ᐅ Experiences with Construction Companies in Berlin and Surrounding Areas (within approximately 50 km)

I visited FIBAV spontaneously yesterday and was pleasantly surprised. The sales representative took a lot of time (from 7 PM to 10 PM). He addressed all my requests but also raised some concerns about certain things. We initially discussed three main topics:
- Foundation slab (including waterproof concrete and a capillary-breaking layer of 22cm (9 inches) thick gravel-sand mixture underneath)
- Exterior walls (24cm (9.5 inches) hollow clay bricks + 12cm (5 inches) insulation + 2cm (0.8 inches) plaster)
- Windows (fiberglass; approved for passive house standards; company Brömse)

Since my requests (air-to-water heat pump, photovoltaic system, and possibly controlled mechanical ventilation) meet the KfW 40plus standard due to their construction method, the offer will be for a KfW 40plus house. It was recommended to switch from an air-to-water heat pump to geothermal heating, which has a lower extra cost but pays off in operational expenses. (Can you share your thoughts on geothermal heating versus air-to-water heat pumps?)

Other positive aspects I noticed:
- The sales rep listed many extra costs we will incur, including a crane location, since the house is planned about 15m (49 feet) from the street.
- The base price includes a TÜV-certified north German building supervisor for the construction phases: shell completed including roof structure, window installation stage, floor insulation stage, and completion. I already mentioned I would like to hire an external supervisor as well.
- Vaillant supplies the heating system, photovoltaic system, and controlled mechanical ventilation.
- The offer comes with floor plans and architect’s side elevations.
- We reviewed all windows and always chose the most expensive options to avoid additional costs later.
- The sales rep also mentioned some items are not well covered in the company’s standard package, so it’s advisable to keep a budget buffer for upgrades during selection.
- There was a 20-page construction description and several brochures.

What will ultimately be implemented:
- 140 sqm (1507 sq ft) bungalow
- KfW 40plus standard
- Geothermal heating
- Photovoltaic system (approx. 3kWp) including battery (2kW) quoted at €19,000. I think this is a bit high and have removed it from the offer. If we commission FIBAV, I plan to source this externally.
- Smart home system (control of underfloor heating, roller shutters; compatible with Alexa and Google; alarm system; app displays window/door openings, etc.)
- Large underground rainwater tank
- Room height of 3.0m (9.8 feet)
- Central controlled mechanical ventilation
- Chimney duct

After rough calculations with some increased estimates, the total came to about €300,000 (budget is €350,000, with around €20,000 allocated for the photovoltaic system).

Now I’m looking forward to your suggestions and feedback.

Nice to read that progress is being made right away.

I'm curious whether it will stay at 300,000€ since you have chosen several extras.

Sounds good, now you have someone who is a potential candidate.
While everything is still fresh, take notes
- what was good/not so good/bad
- any open questions
- keep adding to your notes continuously
Once you have several offers, the scope of work descriptions, and your notes,
choose one and proceed with them through the project.
You should politely decline the others, as you might need them in the future.
Best regards, Nida35a

Tassimat schrieb:

Nice to read that progress is moving forward quickly

I'm curious if it will stay within the 300,000€ (about $330,000) since you chose several extras.

We’ll see. That was just a rough estimate. I’m happy to be surprised. Since we’re receiving an unplanned 30,000€ (about $33,000) grant through KfW 40 Plus, the budget might be slightly higher.

What do you think about the windows, walls, and the type of foundation slab? From my point of view, these are the most important aspects, which you either can’t change at all or only at a significant cost.

@Nida35a Yes, I did. Thank you very much

Ybias78 schrieb:

It was recommended to switch from an air-to-water heat pump to geothermal energy, which has a lower additional cost but pays off in running costs. (can you say something about geothermal > air-to-water heat pump?)

Not a bad idea.

Ybias78 schrieb:

- The salesperson listed many extra costs we will have to cover. Among others, a crane site, since the house is planned to be built about 15m (50 feet) from the street.

Yes, that’s true, and there will certainly be other things he hasn’t thought of yet.

Ybias78 schrieb:

- The standard price includes a Nord TÜV construction supervisor during the phases: shell completion including roof structure, window installation stage, screed insulation stage, and final completion. But I already mentioned that I would like to hire an external supervisor as well.

If you don’t have much knowledge of construction yourself, definitely do that. The supervisor provided by the general contractor is often overloaded with tasks. Including everything involved.

Ybias78 schrieb:

- Smart home (control of underfloor heating, roller shutters, compatible with Alexa and Google, alarm system, window/door opening shown via app, etc.)

Which system? That’s a very broad field, and especially in the current boom market, there are many players involved.

Ybias78 schrieb:

- large buried rainwater tank

Often this turns out to be an overestimation of savings. I would definitely review this again and compare all costs carefully.

Ybias78 schrieb:

Rough estimate with increased values came to around 300,000 €

That actually seems quite inexpensive for everything you’ve listed. So either the quality and materials are being cut back, or there will still be additional amounts with many zeros to add on.

Here is a rough estimate:

- Standard price for their 148 sqm (1,593 sq ft) bungalow: €230,000 (Our house will be 140 sqm (1,507 sq ft))
- €40,000 for KfW 40 (geothermal heating, controlled mechanical ventilation, underfloor heating)
- €20,000 for photovoltaic system (will be contracted separately) = KfW 40 Plus
- €12,000 for smart home system (Somfy)
- €6,000 for rainwater barrel (seems a bit high)
- €3,000 for increased ceiling height to 3.0 m (9 ft 10 in)
= €311,000

Because it will be KfW 40 Plus, there is a bit more flexibility.