ᐅ Our lifelong project: A single-family home with 8,600 square feet of living space
Created on: 8 Nov 2020 12:49
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VanillaSwap
Good morning ladies and gentlemen,
I have found the form that everyone usually fills out in advance to provide more input. We are still trying to find a suitable plot of land. Most of the properties currently listed online in Hesse have either a too low floor area ratio or site coverage ratio, or they are unsuitable due to their location or neighborhood.
In general, we are not fixed on Hesse and have decided to remain flexible, as long as the location is not in the eastern part of the country (too far away for us), since this building project is only intended as a second home, to be used as a weekend house.
We see this house as our last major construction project before retirement. We are both very skilled at DIY work, so tasks like electrical installation planning, bathroom construction, and even building a sauna and steam bath have already been completed entirely by ourselves. We also finished the last interior work completely on our own, as well as the garden including the terrace and pond, independently built. As you can see, there is a high level of own initiative and expertise, which we believe enables us to successfully undertake such a project. Additionally, we aim to keep labor costs low by "optimizing" taxes and contributions.
General information about you:
Who are you? Father, mother, 2 teenagers.
How old are you? Parents are in their late 40s, children around 18 years old.
Are more children planned? No.
Are you employed, self-employed, retired, homemaker, etc.? Father is self-employed (lawyer with his own practice), mother does not work.
Income and assets:
What income do you have (gross/net)? Net: at least €30,000 per month as private withdrawal
How much equity do you want to invest in the house project? Preferably a low equity share to make the most of the current available funds (our consideration)
Housing costs:
No rent, own single-family house
General information about the property:
How large is the plot? We are trying to secure a plot from 1500 sqm (approximately 16,150 sq ft) upwards, preferably larger. Our motto is: the bigger, the better. Please feel free to post ideas on where to find such plots in Hesse – private tips via PM will of course be rewarded. We would need a building envelope with dimensions of about 34 x 25-30 meters (112 x 82-98 ft).
New build, existing building (year built), house type? Garage? New build with underground garage (a major wish to accommodate my husband’s small car collection)
How big is the house? (living area / usable area): approximately 800 sqm (8,600 sq ft) plus basement (part underground garage, partly fitness room, etc.)
Construction or purchase costs:
Plot costs: We are budgeting up to half a million (Euros); please correct us if this seems unrealistic. The last time we built was in ’08-’09, and at that time such a budget still worked well for the land.
Development costs: Unknown
Building or purchase costs (including architect, structural engineer): estimated €1,000,000 - €1,500,000
Additional construction-related costs (e.g., utility connections, soil surveyor, temporary power, etc.): Unknown
Outdoor facilities/terrace, paths, garden design, fences, etc.: Outdoor pool desired
Total costs: €1.5 - 2 million
Cost breakdown:
Total costs: €1,500,000
Deductible equity: e.g., €150,000
Financing amount: €1,350,000
Attached you will find some pictures that inspired us stylistically and that represent what the final product should look like. Of course, we know this project is quite demanding in terms of effort and execution, but we are confident that with our ideas and contacts within the industry, we should be able to realize it.
We very much look forward to your input and hope to receive ideas on implementation, opinions on the budget, and suggestions for possible locations of the plot.
Best regards,
S.
I have found the form that everyone usually fills out in advance to provide more input. We are still trying to find a suitable plot of land. Most of the properties currently listed online in Hesse have either a too low floor area ratio or site coverage ratio, or they are unsuitable due to their location or neighborhood.
In general, we are not fixed on Hesse and have decided to remain flexible, as long as the location is not in the eastern part of the country (too far away for us), since this building project is only intended as a second home, to be used as a weekend house.
We see this house as our last major construction project before retirement. We are both very skilled at DIY work, so tasks like electrical installation planning, bathroom construction, and even building a sauna and steam bath have already been completed entirely by ourselves. We also finished the last interior work completely on our own, as well as the garden including the terrace and pond, independently built. As you can see, there is a high level of own initiative and expertise, which we believe enables us to successfully undertake such a project. Additionally, we aim to keep labor costs low by "optimizing" taxes and contributions.
General information about you:
Who are you? Father, mother, 2 teenagers.
How old are you? Parents are in their late 40s, children around 18 years old.
Are more children planned? No.
Are you employed, self-employed, retired, homemaker, etc.? Father is self-employed (lawyer with his own practice), mother does not work.
Income and assets:
What income do you have (gross/net)? Net: at least €30,000 per month as private withdrawal
How much equity do you want to invest in the house project? Preferably a low equity share to make the most of the current available funds (our consideration)
Housing costs:
No rent, own single-family house
General information about the property:
How large is the plot? We are trying to secure a plot from 1500 sqm (approximately 16,150 sq ft) upwards, preferably larger. Our motto is: the bigger, the better. Please feel free to post ideas on where to find such plots in Hesse – private tips via PM will of course be rewarded. We would need a building envelope with dimensions of about 34 x 25-30 meters (112 x 82-98 ft).
New build, existing building (year built), house type? Garage? New build with underground garage (a major wish to accommodate my husband’s small car collection)
How big is the house? (living area / usable area): approximately 800 sqm (8,600 sq ft) plus basement (part underground garage, partly fitness room, etc.)
Construction or purchase costs:
Plot costs: We are budgeting up to half a million (Euros); please correct us if this seems unrealistic. The last time we built was in ’08-’09, and at that time such a budget still worked well for the land.
Development costs: Unknown
Building or purchase costs (including architect, structural engineer): estimated €1,000,000 - €1,500,000
Additional construction-related costs (e.g., utility connections, soil surveyor, temporary power, etc.): Unknown
Outdoor facilities/terrace, paths, garden design, fences, etc.: Outdoor pool desired
Total costs: €1.5 - 2 million
Cost breakdown:
Total costs: €1,500,000
Deductible equity: e.g., €150,000
Financing amount: €1,350,000
Attached you will find some pictures that inspired us stylistically and that represent what the final product should look like. Of course, we know this project is quite demanding in terms of effort and execution, but we are confident that with our ideas and contacts within the industry, we should be able to realize it.
We very much look forward to your input and hope to receive ideas on implementation, opinions on the budget, and suggestions for possible locations of the plot.
Best regards,
S.
B
Bertram1008 Nov 2020 13:34VanillaSwap schrieb:
Yes, that’s why we’re trying to find a balance there,The location only helped to a limited extent. Most people understand that prestige, character, and impact don’t come from the number of square meters to maintain, but from other, smaller factors. Such a huge house simply has maintenance costs, whether it’s in the countryside, the city, or somewhere in between. Look around at urban properties. There are still very beautiful houses that make a stronger impression and have more to tell than those creepy mansions you used as an example. Sorry, that sounds harsher than intended. It would be great if you find a place where you feel comfortable. But doing so at such a great expense to the community and the environment does hurt my environmental conscience a bit (and it keeps bringing me back to the unanswered question of why people with children, on average, seem to be much less careful with materials and the environment than singles/people without children. That’s an observation I find very interesting.)
Bertram100 schrieb:
800 m² (8,600 sq ft) is the size of a soccer field....Well... not quite 😀
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Bertram1008 Nov 2020 13:43seat88 schrieb:
Well... not quite 😀 Oh yes, I added an extra zero by mistake. 😱 Sorry, @VanillaSwap. So it’s much less than a football field, but still large.
I live in a Belgian city with true urban villas (real villas that still deserve the name). Most of them I find awful; I wouldn’t want them even as a gift. These are houses from the 1960s and later—once trendy, representative new builds.
The period villas are indescribably beautiful, both inside and out. A villa from that era respectfully modernized is the most beautiful thing I can imagine in a city (or anywhere, really).
If I had the means of the original poster, I would only look for beautiful, worth-preserving existing buildings.
As a layperson, I feel that architecture as a discipline has lost more insight than it has gained over the last hundred years, or at least shifted its focus toward technical details to its own detriment. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t find a well-preserved historic villa beautiful.
S
saralina878 Nov 2020 14:19... "Optimizing fees and taxes"
It's always funny how those who seem to be well-off think it's okay to cheat.
It's always funny how those who seem to be well-off think it's okay to cheat.
I’m not sure if this is meant seriously.
No doubt, the income is well above average but only “just” 30k per month. After taxes, if things go well, about 18k remains.
And then a vacation home, with no equity invested, plus land, additional costs, etc.
For a genuine 800m2 (8600 sq ft) living area, you’re probably looking at an all-in cost of 7-10 million.
But I’m curious to see how this will turn out.
No doubt, the income is well above average but only “just” 30k per month. After taxes, if things go well, about 18k remains.
And then a vacation home, with no equity invested, plus land, additional costs, etc.
For a genuine 800m2 (8600 sq ft) living area, you’re probably looking at an all-in cost of 7-10 million.
But I’m curious to see how this will turn out.
@Bertram100 our house has just under 800m2 (about 8600 sq ft) of living and usable space (including the garage, and a proportional share of terraces…). The living area is around 400m2 (4300 sq ft). That is more than enough. I can only advise the original poster to reconsider the planning. For a large plot, the exterior work alone (pool, terraces, landscaping, trees, etc.) can quickly reach high six-figure costs.
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