Hello,
I requested quotes from three general contractors and noticed that the basement prices varied significantly. Now I am wondering why. The price difference between contractors 2 and 3 might be somewhat understandable, but I can’t figure out why contractor 1’s price is so high.
Contractor 1 – Solid construction house: house price €420,000 + basement €90,000 (partial basement 45m (150 feet)²)
Contractor 2 – Prefabricated house: house price €430,000 + basement €125,000 (full basement 83m (272 feet)²)
Contractor 3 – Prefabricated house: house price €470,000 + basement €65,000 (full basement 78m (256 feet)²)
For contractor 1, earthworks are included without transport and disposal, which is not the case for contractors 2 and 3.
Could it be that contractor 1 is reluctant to build a basement, or are there other valid reasons that might make the basement significantly more expensive? All three basements are intended as usable basements and sealed against non-pressurized water.
Oh, and contractor 1 told me that a full basement would increase the price to €175,000, which is why we only considered a partial basement here.
I requested quotes from three general contractors and noticed that the basement prices varied significantly. Now I am wondering why. The price difference between contractors 2 and 3 might be somewhat understandable, but I can’t figure out why contractor 1’s price is so high.
Contractor 1 – Solid construction house: house price €420,000 + basement €90,000 (partial basement 45m (150 feet)²)
Contractor 2 – Prefabricated house: house price €430,000 + basement €125,000 (full basement 83m (272 feet)²)
Contractor 3 – Prefabricated house: house price €470,000 + basement €65,000 (full basement 78m (256 feet)²)
For contractor 1, earthworks are included without transport and disposal, which is not the case for contractors 2 and 3.
Could it be that contractor 1 is reluctant to build a basement, or are there other valid reasons that might make the basement significantly more expensive? All three basements are intended as usable basements and sealed against non-pressurized water.
Oh, and contractor 1 told me that a full basement would increase the price to €175,000, which is why we only considered a partial basement here.
S
SaniererNRW1233 Oct 2022 08:03Gregor_K schrieb:
I have now received the offer from the general contractor. Total house price is €443,000 for about 170m² (1,830 sq ft) of living space plus a full basement of 85m² (915 sq ft). The price scares me, and it should worry you too.
I can’t think of anyone who could build for that price off the top of my head. I guarantee there will be a harsh reality check. Even if the basement only costs €63,000, that leaves €380,000 for the house itself. That equals roughly €2,200 per square meter (about $205 per square foot) of living space. Currently, you can only build a house for that price if various additional costs come up later.
P.S. Compare your price here...
https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/suchen-feedback-zu-190m2-efh-mit-keller.44266/
11ant schrieb:
I think that’s good. So, do you feel you’ve made progress or are now able to make an informed choice (or what else would you need)? Basically yes... I’m focused on two general contractors (GCs), with one currently my favorite. Unfortunately, the favorite is the one with the expensive basement. I have a meeting with him the week after next and will concentrate on the basement. Since I have a soil report, he should be able to give us a price. I still find the general estimate of €1,750 to €2,200 (per m²) for a basement too high; I can justify this well with an offer freely available on the website of a major basement manufacturer.
If the GC sticks to that price, we have two options.
1. Build a smaller basement and still be happy
2. Choose the other GC
SaniererNRW123 schrieb:
That price scares me, and it should scare you too.
I couldn’t name anyone offhand who could build for that price. I’m confident that there will be a rude awakening. Even if the basement only cost €63,000, that would leave €380,000 for the house. That’s about €2,200 (per m²) of living space. Right now, you can only build a house for that if there will be various additional costs later on.
P.S. Compare your price here...
https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/suchen-feedback-zu-190m2-efh-mit-keller.44266/ The price doesn’t scare me, but I’m aware that many things I want are not included. A large, low-cost home builder in this area charges about €1,750 (per m²), but they only offer standardized floor plans and no custom design. We received an additional services quote and are now at a total of €550,000. That still won’t be enough because one or two items are missing.
Gregor_K schrieb:
I have focused on two general contractors (GCs), with one currently being my favorite. Unfortunately, the favorite is the one with the expensive basement. [...] I still find the general statement of €1750 to €2200 for a basement to be too high, Two minus one GC basically equals just one GC. The price is normal for a usable basement or not unusually high for a waterproof concrete basement. If you don’t like someone — which is basically the normal state in business — you don’t give them anything for free.
Gregor_K schrieb:
If the GC sticks with it, we have two options.
1. Build a smaller basement and still be happy
2. Choose the other GC No, because for option 2 there are reasons why the other one is not the favorite; and 1 is easier said than done. A partial basement is often a Pyrrhic victory; the plot and soil conditions strongly influence what is possible and reasonable.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
I want to update you on how things turned out.
11ant was right when he said that a partial basement would have been a Pyrrhic victory. You need to know that our lot is situated somewhat lower than the access road (about 0.5 to 1.5 meters (1.5 to 5 feet)), so at the spots where there is no partial basement, the ground would have to be backfilled. By the way, a partial basement is hardly any cheaper than a full basement. Therefore, I informed the general contractor (GC) that although we would like to build with him, we cannot because we cannot afford the full basement. That means we gave him a rejection. The GC didn’t want to let us go immediately, probably because there aren’t many interested clients at the moment. 😉 However, the GC insisted that we carry out a geotechnical investigation and a land survey in order to provide us with a fair price.
Afterwards, we created a floor plan including a basement and received an offer. The price including the full basement was €517,000. This was back within our budget, so we decided to go with GC1.
11ant was right when he said that a partial basement would have been a Pyrrhic victory. You need to know that our lot is situated somewhat lower than the access road (about 0.5 to 1.5 meters (1.5 to 5 feet)), so at the spots where there is no partial basement, the ground would have to be backfilled. By the way, a partial basement is hardly any cheaper than a full basement. Therefore, I informed the general contractor (GC) that although we would like to build with him, we cannot because we cannot afford the full basement. That means we gave him a rejection. The GC didn’t want to let us go immediately, probably because there aren’t many interested clients at the moment. 😉 However, the GC insisted that we carry out a geotechnical investigation and a land survey in order to provide us with a fair price.
Afterwards, we created a floor plan including a basement and received an offer. The price including the full basement was €517,000. This was back within our budget, so we decided to go with GC1.
B
Benutzer 100125 Nov 2022 02:52Tolentino schrieb:
I hope it stays that way and you don’t face countless additional charges.I had the same thoughts... suddenly, there are a few more cubic meters (cubic yards) of soil, and so on.Similar topics