ᐅ New Single-Family Home Construction in Southern Germany
Created on: 18 Nov 2020 00:43
W
WilderSueden
Hello everyone,
after jumping straight into the basement discussion thread, I want to use this one as an introduction and idea-sharing thread. Some things might seem a bit chaotic at first, but that will surely clear up.
We are expecting our first child in February. Since two rooms are obviously too few for the long term, we need something larger. The housing market here in Konstanz is notoriously difficult, so we didn’t spend much time searching here. Thanks to Corona home office, we focused on areas a bit further away right from the start. Initially, we looked mostly at existing properties, but due to the poor condition of what’s on offer, we unexpectedly ended up deciding to build. We were actually lucky to get a plot in a new development area around Stockach-Pfullendorf. The site started being developed this week and will probably be buildable from summer onward.
Here are some key details:
- He/I am 33, work in the software industry, based in Konstanz, from a rural area
- She is 41, a teacher in the Hegau region, from a city that basically doesn’t exist
- One child on the way, no further children planned and unlikely due to her age
- Currently living in about 65sqm (700 sq ft) with 2.5 rooms in a lovely apartment building…
- Basically, we don’t want anything too fancy—no extensive smart home automation, no luxury mansion with marble and so on. Just something solid and nice. We are not building to fulfill a lifelong dream but to avoid renovating an old house worth half a million euros. Plain wallpaper texture and laminate flooring would be fine for us if the quality is good.
- Accordingly, we don’t mind using a “standard” floor plan from a prefabricated house builder or a typical model home.
- That said, since we are building, it should be energy efficient and we don’t want to use concepts that might soon be politically outdated or unsupported.
- Do-it-yourself work only to a limited extent, as we are neither professionals nor do we have relevant contacts. Also, the new house is a bit further away, so working on it in the evening is unlikely. A weekend of painting before moving in is no problem, and after moving in, doing the carport, terrace, and garden ourselves is also fine.
- The construction partner must be reliable.
Plot and financials:
- Plot roughly 700sqm (7,535 sq ft) at 98€ per sqm → 70,000€, fairly rectangular
- 120,000€ equity (with some reserve left)
- Financing and ownership entirely in my name (unmarried and no joint assets intended)
- Planned overall budget about 500,000€
- Target monthly payment 1,500€
- Accordingly, loan to be repaid in 25 years with that rate, with some extra repayments planned mid-term aiming for about 20 years total
Budget breakdown:
- Plot 70,000€
- Ancillary plot costs 5,000€
- Other construction-related fees 60,000€
- Basement 50,000€
- Kitchen 10,000€
- Driveway, carport, terrace as DIY 15,000€
-----
210,000€
Leaves about 290,000€ in the budget for the house itself, which is probably quite tight for what we have planned. The budget still needs to be adjusted with a buffer.
So far, our wishlist looks roughly like this:
- Not excessively large, more like 120–130sqm (1,290–1,400 sq ft)
- Efficient, modern house
- Photovoltaic system (possibly with battery storage)
- Underfloor heating with heat pump
- Home office for me on the ground floor (makes sense since I mostly work from home)
- Bedroom upstairs, one office for her that also serves as a guest room and reserve nursery
- Large open-plan kitchen/living area
- Basement
- Cistern
- Carport for two cars and one trailer
Our first contact about building was through an ad from the local Town & Country partner. The consultant was friendly, and the show house in Geisingen looked quite nice, but somehow it all felt a bit too conservative. Built according to the Energy Saving Ordinance 2016, standard gas heating. Sure, upgrades are possible, but I’m not sure if a heat pump makes sense under that regulation anymore. The fact that the show house had cracks in the plaster here and there isn’t exactly reassuring either. But the base price is lower. Current status: two meetings, visited the show house, haven’t requested the scope of services yet.
Then we looked a bit into prefab houses. Most offer KfW55 standard, which is closer to what we want and would be a good base for going to KfW40+ since a photovoltaic system is already planned (probably just with battery preparation though). Visited the park in Villingen-Schwenningen. Had a long chat with Schwabenhaus; the consultant seemed to want to downplay costs and was very keen to sell a ground-source heat pump with boreholes. The upgrade options for the promotional houses looked likely to increase costs significantly. Visited Heldhaus, liked it quite a lot but their cost outline overshoots the budget by roughly 100,000€.
Today we had an appointment with Schwörerhaus. The floor plan of one of their promotional houses fits pretty well. Basement plus KfW40+ seems somewhat challenging in combination. Otherwise, a generally good impression; the briefly reviewed scope of services doesn’t give the impression the house would be unpleasant to live in. Let’s see what the first offer will look like. I don’t get the feeling there’s much that could go wrong there.
Next week we have an appointment with Weberhaus. We found a floor plan we really like. The price is initially the highest, but their examples include KfW40+ standard and smart home automation upfront.
Our goal is to narrow down the number of companies we continue with to a maximum of two by Christmas and then decide on a construction partner early next year. In spring, the baby will take priority, not just house planning.
I’ve already posted some thoughts about the basement and possible basement substitutes. The insulation costs for the basement seem to fully consume the additional subsidies, so the photovoltaic battery would have to be paid out of pocket again. One idea on the drive back from the appointment was whether it makes sense to build the house initially to KfW55 standard without extra insulation. The difference in heating costs is relatively small. Then install just the conduit pipes for photovoltaics with battery preparation. A few years later, add a battery once prices drop. That would also likely bring the house closer to the planned budget than going for KfW40+.
These are my thoughts so far. Have I missed anything important?
after jumping straight into the basement discussion thread, I want to use this one as an introduction and idea-sharing thread. Some things might seem a bit chaotic at first, but that will surely clear up.
We are expecting our first child in February. Since two rooms are obviously too few for the long term, we need something larger. The housing market here in Konstanz is notoriously difficult, so we didn’t spend much time searching here. Thanks to Corona home office, we focused on areas a bit further away right from the start. Initially, we looked mostly at existing properties, but due to the poor condition of what’s on offer, we unexpectedly ended up deciding to build. We were actually lucky to get a plot in a new development area around Stockach-Pfullendorf. The site started being developed this week and will probably be buildable from summer onward.
Here are some key details:
- He/I am 33, work in the software industry, based in Konstanz, from a rural area
- She is 41, a teacher in the Hegau region, from a city that basically doesn’t exist
- One child on the way, no further children planned and unlikely due to her age
- Currently living in about 65sqm (700 sq ft) with 2.5 rooms in a lovely apartment building…
- Basically, we don’t want anything too fancy—no extensive smart home automation, no luxury mansion with marble and so on. Just something solid and nice. We are not building to fulfill a lifelong dream but to avoid renovating an old house worth half a million euros. Plain wallpaper texture and laminate flooring would be fine for us if the quality is good.
- Accordingly, we don’t mind using a “standard” floor plan from a prefabricated house builder or a typical model home.
- That said, since we are building, it should be energy efficient and we don’t want to use concepts that might soon be politically outdated or unsupported.
- Do-it-yourself work only to a limited extent, as we are neither professionals nor do we have relevant contacts. Also, the new house is a bit further away, so working on it in the evening is unlikely. A weekend of painting before moving in is no problem, and after moving in, doing the carport, terrace, and garden ourselves is also fine.
- The construction partner must be reliable.
Plot and financials:
- Plot roughly 700sqm (7,535 sq ft) at 98€ per sqm → 70,000€, fairly rectangular
- 120,000€ equity (with some reserve left)
- Financing and ownership entirely in my name (unmarried and no joint assets intended)
- Planned overall budget about 500,000€
- Target monthly payment 1,500€
- Accordingly, loan to be repaid in 25 years with that rate, with some extra repayments planned mid-term aiming for about 20 years total
Budget breakdown:
- Plot 70,000€
- Ancillary plot costs 5,000€
- Other construction-related fees 60,000€
- Basement 50,000€
- Kitchen 10,000€
- Driveway, carport, terrace as DIY 15,000€
-----
210,000€
Leaves about 290,000€ in the budget for the house itself, which is probably quite tight for what we have planned. The budget still needs to be adjusted with a buffer.
So far, our wishlist looks roughly like this:
- Not excessively large, more like 120–130sqm (1,290–1,400 sq ft)
- Efficient, modern house
- Photovoltaic system (possibly with battery storage)
- Underfloor heating with heat pump
- Home office for me on the ground floor (makes sense since I mostly work from home)
- Bedroom upstairs, one office for her that also serves as a guest room and reserve nursery
- Large open-plan kitchen/living area
- Basement
- Cistern
- Carport for two cars and one trailer
Our first contact about building was through an ad from the local Town & Country partner. The consultant was friendly, and the show house in Geisingen looked quite nice, but somehow it all felt a bit too conservative. Built according to the Energy Saving Ordinance 2016, standard gas heating. Sure, upgrades are possible, but I’m not sure if a heat pump makes sense under that regulation anymore. The fact that the show house had cracks in the plaster here and there isn’t exactly reassuring either. But the base price is lower. Current status: two meetings, visited the show house, haven’t requested the scope of services yet.
Then we looked a bit into prefab houses. Most offer KfW55 standard, which is closer to what we want and would be a good base for going to KfW40+ since a photovoltaic system is already planned (probably just with battery preparation though). Visited the park in Villingen-Schwenningen. Had a long chat with Schwabenhaus; the consultant seemed to want to downplay costs and was very keen to sell a ground-source heat pump with boreholes. The upgrade options for the promotional houses looked likely to increase costs significantly. Visited Heldhaus, liked it quite a lot but their cost outline overshoots the budget by roughly 100,000€.
Today we had an appointment with Schwörerhaus. The floor plan of one of their promotional houses fits pretty well. Basement plus KfW40+ seems somewhat challenging in combination. Otherwise, a generally good impression; the briefly reviewed scope of services doesn’t give the impression the house would be unpleasant to live in. Let’s see what the first offer will look like. I don’t get the feeling there’s much that could go wrong there.
Next week we have an appointment with Weberhaus. We found a floor plan we really like. The price is initially the highest, but their examples include KfW40+ standard and smart home automation upfront.
Our goal is to narrow down the number of companies we continue with to a maximum of two by Christmas and then decide on a construction partner early next year. In spring, the baby will take priority, not just house planning.
I’ve already posted some thoughts about the basement and possible basement substitutes. The insulation costs for the basement seem to fully consume the additional subsidies, so the photovoltaic battery would have to be paid out of pocket again. One idea on the drive back from the appointment was whether it makes sense to build the house initially to KfW55 standard without extra insulation. The difference in heating costs is relatively small. Then install just the conduit pipes for photovoltaics with battery preparation. A few years later, add a battery once prices drop. That would also likely bring the house closer to the planned budget than going for KfW40+.
These are my thoughts so far. Have I missed anything important?
W
WilderSueden20 Dec 2020 12:45I think we tend to fall into the second category. We also sort of stumbled into building a house. Looking back, I’m actually glad that the first planned development area was already fully booked. We then spent some time searching for plots, and our area is only now being developed. If things had worked out immediately, we probably would have fallen into many more traps or simply accepted the standard options from the catalog and only questioned them after moving in.
Especially when it comes to realistic cost estimates and additional construction costs, this should not be underestimated. 😉
I’m not sure if that’s our only problem. There are definitely other implications when you leave out the basement, such as the need to create storage space, for example, in the attic. Right now, the house is tending to become quite large, and I’m starting to doubt again whether having a large attic plus possibly an extension for the technical room really makes sense compared to having a basement...
Especially when it comes to realistic cost estimates and additional construction costs, this should not be underestimated. 😉
pagoni2020 schrieb:
If this is your only problem, it can be solved... time... searching... asking... as I said, our result has little to do with the original idea, and now we are really looking forward to it.
Mentally start over from scratch again and again, there are many ways to reach the goal; here, mainly mainstream options are discussed and often, in my opinion, an overly technology-focused approach, but there are many other valid approaches too. Everyone should figure out what works best for them.
I’m not sure if that’s our only problem. There are definitely other implications when you leave out the basement, such as the need to create storage space, for example, in the attic. Right now, the house is tending to become quite large, and I’m starting to doubt again whether having a large attic plus possibly an extension for the technical room really makes sense compared to having a basement...
WilderSueden schrieb:
Leaving out the basement definitely has other consequences, like needing to create storage space, for example, in the attic. Right now, the house tends to become quite large, and whether the large attic plus possibly an extension for the utility room really makes sense compared to having a basement... I am starting to have doubts again.Start first with your living spaces. That means: create a room program. The rest will develop from there.
WilderSueden schrieb:
and the home office on the ground floor, usually in the northwest corner. Although the local general contractor’s architect tends to place it more in the east-southeast cornerI really can’t understand such rigid statements, for example.
WilderSueden schrieb:
At the moment, the house tends to become quite large, and I’m starting to have doubts whether having a big attic plus possibly an extension for the utility room really makes sense compared to a basement... But you can’t build a house based on doubts. An above-ground utility room does not necessarily have to expand the ground floor. We have already discussed alternative solutions here with @Golfi90: https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/gedaemmten-technikraum-fuer-die-gastherme-auf-dem-dachboden-schaffe.32450/
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
W
WilderSueden20 Dec 2020 17:30@ypg
The space requirements are actually quite clear. An open-plan kitchen and living area on the ground floor. We prefer a layout that partially separates the kitchen from the living room, like a slight angle around a corner. We’re not really keen on layouts with a kitchen island right in the middle of the open space. Definitely also need a home office. Combined with an L-shaped open area, this would mean either placing the open space facing south with the kitchen slightly set back on the east side and the office on the west side, or alternatively having the kitchen and dining area on the west side along the long part of the L, and the living room on the short part. Then the office would be in the southeast/ESE. The office in the northeast is definitely excluded, as that’s the less desirable corner of the plot. In addition, there should be a WC, probably with a shower, possibly the technical room, and optionally a storage room/pantry, which can be small. Upstairs, the main bathroom, master bedroom, children’s rooms, and a second home office/guest room. What is still missing from the plan are storage areas for items that are not needed frequently: tent, skis, the armchair from the living room that we don’t need at the moment but don’t want to throw away, etc. So either a cellar or a large attic.
@11ant
I know you can’t build a house based on doubts. But it’s naturally difficult to make decisions when the costs aren’t clearly known. If money wasn’t an issue or the options made no difference, I would definitely go for a basement. There are mainly two reasons holding me back: the arsenic issue and the horror stories from the forum about earthworks costs. Also, when KfW40+ standards mattered to us, we realized that a basement wouldn’t fit within our budget regardless of the arsenic. Since 40+ is not quite such a big deal anymore, I’m considering whether the compensatory measures for not having a basement might actually end up costing more than building one... I’ll take a look at the thread soon. But just from the title, it’s clear that we wouldn’t manage this with one of the prefab builders 😉
The space requirements are actually quite clear. An open-plan kitchen and living area on the ground floor. We prefer a layout that partially separates the kitchen from the living room, like a slight angle around a corner. We’re not really keen on layouts with a kitchen island right in the middle of the open space. Definitely also need a home office. Combined with an L-shaped open area, this would mean either placing the open space facing south with the kitchen slightly set back on the east side and the office on the west side, or alternatively having the kitchen and dining area on the west side along the long part of the L, and the living room on the short part. Then the office would be in the southeast/ESE. The office in the northeast is definitely excluded, as that’s the less desirable corner of the plot. In addition, there should be a WC, probably with a shower, possibly the technical room, and optionally a storage room/pantry, which can be small. Upstairs, the main bathroom, master bedroom, children’s rooms, and a second home office/guest room. What is still missing from the plan are storage areas for items that are not needed frequently: tent, skis, the armchair from the living room that we don’t need at the moment but don’t want to throw away, etc. So either a cellar or a large attic.
@11ant
I know you can’t build a house based on doubts. But it’s naturally difficult to make decisions when the costs aren’t clearly known. If money wasn’t an issue or the options made no difference, I would definitely go for a basement. There are mainly two reasons holding me back: the arsenic issue and the horror stories from the forum about earthworks costs. Also, when KfW40+ standards mattered to us, we realized that a basement wouldn’t fit within our budget regardless of the arsenic. Since 40+ is not quite such a big deal anymore, I’m considering whether the compensatory measures for not having a basement might actually end up costing more than building one... I’ll take a look at the thread soon. But just from the title, it’s clear that we wouldn’t manage this with one of the prefab builders 😉
WilderSueden schrieb:
I'm wondering whether the compensatory measures for not having a basement might end up costing more than actually building the basement...Do you know my basement formula?WilderSueden schrieb:
I'll take a look at the thread right away. But judging by the title alone, it's clear we wouldn't manage this with any of the prefab home builders.Not me – enlighten me 🙂https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
W
WilderSueden20 Dec 2020 17:40I am not familiar with the basement formula.
Necessary modifications for the technical room in the attic: proper staircase to the loft, correct finishing of the loft, complete overhaul of the installations. Since the catalog houses with the wish list are already close to the budget limit, these changes will definitely exceed it. I think this can only be done with a company that does not charge a lot of money for sales on each house.
Necessary modifications for the technical room in the attic: proper staircase to the loft, correct finishing of the loft, complete overhaul of the installations. Since the catalog houses with the wish list are already close to the budget limit, these changes will definitely exceed it. I think this can only be done with a company that does not charge a lot of money for sales on each house.
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