ᐅ Homeowners' Assistance After Fire Caused by Technical Fault
Created on: 18 Dec 2017 12:08
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Susan2106
Dear members and moderators,
I am a young woman who has experienced many hardships this year. Among other things, on November 22nd, my house burned down due to a technical defect (according to the experts and criminal investigators) in the kitchen extractor hood, which vented through the roof structure. As a result, I am currently somewhat homeless, uncertain, and not yet well organized, and I would appreciate honest and professional advice.
In 2011, I bought a prefabricated house for €200,000. I lived there until the date mentioned above. The house was built in 2000 (the construction company no longer exists) and was supposedly renovated again in 2007 by the second owner.
Since then, I have undertaken further construction work myself, as there was a lot of poor workmanship.
The building insurance now states that the rebuilding will be reimbursed at replacement cost, on the condition that I reconstruct the building in the same or similar way. The old structure is to be demolished down to the foundation slab, and then rebuilding can begin.
I have already contacted Fingerhaus for a quote (which I have not yet received). The sales representative estimated that for a 150 m² (1,615 sq ft) house, the turnkey costs including tile and painting work would be around €300,000 to €350,000. It seems the insurance is also very interested in speeding up the rebuilding process.
I have forwarded all construction documents that were provided to me by the previous owner to the sales representative, who appears to be trustworthy.
However, given the current situation, it looks like I would not be able to move back in until around this time next year. Is this realistic?
Do you have any recommendations on how I might find a new home faster? Are there types of houses that can be built more quickly than a prefabricated house? What conditions need to be met? I once read that some houses arrive already "finished." Of course, I would hire an independent expert because I am on my own, work in sales, and do not really have any expertise in new construction.
I do not yet have a detailed cost breakdown but have an approximate estimate.
Here are the key details:
Purchase price 2011: €200,000
Building site: sandy to loamy soil with sandstone
Groundwater level: 5 m (16 ft)
Foundation slab remains – rebuilding on existing foundation slab
Foundations: strip concrete footings
Exterior walls: timber frame construction with insulation according to DIN, OSB + gypsum plasterboard
Exterior plaster: smooth, light-colored paint
Partition walls: timber frame construction with insulation according to DIN, OSB + gypsum plasterboard
Ceilings: reinforced concrete, wood ceilings with insulation according to DIN
Floors: concrete, floating screed, tiles, laminate
Roof structure: half-hipped roof (krüppelwalmdach) 45° – traditionally a purlin roof with insulation; knee wall height 1 m (3 ft), but construction must not be executed as a purlin roof
Roof covering: Frankfurter tiles
Stairs: wood
Stairwells: timber frame construction with insulation according to DIN, OSB + gypsum plasterboard
Windows: wooden windows with insulating glazing, external shutters
Doors: wood
Heating: electric night storage heater (now I would prefer a geothermal heat pump from Viessmann) instead of gas
Gross floor area: 155.34 m² (1,672 sq ft)
Sealed ground area: 2.66 m² (29 sq ft) entrance stairs
Floor area: 110.34 m² (1,188 sq ft)
Enclosed volume: 705.40 m³ (24,918 cu ft) residential building, garage, carport
Floor area ratio: 0.14
Best regards and many thanks in advance,
Susan2106
I am a young woman who has experienced many hardships this year. Among other things, on November 22nd, my house burned down due to a technical defect (according to the experts and criminal investigators) in the kitchen extractor hood, which vented through the roof structure. As a result, I am currently somewhat homeless, uncertain, and not yet well organized, and I would appreciate honest and professional advice.
In 2011, I bought a prefabricated house for €200,000. I lived there until the date mentioned above. The house was built in 2000 (the construction company no longer exists) and was supposedly renovated again in 2007 by the second owner.
Since then, I have undertaken further construction work myself, as there was a lot of poor workmanship.
The building insurance now states that the rebuilding will be reimbursed at replacement cost, on the condition that I reconstruct the building in the same or similar way. The old structure is to be demolished down to the foundation slab, and then rebuilding can begin.
I have already contacted Fingerhaus for a quote (which I have not yet received). The sales representative estimated that for a 150 m² (1,615 sq ft) house, the turnkey costs including tile and painting work would be around €300,000 to €350,000. It seems the insurance is also very interested in speeding up the rebuilding process.
I have forwarded all construction documents that were provided to me by the previous owner to the sales representative, who appears to be trustworthy.
However, given the current situation, it looks like I would not be able to move back in until around this time next year. Is this realistic?
Do you have any recommendations on how I might find a new home faster? Are there types of houses that can be built more quickly than a prefabricated house? What conditions need to be met? I once read that some houses arrive already "finished." Of course, I would hire an independent expert because I am on my own, work in sales, and do not really have any expertise in new construction.
I do not yet have a detailed cost breakdown but have an approximate estimate.
Here are the key details:
Purchase price 2011: €200,000
Building site: sandy to loamy soil with sandstone
Groundwater level: 5 m (16 ft)
Foundation slab remains – rebuilding on existing foundation slab
Foundations: strip concrete footings
Exterior walls: timber frame construction with insulation according to DIN, OSB + gypsum plasterboard
Exterior plaster: smooth, light-colored paint
Partition walls: timber frame construction with insulation according to DIN, OSB + gypsum plasterboard
Ceilings: reinforced concrete, wood ceilings with insulation according to DIN
Floors: concrete, floating screed, tiles, laminate
Roof structure: half-hipped roof (krüppelwalmdach) 45° – traditionally a purlin roof with insulation; knee wall height 1 m (3 ft), but construction must not be executed as a purlin roof
Roof covering: Frankfurter tiles
Stairs: wood
Stairwells: timber frame construction with insulation according to DIN, OSB + gypsum plasterboard
Windows: wooden windows with insulating glazing, external shutters
Doors: wood
Heating: electric night storage heater (now I would prefer a geothermal heat pump from Viessmann) instead of gas
Gross floor area: 155.34 m² (1,672 sq ft)
Sealed ground area: 2.66 m² (29 sq ft) entrance stairs
Floor area: 110.34 m² (1,188 sq ft)
Enclosed volume: 705.40 m³ (24,918 cu ft) residential building, garage, carport
Floor area ratio: 0.14
Best regards and many thanks in advance,
Susan2106
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Susan210618 Dec 2017 13:47Well, that sounds interesting. I’ll take a look. Experience-based insights would definitely be great :-)
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Bieber081518 Dec 2017 14:03Susan2106 schrieb:
Rebuilding to replacement value under the condition that I construct this building exactly or similarly.Any deviation from the original system (for example, precast concrete elements instead of timber framing) should primarily be discussed with the insurance company, right?In my opinion: Any possible option will take several months. Whether it ends up being one or two months more or less does not matter much in the long run. What is important:
- Proper restoration
- Coverage of costs by the insurance.
The deadline is now just priority 3, so it’s almost irrelevant. You will need a temporary accommodation anyway, whether rented for three, four, or twelve months doesn’t make a difference.
Therefore, I would hardly look for construction methods that are supposedly faster, but rather focus all energy on the priorities mentioned. Besides that, you can then see if an accelerated schedule can be realized with Fingerhaus (if that is the chosen builder). And don’t forget your job and family/friends, who also need your attention.
Susan2106 schrieb:
The building insurance now states that the reconstruction will be covered at replacement value on the condition that I rebuild this building in the same or similar way.
A demolition down to the foundation slab is to be carried out, and then the reconstruction will begin. You should consult a lawyer experienced in contract and construction law. Otherwise, there could be disputes later about how to interpret "same or similar."
Regarding the room layout, fixtures, etc., you might have to follow the "old" house very strictly.
Susan2106 schrieb:
The foundation slab remains - reconstruction on the existing foundation slab That should not be a problem nowadays for prefabricated house manufacturers to achieve with these dimensions.
Susan2106 schrieb:
I once read somewhere that houses are delivered completely finished! You probably mean room modules that even come with complete bathrooms, etc.? (for example from Dennert Massivhaus). Whether this actually saves time is questionable: prefabrication by itself does not accelerate the process, at least not with individual measurements. The only advantage is that parts are built indoors, even if the weather on site would not be suitable.
haydee schrieb:
I don’t think it goes much faster. Building application, building permit / planning permission, insurance clarification, ordering the house parts, house assembly, interior work. The building permit / planning permission part should be straightforward if it is a genuine reconstruction. The mayor might even publicly welcome the support the administration provides in this case.
Bieber0815 schrieb:
Any deviation from the old system (for example, precast concrete elements instead of timber framing) should mainly be discussed with the insurance, right? This also plays a role in the approval process. For components like the heating system (now viewed together with the insulation), legal certainty is important—for example, whether and when the building would still be assessed according to the old construction year (i.e., before the 2014 Energy Saving Ordinance).
I would clearly prioritize ensuring that the entire rebuilt house is fully covered. If they reduce the coverage by even a few percent, it could cost you more than several months of additional temporary housing.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
P.S.: these lines
(I assume this is from the building specification) I mentally can’t quite follow: a purlin roof that must not be executed as a purlin roof (?) :-(
Just a side note, as it is probably “not critical”.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
Susan2106 schrieb:
Roof structure: half-hipped roof 45° – constructed as a purlin roof with insulation; knee wall height 1m (execution must not be done as a purlin roof)
(I assume this is from the building specification) I mentally can’t quite follow: a purlin roof that must not be executed as a purlin roof (?) :-(
Just a side note, as it is probably “not critical”.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
Dear Susan,
You were lucky this time that the insurance is covering 100% of the rebuilding costs.
However, I really don’t understand why you’d consider going with an unconventional builder just to save a few weeks or months, especially since you’ll be living elsewhere temporarily anyway, instead of choosing a reputable, established company. Getting involved with something unfamiliar out of last-minute pressure could result in even worse luck, leaving you with a half-finished house that the unconventional builder may hand over unsatisfactorily or with other issues. I don’t believe the insurance company would approve a build with a non-standard contractor, but what puzzles me is why you’d even consider it when things aren’t exactly going in your favor. Luck is something you make yourself — but so is bad luck.
You were lucky this time that the insurance is covering 100% of the rebuilding costs.
However, I really don’t understand why you’d consider going with an unconventional builder just to save a few weeks or months, especially since you’ll be living elsewhere temporarily anyway, instead of choosing a reputable, established company. Getting involved with something unfamiliar out of last-minute pressure could result in even worse luck, leaving you with a half-finished house that the unconventional builder may hand over unsatisfactorily or with other issues. I don’t believe the insurance company would approve a build with a non-standard contractor, but what puzzles me is why you’d even consider it when things aren’t exactly going in your favor. Luck is something you make yourself — but so is bad luck.
