ᐅ Land plot secured – what are the next steps? Any experiences to share?

Dear Forum,

We unexpectedly found ourselves in the position to build a house and are currently feeling very overwhelmed, as we, satisfied tenants until now, have not really dealt with the topic of house construction before.

We currently rent a semi-detached house and have the opportunity to buy a beautiful plot of land within sight of our current home (it is already reserved for us). Since the semi-detached house will become too small for us in the long term, we would very much like to take on the challenge of building a house, especially since it is a unique opportunity. We feel very comfortable in this neighborhood and our children have friends and attend school nearby. So, we would not be moving “properly” but just about 50 meters (55 yards) away.

Here are some basic details: we live in the Rhein-Erft district, about 20 km (12 miles) west of Cologne. The building plot measures 640 m² (6889 sq ft). We have a budget for the house construction, including additional construction-related costs, of about €600,000 plus the cost for acquiring the land.
We expect to get a turnkey 130 m² (1400 sq ft) single-family house with a basement. However, we want a special layout, not a standard catalog house. For example, I would like the master bedroom and bathroom on the ground floor, partly with regard to aging; the upper floor would then have “only” two large children’s rooms and one bathroom. The rest, like a guest room, office, and additional utility rooms, would be located in the basement.

Our initial investigation into prefabricated houses was not very convincing. Seeing in the model home park that the exterior walls somehow consist of just two thin wooden panels with insulation wool in between – I find it hard to imagine that I would want that (but I am willing to compromise if finances require it).

So our first tendency is towards a solid masonry house. We have already been in phone contact with Kern-Haus (but we are definitely not tied to them; they were simply the first for initial information). The budget roughly seems to fit. Of course, a lot is promised: the friendly saleswoman said that if we have the floor plan this year, we could be in the new house by Christmas 2025. Apart from my skepticism, what worries me more is the fact that we would have no influence on the subcontractors (they are supposed to be as cheap as possible to maximize the general contractor’s profit) and would be completely subject to the building company, hoping at the end to get something reasonable. This probably works often – but what if it doesn’t?

By contrast, we had a short consultation with an architect. Of course, everything (such as awarding contracts to known, trustworthy companies, which might be slightly more expensive) would be discussed with us. Unfortunately, given our budget, full support from an architect is not possible, at least not according to her calculation and our expectations; the difference is just too big.

In addition to the room layout, it is very important for us that the living quality is as good as possible – lots of natural light, a well-thought-out floor plan, and technical “bells and whistles” like electric shutters, proper ventilation systems, etc. Resale value is also a topic on its own. The appearance (such as facade design, roof style, flooring, etc.) is rather secondary for us, and we are very willing to compromise here in favor of affordable solutions. We might also leave landscaping aside and decide on it at the end based on the remaining budget or do it ourselves over the next few years. Speaking of that: some small tasks (like painting) would be possible, but we are not skilled craftsmen and don’t have family or friends who could help meaningfully.

We have already considered various insurances for us as builders and external construction supervision/building inspectors, but that will be a topic for later.

Now we just need to find the point where we can start with the concrete planning because construction must begin in 9 months and be completed within 3 years (according to the land sale conditions).

Now our questions to you, dear experienced home builders:

- Are there any possibilities for a middle ground (perhaps a local builder)? Something not as expensive as a full architect-led build but still close cooperation and the assurance that the choice of subcontractors is made in our favor (and possibly cost-wise) or at least coordinated with us?

- Can you recommend any general contractors or builders in the area who work “well” and don’t leave the client completely on their own?

- Do you have any other tips or comments for us as complete novices? Although we have no experience, we resist blindly placing ourselves in someone’s hands. We want to be as involved as possible and not just do everything “because everyone does it that way.” I hope you understand what I mean...

And yes, we are aware that our ideas might not be fully covered by the budget – we just want to look openly in all directions and hope that with many compromises our wishes can somehow be realized.

Many thanks in advance to everyone for your experiences!

An architect-designed house is not necessarily expensive. Our house was completed in 1973, we bought it 10 years ago, and renovated it extensively under the supervision of an architect, including an extension. Of course, you need to choose the architect carefully. The right one can also build an affordable house.

First of all, congratulations on the ideal "framework conditions" (plot within sight, living experience with a house)!

My "Housebuilding Roadmap, also for you: the HOAI phase model!" (search externally, including quotation marks) advises aligning your approach with that of architects, regardless of whether and to what extent you hire one. The classic approach is as follows: 1) I send “my” advice seekers to an independent architect to commission them with service phases 1 and 2, which I collectively call "Module A." During this stage, the possibilities of the plot and zoning plan are assessed and combined with the needs and wishes. At the end of this phase, nine percent of the architect’s fee has been spent and the room program is translated into a building form. With this so-called preliminary design, you can submit a preliminary building inquiry to the building authority (which is advisable at least according to the "integration requirement / §34" if there is no "qualified zoning plan" for the plot) and, through orientation queries to a handful of construction companies and house manufacturers, determine which building method is best suited in the specific case and what the approximate costs will be. For this purpose, I recommend taking a 2) active pause of about six to eight weeks with two components. The “resting dough” serves reflection and working through emotions. That means consciously closing this first phase, reflecting on the current planning status and your understanding of the planners, and peacefully letting go of ideas you decide not to pursue further, so they don’t nag you like a small voice in your ear during the rest of the process. The parallel "switch setting" is about determining the best building method for the specific case (the responses in the form of initial offers do not necessarily fall into a clear yes/no distinction of one method or another). I and several colleagues (whom I regularly recommend here) offer support through moderating the process, neutral advising, and often also conducting the “switch setting” measure. I provide this service without bias towards any building method, while some colleagues specialize in prefabricated homes.

The result of this active pause then points to the next direction. Now you 3) return to an architect (often the same one as before) to either start the entire "Module B" or just service phase 3. That means selecting a suitable base design from the market of proven building proposals and adapting it, or developing the preliminary design further with the input from the queried companies along with your architect into the design phase. If at this point it becomes clear that you will realize the project with a general contractor / “house manufacturer,” you proceed with them to the building permit planning; otherwise, you continue with the self-hired architect.

In my experience, the best way is to work with the architect through Modules B and C—but there are deviations from this ideal path, which I also describe in my series on the housebuilding roadmap. If you do the entire "Module B" with the architect, it ends with the detailed design (service phase 5), from which service phases 6 and 7 (preparation and execution of the tender) follow. In the tender, bidders are allowed to apply for several or all ("general contractor") lots, but it’s better not to limit the participant pool to only these. A smart general contractor who wants to stay in business long term won’t ruin their reputation with “cheap Jacks”—this quick money as a subcontractor broker would also be short-lived. Good residential architects know suitable team arrangements from both self-recruited staff and general contractor–subcontractor combinations.

Then you either follow 4) my rule of thumb "3 + 5 = 8" and let the composer personally conduct, or you commission a separate construction supervisor; one should avoid falling for the labeling trick of a general contractor’s “site manager.” So far, it’s all straightforward and there’s no need to fear wasting money unnecessarily on the architect’s fees (possibly according to the fee schedule). Independent consultants can help find the optimal combination of specialists for the specific building project.

Lena_baut schrieb:

I would like the master bedroom and bathroom on the ground floor, partly with regard to aging;

This is, in this variant, a somewhat smaller “crazy idea for the future” compared to a full-fledged “already now” bedroom instead of a home office/guest room in the sense of a “when we get frail” bedroom, but it’s not a major solution; I also wrote a series of two posts about this, alongside four concerning the question of whether or how to build a basement.

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And now to the topic of budget.

Lena_baut schrieb:

We have a budget for the house construction including additional building costs of about €600,000 plus the cost of purchasing the plot.
We expect a turnkey single-family house of 130m² (1400 sq ft) with a basement. However, it should have a special room layout, so not a standard catalog house (I would like the master bedroom and bathroom on the ground floor, among other things with regard to aging; on the upper floor only two large children's bedrooms and one bathroom, the rest like guest room, office and other utility rooms then in the basement).

A flat allowance of €50,000 has been deducted for additional building costs, leaving €550,000.
At €3,000/m² (280 sq ft), you get about 180 m² (1,940 sq ft) of living space.
If you move living and common rooms into the basement, the cost is roughly the same, about €3,000/m² (280 sq ft).
It has always been more expensive to build into the ground than to use the existing attic space.
And here is some good news: there are also standard/prefabricated houses, i.e. developer-designed houses, that have a sleeping and bathroom area on the ground floor.
Conclusion: I don’t see the basement happening, but rather a house with about 110–120 m² (1,185–1,290 sq ft) of living space on the ground floor and 60–70 m² (645–750 sq ft) upstairs.

Lena_baut schrieb:

We have a budget for building the house including additional construction costs of around 600,000€ plus the cost for purchasing the land.
We expect to get a turnkey 130m² (1,400 sq ft) single-family house with a basement.

Why a basement?
The budget will be very tight with a basement.
You can estimate around €3,000 (about $3,200) construction costs per square meter (sq m) of living space, plus maybe around €70,000 (about $75,000) for the basement (storage basement or habitable basement?) plus additional construction costs, garage, landscaping, etc.
A storage basement is actually the most expensive room in the entire house – cost versus usefulness. The attic, on the other hand, is often available as storage space for free.

Lena_baut schrieb:

Not a standard catalog house (I would like the master bedroom and bathroom on the ground floor, also considering aging;

Okay, right now the house doesn’t suit your lifestyle and you are building something new to fit it. So why not also consider aging in place?

Lena_baut schrieb:

On the other hand, we had a brief consultation with an architect, where of course everything (such as subcontractor selection of trusted companies – which might be a bit more expensive) would be discussed with us. Unfortunately, with our budget, a full architectural service is not possible, at least not according to her calculations and our expectations, there is just too much difference.

The same house with the same specifications costs the same amount no matter who builds it, and regardless of wall construction or similar details.

Lena_baut schrieb:

Floor plan well thought out

Lena_baut schrieb:

would like the master bedroom and bathroom on the ground floor,

Unfortunately, these two requirements are contradictory.

Lena_baut schrieb:

Resale value is also a topic in itself.

The more individual and specialized the floor plan becomes, the lower the resale value will generally be.
With a 130m² (1,400 sq ft) house, the floor plan design becomes challenging if you want a nice living room, kitchen, bedroom, a full bathroom, and a guest bathroom (or will all guests have to use the bathroom that can only be accessed through the bedroom?) on the ground floor near the entrance.
Then you might have 90m² (970 sq ft) downstairs and only 40m² (430 sq ft) upstairs?

Lena_baut schrieb:

The rest like guest room and office and other utility rooms then in the basement).

Ah, so a habitable basement. Please correct my above basement cost estimate then. For a 65m² (700 sq ft) basement, count full living space costs as well. So for the house alone, without all additional costs, it is already well above €600,000 (about $640,000) – because it doesn’t really matter if you build living space above or below ground (well, almost no difference – the costs for building downwards are still quite high).
So the budget will not work for this planning.

Lena_baut schrieb:

Besides not being very gullible, I am more put off by the fact that we would have no influence on the subcontractors (they would have to be as cheap as possible to maximize the general contractor’s profit) and would be completely dependent on the house builder, hoping to get something decent at the end. It often probably works well – but what if not?

That’s why you choose a suitable company and check the build specification carefully. How the company then builds is actually irrelevant to you since you supervise the construction through an independent expert.

Lena_baut schrieb:

Our initial engagement with prefab houses wasn’t very convincing. Seeing in the model home park that the exterior walls somehow only consist of two thin wood panels with insulation in between – I just can’t really imagine wanting that.

Well, with this technology – which is used tens of thousands of times and where as a resident you don’t even notice how the house is built – today’s energy standards are much easier to meet. You won’t really notice the construction method, as mentioned.

Lena_baut schrieb:

So not as high costs as for an architect-designed house,

An architect-designed house isn’t more expensive than a house from a construction company. It’s the individual wishes of the owners that make it more expensive. It is a misconception that a house from a construction company is cheaper. At best, an off-the-shelf house is cheaper because the architectural services are spread over many houses.

Lena_baut schrieb:

which general contractors or construction companies work well around here and where you don’t feel completely left alone as the builder?

Everyone leaves you alone to some extent. They do what you want, no matter how crazy your wishes are. They just want to earn money.

Tip:
- Follow posts by @11ant
- Seriously rethink room planning
- Consider an off-the-shelf house without basement (this will surely be cheaper or at least make the desired 180–200m² (1,940–2,150 sq ft) area affordable for you)

Congratulations. The conditions are very good. As mentioned before, you should reconsider the basement.