Good evening!
I come from the Tübingen district and I am 27 years old. My wife and I have now received confirmation for our desired plot, which we will buy in the next few days. Now the planning for the actual house begins.
I am a complete beginner and have browsed this forum a bit, but it’s overwhelming. All the information drives me crazy and discourages me; I don’t even know where to start!
We don’t have a huge budget and want to build with a construction company such as Heinz von Heiden, Town & Country, or Scanhaus Marlow. Some kind of builder that is not the most expensive but still delivers good quality work, preferably solid construction. There are good and bad reviews about every builder online, so I won’t even ask here for recommendations, right?
What I have found out so far are the following hidden costs: (House only, no landscaping)
On top of the “turnkey price,” I have to calculate:
1. About 25,000€ (27,500 USD) additional construction costs
2. Kitchen
3. Lighting fixtures
4. Own work, usually: flooring/wall work + materials
5. Basically add about 20,000€ (22,000 USD) for selections to the stated “turnkey price” because the standard is often too basic
I need to pay attention to the construction description included with “turnkey”:
1. Is triple glazing included?
2. What standard is installed?
3. Heat pump, etc.?
4. What extras do I want + what does all that cost?
I would like to know now:
1. What is the best way to proceed? I want to schedule appointments with the companies mentioned above. How do I best prepare for meetings with these somewhat opaque builders?
2. What other hidden costs should I watch out for that I haven’t mentioned or don’t know yet?
3. What must the house absolutely have in terms of “equipment”/standard?
An example of how I calculate:
House standard turnkey: about 170,000€ (187,000 USD)
Selections: about 20,000€ (22,000 USD)
Additional construction costs: about 25,000€ (27,500 USD)
Flooring + wall materials: about 6,000€ (6,600 USD)
Kitchen: about 15,000€ (16,500 USD)
Lighting: about 3,000€ (3,300 USD)
Financial buffer: about 5,000€ (5,500 USD)
= 244,000€ (269,000 USD)
Is this correct? Am I missing anything? Do I need to add anything else, if yes, what?
I would really appreciate your help!
Best regards
I come from the Tübingen district and I am 27 years old. My wife and I have now received confirmation for our desired plot, which we will buy in the next few days. Now the planning for the actual house begins.
I am a complete beginner and have browsed this forum a bit, but it’s overwhelming. All the information drives me crazy and discourages me; I don’t even know where to start!
We don’t have a huge budget and want to build with a construction company such as Heinz von Heiden, Town & Country, or Scanhaus Marlow. Some kind of builder that is not the most expensive but still delivers good quality work, preferably solid construction. There are good and bad reviews about every builder online, so I won’t even ask here for recommendations, right?
What I have found out so far are the following hidden costs: (House only, no landscaping)
On top of the “turnkey price,” I have to calculate:
1. About 25,000€ (27,500 USD) additional construction costs
2. Kitchen
3. Lighting fixtures
4. Own work, usually: flooring/wall work + materials
5. Basically add about 20,000€ (22,000 USD) for selections to the stated “turnkey price” because the standard is often too basic
I need to pay attention to the construction description included with “turnkey”:
1. Is triple glazing included?
2. What standard is installed?
3. Heat pump, etc.?
4. What extras do I want + what does all that cost?
I would like to know now:
1. What is the best way to proceed? I want to schedule appointments with the companies mentioned above. How do I best prepare for meetings with these somewhat opaque builders?
2. What other hidden costs should I watch out for that I haven’t mentioned or don’t know yet?
3. What must the house absolutely have in terms of “equipment”/standard?
An example of how I calculate:
House standard turnkey: about 170,000€ (187,000 USD)
Selections: about 20,000€ (22,000 USD)
Additional construction costs: about 25,000€ (27,500 USD)
Flooring + wall materials: about 6,000€ (6,600 USD)
Kitchen: about 15,000€ (16,500 USD)
Lighting: about 3,000€ (3,300 USD)
Financial buffer: about 5,000€ (5,500 USD)
= 244,000€ (269,000 USD)
Is this correct? Am I missing anything? Do I need to add anything else, if yes, what?
I would really appreciate your help!
Best regards
P
Peanuts7418 Oct 2016 06:27Both have 2 floors, so so.
However, I basically agree with you that some of the houses being built today are ridiculously overpriced.
What do you mean by an American kitchen?
In my experience, that would more likely be a downgrade and should result in a refund...
However, I basically agree with you that some of the houses being built today are ridiculously overpriced.
What do you mean by an American kitchen?
In my experience, that would more likely be a downgrade and should result in a refund...
brandt5 schrieb:
Well, as you can see, this is the first floor plan. We have an American-style kitchen, 2 additional windows, underfloor heating on both floors, and a house with an energy consumption of 7,800 kWh, of which 1,300 kWh comes from renewable energy, plus an extra shower in the guest bathroom. We live here near the Polish border in the far east... so the expectations are not that high... I think that has little to do with the place of residence.
Did you include any features in the offer before signing the contract, or are you planning to be “surprised” during the selection of finishes?
P
Peanuts7418 Oct 2016 10:06RobsonMKK schrieb:
I think this has very little to do with the place of residence.
Did you include items in the offer before signing the contract, or do you prefer to be "surprised" during the selection process?It is true that many people in the eastern federal states have lower but still completely adequate expectations. I also know people who want to build a house for less than 100,000 euros.
Of course, this is only possible with companies from Eastern Europe (Poland, Romania, etc.) and government subsidies.
Whether it pays off can only be seen later.
However, much of what is sold under the guise of energy savings and ecology does not pay off in the long run.
And you can ask yourself whether you really need granite window sills, walk-in showers, ventilation systems, electric blinds, stainless steel rails, etc., or if you just want them.
I think quite a few people, especially in German society with its envy culture, do not want to fall behind their neighbors.
I just want to get to a specific point, maybe brandt will comment further.
And the topic of "renewable" energy fits well here in this context. It refers to the necessary solar thermal system on the roof due to the gas condensing boiler (typical Town & Country standard).
And the topic of "renewable" energy fits well here in this context. It refers to the necessary solar thermal system on the roof due to the gas condensing boiler (typical Town & Country standard).
P
Peanuts7418 Oct 2016 10:28Obviously, the minimum requirements must be met. However, in Germany they are probably higher than in 99.x percent of the rest of the world...
It’s somehow not entirely clear.
The point is that the so-called great renewable energy here actually comes from using a fossil fuel. That’s not something to be proud of or to brag about (I would rather keep it under the radar).
The realization only comes at the end, when you start thinking that maybe you want one or two small extras.
I’m speaking from experience here, which is why I’m a bit skeptical that everything is truly included in the $148k price.
The point is that the so-called great renewable energy here actually comes from using a fossil fuel. That’s not something to be proud of or to brag about (I would rather keep it under the radar).
The realization only comes at the end, when you start thinking that maybe you want one or two small extras.
I’m speaking from experience here, which is why I’m a bit skeptical that everything is truly included in the $148k price.