ᐅ New Construction on a New Plot Without Children – How Should We Approach It?
Created on: 9 Sep 2015 09:05
B
Baujulchen
Hello,
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
Baujulchen10 Sep 2015 15:30That’s exactly what I think as well :-)
I have now submitted an inquiry about when the building plots will actually go on sale.
In the meantime, we’re looking through possible floor plans and, if applicable, model homes.
You have all been very helpful to me so far.
Thank you for that!!
I have now submitted an inquiry about when the building plots will actually go on sale.
In the meantime, we’re looking through possible floor plans and, if applicable, model homes.
You have all been very helpful to me so far.
Thank you for that!!
B
Baujulchen14 Sep 2015 20:29Here I am again,
yesterday we visited a few model homes. It's sometimes unbelievable what kind of people act as "consultants" in those houses.
We had to read a woman her own floor plans because she clearly suffers from presbyopia but seems too proud to wear glasses. She didn’t even know the differences between kfw40, 55, 70 and had no idea what kind of heating systems were installed in her houses. When we asked about bungalows, she showed us urban villas… well… that’s that.
Another person didn’t even get up from his office chair on the upper floor but leaned back, put his legs on the desk, crossed his arms on his stomach, and said that all the houses around his are basically worthless. If we want to spend money, it should only be with him…
…and goodbye.
But there were also some very interesting and lively conversations.
Luxhaus
Fingerhaus
and Danhaus
Luxhaus, Fingerhaus, and Danhaus all had well-informed staff who didn’t just sell well but gave the impression that they really know their products.
Of course, the situation could be completely different on a second visit – it heavily depends on the person you talk to – but the first impression certainly plays a big role in shaping opinions.
Some houses weren’t even open (or maybe not after 4 p.m.?), including Gussek Haus, ProHaus, Haake-Haus.
That’s a pity, but our second free entry will give us another chance – next time with a bit more time.
Regarding our budget, we have also made some progress in our considerations.
If we go ahead with this, then this time with as few compromises as possible, exactly as we imagine it, turnkey or ready to move in.
For now, we still have all the time in the world and will continue to gather information and look forward to it 🙂
yesterday we visited a few model homes. It's sometimes unbelievable what kind of people act as "consultants" in those houses.
We had to read a woman her own floor plans because she clearly suffers from presbyopia but seems too proud to wear glasses. She didn’t even know the differences between kfw40, 55, 70 and had no idea what kind of heating systems were installed in her houses. When we asked about bungalows, she showed us urban villas… well… that’s that.
Another person didn’t even get up from his office chair on the upper floor but leaned back, put his legs on the desk, crossed his arms on his stomach, and said that all the houses around his are basically worthless. If we want to spend money, it should only be with him…
…and goodbye.
But there were also some very interesting and lively conversations.
Luxhaus
Fingerhaus
and Danhaus
Luxhaus, Fingerhaus, and Danhaus all had well-informed staff who didn’t just sell well but gave the impression that they really know their products.
Of course, the situation could be completely different on a second visit – it heavily depends on the person you talk to – but the first impression certainly plays a big role in shaping opinions.
Some houses weren’t even open (or maybe not after 4 p.m.?), including Gussek Haus, ProHaus, Haake-Haus.
That’s a pity, but our second free entry will give us another chance – next time with a bit more time.
Regarding our budget, we have also made some progress in our considerations.
If we go ahead with this, then this time with as few compromises as possible, exactly as we imagine it, turnkey or ready to move in.
For now, we still have all the time in the world and will continue to gather information and look forward to it 🙂
B
Baujulchen19 Nov 2015 11:50Hello again,
phew, we thought we were starting very early, but if this keeps going with me constantly reconsidering, doubting, and changing things, I now realize we’re actually not that early at all.
However, we have made some progress...
So much so that we have a “reserved” plot of land, which so far is only roughly parceled and will be a new development phase within a larger building area.
It currently covers 764m2 (8,225 sq ft), is quite square-shaped (a bit wider at the back than at the street), and we have the option to expand it (current idea is to add about 1m (3 ft) on each side, which would bring it to around 820-830m2 (8,827-8,927 sq ft)).
Until the final infrastructure work begins in spring 2016, we are allowed to submit change requests.
“Ready to build” status is planned for autumn 2016... but we want to start no earlier than 2017...
Now to my current “problem,” I hope for some suggestions...
We first went to the prefabricated house exhibition in Hannover. Since we currently live in a prefab house and are very happy with it (although the company no longer exists), we originally wanted to build that way again...
A second visit there made us favor one particular company:
Weberhaus – a dream floor plan for me within their “ebenLeben” concept, which with a few changes would suit us perfectly...
But of course, we want comparisons...
Prefab?
Solid construction?
So we also explored the other route:
We visited the Helma model house park... wow... every house had a musty smell (at least for my sensitive nose), the floor plans all seemed illogical to us.
My husband’s guess about the smell was that it might come from the installed pellet heating systems.
My thought was that it smelled musty because the houses were not properly dried out.
The explanation from the receptionist was that the cleaning staff don’t ventilate properly – wow… what an amazing argument for the company’s showcase...
That made us step back somewhat from the idea of solid construction...
Until we drove to Viebrockhaus... ahh... the bungalow with an open space above the living room immediately caught my eye. The consultation with a Viebrockhaus representative in our district was very pleasant, honest, and informative.
BUT... I personally work in a construction company, and a 3-month build time for a masonry house is very ambitious (even if it attracts many customers). For me, this is actually a negative (we have time, after all^^).
Online reviews saying the houses don’t dry as well as promised, and that you’re not allowed to place furniture against the walls initially, etc., make me worried about the short construction time.
For those wondering why I don’t just build with the company I work for:
We only work locally in this region (and we don’t want to build here), and our main focus is on old building renovation, remodeling, and refurbishment. We want everything delivered by one provider...
Back to Viebrockhaus...
KfW 40 is important to us (even if it might not strictly make financial sense due to the extra costs) – we want to build with some consideration for our “green conscience” and are prepared to spend a little more.
Since Viebrockhaus now only builds to KfW 40 (and higher) standards, this suits us well.
BUT... I’m struggling with the heating systems...
I’ve read a lot online about the Nibe systems installed by Viebrockhaus, but I can’t come to a conclusion whether they are truly sensible or not.
I don’t fully understand these systems (gas boilers are logical to me, but ventilation, heat pumps, etc., drive me crazy).
Viebrockhaus is not exactly cheap, but their standard installations are high quality.
Weberhaus is probably similar (we will be scheduling an appointment there soon).
We also contacted Fingerhut-Haus after visiting a fair and received consultation. Hm – they have some great ideas in their floor plans. KfW 55 is standard there. The employee was friendly and well informed. So far, we haven’t really caught the spark though, but we are getting a cost estimate...
We looked into some “more affordable” providers as well, but first, you quickly end up with similar prices when you add your specific wishes, and second:
We once built cheaply – luckily everything went well, and we are still satisfied after 20 years...
Now – 20 years later – we have different requirements and also different financial possibilities.
What is simply lacking: time for the build and good nerves during construction... So we want to make it as easy and short as possible (which rather speaks in favor of a prefab house)...
Maybe someone can give me some pointers to help us move forward with our decision.
Sorry, I’ve just dumped all my thoughts here.
Whether it will be helpful to get some input from you remains to be seen.
If so, thank you very much in advance.
Best regards,
dat Baujulchen
phew, we thought we were starting very early, but if this keeps going with me constantly reconsidering, doubting, and changing things, I now realize we’re actually not that early at all.
However, we have made some progress...
So much so that we have a “reserved” plot of land, which so far is only roughly parceled and will be a new development phase within a larger building area.
It currently covers 764m2 (8,225 sq ft), is quite square-shaped (a bit wider at the back than at the street), and we have the option to expand it (current idea is to add about 1m (3 ft) on each side, which would bring it to around 820-830m2 (8,827-8,927 sq ft)).
Until the final infrastructure work begins in spring 2016, we are allowed to submit change requests.
“Ready to build” status is planned for autumn 2016... but we want to start no earlier than 2017...
Now to my current “problem,” I hope for some suggestions...
We first went to the prefabricated house exhibition in Hannover. Since we currently live in a prefab house and are very happy with it (although the company no longer exists), we originally wanted to build that way again...
A second visit there made us favor one particular company:
Weberhaus – a dream floor plan for me within their “ebenLeben” concept, which with a few changes would suit us perfectly...
But of course, we want comparisons...
Prefab?
Solid construction?
So we also explored the other route:
We visited the Helma model house park... wow... every house had a musty smell (at least for my sensitive nose), the floor plans all seemed illogical to us.
My husband’s guess about the smell was that it might come from the installed pellet heating systems.
My thought was that it smelled musty because the houses were not properly dried out.
The explanation from the receptionist was that the cleaning staff don’t ventilate properly – wow… what an amazing argument for the company’s showcase...
That made us step back somewhat from the idea of solid construction...
Until we drove to Viebrockhaus... ahh... the bungalow with an open space above the living room immediately caught my eye. The consultation with a Viebrockhaus representative in our district was very pleasant, honest, and informative.
BUT... I personally work in a construction company, and a 3-month build time for a masonry house is very ambitious (even if it attracts many customers). For me, this is actually a negative (we have time, after all^^).
Online reviews saying the houses don’t dry as well as promised, and that you’re not allowed to place furniture against the walls initially, etc., make me worried about the short construction time.
For those wondering why I don’t just build with the company I work for:
We only work locally in this region (and we don’t want to build here), and our main focus is on old building renovation, remodeling, and refurbishment. We want everything delivered by one provider...
Back to Viebrockhaus...
KfW 40 is important to us (even if it might not strictly make financial sense due to the extra costs) – we want to build with some consideration for our “green conscience” and are prepared to spend a little more.
Since Viebrockhaus now only builds to KfW 40 (and higher) standards, this suits us well.
BUT... I’m struggling with the heating systems...
I’ve read a lot online about the Nibe systems installed by Viebrockhaus, but I can’t come to a conclusion whether they are truly sensible or not.
I don’t fully understand these systems (gas boilers are logical to me, but ventilation, heat pumps, etc., drive me crazy).
Viebrockhaus is not exactly cheap, but their standard installations are high quality.
Weberhaus is probably similar (we will be scheduling an appointment there soon).
We also contacted Fingerhut-Haus after visiting a fair and received consultation. Hm – they have some great ideas in their floor plans. KfW 55 is standard there. The employee was friendly and well informed. So far, we haven’t really caught the spark though, but we are getting a cost estimate...
We looked into some “more affordable” providers as well, but first, you quickly end up with similar prices when you add your specific wishes, and second:
We once built cheaply – luckily everything went well, and we are still satisfied after 20 years...
Now – 20 years later – we have different requirements and also different financial possibilities.
What is simply lacking: time for the build and good nerves during construction... So we want to make it as easy and short as possible (which rather speaks in favor of a prefab house)...
Maybe someone can give me some pointers to help us move forward with our decision.
Sorry, I’ve just dumped all my thoughts here.
Whether it will be helpful to get some input from you remains to be seen.
If so, thank you very much in advance.
Best regards,
dat Baujulchen