ᐅ Construction of a 144 sqm bungalow in Fichtenwalde (near Potsdam)

Created on: 16 May 2021 18:56
A
Acof1978
Then I would also like to introduce our building project here and keep you updated.

First, a brief introduction about us. He (42.5 years; controller in healthcare), she (38.5 years; full-time teacher), child (8.75 years; fully dependent). Our household net income is currently about €6,400 (approximately $6,800) plus performance bonuses, 13th-month salary, overtime, etc. We own a 1,462 sqm (15,735 sq ft) plot of land in Fichtenwalde. The remaining debt on the land is €37,000 (about $39,000). According to official land value guidelines, the land is valued at €146,200 (about $156,000) (€100 / sqm). The market price is around €400,000 to €600,000 (recent sale prices). We submitted the building permit application including the land conversion at the end of December. We expect approval by mid to late July.

The construction company is KB Brandis from Jüterbog. External site supervision will be handled by Bauherrenhilfe with 13 appointments.

Now about the house. It will be a 144 sqm (1,550 sq ft) bungalow plus a 12 sqm (130 sq ft) covered terrace with the following additions:
- Ceiling height 3.00 m (9.8 ft)
- Electric roller shutters (including smart home integration)
- Double-sided laminated windows (wood-colored; RC3 security rating)
- Brine-to-water heat pump with ground collectors due to water protection area (Bosch Compress 7800i LW)
- Hydraulic balancing of the underfloor heating
- Controlled residential ventilation with heat recovery (Bosch)
- Motion detectors from a security company
- 13 kWp photovoltaic system, including battery preparation
- 10 m³ (2,650 gal) cistern for rainwater use
- Doorbell with video function
- Wallbox preparation for electric vehicle charging
- Exterior lighting

Floor plan attached.

We have not yet finalized financing (although discussions have taken place). So far, we have invested up to €30,000 (approximately $32,000) from our own savings during the planning phase. This is almost all of our equity. However, we continue to save about €2,750 (approximately $2,920) per month. The monthly mortgage payment is expected to be around €1,650 (about $1,750) plus additional costs of approximately €200-250 (about $210-265) (taking into account the photovoltaic system). This means when we move into the house, we will still have savings of at least €1,500 (about $1,590) per month.

The construction contract will be signed within the next few weeks. The prices (recently discussed with the company) correspond to the offer and commitment as of September 2020.

The price per square meter of the house (according to the latest offer and full specification) will be €2,700 (about $2,870). This includes everything, such as painting, flooring, etc. The overall costs are structured as follows:
House: €378,000 (about $402,000)
Land conversion including reclassification: €25,000 (about $26,600)
Additional building costs: €40,000 (about $42,500)
Outdoor facilities: €25,000 (about $26,600)
Total financing volume: €468,000 (about $498,000)

Grundriss eines Hauses: Wohnzimmer, Küche, Schlaf-/Kinderzimmer, Bad, Flur, Terrasse.
Tolentino23 Nov 2021 09:24
From what I know, installation is usually included in that, but generally with a markup of up to 60%.
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motorradsilke
23 Nov 2021 09:35
Tom1978 schrieb:

Hello.

I’m currently working on the electrical and smart home setup. We received our first quote some time ago. It’s not supposed to be an elaborate KNX system, just some basic features where you can control things like lighting, heating, blinds, video doorbells, and possibly cameras via a smartphone or control panel. I watched some Busch-Jäger system videos on YouTube and I’m quite interested. What do you think about it?

What confuses and annoys me a bit is that the devices the electrician suggests are about 20–40% more expensive than the prices I find as a consumer. I understand the issue with warranty and so on. I wouldn’t complain about a 10% markup. But some of the prices are up to 40% higher. Then there are the installation costs on top...

Example: Busch-Jäger panel. According to Google, retail prices are about €350 gross. The electrician’s price: €478.62 = 36.7% markup...
I can share a great example from our build.
The markup for a better toilet bowl from the wholesaler is 35 euros net. For the plumber, it’s 50 to 60 euros net, and for the general contractor, it goes up to 85 euros net.
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TmMike_2
23 Nov 2021 09:37
The general contractor still needs to make a profit, or are you planning to do the electrical work yourself?

Here’s an example:
Through the general contractor, installing screed insulation, foil, and edge strips with the screed costs 48 €/m2 (through a known contact).
If you do it yourself, it costs 32 €/m2.

I personally installed the polystyrene, foil, expansion joints, etc. myself. That brought the cost down to 25 €/m2.
With 290m2 (3120 sq ft), that was a good saving for about three days of work.
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Tom1978
23 Nov 2021 10:18
TmMike_2 schrieb:

The general contractor (GC) also needs to make a profit, or are you handling the electrical work yourself?

I'll give you an example.
Through the GC, the cost for screed insulation, vapor barrier, edge strips, and laying the screed is €48/m2 (32 USD/m2) (from a contact).
If you do it yourself, it costs €32/m2 (21 USD/m2).

I installed the polystyrene, vapor barrier, expansion joints, etc., myself. That brought the cost down to €25/m2 (16 USD/m2).
For 290m2 (3120 sq ft), it was a good saving for three days of work.


It’s not through the GC. The “standard” is defined with the GC, although it’s on the higher side. Otherwise, the GC says we should arrange extras directly with the tradespeople ourselves; otherwise, it ends up more expensive than going through him. The quote I provided is from the electrician. There is also a separate item for installation services.

What do you generally think about subcontractors? Can you allow some things to be handled separately? Philips Hue and Alexa work, as I have found out.
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AllThumbs
23 Nov 2021 11:08
I also believe that a 30% markup compared to online prices is completely normal, and in some cases, the markups are even higher. Usually, electricians don’t even get the materials from their wholesaler at the online price.

As far as I know, the Busch-Jäger system is based on KNX. However, the configuration is more “end-user friendly.” The downside compared to “standard” KNX is that you can only use Busch-Jäger components and don’t have access to the full range of KNX products.

Therefore, Busch-Jäger serves you quite well, and theoretically, you could switch to full KNX in the future if Busch-Jäger were to discontinue the Free@Home system for some reason.

Currently, the offer only includes the roller shutter control (with decentralized actuators). However, you need to decide what else you want beyond that. The cabling requirements are basically the same as for a KNX installation. So, either star cabling or bus cable plus decentralized actuators. Setting aside any wireless expansions.
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Tom1978
23 Nov 2021 11:18
AllThumbs schrieb:

I also believe that a 30% markup compared to online prices is completely normal, and markups are sometimes even higher. Usually, electricians don’t even get materials from their wholesalers at the same price as online stores.
To my knowledge, the Busch-Jaeger system is based on KNX. However, the configuration is more “end-user friendly.” A disadvantage compared to “standard” KNX is that you can only use Busch-Jaeger components, so you don’t have access to the full range of KNX options.
Therefore, Busch-Jaeger serves you well, and theoretically, you could switch to standard KNX in the future if Busch-Jaeger ever discontinues the Free@Home program for some reason.

The current offer only includes the roller shutter control (with decentralized actuators). However, you now need to consider what else you want beyond that. The wiring requirements are basically the same as for a KNX installation: either star wiring or bus cable plus decentralized actuators—excluding any wireless extensions.

My idea is—as I said, I am a complete beginner and this is more like a “toy” project.

- Connecting BJ smoke detectors
- Lighting: Philips Hue
- If possible, also controlling the heating system
- Video doorbell. The question is which one to choose (eufy Video Doorbell 2k?).
- Possibly also the outdoor cameras (I like this one: eufy Floodlight Cam 2 Pro)
- Roller shutters.