ᐅ How do you properly balance the requirements of the Building Energy Act against the standards of KfW 55, 40, and 40 Plus?
Created on: 14 Mar 2021 16:10
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--Lars--
Hi everyone,
We are currently planning our single-family home and are receiving different recommendations from various builders regarding construction with or without meeting certain KfW standards. We are planning a solid masonry construction.
We would like to independently review the advantages and disadvantages and are wondering which points should be considered. From our perspective, these are the following:
Thank you for your feedback.
We are currently planning our single-family home and are receiving different recommendations from various builders regarding construction with or without meeting certain KfW standards. We are planning a solid masonry construction.
We would like to independently review the advantages and disadvantages and are wondering which points should be considered. From our perspective, these are the following:
- Financial considerations - The repayment subsidy for KfW55 is usually about the same as the additional construction costs, so it balances out more or less
- Indoor climate - Excessive insulation can negatively impact indoor air quality (we only know this from friends, but aren’t sure if this is always the case)
- Land utilization - Using an external thermal insulation composite system (ETICS) can achieve KfW55 with thinner walls, which on our narrow plot would allow about 10m² (108 sq ft) more living space
- Value retention - Are there any experience reports regarding the value retention of the different construction methods?
- Energy-efficient construction saves heating costs over time, so building energy-efficient should be cheaper in the long run
- KfW loans currently don’t play a major role, as banks offer similar or even better conditions
Thank you for your feedback.
nordanney schrieb:
Nonsense. I’ll just sell the house that no longer fits my needs and choose something smaller—maybe even a bungalow suitable for my age.Nonsense. Our living area is all on one level, without any barriers. If you build a standard house, you just end up selling it again. That’s fine too. The government benefits twice in that case.N
nordanney13 Apr 2021 15:39GSGaucho schrieb:
If you build a standard house, you’ll probably sell it again. That’s fine too. The government benefits twice that way.Who can afford to build without making any compromises when the house is divided? What a waste of money for the average homeowner. And then renting out parts of the house as well. The whole point of living in your own house is usually to avoid annoying neighbors. Then the kids move out, and tenants upstairs watch you sunbathe naked? No-go.H
hampshire13 Apr 2021 16:00GSGaucho schrieb:
Well, future generations will have a very hard time acquiring homeownership before inheriting property.
With that in mind, I’m optimistic that one of the three of us will keep at least one property. I trust that my children will be able to shape their own lives—although their ambition and determination could currently be better. I’m not even sure if owning a home will mean the same to the boys/the next generation as it does to me/my generation. Looking at how the world has changed over the last 20, 30, 40, 50 years, I’m confident I cannot predict the world 30 years from now. New generation—new skills—new opportunities—new lifestyles—I no longer serve as a relevant point of reference.
Anyone who wants to take a small gambit for their children can invest a few hundred in cryptocurrencies and gift it on their 18th birthday. A total loss won’t hurt the kids and is easily absorbed (like a failed vacation); if it succeeds, the surprise and joy will be big.
nordanney schrieb:
Who can afford to build without making compromises when the house will later be divided? What a waste of money for the average homeowner. Very few can actually afford to build completely without compromises—regardless of the house design.
And who among us lives ascetically without any financial waste?
I’ve moved often enough and like the idea of staying put on this little piece of land I’ve found. The option to rent out holiday apartments in old age if things get tight feels to me like risk-free savings.
nordanney schrieb:
Who can afford to build in a way that requires no compromises when the house is divided? What a waste of money for the average home builder. And then bringing tenants into the house. The whole point of living in your own home is usually to avoid annoying neighbors. Then the kids move out, and tenants upstairs watch you sunbathe naked? No way. Yes, the no-go’s...
I am probably still the best judge of how many compromises I make and how much money I waste.
The fact is, tens of millions of square meters of living space in Germany stand empty precisely because of this situation. It’s an economic nonsense.
If someone chooses a prefabricated home off the shelf without custom planning and significant DIY work, then they just sell the place when it no longer suits, for example, for sunbathing naked. That’s completely fine by me.
P
pagoni202013 Apr 2021 19:44GSGaucho schrieb:
Well, future generations will find it very difficult to own residential property before inheriting it.
From that perspective, I’m confident that at least one of the three of us will keep ours. I know some young people for whom flexibility is very important and who don’t even consider buying; they want to rent and avoid burdensome commitments.
We are in a homebuilding forum, of course, and here the critical comparison with wider reality and especially with the next generation is missing.
We often believe we understand the mindset and lifestyle of young people better than we do, just as our parents were equally distant from us.