ᐅ Realistic Cost Estimate: Single-Family Home with Challenging Site Access
Created on: 20 Jan 2023 10:50
S
schmeissrein
Hello everyone,
I have been following this forum for a while and first of all, a big thank you to everyone who shares their advice here and sometimes also speaks hard truths. I didn’t originally want to create a new thread but intended to form an opinion based on other discussions. However, you convinced me that this building project is too individual for that. So here is our plan:
- Building a new single-family house in the far north of Germany (Schleswig-Flensburg region).
- Plot size is over 1000sqm (10,764 sq ft).
- Total square meters are not so important as long as the layout works.
- Basement is not planned.
What we would like:
- Open-plan kitchen-living area of at least 36m² (388 sq ft).
- Guest room (at least 10m² / 108 sq ft) and small guest bathroom with shower on the ground floor, so that in old age, with disability, or a broken leg, the ground floor can be used independently and possibly serve as a bedroom.
- Utility room / storage room / pantry with heat pump of at least 8m² (86 sq ft) (KfW 40 standard would be great, of course).
- Upper floor with three rooms (1 office, 1 master bedroom, 1 child’s room) each at least 14m² (151 sq ft) and one bathroom. Our dream would be a “walk-in” (what a silly word – aren’t all showers walk-in?) shower to avoid having to clean those limescale-rusty, annoying shower enclosures.
- We could contribute labor for garden landscaping and painting/wallpapering; otherwise, we would prefer a turnkey build.
As for the house style, regionally typical Frisian houses or captain’s houses (with all the “cute” features like small gables, etc.) are in consideration, or also not completely unimaginative “normal” single-family houses. We are not afraid of Bauhaus-style concrete marvels either, but those tend to be more expensive. In terms of fittings, no “gold-plated faucets” and no smart home – but decent and presentable.
The big BUT: the plot is not connected to utilities, and the distance to the street is about 65m (213 ft), of which 50m (164 ft) is a paved driveway and paved parking area that would have to be dug up (across another property). The connection costs and incidental construction costs worry us quite a bit. Does anyone have experience with such a “mammoth connection” for a relatively small building project? What realistic costs should we expect for both?
We would greatly appreciate any thoughts on this project, thank you very much in advance!
I have been following this forum for a while and first of all, a big thank you to everyone who shares their advice here and sometimes also speaks hard truths. I didn’t originally want to create a new thread but intended to form an opinion based on other discussions. However, you convinced me that this building project is too individual for that. So here is our plan:
- Building a new single-family house in the far north of Germany (Schleswig-Flensburg region).
- Plot size is over 1000sqm (10,764 sq ft).
- Total square meters are not so important as long as the layout works.
- Basement is not planned.
What we would like:
- Open-plan kitchen-living area of at least 36m² (388 sq ft).
- Guest room (at least 10m² / 108 sq ft) and small guest bathroom with shower on the ground floor, so that in old age, with disability, or a broken leg, the ground floor can be used independently and possibly serve as a bedroom.
- Utility room / storage room / pantry with heat pump of at least 8m² (86 sq ft) (KfW 40 standard would be great, of course).
- Upper floor with three rooms (1 office, 1 master bedroom, 1 child’s room) each at least 14m² (151 sq ft) and one bathroom. Our dream would be a “walk-in” (what a silly word – aren’t all showers walk-in?) shower to avoid having to clean those limescale-rusty, annoying shower enclosures.
- We could contribute labor for garden landscaping and painting/wallpapering; otherwise, we would prefer a turnkey build.
As for the house style, regionally typical Frisian houses or captain’s houses (with all the “cute” features like small gables, etc.) are in consideration, or also not completely unimaginative “normal” single-family houses. We are not afraid of Bauhaus-style concrete marvels either, but those tend to be more expensive. In terms of fittings, no “gold-plated faucets” and no smart home – but decent and presentable.
The big BUT: the plot is not connected to utilities, and the distance to the street is about 65m (213 ft), of which 50m (164 ft) is a paved driveway and paved parking area that would have to be dug up (across another property). The connection costs and incidental construction costs worry us quite a bit. Does anyone have experience with such a “mammoth connection” for a relatively small building project? What realistic costs should we expect for both?
We would greatly appreciate any thoughts on this project, thank you very much in advance!
xMisterDx schrieb:
To be honest, no one really dies if the garden and terrace aren’t finished just two weeks after moving in.As I said, it’s not about the garden. We’re talking about a 60m (200 feet) long access road plus parking spaces and the main entrance to the house. I estimate the road costs around 1,000 to 1,300 per meter (300 to 400 per foot) including utilities, using the simplest construction method. Then add the parking areas and house entrance. I think at least 80,000 will be gone, but this can vary a lot depending on the region.W
WilderSueden19 Apr 2023 08:43The point isn’t that everything should be finished after two weeks, nor that you’ll only start a perennial border somewhere in the corner after five years. The money has to come from somewhere, and postponing work just means a lower repayment later on. We’re not talking about amounts you can simply save on the side with $100 per month. You have to factor this in beforehand; otherwise, you’re only fooling yourself.
And you need a certain minimum standard, otherwise you’ll track in a huge amount of dirt every day and be frustrated that you can only stay inside the house.
And you need a certain minimum standard, otherwise you’ll track in a huge amount of dirt every day and be frustrated that you can only stay inside the house.
X
xMisterDx19 Apr 2023 10:04Sure, the money has to come from somewhere. But if I take a personal loan now, or even better, finance materials directly through a home improvement retailer, I end up paying 4-6% interest. PayPal charges 9.99%.
I also need to have the money to cover those interest payments. Over 3 or 4 years, that quickly adds up to 1,000-2,000 EUR (1,100-2,200 USD).
So why not just do it gradually without interest?
And this nonsense about the dirt. Well, we were smart and had the excavation contractor gravel the driveway, parking spaces, and terrace right away. That cost 1,500 EUR (1,650 USD), and since he was already there with the truck working on the foundation, it was actually quite generous.
I’m not bringing dirt into the house. The dirt is coming from the unfinished road.
And the garden? The kids just have to wait 2 years. We don’t have a garden in our rental apartment on the main street either, so it’s not like they’re really missing anything important when we move in.
If you have the money, it makes sense. But financing at current conditions just to have it now instead of in 2 years? Nonsense.
I also need to have the money to cover those interest payments. Over 3 or 4 years, that quickly adds up to 1,000-2,000 EUR (1,100-2,200 USD).
So why not just do it gradually without interest?
And this nonsense about the dirt. Well, we were smart and had the excavation contractor gravel the driveway, parking spaces, and terrace right away. That cost 1,500 EUR (1,650 USD), and since he was already there with the truck working on the foundation, it was actually quite generous.
I’m not bringing dirt into the house. The dirt is coming from the unfinished road.
And the garden? The kids just have to wait 2 years. We don’t have a garden in our rental apartment on the main street either, so it’s not like they’re really missing anything important when we move in.
If you have the money, it makes sense. But financing at current conditions just to have it now instead of in 2 years? Nonsense.
S
Stefan00119 Apr 2023 10:37xMisterDx schrieb:
Sure, the money has to come from somewhere. But if I take out a personal loan or even better, finance materials directly at Home Improvement Stores like Bauhaus or Hornbach, I pay 4-6% interest. PayPal charges 9.99%.
You have to have the money to cover the interest as well, and over 3 or 4 years that quickly adds up to 1,000–2,000 EUR (approximately 1,100–2,200 USD).
So why not do it bit by bit without interest? How do you figure?
If you say you can buy the garage in 5 years, that means you’re saving the money until then. But you could also put that amount towards repaying a loan.
X
xMisterDx19 Apr 2023 10:38And including the money directly in the main loan... many people ended up with a bad deal.
We built for 14 months; some people who started before us still aren't finished.
After 12 months, they suddenly owe the bank 150,000 EUR (about 158,000 USD) without any added value, and they pay a commitment fee of 375 EUR (about 395 USD).
A gravel driveway is enough for the car, and walkways can be made from Euro pallets, which are easy to get. I currently have six of them in my garden, and next week more doors and flooring will arrive, again on pallets.
Always on credit? No, thanks.
We built for 14 months; some people who started before us still aren't finished.
After 12 months, they suddenly owe the bank 150,000 EUR (about 158,000 USD) without any added value, and they pay a commitment fee of 375 EUR (about 395 USD).
A gravel driveway is enough for the car, and walkways can be made from Euro pallets, which are easy to get. I currently have six of them in my garden, and next week more doors and flooring will arrive, again on pallets.
Always on credit? No, thanks.
X
xMisterDx19 Apr 2023 10:41Stefan001 schrieb:
Where do you get that from?
If you say you can buy the garage in 5 years, that means you’re saving the money until then. But you could also put that amount towards the mortgage repayment. In my opinion, mortgage repayment is massively overrated. The current inflation is already reducing the debt significantly. An 8.5% increase in salary by 2024, my wife’s is similar. So why should I pay off more than 3.5%?
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