ᐅ Newcomer Seeks Advice – When Should Planning Start?

Hello everyone 🙂

In recent days, I have been thinking more about the idea of building a house. It’s basically decided that my girlfriend and I definitely want to own our own home in the future. The question of whether to buy an existing house or to build one keeps coming up. We regularly check the usual property websites to get an overview of the homes currently available in the nearby area (Mülheim an der Ruhr). Since the market situation has been, to put it mildly, "more challenging" for some time now, this raises my question. While browsing these property sites, I often find at least 2-3 issues with the houses listed that, in my opinion, would be deal-breakers 😀

Therefore, to what extent should preparatory work or efforts be made before starting a building project?

I hope my question doesn’t sound too “stupid”! 😱

It’s never too early to start defining your requirements. However, they should be well thought out before you get into concrete details. Otherwise, it becomes stressful when you begin requesting quotes that are all based on different types of houses. Without clear requirements, it’s easy to be swayed by buzzwords (solid construction vs. turnkey, energy standard KfW 40+, heat pump, etc.). Consider which rooms you need, how large each should be at a minimum, and what budget you need to work within.

When it comes to planning, you need to be careful because a lot depends on the plot of land and the local building regulations (building permit/planning permission). So, focus more on rough planning rather than detailed planning, as the latter is not always possible at this stage.

criberg schrieb:

When browsing real estate portals, I often find myself noticing at least 2-3 things about the houses that I think could be immediately eliminated 😀

Like what, for example?
Always keep in mind that a 95% used property might actually be “better” than a rental apartment. With ownership, you can always make improvements and changes; with renting, you have to live with the shortcomings until you move out.
A newly built house is usually not perfect from the start. However, you only notice and experience the “issues” over time. By the second or third house, it tends to get better 😎.

Nevertheless, make a list of what is important to you and why. The reasons sometimes encourage reflection. Then prioritize the items.

A few months ago, we had a brief consultation with LBS regarding what would be financially feasible for us. As far as I remember, they said that a budget of $400,000 to $420,000 would not be a problem. Since both my partner and I are expecting salary increases, our combined net monthly income will rise by about €400 (around $440) over the next two years; currently, it is roughly €4200 (approximately $4620) per month.

In terms of space, we need at least four rooms; honestly, five would be even better. The total living area should be around 140 to 150 square meters (1500 to 1615 square feet).

I haven’t fully explored the choice between solid (masonry) construction and prefabricated homes yet—I’ve only just started to read about it. The KfW subsidy program sounds appealing, but it must align with the final costs.

Regarding indoor climate, I am quite impressed by heat pump technology; I won’t lie. From what I understand, heat pumps can also cool rooms in the summer, which would be preferable to using a separate air conditioning system that consumes additional electricity.

nordanney schrieb:

For example, what would those be?
Always keep in mind that a 95% used property might actually be “better” than renting an apartment. When you own, you can always tinker and make changes; with renting, you have to live with the shortcomings until you move out.
A new build usually isn’t perfect right from the start. However, you only notice and experience the “problems” over time. By the second or third house, it gets better 😎.

Nevertheless, make a list of what’s important to you and why. Understanding the reasons can sometimes provoke reflection. Then prioritize the points.

So renting a house is definitely off the table in our calculations :p

I’m a modest person who doesn’t need much to live; I think one house is enough for me :p:p

I wouldn’t start with gimmicks that are probably not within your budget (air conditioning).

Also keep in mind that even with new construction, you will need to make compromises due to the plot, building permit / planning permission, and budget. It will never be perfect.