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?
First of all, thank you for the many replies. The architect we are working with now is providing us with a free initial design, and then we will see how to proceed. He has already built several houses in this area with local contractors, and we definitely plan to check them out. Although they typically build to the KFW55 standard, I’m starting to wonder why I focused so much on the 40 standard. A proper heat pump system combined with photovoltaics and perhaps a battery storage system later on should make the exact standard less important, right?
With the design, we might also be able to approach prefabricated house manufacturers to get some quotes. I’m hopeful the architect will have some good ideas on how to maximize living space for us with as little footprint as possible.
With the design, we might also be able to approach prefabricated house manufacturers to get some quotes. I’m hopeful the architect will have some good ideas on how to maximize living space for us with as little footprint as possible.
W
WilderSueden17 Feb 2023 21:01Choosing EH40 or even 40+ standards was appealing when subsidies were high. Without financial support, you are unlikely to recover the additional costs through saved heating expenses, especially since many builders tend to increase their profit margin with such upgrades. In practice, not every house built to the 55 standard is the same; there are better and worse examples. This also depends on the specific construction method and execution.
Karlsson schrieb:Good input leads to good output here. The more clear and honest your wish list is, the better the final house will be. For simple plots and no special requirements, standard floor plans from catalogs are usually quite good.
I hope the architect has some good ideas on how to get the best living space for us with as little floor area as possible.
11ant schrieb:
You can find both the solution and guidance to reach me at https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/architekten-leistungsphase-1-4-welche-unterlagen-muessen-sein.43438/post-613603 or by using the search term "11ant house construction roadmap". Another building consultant (based in Heidelberg) has also been mentioned here in the forum. In which part of Rhineland-Palatinate is the plot located?
I have already explained the general methodological approach in many places here as well. I have now read the house construction roadmap. Very informative and helpful for a layperson like me. Thank you very much! A small note: Some links still point to the old website.
Karlsson schrieb:
They always build to KFW55 standard, but I’m wondering why I’ve focused so much on the 40 standard. A proper heat pump system combined with solar panels and maybe a battery storage in the future should make that difference irrelevant, right?We initially built a KFW55 house, and it was already so airtight that for our new house we didn’t hesitate to skip the 40 standard. A professional consultant once told us that the difference between the 55 and 40 standard is mostly theoretical. In other words, the advantages still exist on paper, but for example, if you spend one extra minute unloading your car after shopping in winter, you can lose that scale of difference. I don’t know if he was exaggerating or serious, but in our KFW55 house I already felt like the heat barely escaped. The underfloor heating also made it comfortably and evenly warm all the time. We are currently building again to 55 standard, without any doubts.
Karlsson schrieb:
The architect we are currently working with is first providing us with a free design draft, and then we can proceed from there. He has already built several houses in this area with local companies, and we will definitely check those out. [...]
With the design, it might also be possible to approach prefab house manufacturers for quotes. I hope the architect has some good ideas on how to maximize living space for us with the smallest possible footprint.I don’t expect any revelations from a pitch-style house design. A well-coordinated team of architect and local contractors sounds much more convincing. Preliminary designs are sufficient for initial quotes, and I would still inquire without committing to a specific construction method. Proven catalog designs are usually already optimized to the point that further tweaking tends to complicate rather than improve them. Karlsson schrieb:
They always build to KfW 55 standard, but I’m wondering why I focused so much on the 40 standard. A proper heat pump system with photovoltaics and perhaps a battery storage unit later on should make the standard less important, shouldn’t it?Congratulations on stepping back from avant-garde standards. Typical home builders with average incomes rarely have the patron resources for that approach. Your quotes around the "only" before EH 55 are exactly right. Regarding the heating concept, I recommend applying the "11ant stone mantra" in a broader sense: don’t choose the most perfect technology, but only technology that your contractor has extensive experience installing. Karlsson schrieb:
I’ve just read the house building roadmap. Very informative and helpful for a layperson like me. Thanks a lot!You’re welcome. I’ll pass the compliments to my editor, who was mainly responsible for making my posts accessible to laypersons—the original drafts were more like my usual writing style, as here. Keep in mind that this series so far only describes the textbook procedure. A discussion about when and how deviations from this might be a good alternative will follow. We can also talk about this informally and personally if you like. Karlsson schrieb:
Small note: Some links still point to the old homepage.I hope I haven’t overlooked any internal links? If so, I appreciate any hints via comments or the communication channels shown here. Hopefully, the old URLs’ popularity in search engines will fade soon, and I cannot edit those references in existing posts here. More and more of my Instagram followers (11antgmxde) are also finding their way to the posts 🙂https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
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