ᐅ Building While Working and Raising Children: How Manageable Is It? (Your Experiences)
Created on: 5 Jun 2011 20:01
G
germanissima
Hello everyone,
We are considering building a house and would like to clarify a few things in advance. Unfortunately, I have no experience with this topic so far, so please excuse me if some of my questions seem a bit naive.
A few things are important to us—my husband and me. We would like to move into our own home by the end of this year. My brother-in-law, who built his own house, said this is basically possible but that we would need to put a lot of effort into it for it to work out. He invested a lot of his own labor into his house and is quite skilled with tools. Unfortunately, for family and professional reasons, we are currently not able to be as hands-on. We could spend a few hours per week on the work but cannot treat it like a full-time job, unlike my brother-in-law. Also, my husband and I are not very handy.
I wanted to ask about your experiences: Has anyone here built a house in a short time? Our goal is to be finished in 2 or 3 months! I read in another post that it can take 3 to 4 weeks just for the screed to dry. Is that true? That seemed like a very long time to me.
My brother-in-law also told me that there are special rules on construction sites. His neighbor apparently had quite a bit of trouble with the individual contractors. His own experience was different, but he is a very "persuasive" person and knows his way around. From your experience, how well does coordination usually go? Or do you risk being taken advantage of if you don’t know much about the process?
Well, so many questions...
I/we would appreciate if someone could share their experiences with us.
Thank you and best regards,
germanissima
We are considering building a house and would like to clarify a few things in advance. Unfortunately, I have no experience with this topic so far, so please excuse me if some of my questions seem a bit naive.
A few things are important to us—my husband and me. We would like to move into our own home by the end of this year. My brother-in-law, who built his own house, said this is basically possible but that we would need to put a lot of effort into it for it to work out. He invested a lot of his own labor into his house and is quite skilled with tools. Unfortunately, for family and professional reasons, we are currently not able to be as hands-on. We could spend a few hours per week on the work but cannot treat it like a full-time job, unlike my brother-in-law. Also, my husband and I are not very handy.
I wanted to ask about your experiences: Has anyone here built a house in a short time? Our goal is to be finished in 2 or 3 months! I read in another post that it can take 3 to 4 weeks just for the screed to dry. Is that true? That seemed like a very long time to me.
My brother-in-law also told me that there are special rules on construction sites. His neighbor apparently had quite a bit of trouble with the individual contractors. His own experience was different, but he is a very "persuasive" person and knows his way around. From your experience, how well does coordination usually go? Or do you risk being taken advantage of if you don’t know much about the process?
Well, so many questions...
I/we would appreciate if someone could share their experiences with us.
Thank you and best regards,
germanissima
Hello everyone,
I would like to see someone living in a self-built house within 2–3 months. We used solid construction and it took us 8 months.
Okay, friends of ours chose a prefab house. For them, it was done within 3 months. It really depends on what you want. For our friends, the "building process" involved no stress at all. In the end, they only had to put up wallpaper and finish the flooring themselves.
Best regards,
Nina
PS: Our screed took a full 10 weeks to be ready for covering. :-(
I would like to see someone living in a self-built house within 2–3 months. We used solid construction and it took us 8 months.
Okay, friends of ours chose a prefab house. For them, it was done within 3 months. It really depends on what you want. For our friends, the "building process" involved no stress at all. In the end, they only had to put up wallpaper and finish the flooring themselves.
Best regards,
Nina
PS: Our screed took a full 10 weeks to be ready for covering. :-(
G
germanissima19 Jun 2011 13:30Hello everyone,
First of all, thank you for your replies. I really appreciate that so many of you took the time to respond in such detail. It seems that you have had quite different experiences.
For us, everything will be delayed now, but I still want to address your individual answers. Since the responses have become quite long, I have divided them into three parts (two responses per post). I hope this way it remains clear enough. In the future, I will try to respond more quickly to each post so my replies won’t be so long.
We basically agree with you about doing work ourselves: we prefer to pay the professional a little more than to do it ourselves and risk poor quality. What I meant by “doing it yourself” was more about coordination and tasks you can manage well yourself. You are probably right about the construction time. The three months idea was more of an ideal scenario. I honestly don’t believe we’ll manage it in a quarter of a year. I like to quote Hermann Hesse: “An achieved goal is no goal.” Joking aside, of course, a short construction period is appealing to me/us. But I don’t want to rush and make mistakes. Better safe and good than fast and botched. We’ll endure a bit longer in our current apartment.
I have no clue about building supervisors yet, but that sounds like a sensible option for us. I just looked it up and found quite a few. What criteria should I consider? Do they generally work by the hour, or are there fixed fees? And what is the typical cost range (if that can be said)? Thank you in advance for your answers!
First of all, thank you for your replies. I really appreciate that so many of you took the time to respond in such detail. It seems that you have had quite different experiences.
For us, everything will be delayed now, but I still want to address your individual answers. Since the responses have become quite long, I have divided them into three parts (two responses per post). I hope this way it remains clear enough. In the future, I will try to respond more quickly to each post so my replies won’t be so long.
Perlenmann schrieb:
Hello,
I have two children myself and am currently building, I have no idea about construction. Before I do something myself and it turns out wrong, faulty, or whatever, I let someone else do it.
There was this nice calculation: a professional tradesperson is twice as fast as a layperson. Let’s say they cost 30€ per hour. So you would have to work twice as long to save those 30€. Calculate your savings through doing it yourself... for example, saving 6,000€ = 6,000 / 30 means 200 hours of the tradesperson or 400 hours for you!
And that doesn’t even include errors.
I’d rather do some extra hours at work to earn extra money, in my opinion, that’s more worthwhile.
And regarding the construction time, I think Viebrockhaus is probably the only one promising 3 months; realistically, everything takes more than 6 months.
We basically agree with you about doing work ourselves: we prefer to pay the professional a little more than to do it ourselves and risk poor quality. What I meant by “doing it yourself” was more about coordination and tasks you can manage well yourself. You are probably right about the construction time. The three months idea was more of an ideal scenario. I honestly don’t believe we’ll manage it in a quarter of a year. I like to quote Hermann Hesse: “An achieved goal is no goal.” Joking aside, of course, a short construction period is appealing to me/us. But I don’t want to rush and make mistakes. Better safe and good than fast and botched. We’ll endure a bit longer in our current apartment.
Bulla2000 schrieb:
No problem, choose a good company, hire a building supervisor/site manager, and then it runs smoothly. Important questions are clarified on weekends or by phone with the supervisor. Works perfectly for us and there’s no strain from doing work yourself, etc.
I have no clue about building supervisors yet, but that sounds like a sensible option for us. I just looked it up and found quite a few. What criteria should I consider? Do they generally work by the hour, or are there fixed fees? And what is the typical cost range (if that can be said)? Thank you in advance for your answers!
G
germanissima19 Jun 2011 13:38So, here is the second part of my replies...
This is pretty much how I imagined it based on what you described. As I said, we have already adjusted our expectations regarding the construction time. I will stay away from the flooring — that’s going to be my husband’s job. Instead, I will take care of the “garden.”
As for the screed, I still find that quite strange. Why does it take so long? It somehow seems medieval to me… With today’s building materials, it should dry faster. Well, apparently I had the wrong impression until now. So we’re also planning 6 weeks for the screed.
Yes, we will definitely check and visit the site as often as possible. My concern was that I’m not very experienced with construction yet and might not be able to assess everything properly. Hopefully, that will come with time.
That sounds pretty harsh. Were your experiences really that bad? I do understand that building a house is no fun event. But I don’t really want to worry about divorce yet. We haven’t been married that long...
That sounds much better!!!
That’s exactly what worries me a bit. As I said, a few extra euros don’t matter. But suddenly 30,000 EUR more? That’s quite something... There will definitely be a lot of work ahead and a steep learning curve!
To me, these sound like tasks the construction supervisor could take over or coordinate…?
No. But thanks for the heads-up that it takes that long. I better not even ask why... Long live bureaucracy!
Regarding the architect, we take your word for it. My husband was nodding vigorously when I read that to him yesterday!!! Now we just have to find the practical expert you described...
Okay, thanks. We will definitely not underestimate it!
ollyeden schrieb:
In your case, I recommend doing your own work limited to flooring as well as wallpapering and/or painting walls and ceilings. Garden landscaping should also be manageable, but I would leave everything else to a reliable company.
Our house will be ready for the mentioned DIY work after 4-5 months of solid construction.
For our screed alone, a drying period of 4-6 weeks is planned.
This is pretty much how I imagined it based on what you described. As I said, we have already adjusted our expectations regarding the construction time. I will stay away from the flooring — that’s going to be my husband’s job. Instead, I will take care of the “garden.”
As for the screed, I still find that quite strange. Why does it take so long? It somehow seems medieval to me… With today’s building materials, it should dry faster. Well, apparently I had the wrong impression until now. So we’re also planning 6 weeks for the screed.
Hans_Meier schrieb:
Building feels like a second full-time job. It’s definitely possible with 2 kids and others have managed it before, but you should definitely be prepared to visit the construction site as often as possible—ideally every day, but at least twice a week—to check if everything is being done the way you want.
Yes, we will definitely check and visit the site as often as possible. My concern was that I’m not very experienced with construction yet and might not be able to assess everything properly. Hopefully, that will come with time.
Hans_Meier schrieb:
It is (and I say this from my own experience) very stressful and nerve-wracking. Moreover, as long as construction is ongoing, you basically have ZERO free time and also get less sleep. It also puts a strain on your relationship and family. In fact, building a house is the third most common reason for divorce in Germany. That’s just how it is. It’s best to mentally prepare for this from the start.
That sounds pretty harsh. Were your experiences really that bad? I do understand that building a house is no fun event. But I don’t really want to worry about divorce yet. We haven’t been married that long...
Hans_Meier schrieb:
But this phase also passes—and afterward, you have created something beautiful. Sometimes it can even be fun to dive into this new topic, learn something, and apply the new knowledge.
That sounds much better!!!
Hans_Meier schrieb:
You should also be prepared that the selection process—that is, choosing your fixtures and finishes (interior doors, floors, tiles, sanitary fixtures, etc.)—takes a lot of time. Of course, you want something nice. “Oh, for those 150 EUR and 85 EUR more, we won’t even worry about the cost.” Well, suddenly we ended up being 30,000 EUR more expensive than originally planned.
That’s exactly what worries me a bit. As I said, a few extra euros don’t matter. But suddenly 30,000 EUR more? That’s quite something... There will definitely be a lot of work ahead and a steep learning curve!
Hans_Meier schrieb:
Regarding the outdoor area: You will also need paved surfaces, paths, edges, waste container enclosures, fences, gates (possibly), earthworks, gravel bases for paths and patios including compacting and leveling, topsoil, fine grading. All of this must be done by someone and will roughly cost at least another 30,000 EUR. So plan for this in your budget! You can sow grass yourself and plant shrubs and small trees as well, but those are the least expensive items.
To me, these sound like tasks the construction supervisor could take over or coordinate…?
Hans_Meier schrieb:
Do you already have a building permit / planning permission? Because that often takes about 3 months.
No. But thanks for the heads-up that it takes that long. I better not even ask why... Long live bureaucracy!
Hans_Meier schrieb:
In your case, you absolutely need a good architect (with practical construction site experience, definitely no theoretical planners, that’s very important!!!), or a good general contractor. But you should definitely have whoever it is checked regularly (either by a sworn expert or an architect experienced with construction sites who visits at least once a week to inspect things).
Regarding the architect, we take your word for it. My husband was nodding vigorously when I read that to him yesterday!!! Now we just have to find the practical expert you described...
Hans_Meier schrieb:
In summary: it’s definitely doable, but don’t underestimate it! It feels like a second full-time job!
Okay, thanks. We will definitely not underestimate it!
G
germanissima19 Jun 2011 13:53All good things come in threes. Here is the final part of my responses:
Well then, welcome to the club of families who are building. To be honest, a prefabricated house was not an option for us so far, even though the time factor is of course a plus. We want to build our own home. That way, we can get something unique – not a cookie-cutter house! But still, thanks for the tip and good luck with your building project.
Okay, I admit it: The three months was a bit wishful thinking. But after those 8 months, you were completely finished, right?
As I said before: We prefer to build a solid house, even though the stress and time issues are understandable. My impression remains: A prefabricated house just feels less personal. Plus: A solid house is just... more solid!
***
That’s all from my side. I will try, as mentioned, to reply faster in the future – and with fewer words.
Best regards,
germanissima
P.S.: How do you handle longer texts or multiple answers? I find using @ to be quite confusing…
biggyundklaus schrieb:
My wife and I are also facing the challenge of balancing family, work, and building a house. We already have our plot and now want to move into our own home as quickly and stress-free as possible.
We really thought a lot about how to manage everything. Then we came across prefabricated houses from öko-domo online. They build solid prefabricated houses. Last Saturday, we attended an information event there. It all sounded pretty good at first – fast construction time, no stress, etc. We were also able to talk to a couple who have already built with them and apparently are quite happy living in their new house now. We got quite a few useful tips from them, especially regarding financing and long-term energy savings. Apparently, the system is well suited for building a KfW energy-efficient house or passive house.
We will now continue to research other providers of prefabricated houses and then make a final decision.
Well then, welcome to the club of families who are building. To be honest, a prefabricated house was not an option for us so far, even though the time factor is of course a plus. We want to build our own home. That way, we can get something unique – not a cookie-cutter house! But still, thanks for the tip and good luck with your building project.
Nina76 schrieb:
Hello everyone,
I would love to see someone who moves into a self-built home within 2-3 months. We built a solid house and it took us 8 months.
Okay, I admit it: The three months was a bit wishful thinking. But after those 8 months, you were completely finished, right?
Nina76 schrieb:
Okay, friends of ours chose a prefabricated house. It took them about 3 months as well. It’s really a matter of what you want. For our friends, the “construction” was completely stress-free. In the end, they only had to put wallpaper on the walls and lay the flooring themselves.
Best regards,
Nina
P.S.: Our screed needed a full 10 weeks to be ready for covering. :-(
As I said before: We prefer to build a solid house, even though the stress and time issues are understandable. My impression remains: A prefabricated house just feels less personal. Plus: A solid house is just... more solid!
***
That’s all from my side. I will try, as mentioned, to reply faster in the future – and with fewer words.
Best regards,
germanissima
P.S.: How do you handle longer texts or multiple answers? I find using @ to be quite confusing…
Similar topics