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since we are building, it should be energy efficient and we don’t want to use concepts that might soon be politically outdated or unsupported.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?
W
WilderSueden1 Jan 2021 19:03The €30 is the material cost including VAT. I think you can get something reasonably decent for that.
Painting is either included in the offer or accounted for as self-contracted work for €10,000, so that part is relatively certain. The electrical setup looks fine overall, maybe just 1-2 extra sockets in the kitchen.
What finally goes into the loan as equity and what is set aside, we’ll see when the time comes. But I definitely wanted to factor it in now since it will influence the financing needs in one way or another.
Edit: I just quickly looked up the kitchen topic. Generally, it doesn’t seem to be a problem to finance it, though with corresponding deductions in value. Furniture and lighting might be different, but in the end, we’re moving from a two-room apartment into a house with more rooms, not all of which can be furnished with what we currently have. I’m not keen on increasing the loan by another €5,000 for that, but the money has to come from somewhere, and I don’t want to plan with ongoing salaries for that.
Painting is either included in the offer or accounted for as self-contracted work for €10,000, so that part is relatively certain. The electrical setup looks fine overall, maybe just 1-2 extra sockets in the kitchen.
What finally goes into the loan as equity and what is set aside, we’ll see when the time comes. But I definitely wanted to factor it in now since it will influence the financing needs in one way or another.
Edit: I just quickly looked up the kitchen topic. Generally, it doesn’t seem to be a problem to finance it, though with corresponding deductions in value. Furniture and lighting might be different, but in the end, we’re moving from a two-room apartment into a house with more rooms, not all of which can be furnished with what we currently have. I’m not keen on increasing the loan by another €5,000 for that, but the money has to come from somewhere, and I don’t want to plan with ongoing salaries for that.
Hausbau08151 Jan 2021 19:12WilderSueden schrieb:
edit: I just quickly googled the kitchen topic as well. It usually doesn’t seem to be a problem to include it in the financing, but with corresponding reductions in value. Furniture and lighting might be different, but in the end we are moving from a two-room apartment to a house and simply have more rooms that cannot all be furnished with what we already own. I don’t like increasing the loan by another €5,000 (about $5,400) for that, but the money has to come from somewhere, and I don’t want to rely on ongoing salaries for it. It might vary from bank to bank. But in our case, the kitchen was clearly excluded from the financing. Moving from a two-room apartment to a house; do you really think €5,000 (about $5,400) will be enough for furniture and lighting? And the loan won’t cover that either. You’ll have to plan for that separately, independently of the construction loan.
B
Bertram1001 Jan 2021 19:12Furniture and lamps can also be great to buy secondhand. It saves a lot of money. For a quick solution, they don’t even have to look perfect.
Under pressure to make fast decisions, I managed to buy a set of 5 vintage design lamps for 25 euros each. A simple lamp at Ikea costs about the same.
Yes, sometimes buying secondhand doesn’t work out. But actually, that happens quite rarely.
Overall, you don’t save a huge amount, but you save at the right moment – when money is tight. The house is finished, but it still needs to be furnished (that’s the phase I’m currently in, and wow, that adds up to quite a lot of small things, some very small).
Under pressure to make fast decisions, I managed to buy a set of 5 vintage design lamps for 25 euros each. A simple lamp at Ikea costs about the same.
Yes, sometimes buying secondhand doesn’t work out. But actually, that happens quite rarely.
Overall, you don’t save a huge amount, but you save at the right moment – when money is tight. The house is finished, but it still needs to be furnished (that’s the phase I’m currently in, and wow, that adds up to quite a lot of small things, some very small).
Hausbau08151 Jan 2021 19:16Oh, for a quick solution when it doesn’t have to look perfect yet, I have a tip:
You can get 20 lamp holders/renovation lamp holders on Amazon for €14.25. I’ve bought them there myself.
You can get 20 lamp holders/renovation lamp holders on Amazon for €14.25. I’ve bought them there myself.
W
WilderSueden1 Jan 2021 19:26Hausbau0815 schrieb:
Moving from a two-room apartment to a house; and you really think you can manage with $5,000 for furniture and lighting?Right now, the apartment is pretty crowded. The dining room furniture is going completely, as are the cabinets. Basically, only the children's room will be emptied (although at 1.5 years old, there isn’t much to move), one or two cabinets from the study, a larger bed, and shelves from the storage room. About 15 lamps at €50 (around $55) each, plus tools and garden equipment as needed or within the budget for outdoor areas. Considering all that, I think $5,000 is sufficient, and I probably won’t need to resort to temporary construction site fittings 😉Buying second-hand is certainly an option if something decent is available nearby and there is actually a significant price advantage. Rebuilding cheap furniture a second time can be tricky 😉
Hausbau0815 schrieb:
Yes, as the material cost, but not as the total price including installation. Or am I mistaken? Yes, you are mistaken. Installation is not listed separately; it is included in the general contractor’s (GC) offer.
However, nowadays only the wet areas are installed by the contractor; the rest is done by the client’s side.
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