ᐅ Looking for a solid/concrete house builder in Central Hesse (Lahn-Dill-Kreis)

Hello dear forum,

Next week we will finally finalize the purchase of our plot of land.
1400 square meters (actually quite large)
No building permit / planning restrictions (so it can be divided later)
Fully developed
Completely flat
We are paying 50€ per square meter to a private seller.

We are still undecided whether to build a solid (masonry/concrete) house or a timber frame house.
For the timber frame option, after visiting a model home exhibition, we have focused on Fingerhaus or Hanse Haus. Are both manufacturers recommended?
We especially liked the layout of the Sento 402 by Fingerhaus.

Our requirements are:
About 160 square meters of living space
A home office on the ground floor
No basement

So a relatively standard setup. We are basing this on the kitchen and living room from the current apartment in my partner’s parents’ house (120 square meters), which were newly purchased.
These should of course be included.
Therefore, the living/dining area will need to be adjusted and definitely separated, for example with a sliding door.
I would like to have a clear separation there.

Our budget is around 420,000€ including the plot (70,000€).
We have roughly 30,000€ in equity available.

Our household net income is about 4,800€ (increasing, since one job is public sector, and we plan to make special repayments every year from the commission of the other job).

No time pressure as we currently live with parents.
The plot is four streets away.

But we are eager to get started, ideally between the end of 2021 and mid-2022.

Do you think it’s possible to build a solid (masonry/concrete) house within this framework?
Are there any recommendations for builders in the Central Hesse area/Giessen/Wetzlar/Limburg?

Many thanks and best regards

chris1205 schrieb:

But I’m already itching to start; late 2021 to mid-2022 would be ideal.

Start building or move in? Moving in this year will be difficult. Construction companies have fully booked schedules; you should expect about 1 year from obtaining the building permit/planning permission. Getting the permit itself also takes some time.

Other points:
- The budget is tight. After buying the plot, you have €350,000 left, but you still need to cover additional construction-related costs (40,000–50,000), landscaping, garage, garden shed. That leaves well under €300,000 for the house alone. At 160 sqm (1,722 sq ft), that’s significantly under €2,000 per square meter, and only achievable with a lot of your own work.
- Equity is quite low, so definitely arrange flexible financing for the land to avoid being tied to one bank. Given your income, it’s certainly possible, but be realistic about parental leave and possibly part-time work later if you don’t have children yet.
- The Sento house plan is only somewhat suitable for separating the living and dining areas. The living room gets most of its natural light through the dining area, so adding a wall there causes problems.
- Whether solid (e.g., masonry or concrete) or timber frame construction is used doesn’t matter much initially. You can build nice houses with either. However, with solid construction, you’re more likely to find smaller regional builders who aren’t burdened with maintaining numerous show homes and sales reps. Timber frame houses from carpenters tend to be in the higher price range, which could be challenging given your budget.
- Start with the floor plan first. Think about what rooms you need and how large they should be.
- Since you have some very specific requirements for certain rooms (the living room and kitchen must be included), a prefabricated home builder following a standard catalog will probably not be able to accommodate all your needs.

chris1205 schrieb:

Are there any recommendations for the central Hesse region around Giessen/Wetzlar/Limburg?

Hello and congratulations on your decision to build your own home.

We built in the neighboring district MR with a company from LDK and had an overall positive experience. Unfortunately, posting links is not allowed here, so I recommend searching for house construction in Herborn and focusing on Hohen Straße. Best of luck!

chris1205 schrieb:

No zoning plan (so it can be divided later)

That is quite an original interpretation.

chris1205 schrieb:

We are still undecided between solid construction and timber frame construction.
After visiting the model home exhibition, we focused on Fingerhaus or Hanse Haus for the timber frame option. Are both manufacturers recommended?

At the very least, there’s no need to warn against either, and both definitely cater to the same target audience in terms of style. Regarding solid construction, if I remember correctly, @Curly is quite satisfied with Weton (Limburg area).

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https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/

chris1205 schrieb:

Hello dear forum,

Next week we will finally finalize our land purchase.
1400 square meters (actually too large)
No zoning plan (so it can possibly be subdivided later)
Fully serviced
Completely flat
Paying €50 per square meter to a

11ant schrieb:

That’s quite an original interpretation.

There’s probably no need to warn against either, and both cater to similar tastes in any case. Regarding solid construction companies, if I remember correctly, @Curly was quite satisfied with Weton (Limburg area).

At least someone could still build on the second row, this was confirmed to us… But I think we ourselves would rather not want that.

Weton looks interesting.
@Curly, how do they compare price-wise?

I hadn’t really factored the landscaping into the budget.
We have about €50,000 in equity but would like to keep some as a buffer and not invest everything.

As I said, these are just initial considerations.

Thanks a lot in advance for any info.

Good luck

Landscaping done by yourself doesn’t have to be expensive. For example, using seeds instead of sod can save you several hundred euros. Paving your own patio, driveway, and paths isn’t rocket science, but it does come with some cost. However, smart plot planning can help you save some space and reduce expenses.

Having a financial buffer in your equity is advisable in case the construction ends up costing more than expected or if someone hits your car at the worst possible time. With your low equity ratio, this is a double-edged sword because banks tend to charge higher fees for financing with less equity. When it gets serious, you should consider whether adding an extra €10,000 (about $11,000) in equity could help you cross a crucial threshold.