ᐅ Project: Single-family house with double garage in the Lower Rhine region
Created on: 12 Jun 2020 14:57
A
ArthHausHello everyone,
I would like to use this thread to share our building project with you and also to ask some questions.
I have been following this forum for over six months now and have already gathered many useful ideas.
First, a bit about us:
My partner, 25 years old, and I, 28, bought a plot of land at the beginning of 2019 in a neighboring village. It is 1000 m² (about 10,764 sq ft), 90 €/m² (approximately $90 per square meter), additional costs are covered from our own equity, and 90,000 € (about $90,000) is variably pre-financed through our bank. The land is a free building plot within the village area, with a farmyard on the right, another single-family house on the left, and fields behind. The garden faces north. The local development plan allows for our planned build.
Requirements for our house:
After initial discussions with regional general contractors (GCs), developers, and other builders, the offers and price indications were all quite vague, and without suitable drafts, most GCs wouldn’t proceed further or their offers were far from what we actually wanted. We do not want a prefab house. Large concrete construction companies like Viebrockhaus also didn’t convince us.
On the recommendation of several GCs, we decided to commission a recommended architect to create the designs (services phases 1–4). This is now nearing completion, and based on the designs, we have requested suitable offers from local GCs for our project. I would now like to share the cost breakdown from our preferred GC and also compare it to the architect’s cost estimate. The GC has an excellent reputation in the area and, according to the architect, is somewhat more expensive than competitors. However, they consistently deliver high-quality work with minimal stress for the client. We had a very good feeling during the initial meetings, and everything has been very transparent.
(All figures are rounded slightly up or down from the original offer. We have all the detailed offers from the individual trades the GC works with, so we know exactly what we are getting for the money. For this first look, I do not want to list all details here.)
Architect
General Contractor (GC)
Painting work and landscaping will be done by ourselves.
This brings us, including the remaining mortgage on the land and some buffer, to about 500,000 € (approximately $500,000) for the entire project.
This was the limit we set at the start, and I think it is realistically achievable with this GC. Basically, we have internally decided on this GC already, but I want to share this breakdown here for discussion, and I am happy to answer any questions. I will continue to update this thread with current information.
PS: Unfortunately, I am not allowed to publish the architectural designs yet. Once I can, I will share them. Thanks to the many planning threads here in the forum, I have already spotted many potential mistakes.
Best regards!
I would like to use this thread to share our building project with you and also to ask some questions.
I have been following this forum for over six months now and have already gathered many useful ideas.
First, a bit about us:
My partner, 25 years old, and I, 28, bought a plot of land at the beginning of 2019 in a neighboring village. It is 1000 m² (about 10,764 sq ft), 90 €/m² (approximately $90 per square meter), additional costs are covered from our own equity, and 90,000 € (about $90,000) is variably pre-financed through our bank. The land is a free building plot within the village area, with a farmyard on the right, another single-family house on the left, and fields behind. The garden faces north. The local development plan allows for our planned build.
Requirements for our house:
- Approximately 170 m² (about 1,830 sq ft) of living space
- Two full stories
- Hipped roof
- Brick cladding
- Double garage
- Ground-source heat pump and mechanical ventilation for indoor air
- KfW 55 energy standard
- Ground floor (open plan kitchen-living-dining area, office with two workstations, utility/technical room, bathroom with shower, access from utility room to garage)
- Upper floor (two children’s rooms, master bedroom with walk-in closet, bathroom with shower, bathtub, and double sinks, laundry room for washing/ironing)
After initial discussions with regional general contractors (GCs), developers, and other builders, the offers and price indications were all quite vague, and without suitable drafts, most GCs wouldn’t proceed further or their offers were far from what we actually wanted. We do not want a prefab house. Large concrete construction companies like Viebrockhaus also didn’t convince us.
On the recommendation of several GCs, we decided to commission a recommended architect to create the designs (services phases 1–4). This is now nearing completion, and based on the designs, we have requested suitable offers from local GCs for our project. I would now like to share the cost breakdown from our preferred GC and also compare it to the architect’s cost estimate. The GC has an excellent reputation in the area and, according to the architect, is somewhat more expensive than competitors. However, they consistently deliver high-quality work with minimal stress for the client. We had a very good feeling during the initial meetings, and everything has been very transparent.
(All figures are rounded slightly up or down from the original offer. We have all the detailed offers from the individual trades the GC works with, so we know exactly what we are getting for the money. For this first look, I do not want to list all details here.)
Architect
| House (167 m² at 2010 €/m²) | 335,700 € |
| Garage (47 m² at 585 €/m²) | 27,495 € |
| Additional costs (architect, structural engineer, authorities, survey, KfW support, safety coordinator, utility connections, soil survey, landscaping, etc.) | 35,000 € |
| Total | 398,195 € |
General Contractor (GC)
| Shell construction (calcium silicate blocks, brick cladding, concrete staircase, earthworks, sewage system) | 170,000 € |
| Roof (clay tiles) | 30,000 € |
| Windows, front door, electric blinds, terrace sliding door, window sills | 35,000 € |
| Heating, deep drilling, ventilation, plumbing, wastewater | 59,000 € |
| Electrical, satellite system, blind controls, network | 11,500 € |
| Interior plaster | 13,000 € |
| Screed | 5,000 € |
| Roof insulation and walkable attic insulation | 7,000 € |
| Tiles (all floors tiled/baseboard, bathrooms tiled floor to ceiling, tiles own contribution 30 €/m²) | 24,000 € |
| Metalwork (stainless steel/glass railings) | 5,800 € |
| Interior doors | 4,600 € |
| Sealing of windows/bricks | 1,500 € |
| Painting preparation (wallcovering without painting work) | 4,000 € |
| Total | 370,400 € |
| 2231 €/m² |
| Additional costs (architect, energy performance certificate, structural engineer, safety coordinator, efficiency house support, blower door test) | 20,000 € |
| Other additional costs (authorities, landscaping, etc.) | 20,000 € |
| Total house costs | 410,000 € |
| KfW 55 subsidy (efficiency house support, heating, mechanical ventilation, etc.) | 30,000 € |
Painting work and landscaping will be done by ourselves.
This brings us, including the remaining mortgage on the land and some buffer, to about 500,000 € (approximately $500,000) for the entire project.
This was the limit we set at the start, and I think it is realistically achievable with this GC. Basically, we have internally decided on this GC already, but I want to share this breakdown here for discussion, and I am happy to answer any questions. I will continue to update this thread with current information.
PS: Unfortunately, I am not allowed to publish the architectural designs yet. Once I can, I will share them. Thanks to the many planning threads here in the forum, I have already spotted many potential mistakes.
Best regards!
N
nordanney12 Jun 2020 18:06They fit together quite well, what the general contractor and the architect have calculated.
What other questions do you have? By the way, I find full-height tiling in the bathroom rather unattractive.
P.S. You can send me the general contractor information by email at @t-online.de. I’m originally from the Lower Rhine region and know some general contractors here by reputation.
What other questions do you have? By the way, I find full-height tiling in the bathroom rather unattractive.
P.S. You can send me the general contractor information by email at @t-online.de. I’m originally from the Lower Rhine region and know some general contractors here by reputation.
ArthHaus schrieb:
Through all the planning threads here in the forum, I have already noticed many potential mistakes. One is that you are in the wrong subforum if you are talking about floor plans.ypg schrieb:
One thing is that you are in the wrong subforum if you are talking about floor plans Of course, I meant from discussions in the floor plan planning subforum
nordanney schrieb:
The calculations from the general contractor and the architect match up well.
Do you have any other questions? By the way, I find fully tiled bathrooms up to the ceiling quite unattractive Yes, that’s true.
I think more questions will come up once we choose the finishes in more detail. I also want to share practical price examples with other homeowners here, as I often see the question of what expenses to expect for a single-family house.
Comments like "fully tiled bathrooms up to the ceiling = unattractive" also help us reconsider this. I have seen bathrooms fully tiled to the ceiling and found them very pleasant, although in those cases the walls were completely tiled in white. Other colors would probably look different.
Hello everyone,
I’m bringing this thread back up. A lot has happened since June.
Brief summary:
In September 2020, after a few more rounds with the architect, we signed the building permit application and chose our preferred general contractor (GC). From there, we started the first meetings with the various trades to select materials and finishes. (This list is not complete, just everything I can think of right now.)
Single-family house without a basement, double garage, 170 m² (1830 sq ft) of living space, KfW 55 energy standard, 2 full floors, hipped roof on about 1000 m² (0.25 acres) of land, garden facing north, main road traffic in a village of about 1,000 inhabitants near the Lower Rhine region. To the north there are only fields, horse farm on the right, single-family house on the left.
GC planning – The GC gave us the names of all the companies we needed to contact. All companies were familiar with the project and knew what had to be offered. We were able to make requests and adjust selections as needed. Meanwhile, structural engineering and energy consulting were done in parallel.
Shell construction – strip foundations and reinforced concrete slab, 80 mm (3 inches) of perimeter insulation beneath the ground floor slab, 15 cm (6 inches) of calcium silicate masonry, clinker brick (Muhr – Friesland, with anthracite-colored mortar joints), clay roof tiles.
Electrician – The GC presented their standard equipment. We informed them of the number of outlets and other connections we planned, network sockets, cables for outdoor installations, access point positions, satellite system, electric roller shutters with app control. No further smart home features are planned.
Windows/doors – triple glazing, uPVC, anthracite exterior, white interior, 4 m (13 ft) sliding door to the terrace, mix of floor-to-ceiling windows, standard windows, and fixed glazing.
Metalworker – We definitely wanted a steel stringer staircase with oak steps and handrail. We still had to choose between a steel railing or all-glass railing. It was purely a price decision; the all-glass option was about 50% more expensive. We decided on glass.
Plumbing – heat pump with geothermal probe, controlled mechanical ventilation with heat recovery. We received the floor heating calculation and agreed on the positions of the heat pump and ventilation unit in the utility room. All the technology was explained to us. We then had to visit a wholesaler showroom to select the sanitary fixtures. The company handled all the funding applications (BAFA) – the approval certificates arrived quickly.
Interior doors – standard white doors; no special requests here. On the ground floor hallway to the living room, we have a glass door with glass elements on the sides and above to the ceiling, and a glass sliding door to the walk-in closet.
Flooring – tiles with skirting boards throughout the house.
Painting – will be done by ourselves.
Exterior landscaping – we’ll take it as it comes. This is the only area where we still don’t have a clear overview and need to focus on it later. A rough budget is included in the loan.
All selected trades and companies recommended by the GC are regional companies with many years of experience. All appointments so far have been extremely positive, and we felt very well advised everywhere. Since the GC’s standard was already set high, there were no major unpleasant surprises during material selection. Everything was always communicated very transparently.
We commissioned our own soil survey, which determined that about 1 m (3 ft) of soil needed to be replaced. The GC informed us immediately and adjusted their calculations accordingly. So far, costs have been completely manageable and predictable.
The building permit was granted at the end of November, after just over 2 months of processing. In December, financing was finalized with a regional bank (see my financing thread for details), and the GC contract was signed.
We spent the holidays relaxing, and this week earthworks have already begun. Next week the crane will arrive, and foundation work will start. The weather looks good. We’re very excited to see how things develop. The construction period is set for 10 months. If everything goes well, we can spend next Christmas in our new home. 🙂
Total costs according to the current calculation amount to €535,000 (about $580,000) plus kitchen.
If you have any questions about the project, I’m happy to answer them! I’ll post updates here from time to time and also ask questions when we have them…
I’ve read so many interesting threads in this forum that I simply wanted to share our project with you all as a little thank you.
I’ve attached a photo of the earthworks and a spoiler of the future house (clinker bricks not as planned, roof rafters gray).
Regards!
I’m bringing this thread back up. A lot has happened since June.
Brief summary:
In September 2020, after a few more rounds with the architect, we signed the building permit application and chose our preferred general contractor (GC). From there, we started the first meetings with the various trades to select materials and finishes. (This list is not complete, just everything I can think of right now.)
Single-family house without a basement, double garage, 170 m² (1830 sq ft) of living space, KfW 55 energy standard, 2 full floors, hipped roof on about 1000 m² (0.25 acres) of land, garden facing north, main road traffic in a village of about 1,000 inhabitants near the Lower Rhine region. To the north there are only fields, horse farm on the right, single-family house on the left.
GC planning – The GC gave us the names of all the companies we needed to contact. All companies were familiar with the project and knew what had to be offered. We were able to make requests and adjust selections as needed. Meanwhile, structural engineering and energy consulting were done in parallel.
Shell construction – strip foundations and reinforced concrete slab, 80 mm (3 inches) of perimeter insulation beneath the ground floor slab, 15 cm (6 inches) of calcium silicate masonry, clinker brick (Muhr – Friesland, with anthracite-colored mortar joints), clay roof tiles.
Electrician – The GC presented their standard equipment. We informed them of the number of outlets and other connections we planned, network sockets, cables for outdoor installations, access point positions, satellite system, electric roller shutters with app control. No further smart home features are planned.
Windows/doors – triple glazing, uPVC, anthracite exterior, white interior, 4 m (13 ft) sliding door to the terrace, mix of floor-to-ceiling windows, standard windows, and fixed glazing.
Metalworker – We definitely wanted a steel stringer staircase with oak steps and handrail. We still had to choose between a steel railing or all-glass railing. It was purely a price decision; the all-glass option was about 50% more expensive. We decided on glass.
Plumbing – heat pump with geothermal probe, controlled mechanical ventilation with heat recovery. We received the floor heating calculation and agreed on the positions of the heat pump and ventilation unit in the utility room. All the technology was explained to us. We then had to visit a wholesaler showroom to select the sanitary fixtures. The company handled all the funding applications (BAFA) – the approval certificates arrived quickly.
Interior doors – standard white doors; no special requests here. On the ground floor hallway to the living room, we have a glass door with glass elements on the sides and above to the ceiling, and a glass sliding door to the walk-in closet.
Flooring – tiles with skirting boards throughout the house.
Painting – will be done by ourselves.
Exterior landscaping – we’ll take it as it comes. This is the only area where we still don’t have a clear overview and need to focus on it later. A rough budget is included in the loan.
All selected trades and companies recommended by the GC are regional companies with many years of experience. All appointments so far have been extremely positive, and we felt very well advised everywhere. Since the GC’s standard was already set high, there were no major unpleasant surprises during material selection. Everything was always communicated very transparently.
We commissioned our own soil survey, which determined that about 1 m (3 ft) of soil needed to be replaced. The GC informed us immediately and adjusted their calculations accordingly. So far, costs have been completely manageable and predictable.
The building permit was granted at the end of November, after just over 2 months of processing. In December, financing was finalized with a regional bank (see my financing thread for details), and the GC contract was signed.
We spent the holidays relaxing, and this week earthworks have already begun. Next week the crane will arrive, and foundation work will start. The weather looks good. We’re very excited to see how things develop. The construction period is set for 10 months. If everything goes well, we can spend next Christmas in our new home. 🙂
Total costs according to the current calculation amount to €535,000 (about $580,000) plus kitchen.
If you have any questions about the project, I’m happy to answer them! I’ll post updates here from time to time and also ask questions when we have them…
I’ve read so many interesting threads in this forum that I simply wanted to share our project with you all as a little thank you.
I’ve attached a photo of the earthworks and a spoiler of the future house (clinker bricks not as planned, roof rafters gray).
Regards!
B
BackSteinGotik15 Jan 2021 19:08ArthHaus schrieb:
Total costs according to the current calculation 535,000 € + kitchen Thank you for the update. Is the amount of 535,000 € to be understood as the total complete costs mentioned as 500,000 € in the initial post?
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