ᐅ Experience and Advice on Single-Family Home Planning – Suggestions or Feedback?

JulianR schrieb:

We had already decided on a prefabricated house before the viewing, among other reasons because we hope that prefabrication leads to fewer errors, the assembly process is faster, and therefore requires less supervision. I hope that for laypeople like us, the range of potential disasters with prefab houses is smaller.

These are exactly the myths that often lead to tight budgets. The assembly process for the structural shell of a "prefab" house is indeed faster (two days compared to six weeks for a "masonry" house built stone by stone, both referring to an average detached one-and-a-half-story single-family house). However, this advantage is offset by the longer waiting time in the production planning queue. The interior finishing proceeds at the same pace regardless of the construction method; neither building type overtakes the other here. The only thing that is actually "faster" is the time-lapse effect when watching the setting of the shell versus masonry construction. The level of supervision required by a construction expert accompanying the build (which is always strongly recommended) never comes close to being adequately replaced by a so-called "site manager" (I have written about this many times here). The likelihood of poor workmanship is systemically higher in prefab houses compared to fully site-built houses — the only exception being if you build very close to the manufacturer’s factory. Otherwise, the probability that finishing trades are subcontracted to external crews is significantly higher than with a regional general contractor.

JulianR schrieb:

Our plot is not small compared to others in the new development, but it’s also not large. We do need space anyway. Especially on the ground floor there simply isn’t room for a technical room without serious compromises. That’s why the basement is a given. Whether that makes financial sense or not doesn’t play a major role here. So far, I haven’t had the impression that the basement causes exorbitantly high additional costs.

Among other resources, you can quickly find my (external) posts on the subject of the “11ant basement rule” via my signature. This experience-based rule states that, for example, with 40cm (16 inches) of height difference under the house footprint, only 20% of the basement cost would have been incurred as an alternative for “terrain modifications / slope stabilization,” with 80% of the basement cost remaining purely as additional expense. That is a lot of money spent as a buffer for things that often end up as flea market or bulky waste candidates. A technical room does not necessarily have to be on the ground floor if there is no basement; only the utility inlets have to be there. The space-consuming “rest” can be relocated — for example, into the attic space.

JulianR schrieb:

Are there any indications regarding providers (other than what I’ve already read in other threads)? Particularly about differences in quality? I’m especially unsure about Fingerhaus; the floor plan would fit perfectly, but I have some doubts about the wall construction. Sonnleitner, as a rather smaller provider, also interests me a lot.

Weberhaus, Schwörerhaus, and Fingerhaus are major players, roughly in that descending order, all playing in a similar league. Regarding Sonnleitner, I recall several experience threads here: https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/haushersteller-droht-arbeiten-einzustellen.41922/page-13#post-543746 and https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/sonnleitner-holzbauwerke-erfahrungen.41963/#post-543545, plus I believe two others. I’m not quite sure if that is the one with a namesake of varying reputation. However, choosing a smaller manufacturer doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll do better. If anything, I would opt for a nearby craftsman-run carpentry company rather than an industrial supplier—even with small production volumes—from farther away.

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11ant schrieb:

The supervisory effort required from the always advisable construction expert involved throughout the building process (the "construction manager" never even remotely replaces the construction supervisor without quotation marks, as I have already written many times here).

The full sentence would continue: "is exactly the same."

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JulianR schrieb:

Hello everyone,

as the name suggests, we want to build a single-family home. I would appreciate any advice or general feedback on our plans. Briefly about the basic data:

We have the approval from our municipality (71254 Ditzingen) for a single-family house plot. The dimensions are approximately 27.50m (90 feet) north-south × 15.50m (51 feet) west-east.

Important things I recommend clarifying upfront:
1. Are there any building encumbrances (easements or restrictions) on the plot? (Extremely unlikely if it comes directly from the municipality. However, almost all very narrow plots nearby had easements because they resulted from subdivided land and required setback areas.)
2. With a 3-meter (10 feet) setback from the house, the maximum building width is limited to about 9.5m (31 feet). I wouldn’t take the risk—better to plan a little under that in case the measurement doesn’t fit exactly.

We dealt with building a few years ago and also visited a model home park. Basically, we decided on a prefabricated house

After comparing providers, we also chose a prefab house manufacturer but also considered traditional masonry construction.

My impression from that time:
It’s best to forget all the marketing claims.

Both construction methods have pros and cons.

It also depends on the planned house and the plot conditions.

we decided based on our inspections, reports from others, and experiences of acquaintances to focus on providers Weberhaus and Schwörerhaus (both offering custom floor plans) and had initial talks with both. Due to the characteristics of the plot and our preferences, the Artis 300 model from Fingerhaus would also be a good fit.

I would dismiss that approach.

Any provider can build any reasonably standard floor plan. Much more important is whether the provider’s standard features and service level fit your needs.

What I mean is:
If you want an air-to-water heat pump, don’t choose a provider who typically installs air-to-air heat pumps.
If you want insulation type X, don’t go to a provider who usually installs insulation type Y.
If you want a turnkey build, don’t pick a provider specialized in shell-and-core or DIY builds.

The more you deviate from the provider’s standard offerings, the more prone to errors (and often more expensive) the project becomes.

Unfortunately, every provider will claim “we can do everything!”

Therefore, it’s important to see what the provider offers as standard and find one that naturally fits your requirements there.

(Frankly, I would recommend preparing a design and a detailed specification list and approaching different providers including a traditional builder for quotes—you can see what comes out of that. But keep in mind: the basic technical solutions should match your needs.)

Now I’m wondering if Fingerhaus can match the quality of the others, especially regarding sound and heat insulation.

Heat protection depends on many factors: windows, shading, ventilation concept, any active cooling, facade design, roof design, insulation...

In general, I would be grateful for tips on what to watch for with providers and also regarding the quoted costs (we don’t have concrete offers yet but expect them soon)

Earthworks are very often underestimated.

Also: get a soil survey early (ideally even before buying the plot, if possible).

I would strongly advise a pre-selection of materials and finishes. And only sign a contract for a 99% finished design. (From my own experience: we had planning specifications in the zoning plan that increased costs. Some providers gave us offers that did not match our plan and would have caused additional costs of around 30,000 - 40,000.)

As long as you haven’t signed, you still have negotiating power. After signing, not anymore. And surprises afterward can be costly.

JulianR schrieb:

100,000 for the basement in addition compared to the slab foundation?

We are located further from Stuttgart; attached is a quote from the civil engineer. Our main costs are not labor but the disposal of the excavation material.
Then add 5,000€ for the stairs and 10,000€ for flooring, which already brings you to 55,000€, and the "basement" isn't even included yet—walls are not yet built or plastered, drainage not installed, and no electrical work done. I think 100,000€ is a very realistic total, possibly even higher.

JulianR schrieb:

Now I’m wondering if the quality at Fingerhaus (especially regarding sound and heat insulation) can keep up with the other two.

I wouldn’t worry about that. If you order a KfW 40 house, you will get one that meets those standards. Heat protection for large window areas is usually managed with blinds or shutters. Sound insulation depends a lot on the windows. I’ve heard that interior walls in timber frame construction are already very good for soundproofing.

JulianR schrieb:

One design includes a side entrance on the east with a slightly recessed niche providing some shelter and a garage behind it. Would you recommend that?

JulianR schrieb:

Artis 300

But the Artis has a front entrance, doesn’t it? Or have you already had it customized? You should know that including a basement changes a lot, especially with the stairs. Also, you don’t want to carry everything through the living area, e.g., lawnmower or bicycles. The development plan seems to limit the shed size to 6 square meters (65 square feet), excluding bicycles and waste bins.
I see some bottlenecks, for example, the bedroom acting as a passageway; children can only reach the bathtub awkwardly through the bedroom. The bedroom is not a quiet place to relax.
The desire to separate the kitchen likely won’t work either.
Regarding the basement: I would rather choose a house with the option to convert the attic. Those rooms are livable, have natural light and ventilation, and have character.
Turning a basic utility basement into a comfortable living space requires quite an investment—as @GeraldG has pointed out.

nordanney schrieb:

Whether it ends up being 65k or 105k doesn’t really matter in the end. It doesn’t matter because you can build a lot of usable above-ground living space with that. Adding 25-35sqm (270-375 sq ft) more to the house makes a noticeable difference (it can also result in a better usable attic space. A house with a pitched roof is ideal for that.)

First of all, thanks (also to everyone else) for all the advice, it’s absolutely helpful! Unfortunately, a pitched roof isn’t possible; a flat roof or mono-pitched roof with up to an 8-degree slope is required. The basement was actually one of the first things we agreed on, so it doesn’t feel good to reopen that discussion. But our goal isn’t to spend money on something unnecessary or minimal value, so thanks for the tips—we’ll reconsider.