ᐅ Have we considered everything? Looking for experiences and advice :)
Created on: 5 Mar 2019 19:41
N
NattySchw86
Hello dear forum members, we registered today to exchange information.
The financing is secured, the plot is purchased, the house is planned, and construction should (hopefully) start in summer. Currently, we have a feeling that we might have forgotten or overlooked some important details...
Regarding the timeline:
The construction contract and building permit / planning permission documents are to be signed in April.
The plot will be cleared for building from July onward (new development area).
We have contacted the telecom provider and sent the necessary documents today.
This brings us to a major uncertainty: the utility connections. No one (neither the municipality nor the site manager) has informed us about the utility connection process, costs, or timeline.
After a meeting at the building authority, we now know that we must fully handle the connections from the plot boundary to the house ourselves.
We are completely unsure about this and no one can give us clear answers. One person says, “You have to coordinate this with so and so,” another says, “You first need to apply for this and that,” and so on.
Can someone please explain in simple terms how the entire utility connection process usually works?
We want to ask the site manager if he can also take care of the civil engineering work for the 4 meters (13 feet) from the street to the house as part of his contract. This should probably save costs compared to hiring a separate company.
But at what stage of construction does the utility connection typically take place?
Of course, we will ask the site manager about all this, but it’s good to gather some information and knowledge beforehand. 😉
Are there any other important things that absolutely should be considered?
The plot purchase is fully finalized (purchase price paid, land register and mortgage recorded, tax office payments done).
Only the soil survey is still missing.
Are there any hidden costs that might be overlooked due to excitement, or simply unknown to us?
Maybe someone has time and interest to answer a few questions 🙂 We would appreciate it.
Best regards
The financing is secured, the plot is purchased, the house is planned, and construction should (hopefully) start in summer. Currently, we have a feeling that we might have forgotten or overlooked some important details...
Regarding the timeline:
The construction contract and building permit / planning permission documents are to be signed in April.
The plot will be cleared for building from July onward (new development area).
We have contacted the telecom provider and sent the necessary documents today.
This brings us to a major uncertainty: the utility connections. No one (neither the municipality nor the site manager) has informed us about the utility connection process, costs, or timeline.
After a meeting at the building authority, we now know that we must fully handle the connections from the plot boundary to the house ourselves.
We are completely unsure about this and no one can give us clear answers. One person says, “You have to coordinate this with so and so,” another says, “You first need to apply for this and that,” and so on.
Can someone please explain in simple terms how the entire utility connection process usually works?
We want to ask the site manager if he can also take care of the civil engineering work for the 4 meters (13 feet) from the street to the house as part of his contract. This should probably save costs compared to hiring a separate company.
But at what stage of construction does the utility connection typically take place?
Of course, we will ask the site manager about all this, but it’s good to gather some information and knowledge beforehand. 😉
Are there any other important things that absolutely should be considered?
The plot purchase is fully finalized (purchase price paid, land register and mortgage recorded, tax office payments done).
Only the soil survey is still missing.
Are there any hidden costs that might be overlooked due to excitement, or simply unknown to us?
Maybe someone has time and interest to answer a few questions 🙂 We would appreciate it.
Best regards
N
NattySchw865 Mar 2019 23:28M4rvin schrieb:
“Hidden” costs would also include your excavation. You don’t have a soil report yet; if you have something like a Z2 soil class, disposal fees at the landfill could get really expensive!
I’ve already submitted an application for temporary construction power/house connection to the utility company. Water and wastewater services are handled by our municipality.
Telecom is a flat fee of around 800€ (about $800), I believe.The soil report is still being planned. The one from the street seems fine and could possibly be used for our plot as well, but we prefer to be on the safe side—budgeted around 1000€ (about $1000) based on online research.
Excavation costs should be limited since we are building without a basement. The foundation slab is, I believe, about 80 cm (31 inches) deep.
Telecom is definitely 800€ (about $800).
We need to inquire about electricity but are estimating between 1000–1500€ (about $1000–$1500).
Water is uncertain. There are widely varying cost reports. We hope that with the inspection chamber, we won’t exceed 8000€ (about $8000). As mentioned, the distance from the street to the house is about 4–4.5 meters (13–15 feet).
N
NattySchw865 Mar 2019 23:31M4rvin schrieb:
Just submit the application and specify your desired move-in date. Depending on the utility company, it can take several weeks... and you’ll need temporary construction power right from the start!Telecommunications is already in progress.
We plan to request electricity supply in the next few days.
Water is managed by the municipality, but they have not been able to provide exact costs yet.
Temporary construction power
According to our construction description, temporary construction power is included in the offer. However, I need to confirm this again.
The electricity cost for me is €2900 and temporary construction power is €500. I also inquired about water, but it wasn’t very expensive, I believe. However, a manhole for inspections is included in our offer.
Did they do a soil analysis? If so, you can ask about the classification value according to LAGA and plan accordingly.
We are also building without a basement; the architect said most of the excavation soil can then be distributed on the property, but unfortunately, it doesn’t look like that at the moment!
Edit: Temporary construction power yes, but you usually have to pay for the meter box yourself.
Did they do a soil analysis? If so, you can ask about the classification value according to LAGA and plan accordingly.
We are also building without a basement; the architect said most of the excavation soil can then be distributed on the property, but unfortunately, it doesn’t look like that at the moment!
Edit: Temporary construction power yes, but you usually have to pay for the meter box yourself.
Wastewater and drainage for the roof were handled by our home construction company or the civil engineering contractor. A manhole inspection chamber was already installed, and the city issued an invoice for it amounting to €2300. The pipes from the house to that point cost a few hundred euros.
Electricity is already connected. The electrician or the home construction company submits two applications: one for construction power and one for the permanent electrical supply to your house. The electrician installs the cable from the supply point to the house. The utility provider installs the supply connection and the meters. You will need to sign the applications. This should not be a problem.
Water is already available. Simply turn on the tap and inform the city. Construction water is charged as a flat fee (this was the case for us). Then you notify them of your move-in date. The plumber from your construction company will install a pipe from the property boundary to the house. For us, this cost €700 for 9m (30 feet).
Electricity is already connected. The electrician or the home construction company submits two applications: one for construction power and one for the permanent electrical supply to your house. The electrician installs the cable from the supply point to the house. The utility provider installs the supply connection and the meters. You will need to sign the applications. This should not be a problem.
Water is already available. Simply turn on the tap and inform the city. Construction water is charged as a flat fee (this was the case for us). Then you notify them of your move-in date. The plumber from your construction company will install a pipe from the property boundary to the house. For us, this cost €700 for 9m (30 feet).
NattySchw86 schrieb:
Luckily, we already know which utility providers are responsible for us. Our main concern is more about what, how, where, and when 😉 But the house construction company is also installing the inspection chamber, so we thought we could coordinate that at the same time.
So, should the civil engineering work related to site development be scheduled so that the utility providers (electricity, telecommunications, and water) can lay their lines promptly? That’s still a big question for us—when will all this actually happen...No, it doesn’t really make sense. The utility providers basically operate independently. They will have to open the street anyway and will come with their own excavator. As I mentioned before, the connection price usually includes a set number of meters included in the flat fee, whether you need them or not—you pay for them regardless. In the end, you pay twice: once for your civil engineer and once for the utility provider. And if you’re unlucky and the trench doesn’t meet the provider’s specifications, they will have to re-dig it according to their requirements.
So just let your civil engineer come and start as soon as possible—that should be the priority for now.
Better find out the specific requirements each utility provider has for the house connection. In our case, each provider wanted their own system.
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