ᐅ Single-Family Home New Construction – How Do We Make a Decision Now?
Created on: 16 Feb 2023 21:50
K
Karlsson
At the end of last year, we were lucky to be offered a very nice plot of land. It was a returned lot from the latest new development area. The previous owners missed the deadline to build within the three-year period. Everyone else ahead of us on the waiting list no longer wanted the plot, so we simply took the opportunity. Over the past few weeks, we have visited various show homes and factory tours of prefabricated house manufacturers to gather information, and we are now a bit overwhelmed trying to figure out the best way to make a decision. I can’t just sign a purchase contract somewhere and see what kind of house ends up being built and how much it will cost. And I can’t commission designs from several manufacturers costing several thousand euros just to compare the final prices. But I still need to somehow plan the right house for us on this exact piece of land. How did you approach your decision-making process?
We would like to build in an ecological and sustainable way, and I was shocked by the anticipated prices we have encountered so far. Frammelsberger Wooden House and Stommel House estimate around 3500 EUR per square meter (square foot), excluding the foundation slab and garage, but at least for the EH40 standard. We also visited the architect who designed our neighbors’ home, and he quoted the same amount, but including the foundation slab and carport, although only for EH55. With an architect-designed house, I definitely need to budget a considerable extra margin. I don’t even want to think about the NH class. Have prefabricated houses or timber frame constructions really become that expensive? Who is supposed to be able to afford that?
We would like to build in an ecological and sustainable way, and I was shocked by the anticipated prices we have encountered so far. Frammelsberger Wooden House and Stommel House estimate around 3500 EUR per square meter (square foot), excluding the foundation slab and garage, but at least for the EH40 standard. We also visited the architect who designed our neighbors’ home, and he quoted the same amount, but including the foundation slab and carport, although only for EH55. With an architect-designed house, I definitely need to budget a considerable extra margin. I don’t even want to think about the NH class. Have prefabricated houses or timber frame constructions really become that expensive? Who is supposed to be able to afford that?
Karlsson schrieb:
Neither Passive House nor star architect, basement, triple garage, and granny flat are the requirements here. We are planning a "simple" 150 sqm (1,615 sq ft) house with a slab foundation and carport. A modern heating system and photovoltaic panels are the "luxuries" I would like to afford, and a proper timber frame construction that ideally doesn't require transportation by five trucks from the Czech Republic to Rhineland-Palatinate. According to my current calculations, we still have a budget of 550,000 EUR (around 550,000 USD) including additional building costs (the plot is already paid for), but I have a feeling this will be quite tight. That should still be possible in Rhineland-Palatinate for 550k EUR, depending on the exact location. I thought WilderSüden’s approach was pretty good. Generally, you don’t have to pay a lot upfront for every single plan. Get catalogs from local builders in your region. When you request materials, you’ll be put on their list of interested clients. In my opinion, demand for new builds is currently decreasing, so salespeople should be motivated. At least, we recently received mail from a former builder offering to connect interested buyers and pay a commission.
As for timber framing, I don’t have much experience, so I can’t recommend any specific suppliers. Our initial rough planning, where a catalog home was adapted and planned for our plot (for solid constructions), was always part of the acquisition process and didn’t have to be paid for if we decided against it later.
S
Schorsch_baut17 Feb 2023 09:05This might be tight. We requested similar quotes from local construction companies last year and the minimum price was around 3000/m² (280 ft²) even for the most basic option. We were then offered and purchased an older property from the family. We would like to do some renovations, but finding an architect is currently a real obstacle. Fortunately, we are not under any time pressure and hope that material prices will ease a bit more.
550,000 euros for an EH40+ turnkey house should be achievable without major issues, but to implement this relatively comfortably, you have to accept one drawback: the company will likely be Danwood or similar, not Kampa. The base price for about 150 sqm (1,615 sq ft) turnkey is around 280,000 euros, and as a rule of thumb, you should multiply that by approximately 1.5 to 1.75 to cover selections, foundation slab, additional costs, and so on. This means the trucks will probably have to come from Poland or the Czech Republic. Alternatively, you could lower your expectations (even more).
In principle, many prefab house manufacturers allow you to do the design planning with your own architect. The prefab manufacturers can provide you with a fairly accurate cost calculation for implementation (possibly for a processing fee). This way, you can compare much better. However, your architect should have some knowledge of timber frame construction and what prefab manufacturers generally dislike or refuse to do. You also have to accept that factory planning will require adjustments.
In principle, many prefab house manufacturers allow you to do the design planning with your own architect. The prefab manufacturers can provide you with a fairly accurate cost calculation for implementation (possibly for a processing fee). This way, you can compare much better. However, your architect should have some knowledge of timber frame construction and what prefab manufacturers generally dislike or refuse to do. You also have to accept that factory planning will require adjustments.
kati1337 schrieb:
At least we recently received mail from the former construction company, offering to refer interested clients in exchange for a reward. Tell me, approximately how much was that reward, and was it money or another kind of incentive?
Harakiri schrieb:
Basically, with many prefab house manufacturers, it’s possible to have the design planning done with your own architect. The prefab manufacturers usually provide a fairly accurate cost calculation for the execution (sometimes for a processing fee). This allows you to compare much better. However, your architect should have some knowledge of timber frame construction and what prefab manufacturers generally prefer not to do or avoid. Regarding manuals or similar resources to communicate the manufacturer’s building system to an external architect so their designs can be compatible with production, most providers are surprisingly weak in this area. Very little has changed from traditionally guarded knowledge to the current DIN ISO 9000 processes. Therefore, I effectively recommend working with your own architect to develop only a preliminary design before contacting the manufacturers.
Schorsch_baut schrieb:
We would like to do some expansion, but currently the architect search is a real obstacle. But it’s no witchcraft; otherwise, I wouldn’t have chosen the field of finding architects and construction companies 🙂
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
11ant schrieb:
Tell me, roughly how much was this bonus, and was it cash or another type of incentive?500 euros as a bonus upon signing the contract with the referred clients.
kati1337 schrieb:
But probably because the construction business has boomed so much in recent years that no one needed that. It’s true that when the boom slows down, companies want to maintain their workforce, but
kati1337 schrieb:
Really, is that common? I’ve never heard of that before. even if “common” might be overstating it, customer referrals are always appreciated. The many opportunists who bring new clients to construction companies don’t work for free either. And when a recommendation comes from a client, its quality can be assessed. “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree” – I survived years of the worst payment practices because you usually get similar business partners referred through good ones. No one recommends a company to their enemies (except maybe in the case of a general contractor at a butcher’s house *LOL*), and most people’s social circles are quite comparable (similar education and income levels). No company can survive on just any customers; they need to have good ones.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
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