Dear all,
I am currently searching for a plot of land but am not making much progress because the resulting costs can vary greatly, which significantly affects my remaining budget.
I House Type
I would like a single-family house in the Bauhaus style, but with a brick veneer. My wife prefers a “traditional” house with a pitched roof or a half-hipped roof, but she would agree to the Bauhaus style if it does not lead to (significant) additional costs. In my opinion, the Bauhaus style should be more affordable due to its presumably more favorable volume-to-exterior-surface ratio and the flat roof, compared to a similarly equipped traditional house, right?
II Plot and Costs
We currently live in the commuter belt of Hamburg in Schleswig-Holstein and like this area very much, but the connections (transport, shops, schools) are rather poor. If we were to move closer to Hamburg, however, the land prices increase. Here, they are currently around 250 €/sqm (square meter), while closer to Hamburg (depending on the district) they range from 350 €/sqm, 440 €/sqm, up to 550 €/sqm.
Although I am planning with what I consider a generous total budget of about EUR 650K (170K equity), I quickly reach my budget limit given my desired plot size of 800 sqm (700 sqm minimum), especially since I cannot reliably estimate the house costs.
Since plots here are highly sought after, some are reserved within just 2-3 days, and binding confirmation— including bank financing approval—may be required within 14 days. As I cannot plan a house including costs and zoning restrictions within that timeframe, I want to clarify as many questions as possible in advance.
I would therefore appreciate your feedback on the overall project and expected costs so I can refine my plot search accordingly.
III Size and Equipment
The house should include the following rooms. How do you assess these sizes? Am I missing anything?
3 children’s rooms (each 18 sqm) 54
Bedroom 20
Kitchen 15? (separate room, not open-plan)
Guest room 18
Library 25
Dining room 20
Study 16 (maybe in the basement)
Living room 40
Total living area 193
Usable area (25% of living area) 48
Footprint 240
Are the bathrooms (2-3) included in the usable area, or do I need to add extra space for these?
Is the assumption of the usable area realistic?
The house should have a full basement, a central ventilation system with heat recovery, underfloor heating, and a stove. A garage would be nice but is not a priority.
An architect once gave me a rough figure of EUR 400K (including additional construction costs) for these requirements, but without the basement, though including the garage and floor coverings at 30 €/sqm. This matches the often-mentioned 2,000 €/sqm price, but what level of finish can I expect for this?
Ultimately: If you believe that the house described above in “really nice” condition is only available for, say, > 450K + extras, I would limit myself to the “cheaper” plots and perhaps buy a larger one there. If the house can be realized in “really nice” condition for 350K-400K, I would consider financing up to an additional 100K and looking for a better-connected plot.
Finally, assuming the restriction that the first floor may be a maximum of 60% of the ground floor’s living area, how large would the plot need to be in your experience to allow sufficient maximum buildable area? (I understand that zoning regulations vary greatly...)
Thank you very much
Sullivan
I am currently searching for a plot of land but am not making much progress because the resulting costs can vary greatly, which significantly affects my remaining budget.
I House Type
I would like a single-family house in the Bauhaus style, but with a brick veneer. My wife prefers a “traditional” house with a pitched roof or a half-hipped roof, but she would agree to the Bauhaus style if it does not lead to (significant) additional costs. In my opinion, the Bauhaus style should be more affordable due to its presumably more favorable volume-to-exterior-surface ratio and the flat roof, compared to a similarly equipped traditional house, right?
II Plot and Costs
We currently live in the commuter belt of Hamburg in Schleswig-Holstein and like this area very much, but the connections (transport, shops, schools) are rather poor. If we were to move closer to Hamburg, however, the land prices increase. Here, they are currently around 250 €/sqm (square meter), while closer to Hamburg (depending on the district) they range from 350 €/sqm, 440 €/sqm, up to 550 €/sqm.
Although I am planning with what I consider a generous total budget of about EUR 650K (170K equity), I quickly reach my budget limit given my desired plot size of 800 sqm (700 sqm minimum), especially since I cannot reliably estimate the house costs.
Since plots here are highly sought after, some are reserved within just 2-3 days, and binding confirmation— including bank financing approval—may be required within 14 days. As I cannot plan a house including costs and zoning restrictions within that timeframe, I want to clarify as many questions as possible in advance.
I would therefore appreciate your feedback on the overall project and expected costs so I can refine my plot search accordingly.
III Size and Equipment
The house should include the following rooms. How do you assess these sizes? Am I missing anything?
3 children’s rooms (each 18 sqm) 54
Bedroom 20
Kitchen 15? (separate room, not open-plan)
Guest room 18
Library 25
Dining room 20
Study 16 (maybe in the basement)
Living room 40
Total living area 193
Usable area (25% of living area) 48
Footprint 240
Are the bathrooms (2-3) included in the usable area, or do I need to add extra space for these?
Is the assumption of the usable area realistic?
The house should have a full basement, a central ventilation system with heat recovery, underfloor heating, and a stove. A garage would be nice but is not a priority.
An architect once gave me a rough figure of EUR 400K (including additional construction costs) for these requirements, but without the basement, though including the garage and floor coverings at 30 €/sqm. This matches the often-mentioned 2,000 €/sqm price, but what level of finish can I expect for this?
Ultimately: If you believe that the house described above in “really nice” condition is only available for, say, > 450K + extras, I would limit myself to the “cheaper” plots and perhaps buy a larger one there. If the house can be realized in “really nice” condition for 350K-400K, I would consider financing up to an additional 100K and looking for a better-connected plot.
Finally, assuming the restriction that the first floor may be a maximum of 60% of the ground floor’s living area, how large would the plot need to be in your experience to allow sufficient maximum buildable area? (I understand that zoning regulations vary greatly...)
Thank you very much
Sullivan
ypg schrieb:
Stop!
Building is cheaper here in the north, even though land prices near Hamburg are very high. We haven’t even had to pay more than 1500€/m² (about 140 USD/sq ft) – and that’s with a shed roof (which is a bit more expensive, just like a flat roof/Bauhaus style). Okay, that sounds really good (hard to believe???). If the lots are already fully developed and we assume a gas heating system and just 1500€/m² (about 140 USD/sq ft) – let’s go for it:
Full property: 240m² (roughly 2583 sq ft) x 1500 = 360,000€ + 40,000€ basement = 400,000€ for a house with a basement, where the basement costs roughly the same as the house. That leaves 250,000€ for the rest. 700m² (about 7535 sq ft) x 350€/m² (about 33 USD/sq ft) = 245,000€ – then you could come closer.
Phew, but that sounds too good to be true. Why would houses in Hamburg be cheaper than elsewhere? I’d be cautious. Maybe you should start working on concrete plans – floor plan, fittings, energy standards like KfW, etc. Then get two or three solid quotes for the house. That way you’ll get a better sense and we’ll find out if ypg is right. 😉
kaho674 schrieb:
Ok, that sounds really good (hard to believe???). If the plots are already fully serviced and we assume gas heating, then just 1500/m² (square meter) – let’s go:
full house: 240m² (about 2583 square feet) x 1500 = 360,000 € + 40,000 € basement = 400,000 € for a house with a basement, with the basement then being as affordable as the house. That leaves 250,000 € for the rest. 700m² (about 7,535 square feet) x 350 €/m² = 245,000 € – then you could get closer.I would still calculate with 1600, since large window fronts and a flat roof (still Bauhaus style) tend to cost more. Possibly a rooftop terrace...
kaho674 schrieb:
Phew, but that sounds too good to be true. Why should houses in Hamburg be cheaper than elsewhere? I would be cautious about that. Maybe you should make the plans more concrete first. Floor plan, fittings, KFW standard, etc., and then get two or three serious quotes for the house. That way you get a better idea and we’ll find out if ypg is right. 😉... We do have a north/south cost gradient, for example, the labor costs for tradespeople in the Hanover area are the lowest. But the building expert has already mentioned that dozens of times :p
W
wadenkneifer10 Feb 2014 20:26Hello,
When calculating your budget, don’t forget the additional construction costs. You should expect around 35,000 to 40,000 euros (€) for those. On top of that,
Outdoor landscaping 10,000 €
Painting work 10,000 €
Flooring 10,000 €
so you’re already looking at another 70,000 to 80,000 euros (€).
Regarding your room layout:
- A library of 25 square meters (270 square feet) seems very large to me.
- A living room and dining room totaling 60 square meters (645 square feet)? Very spacious!
- I would also reduce the size of the guest and children’s rooms a bit. The office depends on its intended use. With a 25 square meter (270 square feet) library, I would integrate the office there.
As for the process (we recently completed a house south of the Elbe River):
- Carefully consider your requirements for the plot of land (size seems fixed, as do transport connections; whether it is 10 kilometers (6 miles) closer or farther from Hamburg doesn’t seem to matter much). Prioritize your requirements!
- Based on these, explore where these requirements can be met. For example, the closer you get to Hamburg, the smaller the plots usually are.
- You can cover a large part of the plot purchase from your own capital, which is a good foundation for the next steps.
- At the same time, finalize your ideas for your house, have discussions with architects or builders. Create initial plans (which may be somewhat generic) and obtain a rough first estimate (including a contingency).
- This planning may result in further limitations for the plot, which can then influence your land search again.
- Talk to banks about your financing options (a definite commitment usually requires a specific plot)...
- When you find “your” plot: reserve it, submit the prepared documents to the bank, and then act quickly to commit.
- After that, you can “fine-tune” the house and complete the detailed planning (while, of course, keeping your set financial framework in mind).
PS: Many people in and around Hamburg are just happy to find any plot that meets even some of their requirements.
Best regards and good luck
Michael
When calculating your budget, don’t forget the additional construction costs. You should expect around 35,000 to 40,000 euros (€) for those. On top of that,
Outdoor landscaping 10,000 €
Painting work 10,000 €
Flooring 10,000 €
so you’re already looking at another 70,000 to 80,000 euros (€).
Regarding your room layout:
- A library of 25 square meters (270 square feet) seems very large to me.
- A living room and dining room totaling 60 square meters (645 square feet)? Very spacious!
- I would also reduce the size of the guest and children’s rooms a bit. The office depends on its intended use. With a 25 square meter (270 square feet) library, I would integrate the office there.
As for the process (we recently completed a house south of the Elbe River):
- Carefully consider your requirements for the plot of land (size seems fixed, as do transport connections; whether it is 10 kilometers (6 miles) closer or farther from Hamburg doesn’t seem to matter much). Prioritize your requirements!
- Based on these, explore where these requirements can be met. For example, the closer you get to Hamburg, the smaller the plots usually are.
- You can cover a large part of the plot purchase from your own capital, which is a good foundation for the next steps.
- At the same time, finalize your ideas for your house, have discussions with architects or builders. Create initial plans (which may be somewhat generic) and obtain a rough first estimate (including a contingency).
- This planning may result in further limitations for the plot, which can then influence your land search again.
- Talk to banks about your financing options (a definite commitment usually requires a specific plot)...
- When you find “your” plot: reserve it, submit the prepared documents to the bank, and then act quickly to commit.
- After that, you can “fine-tune” the house and complete the detailed planning (while, of course, keeping your set financial framework in mind).
PS: Many people in and around Hamburg are just happy to find any plot that meets even some of their requirements.
Best regards and good luck
Michael
ypg schrieb:
Quote: Flooring for 30 €/m² (3 €/ft²): I bet that’s not the fancy 40 x 80cm (16 x 31 inches)... if those are desired (to match the house), there will be a significant additional cost. Having a customer account at the building materials supplier is a good way to snag some deals 🙂 We managed to get our porcelain stoneware tiles from Villeroy & Boch in 35 x 70cm (14 x 28 inches), first choice, as promotional items for 20 €/m² (2 €/ft²) 🙂
Michalko schrieb:
A customer account with the building materials supplier is a good way to snag bargains sometimes 🙂 We managed to get our premium porcelain tiles from Villeroy & Boch in 35x70cm (14x28 inches) first choice as promotional items for 20€/sqm (about $1.86/sq ft) 🙂 But they still need to be installed – and that can be quite expensive!
Similar topics