ᐅ Single-family house on a sloped site, basement partially used as living and utility space – expensive shell construction?
Created on: 30 Aug 2016 11:32
K
Kaspatoo
Hi,
we already have a plot of land, which is on a slope that can be evened out by exactly one floor height.
Therefore, there will be a basement, with half of it containing two living rooms (above ground with windows and a door to the garden) and the other half having two cellar rooms (with two light wells).
The floor plan exterior dimensions are 8.60m x 9.60m (28.2 ft x 31.5 ft).
The above-ground part will be fully brick-faced, with a 45° (45°) gable roof and a dormer.
The building will meet KfW55 energy standards and will include a ventilation system.
In total, this results in about 170m² (1,829 sq ft) of usable and living space.
The street runs above / uphill from the property.
We have been in talks with two builders and have developed plans so far at no cost to us.
Both have offered a turnkey price of approximately €275,000.
For both, the shell construction is estimated to cost around €191,000.
I find that excessive. That is almost 70% of the total price. Online, I often read that the shell construction usually accounts for about 45% of the total cost.
Earlier, I was often told that a basement is very expensive, around €50,000, or even €60,000 in some cases. Others mention €25,000.
Okay, the basement living rooms have underfloor heating, windows, and a separate external door, which costs about €2,500. Also, one more course of bricks is used in the basement to achieve a clear ceiling height above 2.40m (7.9 ft).
But €190,000...
Or am I just on the wrong track here?
we already have a plot of land, which is on a slope that can be evened out by exactly one floor height.
Therefore, there will be a basement, with half of it containing two living rooms (above ground with windows and a door to the garden) and the other half having two cellar rooms (with two light wells).
The floor plan exterior dimensions are 8.60m x 9.60m (28.2 ft x 31.5 ft).
The above-ground part will be fully brick-faced, with a 45° (45°) gable roof and a dormer.
The building will meet KfW55 energy standards and will include a ventilation system.
In total, this results in about 170m² (1,829 sq ft) of usable and living space.
The street runs above / uphill from the property.
We have been in talks with two builders and have developed plans so far at no cost to us.
Both have offered a turnkey price of approximately €275,000.
For both, the shell construction is estimated to cost around €191,000.
I find that excessive. That is almost 70% of the total price. Online, I often read that the shell construction usually accounts for about 45% of the total cost.
Earlier, I was often told that a basement is very expensive, around €50,000, or even €60,000 in some cases. Others mention €25,000.
Okay, the basement living rooms have underfloor heating, windows, and a separate external door, which costs about €2,500. Also, one more course of bricks is used in the basement to achieve a clear ceiling height above 2.40m (7.9 ft).
But €190,000...
Or am I just on the wrong track here?
Today I visited a construction company that employs its own craftsmen and uses its own tools and machinery. They handle all masonry work and similar tasks themselves. The roof frame is subcontracted to a carpenter they know. Interior finishing trades are either subcontracted separately or organized by the homeowner.
Since the company has its own planning office, they can also provide a fixed-price offer. In a way, this eliminates the general contractor (GC) as a middleman, but you don’t necessarily save a five-figure amount here. Ultimately, the construction company seems to be a few thousand euros cheaper regarding the specifications.
Regarding related issues (sewer situation on a slope, supporting the driveway, small basement under the driveway for a garden shed, etc.), their proposals seem simpler and, above all, more cost-effective to me. While the GC tends to say, “hmm,” “difficult,” or “we’ll have to see,” the man from the construction company came up with ideas right away and dismissed my concerns based on experience.
In that sense, I trust their statements because it is a local company (building about 20 houses per year), well known in the region, and several acquaintances from my extended family have already had good experiences with them.
By chance, he is already building two houses just a few plots away from ours. So the reference is right next door.
Overall, the prices are quite close to each other. My suspicion of extreme overpricing seems to be wrong. I believe it reflects the general market level—that construction prices have risen alongside interest rates after their recent drop. At least it is positive that the money can’t be easily wasted.
Thanks for your assessments.
Since the company has its own planning office, they can also provide a fixed-price offer. In a way, this eliminates the general contractor (GC) as a middleman, but you don’t necessarily save a five-figure amount here. Ultimately, the construction company seems to be a few thousand euros cheaper regarding the specifications.
Regarding related issues (sewer situation on a slope, supporting the driveway, small basement under the driveway for a garden shed, etc.), their proposals seem simpler and, above all, more cost-effective to me. While the GC tends to say, “hmm,” “difficult,” or “we’ll have to see,” the man from the construction company came up with ideas right away and dismissed my concerns based on experience.
In that sense, I trust their statements because it is a local company (building about 20 houses per year), well known in the region, and several acquaintances from my extended family have already had good experiences with them.
By chance, he is already building two houses just a few plots away from ours. So the reference is right next door.
Overall, the prices are quite close to each other. My suspicion of extreme overpricing seems to be wrong. I believe it reflects the general market level—that construction prices have risen alongside interest rates after their recent drop. At least it is positive that the money can’t be easily wasted.
Thanks for your assessments.
One more thing has caught my attention.
The construction and performance description states that both interior and exterior walls are to be built using hollow bricks.
First of all: interior walls? That seems completely illogical and unnecessarily complicated to me, especially when you want to drill into them.
And then: wouldn’t it actually be cheaper to use sand-lime bricks instead?
Or should load-bearing interior walls be made of the same material as the exterior walls?
For the exterior walls, I could imagine that hollow bricks help to achieve a better KfW (55) standard.
But: would it be cost-neutral to use sand-lime bricks in the exterior walls instead of hollow bricks and compensate with a few centimeters more insulation? This would have the advantage that the wall would be thinner and the interior space larger.
The construction and performance description states that both interior and exterior walls are to be built using hollow bricks.
First of all: interior walls? That seems completely illogical and unnecessarily complicated to me, especially when you want to drill into them.
And then: wouldn’t it actually be cheaper to use sand-lime bricks instead?
Or should load-bearing interior walls be made of the same material as the exterior walls?
For the exterior walls, I could imagine that hollow bricks help to achieve a better KfW (55) standard.
But: would it be cost-neutral to use sand-lime bricks in the exterior walls instead of hollow bricks and compensate with a few centimeters more insulation? This would have the advantage that the wall would be thinner and the interior space larger.
MarcWen schrieb:
That looks quite high at first glance. It's also hard to compare. Just as a reference, our entire shell construction including the basement and double garage costs about 130,000 euros net. May I ask how much enclosed volume you have?
Baufie schrieb:
May I ask how much enclosed volume you have?Residential building: approximately 1,500 cubic meters (53,000 cubic feet)
Double garage: 165 cubic meters (5,800 cubic feet)
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