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Marcel111111 Aug 2020 07:54Hello everyone,
We have owned a plot of land for three weeks and are now looking for a construction company to build the house we want.
So far, we have spoken with several prefab home builders, but some questions have come up.
Roughly, what we have in mind:
140-150sqm (1500-1600 sq ft)
5 rooms + kitchen + downstairs shower bathroom + upstairs bathroom with bathtub + utility room + pantry
No basement
Simple gable roof
Bay window
Chimney / fireplace
It is quite difficult to compare prices, and several companies have quoted us prices of around €260,000 (plus additional costs) for such a house. The land costs €100,000. Our total budget including contingencies is €380,000.
We have read in this forum that many people have built similar houses for a total volume of around €300,000, so we are wondering if prefab houses are really the more affordable option. What should we pay attention to, and are there any recommendations for builders around Hannover?
Thank you in advance.
We have owned a plot of land for three weeks and are now looking for a construction company to build the house we want.
So far, we have spoken with several prefab home builders, but some questions have come up.
Roughly, what we have in mind:
140-150sqm (1500-1600 sq ft)
5 rooms + kitchen + downstairs shower bathroom + upstairs bathroom with bathtub + utility room + pantry
No basement
Simple gable roof
Bay window
Chimney / fireplace
It is quite difficult to compare prices, and several companies have quoted us prices of around €260,000 (plus additional costs) for such a house. The land costs €100,000. Our total budget including contingencies is €380,000.
We have read in this forum that many people have built similar houses for a total volume of around €300,000, so we are wondering if prefab houses are really the more affordable option. What should we pay attention to, and are there any recommendations for builders around Hannover?
Thank you in advance.
S
StevoBrun11 Aug 2020 12:26This will be tight. The basic guideline is at least €2,000 per square meter, so about €300,000 plus additional costs for 150 square meters (1,615 square feet).
If you already have quotes, carefully study the scope of construction work to see what extras are included. Whether it’s a prefabricated house or a solid masonry house does not make a huge difference in price; it mainly depends on personal preference.
If you already have quotes, carefully study the scope of construction work to see what extras are included. Whether it’s a prefabricated house or a solid masonry house does not make a huge difference in price; it mainly depends on personal preference.
StevoBrun schrieb:
This is tight. The basic guideline is at least €2000 per square meter, so around €300,000 plus additional costs for 150 square meters (1,615 square feet).
If you already have quotes, study the scope of work carefully to see what extra costs might come up. Whether it’s a prefab house or a solid construction house doesn’t make a huge price difference; it depends on personal preference. We have been in talks with 8 general contractors (Brandenburg/Berlin) and have planned for our 140 square meter (1,507 square feet) bungalow with a few extras:
- Controlled mechanical ventilation
- Ground-source heat pump including passive cooling
- Fireplace
- Room height of 3 meters (10 feet)
- Electric roller shutters
- Colored windows
- Minimum KFW 55 standard
We have budgeted €330,000 for the house alone (excluding additional costs) plus a €20,000 contingency.
€260k for 150-160 square meters (1,615-1,722 square feet) is not feasible.
Wow, so you have already bought the plot?
Didn’t you calculate the costs beforehand?
Is your budget an all-in one? Including everything like additional costs, furniture, kitchen, and so on?
Even with your $260K (which I find almost unrealistic depending on the region and level of modesty), it won’t be enough. $50K for additional construction costs, $100K for the land (including purchase-related costs, taxes, connection fees, notary, etc.)?
That already uses up your total budget. And you haven’t included a garage, landscaping, kitchen, furniture, lighting, and so on yet.
Please make sure to urgently double-check your budget!
Didn’t you calculate the costs beforehand?
Is your budget an all-in one? Including everything like additional costs, furniture, kitchen, and so on?
Even with your $260K (which I find almost unrealistic depending on the region and level of modesty), it won’t be enough. $50K for additional construction costs, $100K for the land (including purchase-related costs, taxes, connection fees, notary, etc.)?
That already uses up your total budget. And you haven’t included a garage, landscaping, kitchen, furniture, lighting, and so on yet.
Please make sure to urgently double-check your budget!
That’s a very, very tight budget. How much contingency do you have?
Why choose a prefabricated house builder at all? Just because their catalog prices look cheap at first? Forget it! Prefabricated houses tend to end up more expensive.
For 260,000 €, a traditional builder can also deliver a house, 120 to 130 m² (1300 to 1400 sq ft) with a slab foundation is realistic without major special requests, depending on the region. I would avoid a bay window and probably a second bathroom unless absolutely necessary. If that’s enough, all the better. Storage and technical rooms might fit into the attic, which would ease things with four bedrooms. Would three bedrooms also be an option?
As for the rest of the additional costs and earthworks, it depends on the plot. I would have those calculated now—contact utility providers and also ask a groundworks contractor for a rough estimate including soil removal (priced by volume). Please calculate realistically and get concrete quotes where possible. Often, other homeowners in the neighborhood can give you information about the price level. The mentioned 50,000 € is probably a reasonable first estimate.
Fence, landing, small terrace, splash protection, plus a carport kit in ready-to-assemble form (or a paved area) will cost you at least another 15,000 €, and these are actually the minimum requirements for the exterior.
Why choose a prefabricated house builder at all? Just because their catalog prices look cheap at first? Forget it! Prefabricated houses tend to end up more expensive.
For 260,000 €, a traditional builder can also deliver a house, 120 to 130 m² (1300 to 1400 sq ft) with a slab foundation is realistic without major special requests, depending on the region. I would avoid a bay window and probably a second bathroom unless absolutely necessary. If that’s enough, all the better. Storage and technical rooms might fit into the attic, which would ease things with four bedrooms. Would three bedrooms also be an option?
As for the rest of the additional costs and earthworks, it depends on the plot. I would have those calculated now—contact utility providers and also ask a groundworks contractor for a rough estimate including soil removal (priced by volume). Please calculate realistically and get concrete quotes where possible. Often, other homeowners in the neighborhood can give you information about the price level. The mentioned 50,000 € is probably a reasonable first estimate.
Fence, landing, small terrace, splash protection, plus a carport kit in ready-to-assemble form (or a paved area) will cost you at least another 15,000 €, and these are actually the minimum requirements for the exterior.
Where are you building, and what are your expectations?
Building a 380 square meter (4,100 square feet) house on a $100,000 land plot all-in is unrealistic, unless you have very low expectations and contribute a lot of equity. But that doesn't seem to be the case with features like a bay window and a fireplace.
An extra $100,000 to $200,000, depending on your expectations and the region, sounds more realistic.
Building a 380 square meter (4,100 square feet) house on a $100,000 land plot all-in is unrealistic, unless you have very low expectations and contribute a lot of equity. But that doesn't seem to be the case with features like a bay window and a fireplace.
An extra $100,000 to $200,000, depending on your expectations and the region, sounds more realistic.
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