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since we are building, it should be energy efficient and we don’t want to use concepts that might soon be politically outdated or unsupported.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?
WilderSueden schrieb:
Not exactly the cheapest, but definitely not a luxury either. Just something reliable and functional. Basically the Skoda of houses. Well, the technology you’re planning is already in the upper standard range.
WilderSueden schrieb:
I know. With Town & Country, the standard still includes radiators, underfloor heating is extra, the standard heating system is gas instead of a heat pump, and so on. You can add all that later, but of course that increases the price. Basically, a simpler setup would be enough for us, but certain aspects of the building services are important. Wow... okay, Town & Country plays a big role in the housebuilding sector, especially for those who just want to build something small, nice, and simple. Trying to cram a compact car with low horsepower full of upgrades and refinements as far as the eye can see doesn’t seem very practical to me. It still remains a Town & Country house.
WilderSueden schrieb:
We usually skip the bathtub. I’ve been living in my apartment for 10 years and have used the bathtub about 5 times for bathing, otherwise only as a shower. Considering the cost and space a bathtub takes, I can visit a thermal spa quite often instead. Plus, everyone has plenty of space in the pool there. You’re planning with kids, right? Do you really want to hike to the thermal spa every day with small children, so the neighbors say, “look, they couldn’t afford a bathtub back then”? A bathtub becomes more important as you get older… I won’t bore you with rituals like washing wool blankets and cashmere sweaters, soaking something, cleaning kale, or important medicinal baths. But after your daily gardening efforts at the latest, you’ll need the tub—whether to recover from muscle aches or soak dirt-caked knees and calluses on hands and feet 😉
W
WilderSueden24 Dec 2020 14:15A second child is not planned at the moment, and no, of course we won’t be going to the thermal spa every day. But honestly, if you’re only going to use the bathtub about three times a year, do you really need one? Saturday bath day is a nice tradition from my childhood, but I would probably skip it now, especially since a standard bathtub usually isn’t enough anyway. For muscle pain, maybe a sauna barrel in the garden could be an option, although that seems less likely at the moment. In our lifestyle plans, extensive bathing sessions are not really part of the picture.
ypg schrieb:Skodas can be quite expensive nowadays. I read a test report on the new Octavia this week, and the test car was actually twice the price of mine. And yes, I think that’s part of the problem. The technology and the rest of the fittings are somewhat mismatched, with the home technology being in a noticeably higher quality range. On the other hand, a gas heating system is out of the question, and a cheap heat pump that breaks down after seven years is not an option either. We also have relatively little need for oversized tiles, elaborate garden lighting, or similar expensive extras. But I don’t think that has to be a contradiction. And I believe prices are simply already high down here in the south. My sister wants to buy something here in a developer build model, and the price comes out to about 2300€-2400€ per square meter (depending on what you estimate for incidental building costs) for a semi-detached house without flooring and painting. Of course, also without extras like photovoltaic systems. And this is not in a prime location at Lake Constance but right in Upper Swabia. So compared to that, I don’t think my prices look so bad after all.
Well, what you’re planning (in terms of technology) is definitely in the upper standard range.
P
pagoni202024 Dec 2020 14:55WilderSueden schrieb:
Yes, that’s true. Still, without having researched further details, I have my doubts that the difference between Senec and Vaillant really justifies a factor of two. Certainly not, but are you sure that this is the only factor causing that difference? I think WH is generally priced higher, but that might also be due to performance reasons that one might need to identify first. Then you have to decide if that (if it exists) is worth the price to you. Sometimes things are included that I don’t even need, from materials to services. I believe a one-to-one comparison in house construction is almost impossible.
haydee schrieb:
Rudolf Benz I didn’t even know Rolf had a brother 😀.... good for him.
Hausbau0815 schrieb:
I know a family with two kids who have been living in the converted garage for 8 years because they are building the house themselves. That would be worse for me. There’s always something worse! But I don’t want to risk having a nightmare from the start when building a house.
Hausbau0815 schrieb:
At least financially — let’s not talk about the nerves being crushed. No, my nerves are very important to me. I also want to enjoy the process if possible.
WilderSueden schrieb:
I know. At Town & Country, radiators are still standard; underfloor heating is extra, the standard heating system is gas rather than a heat pump, and so on. ... which is perfectly livable. Underfloor heating and heat pumps are by no means cure-alls. Nowadays, unfortunately, there’s an impression that building without them is inferior, which is complete nonsense to claim generally. For example, I don’t like underfloor heating (I currently have one), and as for heat pumps, you can read plenty of long discussions here... plenty of dramas. So it’s not bad, but definitely not a cure-all.
WilderSueden schrieb:
Certain points in building services technology are important. What would those be exactly? Much of what is considered standard today is not necessarily better for that reason.
WilderSueden schrieb:
If possible, we wanted to be involved as little as possible before moving in. That’s certainly possible, but it can also reduce the price. The construction phase can be stressful at times, and that won’t be avoidable.
WilderSueden schrieb:
Gas heating is not an option. Why not? You want to be grounded and cost-effective, right?
I think once you have one or two CONCRETE quotes from general contractors, things will become clearer. In the end, it won’t be about the bathtub or similar things. You have to keep in mind that most discussions here tend to focus on the high end, whereas the actual standard is sometimes already considered weak.
There are some houses in this forum that were built with great taste but remain solid both technically and financially. It’s possible; you just need to see if you really want that.
ypg schrieb:
Town & Country plays a significant role in the residential construction sector, especially for those who are looking to build something small, cozy, and simple. Trying to pack a compact car with low horsepower full of upgrades and features as far as the eye can see doesn’t seem practical to me. Anyone who interpreted Town & Country as just a basic cake base, on which they could then build a multi-tiered cream cake, clearly did not understand their concept and is not part of their target group. They don’t aim to be a cheap foundation for building a race car, either. They are like the jeans of houses.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
W
WilderSueden24 Dec 2020 15:22pagoni2020 schrieb:
Why...? You want something practical and cost-effective. Gas heating is a technology that is already politically marked for phase-out. Nobody tells you that yet, but in the end, it happens quite quickly. About as fast as with diesel... the car was still under warranty when driving bans started to appear. I’ve had a bad experience in that regard.
pagoni2020 schrieb:
That’s certainly possible, but it can also lower the price. The construction period is partly stressful; you can’t avoid that. I understand that, and later on we’ll see what can be reasonably integrated. But you have to be realistic—stopping for an extra hour here and there isn’t possible with our commute time. And using only collected Saturdays ends up dragging on forever. Ultimately, while there is some potential to save on flooring and painting, compared to the overall sum it’s relatively limited. That’s why we’ll have the planning done professionally first and review it again before signing the final contract. That way, the calculation definitely works out better than planning weeks of DIY work that will have to be outsourced anyway in the end.
P
pagoni202024 Dec 2020 15:30Yes, I believe that gradually, with collected information and offers, and also some time, a clear picture emerges of what you want for yourself, what you can afford, and how you set your priorities. As someone from southern Germany/Palatinate, Happy Christmas from Saxony!
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