ᐅ House Construction Planning: Solid Brick and Mortar House or Prefabricated House? With or Without a Basement?

Holzhäuschen schrieb:

As long as you have so little knowledge and don’t want to share more details about your income, etc. (which is your choice, but many people here are open about everything to get good advice, because otherwise it’s just not possible).
You can also read up on this in the construction financing forum.

With only wishes and no concrete indication that this house will be more than just a dream, hardly anyone here will be able to help you.

There are pros and cons to both masonry (brick-and-mortar) and prefabricated houses. Neither is bad, and there are already endless discussions here; it’s helpful to use the search function.

For example here https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/fertighaus-oder-massivhaus.37575/

Basement or not, in the end you have to live in the house and know what you want, need, and can afford.

We are building a house with solid wood walls, without a basement. But that probably won’t help you much.

Okay, I’m already taking a look at the link you shared, on the side 🙂

Well, I more or less stumbled into the forum here and didn’t really know right away how it works and what information is expected from me.
I’m just generally looking for some exchange to even get an idea of what this whole thing is about.

We’ve had lots of ideas for a long time and also checked out a lot online, but nothing is really sorted, so we’re not quite sure where to start.

The more information we gathered so far, the more confused we became.
Everyone online says something different.
Especially regarding prefabricated houses, there are sites that discourage them and others that emphasize that such a prefab house is not worse but can even be better, and basically the same as masonry construction, so it’s not cheaper either.

Holzhäuschen schrieb:

2500€/sqm (232$/sq ft) for the living area, don’t know about basement/garage.
If it’s 200sqm (2150 sq ft) of living space, that’s 500,000€, plus your 200,000€. Then there’s the basement and the garage.

Okay, then we will definitely be looking at a higher price than we initially naively thought.
So, don’t discourage us from the project right now.
But now I know roughly where we stand and that we might have to make some compromises.

Holzhäuschen schrieb:

We are also doing the garden landscaping ourselves (DIY), but that’s a lot of work and the materials cost money.

Sure, a nice garden can really increase the price, especially if it should be smart-enabled.
But that’s why we want to do that ourselves later.
Since we’re not really the vacationing type, it would be an ideal way for us to get creative here.

Holzhäuschen schrieb:

I think you don’t really realize what even the simplest bathroom fixtures cost. Here in Brandenburg for two small bathrooms (2sqm / 22 sq ft, 8sqm / 86 sq ft) including piping it was just under 12,000€ (about $11,000).
We went to the bathroom showroom, watched the budget, and then (also due to incomplete information from the seller) ended up around 10,000€ ($9,000) more. We have now reduced that to 5,000€ ($4,500) more, but it’s also no luxury: no concealed faucets, no fancy rain shower, we only spent a bit more on the toilets.

Okay, well, we’re already aware that the bathroom can be a tricky cost factor. My parents recently renovated their bathroom and quickly went from a planned 10,000€ ($9,000) to 18,000€ ($16,500), and it wasn’t a large bathroom. (Here, however, the floor was lowered by 30cm (12 inches), which you would have to subtract again.)

But if you factor in a larger new bathroom, you’re easily looking at 20,000€ ($18,500).

But this is exactly why I’m here — to get everything a bit more clear.
That’s where the thread is slowly making sense.

Holzhäuschen schrieb:

From what I’ve read so far in the forum, 600,000€ ($550,000) for such a large house is already tight.

Okay, that definitely helps.

So it means either making compromises or allocating a bigger budget.

Phew, it’s nice to get an estimate from other builders about where we roughly stand.
That definitely helps us become more aware of what we actually need for the project.

Holzhäuschen schrieb:

You didn’t even consider undergasse’s point — do you know that as a private person you don’t have access to the software, etc.? So DIY is also at risk in that area.

Which software exactly do you mean?

Crestron? Or Control4?

I know you can get access here through a company in Berlin that lets you set it up, and they will help with what you can’t do yourself — for a fee.
(I’m not strictly fixed on the brands mentioned here; I have studied them intensively and like those manufacturers, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I will buy exactly those. It’s more about the range of functions I am aiming for. There are also other options that might not be exactly the same but offer similar features.)

If I find during technical planning that I can’t realize my technical preferences, there are alternatives that might not be as fancy but deliver the same results in the end.
I already have a similar system at home, self-built, from a theoretical perspective.

In the end, as I said, I’m not trying to build a showy luxury home but want to achieve the important functionality for me/us.
And there are many alternatives that are cheaper as well.
What will be chosen in the end remains to be seen; in any case, the technology part is a hobby and pure passion.
Therefore, it will be DIY anyway.
And I am aware that the mentioned brands might be too expensive.
But then we’ll go for alternatives that can still be controlled through a single app 🙂

We don’t want a luxury palace ^^ but want to push the limits of what’s possible while keeping it affordable, of course 🙂

OWLer schrieb:

Standard house without luxury extras in most parts of Germany costs around 2000€/sqm (approximately $220/sqft). More realistically now 2200€/sqm (about $245/sqft) = €550,000 (about $610,000) just for the house
+ additional costs €50,000 ($55,000)
+ basement €70,000 ($78,000)

= House without extras like smart home/kino etc., you’re looking at about €670,000 ($745,000)

On top of that comes the land and development costs. I tried to mention that earlier.

Okay, that sounds at least initially feasible.

In any case, this already helps a lot.
Even if it might not seem so to some at first.

But it definitely helps to assess things more clearly.

Hausbautraum20 schrieb:

Just to give some orientation again.
My brother-in-law is currently starting construction, but in Bavaria:
180 sqm (1,938 sq ft) living space + basement
- Turnkey 580k
- Additional costs 50k
= 630k > 600k

That’s not 200 sqm (2,153 sq ft) living space, there is no KNX (home automation), no garage or paving works, no kitchen or furniture, no solar system or any more elaborate features, and of course no land included.

This just doesn’t add up.
First, find a good plot of land, then align wishes and budget!

Well, in Saxony-Anhalt there are even free plots of land, as I said ^^
It’s clear that Bavaria is not exactly cheap 🙂

But such prices for land are quite rare here.
You really have to have the very best location in the area.

As I said, the budget is initially what we thought we wanted to spend.

Financing is less of an issue for us since I discussed lump sum items with my sister.
Since she mostly deals with real estate financing in big cities, often involving renovation and rental properties, she’s not exactly the right contact person. Still, I have a rough idea that we could get quite a bit financed. But you don’t want to tap into the full amount right away; first, you want to see how far your plans get within your desired spending.

There should still be money left at the end for technical toys and the garden.

But apparently, we have set our budget relatively low compared to what we can get.

That definitely helps for orientation.
Either put more money on the table or rethink what you can do without.
That’s true.
It shouldn’t turn into an extravagant palace where money is wasted unnecessarily.

I think we should really visit those model home parks first and get a feel for the square meters.
Then the decision about the basement and associated costs will be easier.

In the end, it also has to work with the planned personal contribution and the builder.

And I think there are precise cost statements for the house we are currently looking at.
Then you have the floor plan you are standing in, and if you like it, you take it as is. Even changes should be quoted as accurately as possible here.

I think that’s probably the best way to plan the finances properly?
I can just roughly add 200k for technology and heating and be on the safe side.

At least now we are much further than before the post here.

OWLer schrieb:

First, take the search for a plot of land seriously. Most people are driven by personal wishes and external influences when looking for their dream plot.
At the same time, talk to your mortgage lender. Your dream home, including additional costs, will easily exceed $550,000 – more likely $600,000. However, this does not include the land and development costs. Once the bank gives the green light for the house and financing amount, go ahead and buy the plot.

Once the plot is secured, what you can build depends on the zoning plan (building plan). It may also be that your dream plot requires connection to district heating. Therefore, discussions here without a specific plot are pointless, except to give you a sense of costs.

Okay, that’s definitely useful information.
District heating is actually available here in the city.

However, since I’ve seen these air heat exchangers in a new development area, I think it might not be mandatory here in our case.

Visually, the houses there also fit roughly what we have in mind.

But thanks for the tip, I should really consider that as well.

What happens if I find a plot but don’t have a house yet?
I’m really confused about that too.
Does anyone know the best way to find a plot or an area where building is permitted?

I can’t just go and say, “Look, I want to build there...” right?
Does it make sense to ask the local authorities where I’m allowed to look for land?

RomanoD. schrieb:

At least we are now clearly further ahead than before this post.

Except that "we" are already at post #51, I can’t see that we’re any "clearly further ahead" now.
I need to get some cola first... 😀

RomanoD. schrieb:


What happens if I’ve found a plot of land but don’t have a house yet?
I’m still really confused about that.
Does anyone know the best way to find a plot or an area where building is allowed?

You can’t just start by saying, “Look, I want to build there,” right?
Does it make sense to ask the local council where you can even look?

It’s better to have a plot of land first before you get more specific ideas about the house, because the zoning plan or conditions on the plot may make certain things impossible or impractical.

So 1. find the plot, and meanwhile clarify your rough requirements and how they fit your budget.
2. have a good floor plan designed, then look for house builders and plan from there.

In South Australia, there seems to be no shortage of plots compared to other places.
So first, google “new development area” + the city / town / region you are interested in.

If you don’t find anything there, drive around villages and look for vacant plots, ask neighbors, etc. (you’d have to leave your apartment for this), and at the same time check the websites of all small municipalities or towns where you would like to build, and if nothing is listed, contact them directly. I did this in Brandenburg and got on waiting lists for several places and received feedback about various plots.

Finding something via real estate websites like Immoscout is rather difficult, and in popular areas there are often issues with the plots offered.
(We were lucky to find the seller of a new development on Immoscout, but otherwise the offers were not very good.)