Hello everyone!
After reading here for a while, I’ve now decided to actively participate (with questions! Unfortunately, my knowledge isn’t enough to provide answers).
Who we are:
A brief introduction: we are a family of six facing a move due to work. It doesn’t need to happen immediately. Currently, my husband commutes and the pressure isn’t very high. In the medium term, however, we would like to relocate closer to his job.
We’re not firmly set on building a house, but after watching the market for some time, we’ve realized that we either have to rent a rundown place, spend an enormous amount of money, or hope for a lucky find. Unfortunately, the housing market is not designed for large families. Almost all listings are poorly laid out or too small. Sometimes suitable homes do appear, but often we’re simply too slow due to distance. The same goes for buying existing houses. Somehow, the market seems pretty depleted.
As a sort of Plan B, we’re now considering building and are starting to explore that slowly. We’re (still!) complete beginners and have little clue, so I’m hoping for answers to many basic questions here.
What we are looking for:
We don’t need luxury but want to plan thoughtfully (eventually the children will leave home), aiming for reasonable energy efficiency and, if possible, a clear, simple architectural style. Specifically, a house without unnecessary frills. Ideally designed as a house with “two separate living units.” Not only to potentially benefit from double government subsidies (such as the KFW building loan program / similar grant schemes, though as a layperson I don’t fully understand or know if those loans are really top priority—probably a topic to revisit later)—but also to avoid living in a house that’s too large once the kids have moved out.
We want to build affordably but not cheaply. That means carefully considering what is truly needed, keeping things simple and pared down, and (in many but not all areas) opting for relatively basic finishes. We currently live in a (very well planned!) house of about 140 sqm (1500 sq ft). In our opinion, more space isn’t necessary with good design.
How much will it cost?
I keep running into cost-per-square-meter figures related to building. It’s often stated that you can build for around €1100 (about $1200) per sqm (simple finishes), up to €2000 (about $2200) for higher-end finishes (with no clear upper limit). But I wonder: can you really build a decent house for €1500 (about $1650) per sqm? From browsing various prefab home catalogs, that seems too low to me. But I’m happy to be proven wrong.
Cost calculation:
We don’t want to rush into building just for the sake of it. Right now, we’re mainly considering whether we can afford to build at all. Here is a rough example calculation running through my mind for you to review. Please: where is the mistake? What have I overlooked?
House, 150 sqm (1600 sq ft) - €225,000 (about $247,000)
Plot, fully serviced (picked at random—some can be cheaper, some much more expensive) - €35,000 (about $38,000)
Additional construction costs (according to this forum) - €40,000 (about $44,000)
Garden - €10,000 (about $11,000) (probably underestimated, but this is an area where we can do a lot ourselves)
Contingency for unexpected costs / overruns / whatever - €10,000 (about $11,000)
Contingency for extras (e.g., a new kitchen or carport) - €10,000 (about $11,000)
———
Total: €320,000 (about $351,000)
Architect fees are not included yet. I have no idea what they might cost.
If I enter this into a mortgage calculator, it produces an offer (loan amount minus our equity) with a 15-year term at 2% effective annual interest rate for about €900 (about $980) per month.
Besides the KFW option, there is also the possibility of a loan from the Investment and Structural Bank RLP for €125,000 (about $137,000), also with a 15-year term at 2.0% or 10 years at 1.6%. Not really cheaper, but prepayments of 10% per year are allowed. This is interesting for us because a second income will come in a few years, which we won’t fully need for living expenses (currently one income suffices).
I find this incredibly affordable and wonder: what am I missing? Where’s the catch? If this calculation is even remotely realistic, building a house would be quite manageable.
If you factor in about €400 (about $440) per month for utilities and other running costs, we’d be paying about the same as we do in rent now. In a newly built home close to the job, daycare fees would be eliminated (saving about €250 (about $275) per month) and my husband’s commuting costs would roughly halve (saving another €250 (about $275)). So we would have about €500 (about $550) extra per month to save.
Currently, we live on one income. In no more than five years, a second income will be added. By the time the loan term ends, at least two, more likely three children will be out of the house, so the “granny flat” or second unit could be rented out.
More generally, I’m wondering how to approach this sensibly. How do I find someone who would build for the prices mentioned above (if it’s financially doable)? If we build, it will be securely financed. Of course, that probably means no more three vacations a year. But the children should still be able to continue horse riding or music lessons. How can I get an overview of this complicated market? Is there a good book on the subject? Or any other tips for our first steps?
Thank you very much already,
kauderwelsch (That’s exactly how building feels to me right now)
After reading here for a while, I’ve now decided to actively participate (with questions! Unfortunately, my knowledge isn’t enough to provide answers).
Who we are:
A brief introduction: we are a family of six facing a move due to work. It doesn’t need to happen immediately. Currently, my husband commutes and the pressure isn’t very high. In the medium term, however, we would like to relocate closer to his job.
We’re not firmly set on building a house, but after watching the market for some time, we’ve realized that we either have to rent a rundown place, spend an enormous amount of money, or hope for a lucky find. Unfortunately, the housing market is not designed for large families. Almost all listings are poorly laid out or too small. Sometimes suitable homes do appear, but often we’re simply too slow due to distance. The same goes for buying existing houses. Somehow, the market seems pretty depleted.
As a sort of Plan B, we’re now considering building and are starting to explore that slowly. We’re (still!) complete beginners and have little clue, so I’m hoping for answers to many basic questions here.
What we are looking for:
We don’t need luxury but want to plan thoughtfully (eventually the children will leave home), aiming for reasonable energy efficiency and, if possible, a clear, simple architectural style. Specifically, a house without unnecessary frills. Ideally designed as a house with “two separate living units.” Not only to potentially benefit from double government subsidies (such as the KFW building loan program / similar grant schemes, though as a layperson I don’t fully understand or know if those loans are really top priority—probably a topic to revisit later)—but also to avoid living in a house that’s too large once the kids have moved out.
We want to build affordably but not cheaply. That means carefully considering what is truly needed, keeping things simple and pared down, and (in many but not all areas) opting for relatively basic finishes. We currently live in a (very well planned!) house of about 140 sqm (1500 sq ft). In our opinion, more space isn’t necessary with good design.
How much will it cost?
I keep running into cost-per-square-meter figures related to building. It’s often stated that you can build for around €1100 (about $1200) per sqm (simple finishes), up to €2000 (about $2200) for higher-end finishes (with no clear upper limit). But I wonder: can you really build a decent house for €1500 (about $1650) per sqm? From browsing various prefab home catalogs, that seems too low to me. But I’m happy to be proven wrong.
Cost calculation:
We don’t want to rush into building just for the sake of it. Right now, we’re mainly considering whether we can afford to build at all. Here is a rough example calculation running through my mind for you to review. Please: where is the mistake? What have I overlooked?
House, 150 sqm (1600 sq ft) - €225,000 (about $247,000)
Plot, fully serviced (picked at random—some can be cheaper, some much more expensive) - €35,000 (about $38,000)
Additional construction costs (according to this forum) - €40,000 (about $44,000)
Garden - €10,000 (about $11,000) (probably underestimated, but this is an area where we can do a lot ourselves)
Contingency for unexpected costs / overruns / whatever - €10,000 (about $11,000)
Contingency for extras (e.g., a new kitchen or carport) - €10,000 (about $11,000)
———
Total: €320,000 (about $351,000)
Architect fees are not included yet. I have no idea what they might cost.
If I enter this into a mortgage calculator, it produces an offer (loan amount minus our equity) with a 15-year term at 2% effective annual interest rate for about €900 (about $980) per month.
Besides the KFW option, there is also the possibility of a loan from the Investment and Structural Bank RLP for €125,000 (about $137,000), also with a 15-year term at 2.0% or 10 years at 1.6%. Not really cheaper, but prepayments of 10% per year are allowed. This is interesting for us because a second income will come in a few years, which we won’t fully need for living expenses (currently one income suffices).
I find this incredibly affordable and wonder: what am I missing? Where’s the catch? If this calculation is even remotely realistic, building a house would be quite manageable.
If you factor in about €400 (about $440) per month for utilities and other running costs, we’d be paying about the same as we do in rent now. In a newly built home close to the job, daycare fees would be eliminated (saving about €250 (about $275) per month) and my husband’s commuting costs would roughly halve (saving another €250 (about $275)). So we would have about €500 (about $550) extra per month to save.
Currently, we live on one income. In no more than five years, a second income will be added. By the time the loan term ends, at least two, more likely three children will be out of the house, so the “granny flat” or second unit could be rented out.
More generally, I’m wondering how to approach this sensibly. How do I find someone who would build for the prices mentioned above (if it’s financially doable)? If we build, it will be securely financed. Of course, that probably means no more three vacations a year. But the children should still be able to continue horse riding or music lessons. How can I get an overview of this complicated market? Is there a good book on the subject? Or any other tips for our first steps?
Thank you very much already,
kauderwelsch (That’s exactly how building feels to me right now)
Nordly, I would always recommend consulting a mortgage broker. Not someone from this forum, but from established professional associations. They are contractually obligated to provide you with proper advice; otherwise, you can hold them accountable. We don’t even need to discuss the examples we’ve seen here.
Nevertheless, it is always advisable to also approach your house bank. They might offer good terms as well. In our case, their conditions were poor. We were definitely better off with the mortgage broker.
Nevertheless, it is always advisable to also approach your house bank. They might offer good terms as well. In our case, their conditions were poor. We were definitely better off with the mortgage broker.
K
kauderwelsch27 Jul 2017 13:54Thank you for your replies!
We should clarify the terms with our main bank. However, it is quite an ethically minded institution. I assume there are cheaper options available.
We will also define our financial framework. Since we want to not only save monthly for the house but also roughly maintain our current lifestyle and avoid getting stressed over a broken washing machine, the budget probably won’t allow for much more.
Floor plans for six people are hard to find. Currently, we are well set up with six rooms, two bathrooms, and a guest toilet, and would prefer not to downgrade. In addition, construction companies tend to plan quite generously—at least 30 sqm (320 sq ft) more. Somehow that makes sense...
There are some good floor plans out there though. For example, the Dammann Haus Petra would only need a minor modification to add a shower in the guest toilet. Unfortunately, they don’t build in our area.
We should clarify the terms with our main bank. However, it is quite an ethically minded institution. I assume there are cheaper options available.
We will also define our financial framework. Since we want to not only save monthly for the house but also roughly maintain our current lifestyle and avoid getting stressed over a broken washing machine, the budget probably won’t allow for much more.
Floor plans for six people are hard to find. Currently, we are well set up with six rooms, two bathrooms, and a guest toilet, and would prefer not to downgrade. In addition, construction companies tend to plan quite generously—at least 30 sqm (320 sq ft) more. Somehow that makes sense...
There are some good floor plans out there though. For example, the Dammann Haus Petra would only need a minor modification to add a shower in the guest toilet. Unfortunately, they don’t build in our area.
K
Knallkörper27 Jul 2017 14:00kauderwelsch schrieb:
Just very briefly: I calculated above with 1,500 euros per square meter. So that’s unrealistic? What a pity!Hello,
from my point of view, 1,500 euros per m² (approximately $160 per square foot) is not unrealistic at all, and I speak from experience. We made the final payment for our building project last week and the total was almost exactly this amount. We chose quite a high-quality finish and a rather expensive construction method. The price does not include flooring, but it does cover all painting work as well as a 44 m² (470 square foot) garage, insulated and brick-faced.
K
kauderwelsch27 Jul 2017 14:32@Knallkörper with flooring, it will be a bit more expensive after all. How large is your house? As the household size increases, the price per square meter tends to decrease.
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