ᐅ New Construction on a New Plot Without Children – How Should We Approach It?
Created on: 9 Sep 2015 09:05
B
BaujulchenB
Baujulchen9 Sep 2015 09:05Hello,
first, a brief introduction.
We (my better half and main breadwinner^^, 52, and I, 44) are facing a new challenge.
Due to an expected job change (within the same company, so no new probation period, etc.), we expect to move again in about 3 years.
Our child will almost be finished with university by then and will be independent. He will probably stay in our region at first, as he studies in a practical training network and already has a job opportunity lined up.
We built once before in 1996/1997—a small prefabricated house at a fantastic price. There was a great offer for families with a major bank and a regional prefab manufacturer. We were able to buy the land quite cheaply from the municipality back then. Due to relatively high interest rates (compared to now^^), we are now close to paying off the mortgage.
We will be finished with the “new start” almost exactly by then.
The current house has a great layout, and with 107m2 (1150 sq ft) of living space, with little hallway and good room distribution, it was more than enough space for a family with one child.
There were few defects back then, and overall, we were very satisfied with the decision to build a prefab house. We were also a bit lucky because the company went bankrupt three years after we moved in.
About our plans now:
Plot prices in the region we expect to move to are around 40-45€/m2 (about $4.50-$5.00 per sq ft), fully serviced. We do NOT want a huge garden, as we see with our parents that, at a certain age, you just can’t maintain everything as you’d like. 600m2 (about 6500 sq ft), if the layout fits a bungalow on it, will be more than enough for our needs.
We plan about 110-115m2 (1180-1240 sq ft) of living space, all on one level (we’re not getting any younger ;-) ) with a partly covered terrace, possibly a garage or carport, and if the price works out, maybe a partial basement. A basement is not absolutely necessary—we don’t have one now and manage with a crawl space. You learn not to keep everything ;-)
We want a bedroom, possibly with a walk-in closet, a bathroom with bathtub AND shower, a guest room/office, and possibly an additional guest toilet with a shower. Depending on whether there is a basement or not, maybe the option for a sauna (sigh... I've always wanted one^^).
An open space plan (living room, dining room, kitchen) is under consideration.
Of course, I’ve started researching... and it was almost overwhelming... at our time, there were just a handful of well-known prefab companies, some of which actually still exist.
How should we best approach this? I have absolutely no idea about current energy standards, what is possible, what is necessary, and how that might affect related financing (we are calculating about 150,000€ (about $160,000) of own capital, partly from the sale of the current house, if all goes well).
KfW 40/55/70?? Passive house, geothermal energy... until last week, these were all completely new “words” for me, and now I’m starting to read up on them. But how deeply do I need to get into this?
The planned move would possibly be around mid-2018, so there is plenty of time to plan and gather information.
Many things that we added to the current house over time we would like to have again, for example, a large covered terrace with automatic sun protection, solar panels for hot water, a walk-in shower, electric roller shutters, possibly with sun sensors, etc.
Ideally, we would like everything from a single source, as we don’t have much time. Because we cannot be on site all the time (about 300km (190 miles) between current home and new location), we need someone we can 100% rely on (I know, that’s utopia ;-) ).
How would you approach this situation?
Thanks in advance—I’m hoping for one or two tips regarding planning and implementation.
dat Baujulchen :-)
first, a brief introduction.
We (my better half and main breadwinner^^, 52, and I, 44) are facing a new challenge.
Due to an expected job change (within the same company, so no new probation period, etc.), we expect to move again in about 3 years.
Our child will almost be finished with university by then and will be independent. He will probably stay in our region at first, as he studies in a practical training network and already has a job opportunity lined up.
We built once before in 1996/1997—a small prefabricated house at a fantastic price. There was a great offer for families with a major bank and a regional prefab manufacturer. We were able to buy the land quite cheaply from the municipality back then. Due to relatively high interest rates (compared to now^^), we are now close to paying off the mortgage.
We will be finished with the “new start” almost exactly by then.
The current house has a great layout, and with 107m2 (1150 sq ft) of living space, with little hallway and good room distribution, it was more than enough space for a family with one child.
There were few defects back then, and overall, we were very satisfied with the decision to build a prefab house. We were also a bit lucky because the company went bankrupt three years after we moved in.
About our plans now:
Plot prices in the region we expect to move to are around 40-45€/m2 (about $4.50-$5.00 per sq ft), fully serviced. We do NOT want a huge garden, as we see with our parents that, at a certain age, you just can’t maintain everything as you’d like. 600m2 (about 6500 sq ft), if the layout fits a bungalow on it, will be more than enough for our needs.
We plan about 110-115m2 (1180-1240 sq ft) of living space, all on one level (we’re not getting any younger ;-) ) with a partly covered terrace, possibly a garage or carport, and if the price works out, maybe a partial basement. A basement is not absolutely necessary—we don’t have one now and manage with a crawl space. You learn not to keep everything ;-)
We want a bedroom, possibly with a walk-in closet, a bathroom with bathtub AND shower, a guest room/office, and possibly an additional guest toilet with a shower. Depending on whether there is a basement or not, maybe the option for a sauna (sigh... I've always wanted one^^).
An open space plan (living room, dining room, kitchen) is under consideration.
Of course, I’ve started researching... and it was almost overwhelming... at our time, there were just a handful of well-known prefab companies, some of which actually still exist.
How should we best approach this? I have absolutely no idea about current energy standards, what is possible, what is necessary, and how that might affect related financing (we are calculating about 150,000€ (about $160,000) of own capital, partly from the sale of the current house, if all goes well).
KfW 40/55/70?? Passive house, geothermal energy... until last week, these were all completely new “words” for me, and now I’m starting to read up on them. But how deeply do I need to get into this?
The planned move would possibly be around mid-2018, so there is plenty of time to plan and gather information.
Many things that we added to the current house over time we would like to have again, for example, a large covered terrace with automatic sun protection, solar panels for hot water, a walk-in shower, electric roller shutters, possibly with sun sensors, etc.
Ideally, we would like everything from a single source, as we don’t have much time. Because we cannot be on site all the time (about 300km (190 miles) between current home and new location), we need someone we can 100% rely on (I know, that’s utopia ;-) ).
How would you approach this situation?
Thanks in advance—I’m hoping for one or two tips regarding planning and implementation.
dat Baujulchen :-)
B
Bauexperte9 Sep 2015 09:09Good morning,
Where exactly will the new fixed point be? Building costs vary greatly by region, so that's my question 😉
Regards, Bauexperte
Baujulchen schrieb:
Distance about 300km (185 miles) between current residence and new one
Where exactly will the new fixed point be? Building costs vary greatly by region, so that's my question 😉
Regards, Bauexperte
B
Baujulchen9 Sep 2015 09:12near the North Sea, also Lower Saxony 🙂
therefore apparently also the relatively low land prices. Nobody wants to go there.
We already paid that in 1996.
therefore apparently also the relatively low land prices. Nobody wants to go there.
We already paid that in 1996.
Completely off-topic, sorry: but I would also like to go there, it’s just not feasible work-wise, unfortunately. So maybe also how you plan for retirement *cough 😉 Otherwise, you will definitely get more expert advice from the others here than from me 😉 Oh, and the sauna will, of course, be installed in the bathroom, which is almost “standard” nowadays.
Baujulchen schrieb:
towards the North Sea, also Lower Saxony 🙂
which apparently explains the relatively low land prices ^^ nobody wants to live therelet’s put it this way: few families want to move there because there are hardly any jobs available.
If your husband is 52 and has to move there for work in 3 years, then you should consider whether you want to stay there when you retire. It seems your roots are not there.
It’s not uncommon for people to cut ties with an area at the start of retirement. Eventually, you want to be closer to your son/daughter and grandchildren again. ...
Therefore, I would suggest weighing whether renting a property for about 10 years might be a better option. Used homes in “such” areas are usually bargains... Whether to rent out or sell your own house is another decision to make.
Regards, Yvonne
B
Baujulchen9 Sep 2015 15:22Hi
@Yvonne: thanks for your thoughts :-)
Explaining everything would get very personal now, and that’s not what this is about :-)
The fact is: we WANT to move closer to the coast – that was our plan anyway once we retire, and now that the job opportunity possibly came up, it’s just a happy coincidence for us.
Roots or not... 😎
We definitely won’t stay in our current town once we’re retired, so now we’re simply heading north :-)
I would choose my place of residence completely differently than 20 years ago :-) and back then I truly thought it would be forever. Well, how wrong you can be 🙄
@Müllerin: I’ve seen saunas in bathrooms on several floor plans by now. You can tell I haven’t really dealt with this topic for 20 years :-)
So that would be an option too!
Yes, we love the coast, and that’s why we were quite surprised that plot prices are relatively low. Even in the “city,” prices are around 55-60€/m2 (5-6 USD/ft2), and 10-20 km (6-12 miles) outside in rural areas, they’re at the prices I mentioned above.
Still, I just need a starting point on how to approach this...
Do I first familiarize myself with all the new regulations? What kind of heating system, and where is what even possible? Do I get swamped first with catalogs from various home builders? Should I first check with the bank? We don’t want to be paying for a house forever again, especially now that we’re almost done with our current mortgage.
Help, this is a difficult topic, and now I’m approaching everything with much more thought. When I was in my mid-20s, it was a lot more relaxed 😉
If I’m going to build again, then it should be “perfect” (I know that’s impossible^^)
Best regards and thanks to everyone
@Yvonne: thanks for your thoughts :-)
Explaining everything would get very personal now, and that’s not what this is about :-)
The fact is: we WANT to move closer to the coast – that was our plan anyway once we retire, and now that the job opportunity possibly came up, it’s just a happy coincidence for us.
Roots or not... 😎
We definitely won’t stay in our current town once we’re retired, so now we’re simply heading north :-)
I would choose my place of residence completely differently than 20 years ago :-) and back then I truly thought it would be forever. Well, how wrong you can be 🙄
@Müllerin: I’ve seen saunas in bathrooms on several floor plans by now. You can tell I haven’t really dealt with this topic for 20 years :-)
So that would be an option too!
Yes, we love the coast, and that’s why we were quite surprised that plot prices are relatively low. Even in the “city,” prices are around 55-60€/m2 (5-6 USD/ft2), and 10-20 km (6-12 miles) outside in rural areas, they’re at the prices I mentioned above.
Still, I just need a starting point on how to approach this...
Do I first familiarize myself with all the new regulations? What kind of heating system, and where is what even possible? Do I get swamped first with catalogs from various home builders? Should I first check with the bank? We don’t want to be paying for a house forever again, especially now that we’re almost done with our current mortgage.
Help, this is a difficult topic, and now I’m approaching everything with much more thought. When I was in my mid-20s, it was a lot more relaxed 😉
If I’m going to build again, then it should be “perfect” (I know that’s impossible^^)
Best regards and thanks to everyone
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