Hello
We want to build a house in a rural area (in my hometown). The plot is already available, and there is an old house on it that we are allowed to demolish. Now, I would like to ask how to generally approach this process.
We have some ideas about how the house should look in terms of the floor plan (about 150 m² (1,615 sq ft) over 2 full floors). We have looked at various prefabricated house providers, and we liked their floor plans and layouts, so we saved some for reference.
I prefer a solid (masonry) house over a timber frame or wood construction.
We can handle some trades ourselves, such as electrical and plumbing work. Roofing is also possible since my uncle runs a carpentry business. However, other trades are not our strong suit—for example, laying tiles or heating would be left to professionals (air-source heat pump with photovoltaics since there is no gas connection available—or possibly trench collectors for geothermal energy if feasible).
My approach now, since we want to build with solid construction, would be to consult one or several architects with references in the area instead of building a prefabricated house. We feel more flexible with an architect regarding the selection of work we want to do ourselves versus what needs to be contracted out (as well as the choice of equipment in heating, cooling, and ventilation systems).
For the construction phase, we still want to involve an independent expert (from a home builder protection association or similar) who can occasionally check that everything is on track, since it’s impossible to have knowledge of everything.
We also plan to have the construction contract reviewed before signing to ensure everything is legally sound.
Is this a good approach to minimize mistakes during house construction?
We are completely at the beginning, apart from having a serviced plot with water and electricity available.
Thank you for your feedback.
We want to build a house in a rural area (in my hometown). The plot is already available, and there is an old house on it that we are allowed to demolish. Now, I would like to ask how to generally approach this process.
We have some ideas about how the house should look in terms of the floor plan (about 150 m² (1,615 sq ft) over 2 full floors). We have looked at various prefabricated house providers, and we liked their floor plans and layouts, so we saved some for reference.
I prefer a solid (masonry) house over a timber frame or wood construction.
We can handle some trades ourselves, such as electrical and plumbing work. Roofing is also possible since my uncle runs a carpentry business. However, other trades are not our strong suit—for example, laying tiles or heating would be left to professionals (air-source heat pump with photovoltaics since there is no gas connection available—or possibly trench collectors for geothermal energy if feasible).
My approach now, since we want to build with solid construction, would be to consult one or several architects with references in the area instead of building a prefabricated house. We feel more flexible with an architect regarding the selection of work we want to do ourselves versus what needs to be contracted out (as well as the choice of equipment in heating, cooling, and ventilation systems).
For the construction phase, we still want to involve an independent expert (from a home builder protection association or similar) who can occasionally check that everything is on track, since it’s impossible to have knowledge of everything.
We also plan to have the construction contract reviewed before signing to ensure everything is legally sound.
Is this a good approach to minimize mistakes during house construction?
We are completely at the beginning, apart from having a serviced plot with water and electricity available.
Thank you for your feedback.
So… The first architect has been here. He first obtains the floor plans from the local authority because we have a boundary development with a neighbor. We want to acquire a piece of land from them. He also inquires about the demolition of the old house. Then we’ll see if we can reach an agreement.
I have a question regarding the fee arrangement once a contract is signed. Since we want to involve a specialist planner for the heating system, that should normally be deducted from the architect’s fees. Should the architect’s contract be briefly reviewed? We want to avoid double billing or being subjected to arbitrary charges.
Thank you
I have a question regarding the fee arrangement once a contract is signed. Since we want to involve a specialist planner for the heating system, that should normally be deducted from the architect’s fees. Should the architect’s contract be briefly reviewed? We want to avoid double billing or being subjected to arbitrary charges.
Thank you
Elnino schrieb:
So then .. The first architect was here. He is first obtaining the floor plans from the local authority ...
Then we will see ... Whether we can work together.
I still have a question about the fee payment once a contract is signed ... Do you mean the site plan?
If he is already working, even if it is only "obtaining from the local authority," he already has an oral agreement.
Be careful that this does not become an automatic case under the HOAI that you do not want.
However, I am not very confident about this.
Regards
Thank you.. Yes, exactly the site plan… Because it’s a bit complicated with the boundary development and the plot is quite irregular. It’s a slope location after all..
No, we agreed on it that way. Besides, the architect will only start work once we have the formal transfer of the neighboring property secured. It was a formal information meeting, and if things go well, we would be invited to a consultation meeting.
No, we agreed on it that way. Besides, the architect will only start work once we have the formal transfer of the neighboring property secured. It was a formal information meeting, and if things go well, we would be invited to a consultation meeting.
There are always approximate figures for construction costs floating around... about 2000 euros per m² (10.8 ft²) of living space, for example.
Is this price based on having everything done by companies for a turnkey house in the upper mid-range segment? So not luxury, but also not standard fixtures, switches, doors, etc.?
Do you think it’s possible to offset the cost of a small basement through self-construction work for a 125 m² (1,345 ft²) house? For 125 m² starting from the foundation slab, the cost would be around 250,000 euros. If you then add a basement for about 35,000 euros, would you still somehow reach around 250,000 euros if you do the electrical wiring, underfloor heating installation, plumbing, etc. yourself? Or is that very optimistic?
Thank you
Is this price based on having everything done by companies for a turnkey house in the upper mid-range segment? So not luxury, but also not standard fixtures, switches, doors, etc.?
Do you think it’s possible to offset the cost of a small basement through self-construction work for a 125 m² (1,345 ft²) house? For 125 m² starting from the foundation slab, the cost would be around 250,000 euros. If you then add a basement for about 35,000 euros, would you still somehow reach around 250,000 euros if you do the electrical wiring, underfloor heating installation, plumbing, etc. yourself? Or is that very optimistic?
Thank you
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