Hello everyone,
We plan to build a passive house next year. A passive house certified by the Passive House Institute Darmstadt (passiv.de) is mandatory in the upcoming new development area (passive house neighborhood). The passive house will be built using solid construction due to the well-known benefits. The building fair takes place in autumn, and the plots will be between 500-800m² (approximately 5382-8611 sq ft) in size, all with a strong southern orientation. The plots we prefer are 500-600m² (approximately 5382-6458 sq ft).
Our passive house should offer 140-160m² (approximately 1507-1722 sq ft) of living space over two floors. The entire building will have no basement and no steep roof slopes.
Over the past few days, I have researched many partners for the house construction. However, all of them (Dümer Haus, Helma, Kampa, Favorit, Heinz von Heiden, etc.) have been ruled out after further research in forums and on the internet. Unfortunately, I read a lot of negative feedback (I know that online reviews tend to be more negative), and when there was positive feedback about these companies, the person providing it either had only 1-2 forum posts or a blog without an independent top-level domain and legal imprint. I guess I don’t need to say more about that, right?
Can anyone recommend good partners for house construction in Kassel (Northern Hesse)? We would be grateful for any recommendations or information. I would then like to research the companies in greater detail. I’m starting to believe that it’s actually difficult to find reliable companies that offer everything from a single source...
As an alternative, I read a very long and high-quality post here in the forum about self-building with a selected architect. After searching for architects in Kassel, I found some who also offer construction management and specialize in single-family homes, energy-efficient planning, and energy consulting. Is this a viable alternative? What distinguishes building a house with an architect (who supervises the construction work, writes the specifications, and helps select the appropriate companies) from the house construction partners mentioned above? What are the approximate costs for an architect for the entire construction project from start to finish for an investment amount excluding the land of about 220,000 euros?
Thank you in advance.
Best regards,
Sven
We plan to build a passive house next year. A passive house certified by the Passive House Institute Darmstadt (passiv.de) is mandatory in the upcoming new development area (passive house neighborhood). The passive house will be built using solid construction due to the well-known benefits. The building fair takes place in autumn, and the plots will be between 500-800m² (approximately 5382-8611 sq ft) in size, all with a strong southern orientation. The plots we prefer are 500-600m² (approximately 5382-6458 sq ft).
Our passive house should offer 140-160m² (approximately 1507-1722 sq ft) of living space over two floors. The entire building will have no basement and no steep roof slopes.
Over the past few days, I have researched many partners for the house construction. However, all of them (Dümer Haus, Helma, Kampa, Favorit, Heinz von Heiden, etc.) have been ruled out after further research in forums and on the internet. Unfortunately, I read a lot of negative feedback (I know that online reviews tend to be more negative), and when there was positive feedback about these companies, the person providing it either had only 1-2 forum posts or a blog without an independent top-level domain and legal imprint. I guess I don’t need to say more about that, right?
Can anyone recommend good partners for house construction in Kassel (Northern Hesse)? We would be grateful for any recommendations or information. I would then like to research the companies in greater detail. I’m starting to believe that it’s actually difficult to find reliable companies that offer everything from a single source...
As an alternative, I read a very long and high-quality post here in the forum about self-building with a selected architect. After searching for architects in Kassel, I found some who also offer construction management and specialize in single-family homes, energy-efficient planning, and energy consulting. Is this a viable alternative? What distinguishes building a house with an architect (who supervises the construction work, writes the specifications, and helps select the appropriate companies) from the house construction partners mentioned above? What are the approximate costs for an architect for the entire construction project from start to finish for an investment amount excluding the land of about 220,000 euros?
Thank you in advance.
Best regards,
Sven
svenson schrieb:
Could you please provide a more detailed response? Gladly. How naive or overly optimistic can one be to personally and permanently accommodate such a demand? In principle, you can build a Passive House without official "certification," provided it actually makes sense. Whole "tribes" profit from this "certification" at the expense of the private builder’s budget. If this "certification" is made mandatory, it is certainly not hard to imagine how this came about. Best regards
If I remember correctly, the certificate costs about 3,000 euros and is subsidized/paid for by the municipality. So that doesn’t bother me.
In my opinion, the additional costs for a passive house compared to a standard house built to the 2009 energy saving regulation also make sense. By eliminating a conventional heating system, a large part of the extra expenses for the highly efficient ventilation, better windows, and thermal insulation can be financed. Furthermore, the operating costs of a passive house are extremely low. In addition, the KfW bank supports the construction of a passive house with a repayment grant of 10% of 50,000 euros (about $54,000) => 5,000 euros (about $5,400) per housing unit.
It should also be mentioned that focusing only on construction costs is inadequate because energy costs will become more important in the near future. Therefore, only a comparison based on total costs is truly reliable.
For me personally, the impact of future energy price increases is much more significant than the question of additional construction costs.
In my opinion, the additional costs for a passive house compared to a standard house built to the 2009 energy saving regulation also make sense. By eliminating a conventional heating system, a large part of the extra expenses for the highly efficient ventilation, better windows, and thermal insulation can be financed. Furthermore, the operating costs of a passive house are extremely low. In addition, the KfW bank supports the construction of a passive house with a repayment grant of 10% of 50,000 euros (about $54,000) => 5,000 euros (about $5,400) per housing unit.
It should also be mentioned that focusing only on construction costs is inadequate because energy costs will become more important in the near future. Therefore, only a comparison based on total costs is truly reliable.
For me personally, the impact of future energy price increases is much more significant than the question of additional construction costs.
svenson schrieb:
... Furthermore, the operating costs of a passive house are extremely low. In theory svenson schrieb:
... Additionally, the KfW bank supports the construction of a passive house with a repayment grant of 10% of 50,000 euros => 5,000 euros per dwelling unit. Anyone who considers alleged personal gifts as economically beneficial overall should obtain a legally valid document for this svenson schrieb:
... Also, it must be stated that looking only at construction costs is not acceptable, as the importance of energy costs will increase in the near future. Therefore, only a full cost comparison is truly reliable. Absolutely correct! svenson schrieb:
... For me personally, the impact of future energy price increases is much more significant than the question of additional construction costs. There is nothing to argue against this, the only question is how reliable is that? What is the actual demand for heating, domestic hot water, ventilation? What is the consumption and the necessary investment or capital service required for this? Anyone capable of basic calculations will quickly realize that alleged subsidy gifts are merely a temporary fix compared to the actual financial burden, provided the actual demand has been determined
Best regards
B
Bauexperte4 Jun 2012 17:40Hello,
€uro is absolutely reliable in his field—although his blunt statements can sometimes be hard to digest; in this case, however, he is (once again) right!
Strictly speaking, this "subsidy" is just window dressing (like any subsidies), since you pay for this support proportionally through your overall income via taxes. So this certification—even if initiated with the best intentions through Prof. W. Feist’s institute—is primarily a marketing tool. It serves both as a sales argument for the municipality and as a symbol of the "energy transition" for the current government.
That always depends on personal preferences and the balance of your bank account.
In my opinion, you should quickly discard this idea. A commonly used heating system today is a gas-condensing boiler plus solar panels on the roof for domestic hot water heating, roughly costing about €8,800.00 for a house like the one you plan.
A "highly efficient" ventilation system for a passive house costs around 16,000 EUR, while the "better" windows—with U-values between 0.66 and as low as 0.51 W/(m²K)—cost 100% or more compared to "standard" windows. If you want to build with solid masonry, the wall thickness must be at least 42.5 cm (about 17 inches)—which is more expensive than a 36.5 cm (about 14 inches) wall construction, with extra costs ranging between 9,000 and 14,000 EUR depending on the supplier. The enhanced insulation adds another 8,000 to 12,000 EUR depending on the choice and provider. Photovoltaic systems are, of course, a given. The target is: less than 15 kWh/(m²a) annual heating demand and a primary energy demand including hot water and household electricity of less than 120 kWh/(m²a). Typically, a "real," certified passive house requires about 80% additional costs compared to a standard house priced according to the 2009 Energy Saving Ordinance.
This is often communicated externally, but it is not true—it’s just a marketing argument. You must never overlook the capital service! A passive house will not pay off during your lifetime...
If you build a house today according to the applicable Energy Saving Ordinance—aiming for KfW 70 standard in my opinion—and involve a technical building systems planner from the start, the operating costs of the new building will be economically reasonable later on, and you won’t be chasing a lost investment. Just my two cents.
Best regards
€uro is absolutely reliable in his field—although his blunt statements can sometimes be hard to digest; in this case, however, he is (once again) right!
svenson schrieb:
If I remember correctly, the certificate costs about 3,000 EUR and is subsidized / paid for by the municipality. So that doesn’t bother me.
Strictly speaking, this "subsidy" is just window dressing (like any subsidies), since you pay for this support proportionally through your overall income via taxes. So this certification—even if initiated with the best intentions through Prof. W. Feist’s institute—is primarily a marketing tool. It serves both as a sales argument for the municipality and as a symbol of the "energy transition" for the current government.
svenson schrieb:
In my opinion, the additional costs for a passive house compared to a standard house under the 2009 Energy Saving Ordinance also make sense.
That always depends on personal preferences and the balance of your bank account.
svenson schrieb:
By foregoing a conventional heating system, a large part of the additional costs for the highly efficient ventilation, better windows, and insulation can be offset.
In my opinion, you should quickly discard this idea. A commonly used heating system today is a gas-condensing boiler plus solar panels on the roof for domestic hot water heating, roughly costing about €8,800.00 for a house like the one you plan.
A "highly efficient" ventilation system for a passive house costs around 16,000 EUR, while the "better" windows—with U-values between 0.66 and as low as 0.51 W/(m²K)—cost 100% or more compared to "standard" windows. If you want to build with solid masonry, the wall thickness must be at least 42.5 cm (about 17 inches)—which is more expensive than a 36.5 cm (about 14 inches) wall construction, with extra costs ranging between 9,000 and 14,000 EUR depending on the supplier. The enhanced insulation adds another 8,000 to 12,000 EUR depending on the choice and provider. Photovoltaic systems are, of course, a given. The target is: less than 15 kWh/(m²a) annual heating demand and a primary energy demand including hot water and household electricity of less than 120 kWh/(m²a). Typically, a "real," certified passive house requires about 80% additional costs compared to a standard house priced according to the 2009 Energy Saving Ordinance.
svenson schrieb:
For me personally, the impact of future energy price increases is much more important than the question of additional construction costs.
This is often communicated externally, but it is not true—it’s just a marketing argument. You must never overlook the capital service! A passive house will not pay off during your lifetime...
If you build a house today according to the applicable Energy Saving Ordinance—aiming for KfW 70 standard in my opinion—and involve a technical building systems planner from the start, the operating costs of the new building will be economically reasonable later on, and you won’t be chasing a lost investment. Just my two cents.
Best regards
Bauexperte schrieb:
I rather suspect that the last figure alone is intended for 150 sqm (1,615 sq ft) of living space.
Kind regards I have to agree with Bauexperte. You should calculate about €1800 per sqm (approximately $167 per sq ft) for a fully finished passive house without any owner-supplied work. If the cost is somewhat lower, the extra funds will probably go towards the garage or kitchen. So it’s better to budget pessimistically.
B
Bauexperte5 Jun 2012 23:00Hello,
Kind regards
Der Da schrieb:I assumed a minimum of €2,000 per sqm (approximately $2,200 per sq ft); a true passive house requires a higher capital investment than a low-energy house.
You had to calculate 1800 € per sqm for a fully finished passive house without any personal contribution...
Kind regards
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