ᐅ How are you dealing with the current construction situation?
Created on: 3 May 2022 16:44
K
Klinkerstyle
Hello everyone,
I’ve been quietly following along here for a while and wanted to check in with those who are about to start building or are still in the early stages of planning.
How do your friends and family react to your project? Do you get unsolicited “advice” to stop?
Do you find that your family talks about it all the time, or is it more a case of keeping calm and carrying on because there’s no turning back? Are you trying to calm yourselves with certain strategies, or are you already quite relaxed about it?
About us:
Our building project is nearing the end of the planning phase. The building permit / planning permission has been submitted, the loan is signed, and if everything goes according to plan, construction will start in late summer/autumn.
As a couple, we are actually pretty relaxed, but everyone around us is driving us crazy. We’re never quite sure how to react, which causes some frustration.
Tell us about your experiences.
I’ve been quietly following along here for a while and wanted to check in with those who are about to start building or are still in the early stages of planning.
How do your friends and family react to your project? Do you get unsolicited “advice” to stop?
Do you find that your family talks about it all the time, or is it more a case of keeping calm and carrying on because there’s no turning back? Are you trying to calm yourselves with certain strategies, or are you already quite relaxed about it?
About us:
Our building project is nearing the end of the planning phase. The building permit / planning permission has been submitted, the loan is signed, and if everything goes according to plan, construction will start in late summer/autumn.
As a couple, we are actually pretty relaxed, but everyone around us is driving us crazy. We’re never quite sure how to react, which causes some frustration.
Tell us about your experiences.
N
Neubau20225 May 2022 07:15rick2018 schrieb:
If the loan is fixed and the construction (mostly) has fixed-price contracts, I wouldn’t lose sleep over it. Only those who are just starting planning now and don’t have a loan yet should recalculate everything...Unfortunately, a fixed price doesn’t mean much nowadays. If the general contractor wants to charge additional costs and threatens to stop work otherwise, what options does the client have? They have their financing pressure, with standby interest looming. For new agreements, they have to pay a higher price, and the loan will also become more expensive. It’s not that simple...
K
Klinkerstyle5 May 2022 08:04Charlottka schrieb:
We are in exactly the same situation as the original poster described. I have to say that I’ve had sleepless nights and would even advise others to cancel… at the same time, we are pushing ahead. Financially, we didn’t plan completely at the limit, even though the price increases hurt. However, as mentioned above, we don’t expect prices to go down. The energy transition will permanently lead to significantly higher energy costs, and if demand for materials for reconstruction picks up as well, it certainly won’t make availability any easier.
Just from the interest rate increases since we signed our contract with the bank, we have already saved a lot of money compared to delaying, despite penalty interest. That’s one aspect that at least makes me feel somewhat positive… Are you building with a local small company?
We are building a turnkey home and, three weeks ago, decided to contract the flooring installation and interior doors out to acquaintances. They said everything was still relaxed, but the situation could change quickly. We’re quite torn: on one hand, we’re glad we completed financing at 1.09% interest; on the other hand, this is already a difficult time. Eyes closed and push through.
Yes, we have a fixed price and asked again if that would hold. The general contractor (regional GC) said he sees no reason for an increase so far, as we never haggled. We also know we are paying quite a bit compared to friends who went with franchise companies. Hopefully, that will be our luck now.
No, it isn’t. Therefore, it’s important to approach contract negotiations with an open mind. It’s best to have enough space to securely store materials, etc.
Regardless, I would definitely choose an air-to-water heat pump and photovoltaic panels in large capacity. Additionally, make sure that energy consumption remains low. This provides independence in summer and spring/autumn, while in winter you rely least on expensive or scarce energy.
Possibly also a small pellet stove and a few bags of pellets. That would cover a lot.
Regardless, I would definitely choose an air-to-water heat pump and photovoltaic panels in large capacity. Additionally, make sure that energy consumption remains low. This provides independence in summer and spring/autumn, while in winter you rely least on expensive or scarce energy.
Possibly also a small pellet stove and a few bags of pellets. That would cover a lot.
N
Neubau20225 May 2022 08:59Joedreck schrieb:
No, it isn’t. Therefore, you need to approach contract negotiations with an open mind. It’s best to have enough space to safely store materials, etc.
Regardless, I would clearly choose an air-to-water heat pump and photovoltaic system on a large scale. Also, aim to keep energy consumption low. This provides independence during summer and spring/autumn, and in winter you rely least on expensive or scarce energy.
Possibly add a small pellet stove and a few bags of pellets. That really covers a lot. And very important: external construction supervisors. Two things are especially crucial during house construction:
1. The foundation slab. Once it’s done, you can’t repair it.
2. Underfloor heating installation. The better it’s installed (enough heating circuits, small spacing, etc.), the lower your heating costs.
Also, I now recommend (I was skeptical before) a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery, especially for new builds.
W
WilderSueden5 May 2022 11:20Neubau2022 schrieb:
Unfortunately, a fixed price doesn’t mean much these days. If the general contractor demands additional costs or threatens to stop construction, what choice does the client have?Insist on continuing construction. Alternatively, the general contractor must come clean financially if they want more money. We recently discussed Section 313. In the worst case, I would pay under protest and later try to recover some of the money. The main thing is to avoid ending up with an unfinished building that you can’t move into for years.