ᐅ New Single-Family Home Construction in Southern Germany
Created on: 18 Nov 2020 00:43
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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since we are building, it should be energy efficient and we don’t want to use concepts that might soon be politically outdated or unsupported.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?
WilderSueden schrieb:
If I encounter specific problems with the layout, I’ll just share them.No technical issues, only some aesthetic ones at most. Decorating the driveway with a Frankenstein-like "archway of horror" composition is definitely a matter of personal taste. A house shared with a partner benefits from leaving behind the wild bachelor den years. Your "layout" looks like socks scattered on the floor.https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
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pagoni202021 Dec 2020 22:53WilderSueden schrieb:
Having a proper staircase to the attic would certainly make it more practical to use the space. Carrying an old armchair up through the hatch is definitely not something you want to do often. ...when planning a new house, I wouldn’t even consider that... an old armchair in the attic? What else is coming? You already have a garage full of stuff...
Maybe this is the main issue that needs to be resolved in that area.
pagoni2020 schrieb:
an old armchair in the attic? What else is coming?Somewhere I read: ...for things you no longer need but don’t want to throw away.“ Honestly, that’s what eBay is for... you don’t build a house to store things you no longer need. That’s post-war thinking.W
WilderSueden22 Dec 2020 13:10pagoni2020 schrieb:
......when planning a new house, such an idea would be quite foreign to me.....an old armchair in the attic? What’s next? You already have a garage full of stuff.......
Maybe this is the core issue that needs to be addressed.A garage is meant for the car. With an exterior length of 6m (20 feet), there’s simply no space left for clutter. And can no one understand that when I’m financing a build for 20 years, I don’t want to end up without proper storage space? There are plenty of things you sometimes need but don’t want cluttering the living area: camping gear, ski equipment in summer, sailing gear in the winter months, and so on.
And honestly, what do you get for a used armchair? In rural areas, you should be happy if someone even comes to take it for free.
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pagoni202022 Dec 2020 13:19WilderSueden schrieb:
A garage is meant for the car. With an exterior length of 6m (20 feet), there’s no room left for clutter.Building is expensive; every square meter (approximately 11 square feet) costs money. That’s why planning makes sense. You should define what “clutter” means for yourself and consider whether the additional space needed for it is more expensive than the “clutter” itself. That’s why I basically don’t have any.WilderSueden schrieb:
And can’t anyone really understand that when I’m building something I’ll be paying off for 20 years, I don’t want to end up without decent storage space?Yes, absolutely. Storage space is important. But it’s just as flexible a term as “wardrobe.” One person is happy with 2m (6.5 feet), another prefers to collect and needs 8m (26 feet). What caught my attention was your “old armchair” in the attic. An armchair is something you use, and if you don’t anymore, you get rid of it. I buy used or good-quality furniture that I won’t get rid of again. I won’t have a “room for storing armchairs.” Collecting is an expensive hobby when building a new house, but yes, practical storage in or around the house is a very important point. Whenever I can, I store things in the garden shed, carport, or similar, because that’s cheaper.WilderSueden schrieb:
And honestly, what do you get for a used armchair? In rural areas, you often have to be happy if someone comes to take it away for free.Use it or give it away, then buy lasting quality, and the problem is solved once and for all.W
WilderSueden22 Dec 2020 20:55I know that space inside the house is expensive. But outside isn’t exactly easy either. A garden shed with 40 cubic meters (1,412 cubic feet) fills up quickly. Roughly, I can split that about half for bicycles, lawnmower, and garden tools, and use the other half as a small workshop. Storing garden furniture in winter becomes a bit like playing Tetris. A second garden shed would be allowed, but it would have to stand right in the middle of the garden since I’ve already used the maximum 15-meter (49-foot) boundary length with a 6-meter (20-foot) garage and three 6-meter (20-foot) garden sheds. And then even a 700-square-meter (7,535-square-foot) plot gets built up very quickly. So, proper storage space inside the house is definitely necessary.
Of course, boundary construction could be optimized a bit with an 8-meter (26-foot) garage that can also fit the bicycles and a 3 by 4-meter (10 by 13-foot) garden shed. But then the garage would be quite bulky, and the house would shift far to the west. So, that’s also not really an ideal solution.
By the way, the example with the armchair isn’t just made up. I have one here (a bit worn but otherwise still great) that will be moved to my parents’ house over Christmas, where it will be stored since we need the space in the living room corner for the baby bassinet. In cases like this, I’m always grateful that my parents built a garage with an attic, even though everyone advised against it back then. The space is simply unbeatable.
Of course, boundary construction could be optimized a bit with an 8-meter (26-foot) garage that can also fit the bicycles and a 3 by 4-meter (10 by 13-foot) garden shed. But then the garage would be quite bulky, and the house would shift far to the west. So, that’s also not really an ideal solution.
By the way, the example with the armchair isn’t just made up. I have one here (a bit worn but otherwise still great) that will be moved to my parents’ house over Christmas, where it will be stored since we need the space in the living room corner for the baby bassinet. In cases like this, I’m always grateful that my parents built a garage with an attic, even though everyone advised against it back then. The space is simply unbeatable.
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