ᐅ Single-family house with a separate apartment, double garage, and basement – construction costs of $1,000,000?
Created on: 11 Nov 2020 11:50
C
Caro2020
Dear Forum,
My husband and I are planning the construction project mentioned above. We have now received some initially shocking price estimates. Here are a few key details:
- Plot of land owned in North Rhine-Westphalia (rural area, not Rhineland)
- Single-family house with approximately 220 sqm (2,368 sq ft) of living space, including a 60 sqm (645 sq ft) granny flat, plus a waterproof concrete basement (WU concrete) of about 140 sqm (1,507 sq ft) – total: around 360 sqm (3,875 sq ft) of living / usable space
- Solid construction, brick veneer, 1.5 storeys, gable roof, pent roof dormer
- Plain architecture (no extravagant large window fronts, no floating stairs, no large spa or wellness areas; only luxury: an "external staircase" from the basement to the garage)
- Double garage (not a prefabricated garage)
Originally, we roughly estimated about €2,300 per sqm (square meter) average construction cost for the main house, plus €700 per sqm for the basement, plus €50,000 for the double garage. Based on these assumptions and a floor plan idea, we asked one national and one regional general contractor for rough turnkey construction quotes including interior finishing – the national contractor estimated between €800,000 and €850,000, the regional provider even nearly €1,000,000. In both cases, the basement was priced between €150,000 and €200,000, with the indication that a partial basement should allow for significant savings (how significant??).
Questions:
1. Is the estimated price for such a basement typical? We had actually planned for about €100,000 for the basement, i.e., around €700 per sqm.
2. Is a partial basement structurally so complex that overall it does not really pay off compared to a full basement? Or, given the size of the ground floor, is it financially reasonable to build a partial basement?
3. Is a WU concrete basement as a partial basement advisable regarding long-term waterproofing? Or put differently: Can one reasonably rely on a WU basement not needing to be excavated and waterproofed again in the future, which would surely be a nightmare for a partial basement?
4. Is a surcharge of around €100,000 for the insulated brick veneer facade normal for a house length of about 15 m (49 ft) and gable ends approximately 10 m (33 ft) wide? We have roughly around 150 sqm (1,615 sq ft) of facade area (excluding window areas).
5. What should we do?! 🙂
a) Reduce the size of the house? (This only makes sense if the price decreases roughly proportionally, which we did not expect – actually, we had not thought that a house with 220 sqm (2,368 sq ft) living space could cost almost twice as much as one with 150 sqm (1,615 sq ft).)
b) Skip the basement (difficult, since there is a lot of equipment and because of the layout with the granny flat on the ground floor, the floor plan is not very flexible)?
c) Instead of the house, cellar the garage? (Is it possible to excavate almost up to the property boundary? The garage has so far been planned as a boundary wall construction.)
d) Request quotes from additional construction companies?
We are sincerely grateful for any good advice. Until now, we had not expected to have so underestimated our - to our feeling generous - planning.
My husband and I are planning the construction project mentioned above. We have now received some initially shocking price estimates. Here are a few key details:
- Plot of land owned in North Rhine-Westphalia (rural area, not Rhineland)
- Single-family house with approximately 220 sqm (2,368 sq ft) of living space, including a 60 sqm (645 sq ft) granny flat, plus a waterproof concrete basement (WU concrete) of about 140 sqm (1,507 sq ft) – total: around 360 sqm (3,875 sq ft) of living / usable space
- Solid construction, brick veneer, 1.5 storeys, gable roof, pent roof dormer
- Plain architecture (no extravagant large window fronts, no floating stairs, no large spa or wellness areas; only luxury: an "external staircase" from the basement to the garage)
- Double garage (not a prefabricated garage)
Originally, we roughly estimated about €2,300 per sqm (square meter) average construction cost for the main house, plus €700 per sqm for the basement, plus €50,000 for the double garage. Based on these assumptions and a floor plan idea, we asked one national and one regional general contractor for rough turnkey construction quotes including interior finishing – the national contractor estimated between €800,000 and €850,000, the regional provider even nearly €1,000,000. In both cases, the basement was priced between €150,000 and €200,000, with the indication that a partial basement should allow for significant savings (how significant??).
Questions:
1. Is the estimated price for such a basement typical? We had actually planned for about €100,000 for the basement, i.e., around €700 per sqm.
2. Is a partial basement structurally so complex that overall it does not really pay off compared to a full basement? Or, given the size of the ground floor, is it financially reasonable to build a partial basement?
3. Is a WU concrete basement as a partial basement advisable regarding long-term waterproofing? Or put differently: Can one reasonably rely on a WU basement not needing to be excavated and waterproofed again in the future, which would surely be a nightmare for a partial basement?
4. Is a surcharge of around €100,000 for the insulated brick veneer facade normal for a house length of about 15 m (49 ft) and gable ends approximately 10 m (33 ft) wide? We have roughly around 150 sqm (1,615 sq ft) of facade area (excluding window areas).
5. What should we do?! 🙂
a) Reduce the size of the house? (This only makes sense if the price decreases roughly proportionally, which we did not expect – actually, we had not thought that a house with 220 sqm (2,368 sq ft) living space could cost almost twice as much as one with 150 sqm (1,615 sq ft).)
b) Skip the basement (difficult, since there is a lot of equipment and because of the layout with the granny flat on the ground floor, the floor plan is not very flexible)?
c) Instead of the house, cellar the garage? (Is it possible to excavate almost up to the property boundary? The garage has so far been planned as a boundary wall construction.)
d) Request quotes from additional construction companies?
We are sincerely grateful for any good advice. Until now, we had not expected to have so underestimated our - to our feeling generous - planning.
M
Matthew0311 Nov 2020 13:47What kind of work is actually done in the basement? Wouldn’t it be possible to do that in a more spacious garage or a shed/garden house? If so, that would save a lot of money at once with hardly any downsides.
Let’s put it this way: How much are you willing to spend?
We are building somewhat smaller than you, with a 90 m² (970 ft²) heated basement and a house of corresponding size above. Considering the offers you have received and your requirements, I think a million is more realistic than 800k.
We are building somewhat smaller than you, with a 90 m² (970 ft²) heated basement and a house of corresponding size above. Considering the offers you have received and your requirements, I think a million is more realistic than 800k.
Matthew03 schrieb:
What kind of work is actually done in the basement? Wouldn’t it be possible in a larger garage or a shed/garden house?
If so, that would save a lot of money at once with hardly any downsides. It is certainly often advisable to warn future builders against unnecessary expenses for unused space. However, we plan to significantly reduce our space in the future – when I said we need 50 sqm (540 sq ft) of additional storage space, I really meant need. Since these are expensive equipment and tools, we cannot simply store them in a shed. Unfortunately, enlarging the garage is not an option because we have already largely used the allowable building area. We have considered this in the past as well.
The same applies to the granny flat – in other cases, advice to reduce space is certainly absolutely correct.
haydee schrieb:
Granny flat. Check whether 50 sqm (540 sq ft) is really enough for care purposes. I recommend the site Nullbarriere. Care requires space.
Does the relative really need a full apartment, or would a private bathroom and bedroom attached to your home be more practical? Why a kitchen if you prepare 90% of the meals anyway? Why a separate living room if your living room is mainly used? However, our relative leads an independent life, currently lives in a significantly larger space, and should not have to share our kitchen or living room alternately in the future. 🙂
-XIII- schrieb:
Let’s put it this way: What budget do you have?
We are building somewhat smaller than you, 90 sqm (970 sq ft) heated basement with a house of corresponding size above. Regarding the quotes you have, I think a million is more realistic than 800k for your wishes. Including additional construction costs, we initially wanted to keep it below 850,000 (excluding currency), but could finance a bit more if necessary. This should also include a budget for some exterior landscaping.
What is the range of your pure construction costs, excluding additional costs?
If he lives independently, then it doesn't make sense. It was just a suggestion. Then see if he can manage with 50 sq m (540 sq ft). If the relative has physical limitations, different space requirements apply. Turning radius, assistive devices, or caregiver.
Something has to give. If not the basement, then something else.
Something has to give. If not the basement, then something else.
Caro2020 schrieb:
What is the range of your pure construction costs, excluding additional expenses?We are at 2400€ per usable floor area (living + utility area). Without extras, we would have ended up at around 2100€.
That a partial basement is a (Hornberger or) step backward is probably the only serious answer I can give to your questions without seeing the project in pictures or plans. Also, brick cladding regularly ends up costing more than homeowners naively expect.
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