Hello
I have been thinking for years about building a house at some point. My wife and I wanted to first see how we manage as a small family with a child. They say that can already ruin some marriages. At the latest, five years after the birth of our first child, we planned to build a house. Of course, financing was uncertain.
That was the situation a year ago. Now, of course, things have turned out differently than expected. My wife became pregnant. We looked for a new apartment and moved calmly before the birth. Since the apartment is subsidized, we already know what rent increases to expect. We have now received the first notice of a rent increase. If it continues at this pace, we will probably have to start building the house much earlier.
Thanks to the child, we now know what her employer thinks of her. She had a fixed-term contract. Despite the pregnancy, she was offered a permanent position including four months of parental leave. With that, we expect to have about €3400 net (including child benefits) in 12 months. That allows for quite a few possibilities.
We plan one or two floors with 80m²-130m² (860-1400 sq ft) of living space.
1.) A solar water heating system is not worthwhile because we mainly need hot water in the mornings and evenings.
2.) A photovoltaic system only makes sense if it is not financed through external capital. -> It may be retrofitted later. For a photovoltaic system to be retrofitted at all, the roof must face south and have a pitch of about 30°. Is there anything else I should consider? Possibly a larger utility room?
3.) I want to install a cozy wood-burning stove for the winter days. On cold winter evenings, I would probably heat the stove for a few hours each evening. There are also models with water jackets that support the heating system. Would a few hours in the evening be enough to cover the heating demand of the whole house? The house can cool down slowly by up to 4°C (7°F) during the day. That doesn’t bother me.
4.) A passive house costs roughly €50,000 more. I’m not really interested in subsidies, and because of financing through external capital, it doesn’t pay off. But energy costs are unpredictable. As with photovoltaics, I wonder what I can retrofit later and what I need to plan for immediately. A concrete slab foundation and insulation can probably only be retrofitted with difficulty. Replacing windows, however, should not be too expensive beyond the material cost. Is this how I imagine it? I want, so to speak, a cheap house that can possibly be upgraded to a passive house later for little money.
5.) I ordered catalogs from Haus der Handwerker and ELK. I will order the Town & Country catalog at some point as well. What other catalogs would you recommend? The providers are not that important to me at first. I just want to compare quietly at home and get a feel for the price.
Otherwise, I am of course grateful for any suggestions.
Kind regards
Skunk
I have been thinking for years about building a house at some point. My wife and I wanted to first see how we manage as a small family with a child. They say that can already ruin some marriages. At the latest, five years after the birth of our first child, we planned to build a house. Of course, financing was uncertain.
That was the situation a year ago. Now, of course, things have turned out differently than expected. My wife became pregnant. We looked for a new apartment and moved calmly before the birth. Since the apartment is subsidized, we already know what rent increases to expect. We have now received the first notice of a rent increase. If it continues at this pace, we will probably have to start building the house much earlier.
Thanks to the child, we now know what her employer thinks of her. She had a fixed-term contract. Despite the pregnancy, she was offered a permanent position including four months of parental leave. With that, we expect to have about €3400 net (including child benefits) in 12 months. That allows for quite a few possibilities.
We plan one or two floors with 80m²-130m² (860-1400 sq ft) of living space.
1.) A solar water heating system is not worthwhile because we mainly need hot water in the mornings and evenings.
2.) A photovoltaic system only makes sense if it is not financed through external capital. -> It may be retrofitted later. For a photovoltaic system to be retrofitted at all, the roof must face south and have a pitch of about 30°. Is there anything else I should consider? Possibly a larger utility room?
3.) I want to install a cozy wood-burning stove for the winter days. On cold winter evenings, I would probably heat the stove for a few hours each evening. There are also models with water jackets that support the heating system. Would a few hours in the evening be enough to cover the heating demand of the whole house? The house can cool down slowly by up to 4°C (7°F) during the day. That doesn’t bother me.
4.) A passive house costs roughly €50,000 more. I’m not really interested in subsidies, and because of financing through external capital, it doesn’t pay off. But energy costs are unpredictable. As with photovoltaics, I wonder what I can retrofit later and what I need to plan for immediately. A concrete slab foundation and insulation can probably only be retrofitted with difficulty. Replacing windows, however, should not be too expensive beyond the material cost. Is this how I imagine it? I want, so to speak, a cheap house that can possibly be upgraded to a passive house later for little money.
5.) I ordered catalogs from Haus der Handwerker and ELK. I will order the Town & Country catalog at some point as well. What other catalogs would you recommend? The providers are not that important to me at first. I just want to compare quietly at home and get a feel for the price.
Otherwise, I am of course grateful for any suggestions.
Kind regards
Skunk
B
Brombadegs13 Sep 2011 14:12Hi Skunk,
I’m currently looking as well. In another forum, I was even laughed at. Although we have no problem financing a 200,000 EURO house, we still want to build well and affordably without taking out too much credit.
Our conditions are similar to yours—around 1.5 floors and 100-130 sqm (1,076-1,400 sq ft) of living space. I also think a solar water heating system is pointless, but a photovoltaic system makes sense (we have very high energy consumption due to working from home). I can’t really imagine a passive house either. In our current home, I always keep doors and windows open. But having to avoid airing in winter?
At the moment, I’m evaluating kits from timber house suppliers. According to a smart book I bought, most money can be saved during the shell construction phase. That’s why I’m considering a timber house kit (cost-effective and easier to assemble). Some even offer proper training where you learn how to build your house specifically. Then the house (excluding trades) with roofing costs around 50,000 EURO. It should also be possible to get the timber house weather-tight within about three weeks, which could be done during annual leave. The trades come afterward. I do know that I will definitely hire a building surveyor who will check the construction regularly during the building process. Although that costs something, they can handle pre-construction questions, monitor foundation work, and prepare/request tenders for the trades. They will also spot more quickly if materials used don’t match the specifications.
Regarding heating, I’m still researching. Obviously, a gas heating system is one option, but I want a fireplace as well. I’m looking for something that could possibly be extended up to the loft or at least transfers heat that far.
We won’t start building for another two years, so I have plenty of time to thoroughly check everything, reconsider things multiple times, and come up with new ideas. Let’s see what you end up with.
Regards, Bromi
I’m currently looking as well. In another forum, I was even laughed at. Although we have no problem financing a 200,000 EURO house, we still want to build well and affordably without taking out too much credit.
Our conditions are similar to yours—around 1.5 floors and 100-130 sqm (1,076-1,400 sq ft) of living space. I also think a solar water heating system is pointless, but a photovoltaic system makes sense (we have very high energy consumption due to working from home). I can’t really imagine a passive house either. In our current home, I always keep doors and windows open. But having to avoid airing in winter?
At the moment, I’m evaluating kits from timber house suppliers. According to a smart book I bought, most money can be saved during the shell construction phase. That’s why I’m considering a timber house kit (cost-effective and easier to assemble). Some even offer proper training where you learn how to build your house specifically. Then the house (excluding trades) with roofing costs around 50,000 EURO. It should also be possible to get the timber house weather-tight within about three weeks, which could be done during annual leave. The trades come afterward. I do know that I will definitely hire a building surveyor who will check the construction regularly during the building process. Although that costs something, they can handle pre-construction questions, monitor foundation work, and prepare/request tenders for the trades. They will also spot more quickly if materials used don’t match the specifications.
Regarding heating, I’m still researching. Obviously, a gas heating system is one option, but I want a fireplace as well. I’m looking for something that could possibly be extended up to the loft or at least transfers heat that far.
We won’t start building for another two years, so I have plenty of time to thoroughly check everything, reconsider things multiple times, and come up with new ideas. Let’s see what you end up with.
Regards, Bromi
P
perlenmann13 Sep 2011 15:17Skunk schrieb:
With this, we expect to have about €3400 net per month in 12 months (including child benefits). That allows for quite a bit.
You can do something with the net income, but what about the equity?
The plan is for 1 or 2 stories with 80m² to 130m² (860 to 1400 sq ft) of living space.
80m² (860 sq ft) for 4 people (including a heating room and utility room)?
1.) Solar panels are not worthwhile since we mainly need hot water in the morning and evening.
However, solar thermal systems come with a larger, insulated storage tank, so you have hot water available in the morning and evening. But the cost-benefit ratio really needs to be considered here.
3.) I want to install a cozy wood-burning stove for the winter days. On cold winter evenings, I would probably use the stove for a few hours each evening. There are also wood stoves with water heating to support the central heating system. Would a few hours of heating in the evening be enough to cover the entire house’s heating needs? The house can slowly cool down by up to about 4°C (7°F) during the day — I don’t mind that.
I can’t really say, but I find it unlikely that you can keep a house warm 24 hours with just a few hours of heating, unless the heating temperature is set to about 30°C (86°F).
5.) I have ordered catalogs from Haus der Handwerker and ELK. I will order one from Town & Country when I get the chance. Are there any other catalogs you would recommend? The providers are not very important for me right now. I just want to compare at home calmly and get a feel for the prices.
Catalogs are nice marketing brochures. There are also good local companies, not just the big franchise providers. Maybe check out a new residential development in your area.
Children and having your own garden... that was our motivation too 🙂
Since we are still quite young, we haven’t been able to save much equity yet. With a bit of luck, we might reach €30,000. We still have some time.
The 80m² (860 sq ft) would be without the heating and utility room. Whether that is enough for four people depends on the price. I grew up in a much smaller rental apartment, and as a child, it didn’t bother me. I even shared a room with my brother. On the other hand, 130m² (1,400 sq ft) is useless to me if I can’t afford to pay it off or if the monthly payments are so high that my children miss out.
So, 80m² (860 sq ft) is not an ideal size but the lower limit I can accept. From 130m² (1,400 sq ft) upwards, I start to consider what I would do with all the extra rooms once the children have moved out. I think it will end up around 100m² (1,075 sq ft).
With the Swedish stove, thanks to the water jacket, excess heat is naturally stored temporarily and then distributed through the heating system, for example to the upper floor. Basically, it works the same way as a solar thermal system. However, there is a small downside. I have found models that should cover the heating needs of the apartment, but about 30% of the output is released directly into the room air. So, you can’t size it too large, otherwise the living room gets uncomfortably warm. At least now I have some figures in mind that allow me to plan and calculate.
Unfortunately, none of the catalogs have arrived yet. That’s a minus point 😀
The 80m² (860 sq ft) would be without the heating and utility room. Whether that is enough for four people depends on the price. I grew up in a much smaller rental apartment, and as a child, it didn’t bother me. I even shared a room with my brother. On the other hand, 130m² (1,400 sq ft) is useless to me if I can’t afford to pay it off or if the monthly payments are so high that my children miss out.
So, 80m² (860 sq ft) is not an ideal size but the lower limit I can accept. From 130m² (1,400 sq ft) upwards, I start to consider what I would do with all the extra rooms once the children have moved out. I think it will end up around 100m² (1,075 sq ft).
With the Swedish stove, thanks to the water jacket, excess heat is naturally stored temporarily and then distributed through the heating system, for example to the upper floor. Basically, it works the same way as a solar thermal system. However, there is a small downside. I have found models that should cover the heating needs of the apartment, but about 30% of the output is released directly into the room air. So, you can’t size it too large, otherwise the living room gets uncomfortably warm. At least now I have some figures in mind that allow me to plan and calculate.
Unfortunately, none of the catalogs have arrived yet. That’s a minus point 😀
Hello, here are my two cents on your thoughts.
Basically, I would advise each of you to take your ideas and needs to a professional (architect) and get independent advice.
Glossy brochures look nice but rarely contain meaningful information. The salespeople for prefabricated houses and similar products are often merchants with little technical understanding who only want the best for you. 🙂
Often, during discussions, all kinds of promises are made or assurances given (speaking from the experience of several homeowners). These conversations are usually not documented and certainly not part of the contract. If things turn out differently later, there will be disputes, etc.
So please be cautious...
Only someone you pay for advice will give you independent guidance. Someone selling a product will not openly disclose the disadvantages or excluded services of their product.
Now a bit on the technical and legal side:
The use of renewable energy is now mandatory. That means for new construction projects, you cannot avoid installing an appropriate heating system or the mentioned solar system. Few people know this, few build accordingly, but it is required. Alternatively, you can exceed the values of the energy saving ordinance by insulating, insulating, and insulating...
Wood stove
For houses designed according to the current energy saving regulation, the use of a wood stove, apart from the cozy factor, is very questionable. They often produce multiple times the energy needed. In this case, a “tapping off” with a water-based stove insert is certainly useful. An open floor plan and an open stairwell are also recommended so that the heat can distribute throughout the house. An enclosed living space would quickly overheat.
That’s it for now. If you have specific questions, feel free to ask...
Regards, w - bpb
Basically, I would advise each of you to take your ideas and needs to a professional (architect) and get independent advice.
Glossy brochures look nice but rarely contain meaningful information. The salespeople for prefabricated houses and similar products are often merchants with little technical understanding who only want the best for you. 🙂
Often, during discussions, all kinds of promises are made or assurances given (speaking from the experience of several homeowners). These conversations are usually not documented and certainly not part of the contract. If things turn out differently later, there will be disputes, etc.
So please be cautious...
Only someone you pay for advice will give you independent guidance. Someone selling a product will not openly disclose the disadvantages or excluded services of their product.
Now a bit on the technical and legal side:
The use of renewable energy is now mandatory. That means for new construction projects, you cannot avoid installing an appropriate heating system or the mentioned solar system. Few people know this, few build accordingly, but it is required. Alternatively, you can exceed the values of the energy saving ordinance by insulating, insulating, and insulating...
Wood stove
For houses designed according to the current energy saving regulation, the use of a wood stove, apart from the cozy factor, is very questionable. They often produce multiple times the energy needed. In this case, a “tapping off” with a water-based stove insert is certainly useful. An open floor plan and an open stairwell are also recommended so that the heat can distribute throughout the house. An enclosed living space would quickly overheat.
That’s it for now. If you have specific questions, feel free to ask...
Regards, w - bpb