ᐅ How much additional cost is expected based on the structural engineer’s calculations?
Created on: 11 Jun 2023 11:17
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Lauralila88
Hello,
I have to admit that we approached the house construction quite naively...
We have already signed the detailed construction plans, and now the construction company wants us to waive our right to special termination in writing – is that even legal?
Now to the main question: we signed a fixed price contract (turnkey), but the site manager said that the price might change again after the structural engineer's calculations???? I mean, we won’t make any more changes to the plans, and we have already budgeted with the bank based on the known price – is this normal? It feels like buying a pig in a poke!
Best regards
I have to admit that we approached the house construction quite naively...
We have already signed the detailed construction plans, and now the construction company wants us to waive our right to special termination in writing – is that even legal?
Now to the main question: we signed a fixed price contract (turnkey), but the site manager said that the price might change again after the structural engineer's calculations???? I mean, we won’t make any more changes to the plans, and we have already budgeted with the bank based on the known price – is this normal? It feels like buying a pig in a poke!
Best regards
L
Lauralila8820 Jun 2023 12:06xMisterDx schrieb:
Exactly. Besides, it’s a complete waste of time to request a quote when you’ve already signed a contract with another provider. That time can be better spent, as often recommended here, by consulting a lawyer.
But—and 11ant has already mentioned this... if you can’t afford more than 20,000 EUR at this point, it won’t be 140 m² (1,507 sq ft) with a basement, but rather 140 m² without a basement and with a lot of owner-built work due to the current situation (high construction costs, high interest rates)... or maybe only 120 m² (1,292 sq ft), but without much owner participation...
I can tell you how I calculated:
The sample calculation said 420,000 EUR. I first increased some items to make it 450,000 EUR so the bank would loan us a little more money.
And then we kept about 70,000 EUR of our own capital in reserve.
So our total reserve was 100,000 EUR... and what can I say...
The house is standing, we live in it... but the reserve is gone.
And we don’t have a basement, certainly not in earthquake zone 3, and we were able to use all of our excavation materials on our own land. That’s a gamble... if the soil is even slightly contaminated, then God help you...A dumb question, but what happens if the soil is contaminated? And how do we find that out—by means of the soil analysis that the waste disposal site requires?
L
Lauralila8820 Jun 2023 12:13xMisterDx schrieb:
Exactly. Furthermore, it is a complete waste of time to get a quote if you have already signed a contract with another provider. You can use that time more effectively by, as often recommended here, consulting with a lawyer.
But, and 11ant already mentioned this... if you can’t handle more than 20,000 EUR at this point, you won’t end up with 140m² (1,507 sq ft) including a basement. Given the current situation (high construction costs, high interest rates), it’s more likely to be 140m² without a basement and with a lot of self-performed work... or just 120m² (1,292 sq ft) with little self-performed work...
I can tell you how I calculated it:
The sample calculation said 420,000 EUR. I increased some items, so it became 450,000 EUR, so the bank would lend us a bit more money.
And then we held back another 70,000 EUR from our own equity.
So, our reserve was 100,000 EUR... and what can I say...
The house is standing, we are living in it... but the reserve is gone.
And we have no basement, especially not in earthquake zone 3, and we were able to use all of our excavation soil on our property. That’s a gamble... if the soil is contaminated even slightly, then God help you... Besides that, there is a contaminated sites register for the soil, which should indicate any pollution present.
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Osnabruecker20 Jun 2023 12:24Lauralila88 schrieb:
Apart from that, there is a contaminated sites register for the soil, which should indicate any pollution. It doesn’t always have to be an old chemical plant or gas station.
Soil can also be naturally contaminated or mixed with construction debris, for example, from previous builders 50 years ago. This increases the costs.
The clean soil threshold, Z0, is quickly exceeded.
And since you’re already lucky with your construction project, from August 1, 2023, even stricter regulations will apply. The LAGA standards (such as Z0) will then be replaced by the Substitute Building Materials Ordinance.
So if you commission a report or analysis, be sure to specify whether the work will take place before or after August 1.
(And the inspectors are overwhelmed and struggling with the transition.)
kati1337 schrieb:
However, I don’t see an equal contractual partner on the other side. To me, it feels like a company that is already trying to take advantage of inexperienced clients. From the few posts by the original poster, I get the impression that probably no real questions were asked. The general contractor may have simply assumed that they had done their research beforehand, as some homeowners certainly do. Of course, it could also be a case of a deceptive company, but it’s also possible that the original poster is not presenting the full picture. As we know, there are always two sides to every story 🙂
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hanghaus202320 Jun 2023 13:0611ant schrieb:
Do you mean hollow concrete blocks?Yes, of course.But would the OP have understood that?
jrth2151 schrieb:
but please don’t try to be so dismissive, that usually has the opposite effect. My experience is that being smart means not automatically equating involving a lawyer with an intent to escalate. This is not meant to be dismissive. I trust the expert to choose the right tone.
Lauralila88 schrieb:
and what does reducing the size by about 30 sqm (around 320 sq ft) roughly do to the price? KarstenausNRW schrieb:
Although I just have a quick comment: “just” reducing the size by 30 sqm (around 320 sq ft) can also trigger a (possibly costly) chain reaction. What I meant was that, under the new conditions, a budget-compliant house will end up about 30 sqm (around 320 sq ft) smaller (maybe five more or less). From my perspective, it obviously has to be a smaller model, because—as correctly pointed out—simply tweaking the current design would not be a successful solution.
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