ᐅ Is Starting Construction in 2015 Still Advisable?

Correct, but the building permit / planning permission is only valid for one year, and the quotes from the contractor are usually only valid for a few weeks or months.
If you are planning to build in March 2016, I would wait for a few more quotes.

Statement from a friend who is an architect:
It doesn’t necessarily mean that building the house next year will be more expensive – if you were already planning to build to KfW 70 standard, then in 2016 you will meet the minimum standard, and it might even be cheaper next year than it is today.
The reason is the entry-level construction prices, which, if increased, could lead to lower demand.

The architect’s assumption is that in 2016, KfW 70 standard might be available at KfW 85 prices.

Häusle77 schrieb:
Correct, but the building application is only valid for one year.

You probably mean a building permit / planning permission? If so, it is valid for 3 years.

Lars881 schrieb:

and the quotes from the builder usually only last a few weeks or months.
If you plan to build in 03/16, I would wait for a few more offers.

Why? If the original poster finds the right contractor for them, they can lock in this year’s terms. Certainly not indefinitely, but with good negotiation, these should last throughout the entire construction period; excluding costs for additional purchases next year, which of course will be charged according to the new price list.

Lars881 schrieb:

The architect’s assumption is that in 2016 KFW 70 might be priced like KFW 85.

That’s a bold statement, which I would definitely not make like that, especially not as of today.

Regards, Bauexperte

Häusle77 schrieb:

Statement from a friend who is an architect:
It doesn’t necessarily mean that building a house will be more expensive next year – if you were planning to build to KfW 70 standard anyway, then in 2016 you meet the minimum standard, and it may even be cheaper next year than it is today.
The reason is the entry-level building prices, which could lead to a drop in sales if increased.

The architect’s assumption is that in 2016, KfW 70 could be offered at KfW 85 prices.

Very interesting statement...

When I look into my crystal ball, I even believe that today’s promotional offers (which never really fit anyway) will continue to exist. However, since an increased performance must definitely be delivered, the cost has to be saved somewhere else. This means a better-insulated house but otherwise lower quality for today’s price. So, have you actually gained anything from that?

Since the primary energy demand must be reduced by 25%, additional technical systems beyond the current standard scope may be required – naturally at the same price...

There is a simple rule for all business transactions:

“No one works for free or gives anything away.”

If you keep this in mind, everything else basically explains itself. Since my calendar currently shows March, there are still a few months left in 2015, so there shouldn’t be any real “pressure” yet. I find the seller’s advice fair and pass it on to my clients accordingly. It was clear from the start that the seller wants to make a sale – but they would still want that in 2016 as well.

If I build to KFW70 standards today, I am already 5% below the maximum primary energy demand set for 2016. Apart from the usual increases in building material and labor costs, why should building houses become so much more expensive?

Häusle77 schrieb:
If I build KFW70 today, I am already 5% below the maximum primary energy demand for 2016.

Please explain this calculation to me.

Regards, Bauexperte

With a KFW70 house, the annual primary energy demand is reduced by 30% compared to the Energy Saving Ordinance 2009!

Energy Saving Ordinance 2014 from 01.01.2016:

• Reduce the annual primary energy demand by an average of 25%!

• Increase the thermal transmittance (U-value) by an average of 20%!