Hello everyone,
I would appreciate advice from more experienced homebuilders or experts.
1. Initial Situation:
A family with three children, husband is the sole earner, late 30s, net income approximately 6,200 Euro per month, working in a lifetime civil servant position. We have to move to Baden-Württemberg for professional reasons and would like to invest in homeownership. Our rough budget is between 500,000 and 600,000 Euro all-inclusive, with about 40,000 Euro in equity.
We would primarily like to buy. However, we have been watching the market for some time and found it basically “dead.” So now Plan B could be building.
2. Planning / Calculation
Since plots of land are rare and I simply have no idea whether our budget can cover a house with our requirements, I want to first make a rough calculation to understand what price range for land might be feasible for us. Desired are a master bedroom and three children’s rooms on the upper floor, plus a study in the basement, though budget constraints might turn the finished basement into an unfinished basement and move the study to the ground floor—let’s see...
In my naivety, I approached several manufacturers (we have already visited two prefab housing parks) to make such a rough calculation. But no luck: price lists are only available from very few manufacturers. Usually, you only hear about price per square meter (1,500–1,600 Euro for standard models, 1,800 Euro for custom designs). And if you get a base price, it remains completely unclear how much additional costs for special requests might be.
I had expected to approach buying a house basically like buying a car: choose manufacturer and model, then tick boxes on the “extras list” and add it all up. Of course, changes will happen later, but this would at least give a rough guideline.
My current status is that I created an Excel spreadsheet with 13 houses from various manufacturers that could “fit” based on external parameters and visually. I was able to get base prices for some. I will highlight three examples (deliberately very different, since the plot and building options are still unknown):
Now it’s your turn. I can calculate the “total budget minus plot price and additional construction costs.” What I am missing is the variable x for special features/upgrades. I understand that no one can give me an exact figure. But I need a rough idea to have any chance of calculating and seriously looking at the land market. Are we talking about 10,000–20,000 Euro or 80,000–120,000 Euro?
Does anyone have a good tip on how to best get relevant information? Can a manufacturer’s employee provide such details? Is there maybe even a catalog listing special features with prices?
The only thing I found like this is a brochure from Danwood, which lists special features with pictures—but it also lacks pricing information.
Thank you very much!
I would appreciate advice from more experienced homebuilders or experts.
1. Initial Situation:
A family with three children, husband is the sole earner, late 30s, net income approximately 6,200 Euro per month, working in a lifetime civil servant position. We have to move to Baden-Württemberg for professional reasons and would like to invest in homeownership. Our rough budget is between 500,000 and 600,000 Euro all-inclusive, with about 40,000 Euro in equity.
We would primarily like to buy. However, we have been watching the market for some time and found it basically “dead.” So now Plan B could be building.
2. Planning / Calculation
Since plots of land are rare and I simply have no idea whether our budget can cover a house with our requirements, I want to first make a rough calculation to understand what price range for land might be feasible for us. Desired are a master bedroom and three children’s rooms on the upper floor, plus a study in the basement, though budget constraints might turn the finished basement into an unfinished basement and move the study to the ground floor—let’s see...
In my naivety, I approached several manufacturers (we have already visited two prefab housing parks) to make such a rough calculation. But no luck: price lists are only available from very few manufacturers. Usually, you only hear about price per square meter (1,500–1,600 Euro for standard models, 1,800 Euro for custom designs). And if you get a base price, it remains completely unclear how much additional costs for special requests might be.
I had expected to approach buying a house basically like buying a car: choose manufacturer and model, then tick boxes on the “extras list” and add it all up. Of course, changes will happen later, but this would at least give a rough guideline.
My current status is that I created an Excel spreadsheet with 13 houses from various manufacturers that could “fit” based on external parameters and visually. I was able to get base prices for some. I will highlight three examples (deliberately very different, since the plot and building options are still unknown):
- 1) Weberhaus CityLife 600, 197 m² (2,120 sq ft) living area, hipped roof, price 263,000 Euro (completion stage unknown, without basement, price found online)
- 2) Hanse Haus Cubus 183, 183 m² (1,970 sq ft) living area, flat roof, price 347,000 Euro (turnkey including a finished basement, price according to Hanse employee)
- 3) Kern-Haus Bauhaus Futura, 183 m² (1,970 sq ft) living area, flat roof, price 279,900 Euro (turnkey, Soul specification, without basement, according to manufacturer price list)
Now it’s your turn. I can calculate the “total budget minus plot price and additional construction costs.” What I am missing is the variable x for special features/upgrades. I understand that no one can give me an exact figure. But I need a rough idea to have any chance of calculating and seriously looking at the land market. Are we talking about 10,000–20,000 Euro or 80,000–120,000 Euro?
Does anyone have a good tip on how to best get relevant information? Can a manufacturer’s employee provide such details? Is there maybe even a catalog listing special features with prices?
The only thing I found like this is a brochure from Danwood, which lists special features with pictures—but it also lacks pricing information.
Thank you very much!
B
Bauexperte13 Jul 2015 11:19Hello,
First of all – I have just moved your post to the moderated forum. With the last reply from 'Grym,' the discussions about the different providers will probably start now.
Every provider has their own pricing and surcharge policy – one may “give away” a car on paper, another deliberately avoids such sales incentives because they’re just a smokescreen; no one gives anything away for free! But since everyone likes to be “gifted” something and the market is very competitive, these “gifts” often cause people to only realize what they really agreed to after signing the contract.
Meaning: your Excel spreadsheet has its predefined limits and therefore should not be the sole basis for your final decision. Things can quickly go wrong, as one user of this forum realized before the excavator even started. When choosing a temporary building partner, not only the bare numbers should tip the scales.
Regarding pre-selection of materials – some users always recommend this – I have mixed feelings. I’m not convinced that the buyer needs to personally greet every single glue or foil brand. What remains, when viewed realistically, are tiles, interior doors, and especially sanitary fixtures, which – with the majority of reputable providers – are exclusively branded products. In my experience, it is sufficient to allocate a budget buffer for extra sanitary fixtures in your budgeting.
The same applies to tiles, where a current trend is wood look. These resemble traditional wood panels in shape and require a higher waste factor (baseboards), which can easily lead to additional costs of up to €120.00/sqm (depending on the manufacturer of the wood-look tile).
Interior doors with horizontal grooves are popular; they remind me a bit of the profiles on sectional garage doors. Also popular and widely offered are frosted or printed doors for kitchen access. Overall, the extra costs remain manageable.
I’m a fan of shell construction; at every stage of development. Consider this direction and ask the remaining 3 providers – after eliminating the most expensive and the cheapest offers – to show you their shell constructions. Nowhere else does the character of a provider reveal itself better than on site. How does the construction site look? How does the quality of the work performed so far appear to the observer?
References are also a good tool to make a personal selection. It is important to ask references about the sales person(s) involved and what impression they left on buyers. Can they recommend them?
Go to new development areas unannounced – preferably on weekends – and look for construction sites by your preferred providers. You will certainly meet homeowners there who will give you honest feedback on their experience. If the sales or construction manager is present, statements tend to be less revealing.
And – read construction diaries.
All this combined will give you a reliable impression of your preferred partner, including their surcharge policies.
Regards, Bauexperte
First of all – I have just moved your post to the moderated forum. With the last reply from 'Grym,' the discussions about the different providers will probably start now.
HomeOfficer schrieb:
Our budget is roughly between 500,000 and 600,000 euros all-inclusive, with about 40,000 euros equity.
HomeOfficer schrieb:Even if it might surprise you, this is the best answer you can get at this point. I consider €1,600.00 as a realistic mid-range standard for Baden-Württemberg; of course, prices can go higher.
Most of the time, you only hear prices per square meter (1,500–1,600 standard, 1,800 for custom designs).
HomeOfficer schrieb:Building a house is different from buying a car; it is more individual, whereas a car’s price options and extras list is comparatively straightforward. For example, with a new car, the question of air conditioning is simply yes or no; with house building, the number of providers and their pricing policies is much more diverse.
And when you get a base price, it’s completely unclear how high the additional costs for special features will be. I actually thought you could approach buying a house basically like buying a car: choose manufacturer and model, then check off extras on a list and sum it up. Obviously, things can change along the way, but at least the rough direction would be set.
HomeOfficer schrieb:Wow – that’s quite a lot...
My current status is that I created an Excel spreadsheet listing 13 houses from various manufacturers that seem to fit the basic parameters and look suitable.
HomeOfficer schrieb:If you want to compare, do so consistently! In your example list, there are both prefabricated houses and solid construction providers. These simply cannot be compared – that’s like comparing apples and oranges.
- 1) Weberhaus CityLife 600,
- 2) Hanse Haus Cubus,
- 3) Kern-Haus Bauhaus Futura,
HomeOfficer schrieb:We are talking about €10,000 to 120,000.
Now it’s your turn. I can figure out the calculation “total budget minus land price & ancillary building costs.” What I’m missing is the variable x for special features … Are we talking about €10,000–20,000 or €80,000–120,000?
Every provider has their own pricing and surcharge policy – one may “give away” a car on paper, another deliberately avoids such sales incentives because they’re just a smokescreen; no one gives anything away for free! But since everyone likes to be “gifted” something and the market is very competitive, these “gifts” often cause people to only realize what they really agreed to after signing the contract.
Meaning: your Excel spreadsheet has its predefined limits and therefore should not be the sole basis for your final decision. Things can quickly go wrong, as one user of this forum realized before the excavator even started. When choosing a temporary building partner, not only the bare numbers should tip the scales.
HomeOfficer schrieb:First decide if you want to build a prefabricated or a solid house. Then reduce your list to a maximum of 5 providers. After that, talk to them and have them prepare an offer that includes and prices your special requests. A kind of special features catalog only exists for system/box providers; but this also significantly limits your influence regarding size and features. Make sure that all 5 providers price the same floor plan!
Maybe someone can give me a good tip on how I can best get the relevant information? Can a staff member from the manufacturers provide this information? Is there maybe even a catalog of special features with prices?
Regarding pre-selection of materials – some users always recommend this – I have mixed feelings. I’m not convinced that the buyer needs to personally greet every single glue or foil brand. What remains, when viewed realistically, are tiles, interior doors, and especially sanitary fixtures, which – with the majority of reputable providers – are exclusively branded products. In my experience, it is sufficient to allocate a budget buffer for extra sanitary fixtures in your budgeting.
The same applies to tiles, where a current trend is wood look. These resemble traditional wood panels in shape and require a higher waste factor (baseboards), which can easily lead to additional costs of up to €120.00/sqm (depending on the manufacturer of the wood-look tile).
Interior doors with horizontal grooves are popular; they remind me a bit of the profiles on sectional garage doors. Also popular and widely offered are frosted or printed doors for kitchen access. Overall, the extra costs remain manageable.
I’m a fan of shell construction; at every stage of development. Consider this direction and ask the remaining 3 providers – after eliminating the most expensive and the cheapest offers – to show you their shell constructions. Nowhere else does the character of a provider reveal itself better than on site. How does the construction site look? How does the quality of the work performed so far appear to the observer?
References are also a good tool to make a personal selection. It is important to ask references about the sales person(s) involved and what impression they left on buyers. Can they recommend them?
Go to new development areas unannounced – preferably on weekends – and look for construction sites by your preferred providers. You will certainly meet homeowners there who will give you honest feedback on their experience. If the sales or construction manager is present, statements tend to be less revealing.
And – read construction diaries.
All this combined will give you a reliable impression of your preferred partner, including their surcharge policies.
Regards, Bauexperte
We have built twice already, and both times we had our house roughly pre-designed by different companies, so we already had a general idea of the cost. After purchasing the plot, the house was then only adjusted as needed. Since we wanted a simple standard house, it was mainly about the placement, possibly mirroring or rotating the house.
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