ᐅ Evaluation of the KfW 60 House Contract: Loan Assessment for Home Purchase
Created on: 2 Jun 2009 10:46
C
Cmajere
Hello,
It looks like we will be building our dream home together with a developer. I would like to share some key points from the contract here and ask you to critically evaluate them based on your experience.
It will be a KfW 60 generational house (granny flat for parents) with 180 sqm (approximately 1,937 sq ft) of living space and about 300 sqm (approximately 3,229 sq ft) of land. Thermal insulation certificate from 2002 (is 2002 still acceptable? Does it qualify for NRW loans / subsidies?)
The house will be built without a basement; earthworks are included in the scope of work.
The foundation slab will be made of reinforced concrete, 15 cm (6 inches) thick according to structural engineering.
Construction will use either calcium silicate blocks (CSB) or Poroton bricks, 17.5 cm (7 inches) thick (non-load-bearing walls 11.5 cm (4.5 inches)), with the developer leaning more towards CSB (is that cheaper?)
The roof frame will be made of impregnated softwood, crafted by a carpenter according to DIN 68800 T3 (wood preservation standard).
The ground floor ceiling will be a prefabricated reinforced concrete slab, finished ready for painting. (Does that mean the joint grooves are already filled and smooth?)
The upper floor ceiling will be constructed with collar beams and have gypsum board cladding on the underside, ready for wallpaper. (Does this also mean it is fully joint-filled?)
The heating system will be a ground-source (brine/water) heat pump with a 150-liter (40 US gallons) hot water storage tank. (Is that sufficient for one family of three plus a couple of guests, so five users in total?)
Screed work: 9 cm (3.5 inches) insulation / foil with perimeter insulation strips / 6 cm (2.5 inches) heated screed with steel reinforcement. (Does this mean tiles can be laid directly on top?)
All masonry walls will receive a single layer of machine-applied gypsum plaster plus necessary corner protection beads to prepare for a coat of paint. (Does this mean the walls are ready for wallpaper, or is further finishing required?)
The exterior plaster will be an insulation plaster 12 cm (5 inches) thick with a white mineral top coat plus profiles according to the thermal insulation calculations.
Tiling will be done in the hallway, wardrobe, kitchen, dining area, WC, and bathroom using a thin-bed method. (What exactly is thin-bed tiling?)
Thank you very much in advance.
It looks like we will be building our dream home together with a developer. I would like to share some key points from the contract here and ask you to critically evaluate them based on your experience.
It will be a KfW 60 generational house (granny flat for parents) with 180 sqm (approximately 1,937 sq ft) of living space and about 300 sqm (approximately 3,229 sq ft) of land. Thermal insulation certificate from 2002 (is 2002 still acceptable? Does it qualify for NRW loans / subsidies?)
The house will be built without a basement; earthworks are included in the scope of work.
The foundation slab will be made of reinforced concrete, 15 cm (6 inches) thick according to structural engineering.
Construction will use either calcium silicate blocks (CSB) or Poroton bricks, 17.5 cm (7 inches) thick (non-load-bearing walls 11.5 cm (4.5 inches)), with the developer leaning more towards CSB (is that cheaper?)
The roof frame will be made of impregnated softwood, crafted by a carpenter according to DIN 68800 T3 (wood preservation standard).
The ground floor ceiling will be a prefabricated reinforced concrete slab, finished ready for painting. (Does that mean the joint grooves are already filled and smooth?)
The upper floor ceiling will be constructed with collar beams and have gypsum board cladding on the underside, ready for wallpaper. (Does this also mean it is fully joint-filled?)
The heating system will be a ground-source (brine/water) heat pump with a 150-liter (40 US gallons) hot water storage tank. (Is that sufficient for one family of three plus a couple of guests, so five users in total?)
Screed work: 9 cm (3.5 inches) insulation / foil with perimeter insulation strips / 6 cm (2.5 inches) heated screed with steel reinforcement. (Does this mean tiles can be laid directly on top?)
All masonry walls will receive a single layer of machine-applied gypsum plaster plus necessary corner protection beads to prepare for a coat of paint. (Does this mean the walls are ready for wallpaper, or is further finishing required?)
The exterior plaster will be an insulation plaster 12 cm (5 inches) thick with a white mineral top coat plus profiles according to the thermal insulation calculations.
Tiling will be done in the hallway, wardrobe, kitchen, dining area, WC, and bathroom using a thin-bed method. (What exactly is thin-bed tiling?)
Thank you very much in advance.