Hello,
Actually, we have been looking for an existing property since last summer. According to our mortgage broker, we have a budget of around 300,000 (all-in), which a bank is likely to approve.
The market here in Schleswig-Holstein has also become very tight, and the houses on offer are often in need of renovation, so you easily exceed the budget (especially since many city dwellers laugh at our house prices and like to secure a holiday home here).
Now the question is whether it would be possible to build a house within our budget (assuming we can get a building plot). Our requirements are not very high; it doesn’t need to be a huge house. 120 square meters (1300 square feet) would be completely sufficient.
In a neighboring village, plots are currently being developed. The price isn’t fixed yet but is expected to be below 100 euros per square meter. The plots are about 700 square meters (7500 square feet) in size. Unfortunately, we have no experience with this topic at all, and I definitely don’t want to miscalculate.
We can only contribute limited personal labor. We are not unskilled, but both fully employed with a child, dog, and horse. What are your thoughts?
Actually, we have been looking for an existing property since last summer. According to our mortgage broker, we have a budget of around 300,000 (all-in), which a bank is likely to approve.
The market here in Schleswig-Holstein has also become very tight, and the houses on offer are often in need of renovation, so you easily exceed the budget (especially since many city dwellers laugh at our house prices and like to secure a holiday home here).
Now the question is whether it would be possible to build a house within our budget (assuming we can get a building plot). Our requirements are not very high; it doesn’t need to be a huge house. 120 square meters (1300 square feet) would be completely sufficient.
In a neighboring village, plots are currently being developed. The price isn’t fixed yet but is expected to be below 100 euros per square meter. The plots are about 700 square meters (7500 square feet) in size. Unfortunately, we have no experience with this topic at all, and I definitely don’t want to miscalculate.
We can only contribute limited personal labor. We are not unskilled, but both fully employed with a child, dog, and horse. What are your thoughts?
SumsumBiene9 Apr 2021 11:44The targeted company offers various house types but works with local businesses to build everything from the ground up and makes changes as needed.
Underfloor heating, ventilation system, flush shower tray, tiles up to 30 €/m² (about 28 USD/ft²), and so on... That's almost overwhelming with information, especially since I can't really compare it with the other catalogs—they usually provide very vague details.
What are the major cost factors that should definitely be included?
Underfloor heating, ventilation system, flush shower tray, tiles up to 30 €/m² (about 28 USD/ft²), and so on... That's almost overwhelming with information, especially since I can't really compare it with the other catalogs—they usually provide very vague details.
What are the major cost factors that should definitely be included?
H
Hausbautraum209 Apr 2021 12:25SumsumBiene schrieb:
Underfloor heating, ventilation system, level-access shower tray, tiles up to €30/sq m (about $30/sq yd), and so on... All these details almost overwhelm me with information, especially since I can’t really compare them with other catalogs, which usually provide rather vague descriptions. None of these would be absolute must-haves anyway if you have to keep a tight budget.
Some friends of mine built their house last year without underfloor heating, without a ventilation system, with a standard shower tray, and tiles costing €20/sq m (about $20/sq yd), and I think their house looks nice too. ;-)
J
JuliaMünchen9 Apr 2021 13:18The "must-haves" vary. I would certainly prefer a house without frills but with practical features over even an expensive rental apartment. However, if building today means having to use old radiators, carpeted floors, and no ventilation system (which often leads to mold in highly insulated houses), it means you’ll be paying off something until retirement that no longer meets current technical standards for a house and that most people don’t like anymore. A house also represents a form of freedom, especially because you can do everything exactly as you want and design it individually to your taste (for example, I love casement windows, which add character to the house). But if the money for these “upgrades” is missing for decades afterward simply because the financing is already tight from the start, then in some cases you might actually enjoy better quality of life in a great rental apartment where everything fits your needs and you don’t have to worry about financing a new washing machine or your children wanting to study.
Even with just the topic of tiles, it already starts: At our local wholesale retailer (Auer), there were certainly several hundred tiles, and the cheapest I saw cost 25 euros (90s style), while the more typical, currently popular styles (concrete look/anthracite/beige/wood look) were priced at 40-50 euros. You can also buy them at a hardware store without sampling, but then you have to want to install them yourself and have the time for it. This continues throughout the entire house planning process, from outdoor lighting—which is not included in the price but very useful—to the difficult-to-predict costs for utility connections, earthworks, and so on.
Dear SumsumBiene: I believe you are homebuilders who are determined to fulfill the dream of owning a home and therefore have a very high motivation to make even significant compromises, and I think it’s great how much effort you’re putting into finding a plot. But based on our experience with building our own home—where, without any ill intent from the builder, higher costs than expected came up in many places (earthworks, development, utility connection fees, permits, city regulations, technical requirements)—I would recommend trying to get as many realistic quotes as possible (talk to current homeowners on-site who have built with the same company and are nearly finished or done!), ask the bank about the maximum but reasonable financing budget (to be able to cover unforeseen expenses if necessary), and compare different providers.
Regarding the plot of land, I would express interest and, if necessary, make a reservation, but I would definitely not finalize such a large investment before knowing for sure that a house can be built on it and financed in the usual way.
Even with just the topic of tiles, it already starts: At our local wholesale retailer (Auer), there were certainly several hundred tiles, and the cheapest I saw cost 25 euros (90s style), while the more typical, currently popular styles (concrete look/anthracite/beige/wood look) were priced at 40-50 euros. You can also buy them at a hardware store without sampling, but then you have to want to install them yourself and have the time for it. This continues throughout the entire house planning process, from outdoor lighting—which is not included in the price but very useful—to the difficult-to-predict costs for utility connections, earthworks, and so on.
Dear SumsumBiene: I believe you are homebuilders who are determined to fulfill the dream of owning a home and therefore have a very high motivation to make even significant compromises, and I think it’s great how much effort you’re putting into finding a plot. But based on our experience with building our own home—where, without any ill intent from the builder, higher costs than expected came up in many places (earthworks, development, utility connection fees, permits, city regulations, technical requirements)—I would recommend trying to get as many realistic quotes as possible (talk to current homeowners on-site who have built with the same company and are nearly finished or done!), ask the bank about the maximum but reasonable financing budget (to be able to cover unforeseen expenses if necessary), and compare different providers.
Regarding the plot of land, I would express interest and, if necessary, make a reservation, but I would definitely not finalize such a large investment before knowing for sure that a house can be built on it and financed in the usual way.
FHZ makes sense, but then no stove. If you want a stove, go for radiators. Otherwise, it’s like a sauna. The FHZ is far too slow to handle the sudden temperature increase from a wood fire.
Tiles, 30 are sufficient in Northern Germany. Harry’s tile market in Lübeck, for example, has a huge selection.
Triple-glazed windows would be important. What walls does he offer as standard? Which interior walls? Roof tiles—only Harz pan tiles, which are okay, or more?
What does he say about the foundation? How does he calculate electricity, water, and the construction toilet? Does he mark out the building plot, or do you have to hire a surveyor? Who prepares the applications for the utility providers? Is an outdoor socket and outdoor water supply included? Are the doors, including the front door, usable? What heating system does he provide? Make sure it’s a well-established brand—Junkers, Viessmann, Buderus, or similar.
Are the gutter downpipes galvanized or just PVC? That would be disappointing. Does he offer an affordable ventilation solution beyond a controlled residential ventilation system? With a system like Regel Air to B.? Is his screed fiber-reinforced? Or even anhydrite? Interior plaster—lime-cement in wet rooms? Or gypsum throughout? What smoothness level will be delivered? It should be at least Q2. How high does he tile and which rooms? Also hallways, kitchen, utility room, or just the bathroom? Does he level the land so that the landscaper doesn’t have to start with large piles of clay but the site is roughly prepared? Is there a doorbell and network socket for a router? TV? Satellite system? Connections for washing machines and dishwashers? Something along those lines! Check all this, and then you’ll know who offers good value.
Tiles, 30 are sufficient in Northern Germany. Harry’s tile market in Lübeck, for example, has a huge selection.
Triple-glazed windows would be important. What walls does he offer as standard? Which interior walls? Roof tiles—only Harz pan tiles, which are okay, or more?
What does he say about the foundation? How does he calculate electricity, water, and the construction toilet? Does he mark out the building plot, or do you have to hire a surveyor? Who prepares the applications for the utility providers? Is an outdoor socket and outdoor water supply included? Are the doors, including the front door, usable? What heating system does he provide? Make sure it’s a well-established brand—Junkers, Viessmann, Buderus, or similar.
Are the gutter downpipes galvanized or just PVC? That would be disappointing. Does he offer an affordable ventilation solution beyond a controlled residential ventilation system? With a system like Regel Air to B.? Is his screed fiber-reinforced? Or even anhydrite? Interior plaster—lime-cement in wet rooms? Or gypsum throughout? What smoothness level will be delivered? It should be at least Q2. How high does he tile and which rooms? Also hallways, kitchen, utility room, or just the bathroom? Does he level the land so that the landscaper doesn’t have to start with large piles of clay but the site is roughly prepared? Is there a doorbell and network socket for a router? TV? Satellite system? Connections for washing machines and dishwashers? Something along those lines! Check all this, and then you’ll know who offers good value.
SumsumBiene9 Apr 2021 19:51JuliaMünchen schrieb:
So the "must-haves" really vary. I would definitely prefer a house without unnecessary details and with practical features over an expensive rental apartment. But if it means having to build today with old radiators, carpeted floors, and no ventilation system (which often leads to mold in highly insulated houses), it means you end up paying off something until retirement that already doesn’t meet current technical standards for a house and is no longer appealing to most people. A house is also a piece of freedom, especially because you can do everything the way you want and how you find it individually beautiful (for example, I love sash windows; they add character to a house). But if the money for these "enhancements" is missing over the decades because the financing is already tight now, maybe you’d have more quality of life in a great rental apartment where everything fits and you don’t have to worry about financing a new washing machine or your kids going to university.
Just with tiles, it already starts like this: at our local wholesaler (Auer), there were easily several hundred tiles available. The cheapest I saw cost 25 euros (90s look), and the usual ones that match today’s popular taste (concrete look/anthracite/beige/wood look) cost 40–50 euros. You can also buy those at the hardware store and not have to approve samples, but then you have to want to do the installation yourself and have the time for it. This kind of thing runs through the entire house planning process — from outdoor lighting, which is not included in the price but very useful, to hard-to-predict connection fees, excavation work, and so on.
Dear SumsumBiene: I believe you are future homeowners who really want to fulfill your dream of owning a house and are therefore highly motivated to make significant compromises. I think it’s great how much effort you put into finding a plot. However, based on our house-building experience, where higher costs than expected came up in many places — without any ill intention from the builder — (excavation, utility connections, permits, city regulations, technical requirements), I would recommend getting as many realistic quotes as possible (talking to current clients on-site who have built with the same company and are almost finished or already done!). Also ask the bank what the maximum but reasonable financing budget is, to have leeway for unforeseen expenses if needed.
Regarding the plot, I would register interest and if necessary reserve it, but definitely not make such a big investment before being sure that a house can actually be built on it and that financing can be arranged under normal conditions.Nordlys schrieb:
Underfloor heating system (FHZ) makes sense, but then don’t have a stove. If you want a stove, you should use radiators; otherwise it feels like a sauna. The underfloor heating is too slow to react to the sudden temperature rise caused by wood fires.
Tiles—30 x 30 cm (12 x 12 inches) are enough in northern Germany. For example, Harry’s Tile Market in Lübeck has a huge selection.
Triple-glazed windows would be important. What kind of exterior walls does the builder include as standard? What about the interior walls? Roof tiles—are they standard “roof slate,” just “Harz pan tiles” (which are okay), or better?
What does he say about the foundation? How are electricity, water, and temporary toilet at the construction site calculated? Does he stake out the building footprint or do you have to hire a surveyor for that? Who prepares the applications for the utility providers? Are exterior power outlets and water connections included? Are the doors—including the front door—usable quality? What heating system does he provide? Pay attention to a well-established brand, such as Junkers, Viessmann, or Buderus, or something similar.
Are the gutter downpipes galvanized or just PVC? That would be bad. Does he offer an affordable ventilation solution besides a controlled residential ventilation system? Maybe a system like Regel Air from B.? Is the screed fiber-reinforced? Or even anhydrite? Interior plaster—lime-cement in wet rooms or gypsum throughout? What wall smoothness level is delivered? It should be at least Q2. How much tiling does he do and where? Hallway, kitchen, utility room, or only the bathroom?
Will the site be leveled properly so the landscaper doesn’t have to start with large piles of clay but already has roughly prepared ground? Is there a doorbell and network socket for the router? TV? Satellite system? Connections for washing machines and dishwashers? That’s roughly it! Check all this and then you’ll know who is cost-effective.I thought all this would be standard by now (though I could live without it... I like sitting with my back against the radiator).
Thanks for the tips. I definitely won’t buy a plot unless I’m at least 95% sure about it. The agent also indicated that the financing would be strict enough to avoid needing additional funds. So the bank will probably trust us more because the household budget supports it. For my part, I’m not counting my part-time job income.
Nordlys schrieb:
Underfloor heating system (FHZ) makes sense, but then don’t have a stove. If you want a stove, you should use radiators; otherwise it feels like a sauna. The underfloor heating is too slow to react to the sudden temperature rise caused by wood fires.
Tiles—30 x 30 cm (12 x 12 inches) are enough in northern Germany. For example, Harry’s Tile Market in Lübeck has a huge selection.
Triple-glazed windows would be important. What kind of exterior walls does the builder include as standard? What about the interior walls? Roof tiles—are they standard “roof slate,” just “Harz pan tiles” (which are okay), or better?
What does he say about the foundation? How are electricity, water, and temporary toilet at the construction site calculated? Does he stake out the building footprint or do you have to hire a surveyor for that? Who prepares the applications for the utility providers? Are exterior power outlets and water connections included? Are the doors—including the front door—usable quality? What heating system does he provide? Pay attention to a well-established brand, such as Junkers, Viessmann, or Buderus, or something similar.
Are the gutter downpipes galvanized or just PVC? That would be bad. Does he offer an affordable ventilation solution besides a controlled residential ventilation system? Maybe a system like Regel Air from B.? Is the screed fiber-reinforced? Or even anhydrite? Interior plaster—lime-cement in wet rooms or gypsum throughout? What wall smoothness level is delivered? It should be at least Q2. How much tiling does he do and where? Hallway, kitchen, utility room, or only the bathroom?
Will the site be leveled properly so the landscaper doesn’t have to start with large piles of clay but already has roughly prepared ground? Is there a doorbell and network socket for the router? TV? Satellite system? Connections for washing machines and dishwashers? That’s roughly it! Check all this and then you’ll know who is cost-effective.OK... that’s a good checklist I can work through. Thanks.
The heating system is from Wolf and the ceramic fittings are from Kaldewei. The doorbell is included, and there is a Cat network connection in every room... that’s what I remember off the top of my head.
Similar topics