ᐅ Bungalow: Only two companies available— which one should I choose?
Created on: 24 Mar 2019 15:37
S
Schildkröte
Hello,
My partner and I would like to build a bungalow this year if possible. We have already purchased the plot, which is about 620sqm (6,673 sq ft).
We have visited several companies and have now narrowed it down to two options. One is a large company that, according to their statement, builds around 600 houses per year. The other is more like a site manager or project manager who has been building about 30 houses a year for 40 years, also according to his statement.
Our plan:
- Bungalow of 120-125sqm (1,292-1,345 sq ft) with an angled layout for a covered terrace facing southwest
- Standard hip roof
- Air-to-water heat pump heating system
- Double garage with an additional room about 6x9m (20x30 ft) behind it, two garage doors plus one door at the back, access to the utility room
- Underfloor heating
- Chimney for a future fireplace
- Electric roller shutters
- Fixed triple-glazed windows, colored on the outside and white on the inside
- Colored front door
- Rooms: 1 bedroom, 1 child’s room, 1 guest room, 1 utility room, kitchen, living room + dining area, bathroom with walk-in shower, guest bathroom with walk-in shower
- Sliding door from dining area to kitchen, and from hallway to living room
- Large balcony door to the terrace
About the large company:
- Bungalow approximately 125sqm (1,345 sq ft) living space with air-to-water heat pump and underfloor heating, KfW 70 standard
- 18cm (7 inch) reinforced concrete slab foundation
- 24cm (9.5 inch) hollow brick exterior walls plus insulation
- Interior walls are simple drywall; a friend will build double drywall and install the sliding door inside the wall
- Triple-glazed windows, colored outside and white inside; electric roller blinds made of PVC; granite window sills—all at additional cost
- Entrance door made of aluminum at extra cost
- Concrete long-life roof tiles, with a 30cm (12 inch) roof overhang for an additional fee
- Colored exterior finish
- Prefabricated concrete double garage 6x9m (20x30 ft) as an unheated garage, reportedly not frost-proof, with door leading to the utility room, walkable
A friend of ours works for this company and might be the drywall installer. We were told that without an immediate soil report from our plot, the price quoted is a kind of fixed price. It is contractually guaranteed that it will not exceed the offer. They also said it’s not very important where the air-to-water heat pump is located — even behind the house is possible, supposedly with no efficiency loss due to distance.
About the smaller company:
- Bungalow approximately 120sqm (1,292 sq ft) living space with air-to-water heat pump and underfloor heating, KfW 55 standard
- Foundation type unknown
- 36.5cm (14 inch) exterior walls without insulation
- Interior walls presumably 11cm (4.3 inch) masonry
- Triple-glazed windows, colored outside and white inside; insulated aluminum electric roller blinds; granite window sills
- Colored aluminum entrance door
- Colored clay roof tiles; roof overhang unknown
- Colored exterior plaster finish
- Double garage 6x11m (20x36 ft) as a heated garage, frost-proof, fireproof door to the utility room, walkable, empty conduits for photovoltaic system routed into utility room
- Controlled mechanical ventilation system
With this company, only a rough price was given so far; everything needs to be calculated, including plans from the architect, etc. The project manager oversees everything personally, approves all work, and only after his OK do the companies receive payment. He knows and works with these companies regularly. He says he only offers what he would buy himself and believes in. Many things included in this price are extras with the other company. The supply lines are kept as short as possible to keep costs down. The air-to-water heat pump will be installed at the front of the house.
DIY work is welcome and can be inspected and approved by him later. They advised against installing a fireplace because the chimney sweep costs about €200 plus some tax.
As we understand it, we would need to sign a contract for the project upfront even though the final costs are unclear until after the soil report, architect work, and detailed calculation. However, the price would then be guaranteed 100%, with no further costs expected. He charges 2.5% of the total project value.
Now we are uncertain. One company says 24cm (9.5 inch) exterior walls with insulation are sufficient, and drywall interior walls are fine.
The other company says 36.5cm (14 inch) exterior walls are good, and masonry interior walls are better than drywall.
What is the real difference between an unheated garage and a heated garage? The heated garage would obviously be better for plants that cannot tolerate frost.
What do you think? What should we definitely pay attention to? We would also really like to have brick cladding but this exceeds our budget; it is a possible upgrade for later.
Sorry for the long text.
Regards,
Schildkröte
My partner and I would like to build a bungalow this year if possible. We have already purchased the plot, which is about 620sqm (6,673 sq ft).
We have visited several companies and have now narrowed it down to two options. One is a large company that, according to their statement, builds around 600 houses per year. The other is more like a site manager or project manager who has been building about 30 houses a year for 40 years, also according to his statement.
Our plan:
- Bungalow of 120-125sqm (1,292-1,345 sq ft) with an angled layout for a covered terrace facing southwest
- Standard hip roof
- Air-to-water heat pump heating system
- Double garage with an additional room about 6x9m (20x30 ft) behind it, two garage doors plus one door at the back, access to the utility room
- Underfloor heating
- Chimney for a future fireplace
- Electric roller shutters
- Fixed triple-glazed windows, colored on the outside and white on the inside
- Colored front door
- Rooms: 1 bedroom, 1 child’s room, 1 guest room, 1 utility room, kitchen, living room + dining area, bathroom with walk-in shower, guest bathroom with walk-in shower
- Sliding door from dining area to kitchen, and from hallway to living room
- Large balcony door to the terrace
About the large company:
- Bungalow approximately 125sqm (1,345 sq ft) living space with air-to-water heat pump and underfloor heating, KfW 70 standard
- 18cm (7 inch) reinforced concrete slab foundation
- 24cm (9.5 inch) hollow brick exterior walls plus insulation
- Interior walls are simple drywall; a friend will build double drywall and install the sliding door inside the wall
- Triple-glazed windows, colored outside and white inside; electric roller blinds made of PVC; granite window sills—all at additional cost
- Entrance door made of aluminum at extra cost
- Concrete long-life roof tiles, with a 30cm (12 inch) roof overhang for an additional fee
- Colored exterior finish
- Prefabricated concrete double garage 6x9m (20x30 ft) as an unheated garage, reportedly not frost-proof, with door leading to the utility room, walkable
A friend of ours works for this company and might be the drywall installer. We were told that without an immediate soil report from our plot, the price quoted is a kind of fixed price. It is contractually guaranteed that it will not exceed the offer. They also said it’s not very important where the air-to-water heat pump is located — even behind the house is possible, supposedly with no efficiency loss due to distance.
About the smaller company:
- Bungalow approximately 120sqm (1,292 sq ft) living space with air-to-water heat pump and underfloor heating, KfW 55 standard
- Foundation type unknown
- 36.5cm (14 inch) exterior walls without insulation
- Interior walls presumably 11cm (4.3 inch) masonry
- Triple-glazed windows, colored outside and white inside; insulated aluminum electric roller blinds; granite window sills
- Colored aluminum entrance door
- Colored clay roof tiles; roof overhang unknown
- Colored exterior plaster finish
- Double garage 6x11m (20x36 ft) as a heated garage, frost-proof, fireproof door to the utility room, walkable, empty conduits for photovoltaic system routed into utility room
- Controlled mechanical ventilation system
With this company, only a rough price was given so far; everything needs to be calculated, including plans from the architect, etc. The project manager oversees everything personally, approves all work, and only after his OK do the companies receive payment. He knows and works with these companies regularly. He says he only offers what he would buy himself and believes in. Many things included in this price are extras with the other company. The supply lines are kept as short as possible to keep costs down. The air-to-water heat pump will be installed at the front of the house.
DIY work is welcome and can be inspected and approved by him later. They advised against installing a fireplace because the chimney sweep costs about €200 plus some tax.
As we understand it, we would need to sign a contract for the project upfront even though the final costs are unclear until after the soil report, architect work, and detailed calculation. However, the price would then be guaranteed 100%, with no further costs expected. He charges 2.5% of the total project value.
Now we are uncertain. One company says 24cm (9.5 inch) exterior walls with insulation are sufficient, and drywall interior walls are fine.
The other company says 36.5cm (14 inch) exterior walls are good, and masonry interior walls are better than drywall.
What is the real difference between an unheated garage and a heated garage? The heated garage would obviously be better for plants that cannot tolerate frost.
What do you think? What should we definitely pay attention to? We would also really like to have brick cladding but this exceeds our budget; it is a possible upgrade for later.
Sorry for the long text.
Regards,
Schildkröte
Nordlys schrieb:
but the smaller ones can do things that the bigger ones cannot. Listening, for example, is often better with the smaller companies. They can also find solutions through informal channels more easily (partly because the contact person is close to the boss, or even the boss themselves). And they may stand behind their own family name's reputation, whereas larger companies often say their partner was unfortunately not as reliable.
Nordlys schrieb:
I am the personified, incarnate neutral Switzerland…… Holstein Switzerland
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
S
Schildkröte24 Jul 2019 19:47Hello,
I wanted to check in after a while and briefly share how things are going or have gone so far.
After some time, we finally received the cost breakdown from the "smaller" company. They really put a lot of effort into it, compiling a whole folder full of quotes and organizing everything neatly. Unfortunately, the price was far above our expectations, and even with compromises, it was nowhere near our budget. That’s why they were unfortunately dropped. They understood completely and still offered their help if we have any questions.
With the "larger" company, we thought only minor details were left to sort out, but after a month, we still hadn’t received a price for some items like the complete excavation, lowering the entire area by 10cm (4 inches), and digging the strip foundation 20cm (8 inches) deeper. That seemed odd to me. They just said the extra 10cm plus the 20cm foundation depth wouldn’t cost much. I asked again if it would be possible to use just a 36.5cm (14 inches) exterior wall, but they said no, 24cm (9.5 inches) plus insulation is better. Then I asked, if that’s better, why does it only reach KfW 70 rather than KfW 55, since 36.5cm walls should meet that standard. They said, “Trust me, it’s fine,” the wall will actually be thicker: 24cm plus insulation. Then I asked how thick the insulation would be. They said the wall ends up about 40cm (16 inches) thick, roughly 16cm (6 inches) of insulation plus plaster, but the construction specification didn’t list a value, only insulation thickness in millimeters. Well, it depends on what the architect says—it could also be 22-24cm (9–10 inches), hmm. My question was, if the 16cm (6 inches) insulation is replaced with 24cm (9.5 inches), does the price stay the same? They said no, of course not, so additional costs could arise.
Then came the heating system. It was only listed as a package available at a special price just this month. I asked again about the boiler’s output in kW. They said that needs to be calculated by the architect first. Okay, so if we need a bigger boiler than the one in the package, does the price stay the same? They said they can’t say; the architect decides, but possibly not. So again, costs could increase. Then they said that if our budget isn’t enough and we don’t qualify for enough financing, we’d have to abandon the project. I only said we need to know the total costs upfront to avoid running back to the bank because of poor planning.
Regarding the garage: there was a calculation, but only a single page with the price. I asked how the foundation would be handled—he said he’d check. We had mentioned two or three times that we wanted electric doors, but only manual swing gates were included in the calculation instead of sectional doors. For the roller shutters, we agreed on aluminum, but the calculation was for plastic. And there were other small issues like these.
So this company is out as well; everything feels too uncertain and too expensive for us. Even though they were about 60,000 (currency) cheaper than the "smaller" company, who knows what else might have come up.
We’ll keep looking, and if there’s news, I’ll share it here in case anyone’s interested.
Regards,
Schildkröte
I wanted to check in after a while and briefly share how things are going or have gone so far.
After some time, we finally received the cost breakdown from the "smaller" company. They really put a lot of effort into it, compiling a whole folder full of quotes and organizing everything neatly. Unfortunately, the price was far above our expectations, and even with compromises, it was nowhere near our budget. That’s why they were unfortunately dropped. They understood completely and still offered their help if we have any questions.
With the "larger" company, we thought only minor details were left to sort out, but after a month, we still hadn’t received a price for some items like the complete excavation, lowering the entire area by 10cm (4 inches), and digging the strip foundation 20cm (8 inches) deeper. That seemed odd to me. They just said the extra 10cm plus the 20cm foundation depth wouldn’t cost much. I asked again if it would be possible to use just a 36.5cm (14 inches) exterior wall, but they said no, 24cm (9.5 inches) plus insulation is better. Then I asked, if that’s better, why does it only reach KfW 70 rather than KfW 55, since 36.5cm walls should meet that standard. They said, “Trust me, it’s fine,” the wall will actually be thicker: 24cm plus insulation. Then I asked how thick the insulation would be. They said the wall ends up about 40cm (16 inches) thick, roughly 16cm (6 inches) of insulation plus plaster, but the construction specification didn’t list a value, only insulation thickness in millimeters. Well, it depends on what the architect says—it could also be 22-24cm (9–10 inches), hmm. My question was, if the 16cm (6 inches) insulation is replaced with 24cm (9.5 inches), does the price stay the same? They said no, of course not, so additional costs could arise.
Then came the heating system. It was only listed as a package available at a special price just this month. I asked again about the boiler’s output in kW. They said that needs to be calculated by the architect first. Okay, so if we need a bigger boiler than the one in the package, does the price stay the same? They said they can’t say; the architect decides, but possibly not. So again, costs could increase. Then they said that if our budget isn’t enough and we don’t qualify for enough financing, we’d have to abandon the project. I only said we need to know the total costs upfront to avoid running back to the bank because of poor planning.
Regarding the garage: there was a calculation, but only a single page with the price. I asked how the foundation would be handled—he said he’d check. We had mentioned two or three times that we wanted electric doors, but only manual swing gates were included in the calculation instead of sectional doors. For the roller shutters, we agreed on aluminum, but the calculation was for plastic. And there were other small issues like these.
So this company is out as well; everything feels too uncertain and too expensive for us. Even though they were about 60,000 (currency) cheaper than the "smaller" company, who knows what else might have come up.
We’ll keep looking, and if there’s news, I’ll share it here in case anyone’s interested.
Regards,
Schildkröte
Uhm, ... one might suspect that in the end, it will come down to the "little one" who probably made the most realistic offer?
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
So, the smaller one was not more expensive than the bigger one. The smaller builder simply provided a realistic quote for a higher standard. The bigger builder manipulated the numbers, and without your inquiry, the real cost would have come as a big surprise.
Maybe your budget expectations don’t match the project?
Maybe your budget expectations don’t match the project?
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