Hello dear community,
My wife and I, like many others, have the dream of owning our own home. We first contacted our mortgage bank to find out about the possible loan amount. After visiting a model home exhibition, we have had several appointments with prefab home companies over the past few weeks. In parallel, we read almost daily interesting and useful articles or websites on this topic online.
Since the statements and opinions from representatives and websites often contradict each other, we thought we’d ask the experts in this community 🙂.
About our building project:
- We want a single-family home with a granny flat (a two-family house is also possible).
The "main residence" should have 4 to 5 rooms on about 120 m² (1300 sq ft), and the granny flat should have 3 rooms spread over about 80 m² (860 sq ft).
- The plot is not yet secured – we wanted to first see if the project is feasible.
- The new build is planned for the Stuttgart area, within a radius of about 40 km (25 miles).
- Budget: total around 350,000 to a maximum of 500,000 €.
- Our standards are quite basic; we don’t need any "frills" – just four walls, a roof, a garage, and storage options (whether in a basement or a separate room does not matter).
The price-performance ratio should simply be right.
- Cost breakdown: land about 120,000 €, additional costs 40,000 €, garden 10,000 €, garage 7,000 €, kitchen 20,000 €. The remaining budget is planned for the house itself.
Now, our questions:
1. Is the project feasible within this budget? What amount should we otherwise expect for this size?
2. The classic topic: wood or masonry? We are generally open and unbiased toward both building materials and understand that each has advantages and disadvantages. In the meantime, we have been overwhelmed with many, sometimes contradictory, opinions and views.
a) Is it true, for example, that "wood houses" last three times longer than "masonry houses" and also offer better fire protection?
b) Is it true that sound insulation is significantly worse in "wood houses" compared to "masonry houses"?
c) One provider also said that a "wood house" is just as stable and "holds up just as well" as a "masonry house." Is that true?
d) What do you know about the resale value of the two building methods? We have read multiple times that you must expect up to a 40% loss in value when selling a "wood house."
e) Is it true that the two materials cost about the same at a comparable quality level?
f) Have you had good or bad experiences with either building material?
3. Are cheaper construction companies automatically of lower quality than more expensive ones? Do you know reputable and good-quality construction companies that also fit within our budget?
4. About KfW funding: this generally sounds very interesting.
a) What experiences have you had with this type of funding?
b) Is it easy to get if you meet the conditions described on the official website, or is there a common "catch" that one must watch out for?
5. Is our rough cost breakdown (see above) somewhat realistic?
6. What do you think about automatic ventilation systems? Are these recommended for both building types (wood/masonry), or have you had negative experiences with them?
Thank you very much in advance for your answers :0)!
We look forward to hearing from you...
My wife and I, like many others, have the dream of owning our own home. We first contacted our mortgage bank to find out about the possible loan amount. After visiting a model home exhibition, we have had several appointments with prefab home companies over the past few weeks. In parallel, we read almost daily interesting and useful articles or websites on this topic online.
Since the statements and opinions from representatives and websites often contradict each other, we thought we’d ask the experts in this community 🙂.
About our building project:
- We want a single-family home with a granny flat (a two-family house is also possible).
The "main residence" should have 4 to 5 rooms on about 120 m² (1300 sq ft), and the granny flat should have 3 rooms spread over about 80 m² (860 sq ft).
- The plot is not yet secured – we wanted to first see if the project is feasible.
- The new build is planned for the Stuttgart area, within a radius of about 40 km (25 miles).
- Budget: total around 350,000 to a maximum of 500,000 €.
- Our standards are quite basic; we don’t need any "frills" – just four walls, a roof, a garage, and storage options (whether in a basement or a separate room does not matter).
The price-performance ratio should simply be right.
- Cost breakdown: land about 120,000 €, additional costs 40,000 €, garden 10,000 €, garage 7,000 €, kitchen 20,000 €. The remaining budget is planned for the house itself.
Now, our questions:
1. Is the project feasible within this budget? What amount should we otherwise expect for this size?
2. The classic topic: wood or masonry? We are generally open and unbiased toward both building materials and understand that each has advantages and disadvantages. In the meantime, we have been overwhelmed with many, sometimes contradictory, opinions and views.
a) Is it true, for example, that "wood houses" last three times longer than "masonry houses" and also offer better fire protection?
b) Is it true that sound insulation is significantly worse in "wood houses" compared to "masonry houses"?
c) One provider also said that a "wood house" is just as stable and "holds up just as well" as a "masonry house." Is that true?
d) What do you know about the resale value of the two building methods? We have read multiple times that you must expect up to a 40% loss in value when selling a "wood house."
e) Is it true that the two materials cost about the same at a comparable quality level?
f) Have you had good or bad experiences with either building material?
3. Are cheaper construction companies automatically of lower quality than more expensive ones? Do you know reputable and good-quality construction companies that also fit within our budget?
4. About KfW funding: this generally sounds very interesting.
a) What experiences have you had with this type of funding?
b) Is it easy to get if you meet the conditions described on the official website, or is there a common "catch" that one must watch out for?
5. Is our rough cost breakdown (see above) somewhat realistic?
6. What do you think about automatic ventilation systems? Are these recommended for both building types (wood/masonry), or have you had negative experiences with them?
Thank you very much in advance for your answers :0)!
We look forward to hearing from you...
About our construction project:
- We are looking to build a single-family house with a granny flat (a two-family house is also possible).
The "main dwelling" should have 4-5 rooms on about 120 m² (1290 sq ft), and the
granny flat 3 rooms spread over approximately 80 m² (860 sq ft).
- The plot is not yet acquired—we wanted to first check if the project is feasible.
- The plan is for new construction in the Stuttgart area, within a radius of about 40 km (25 miles).
- Budget: Everything together around €350,000 to a maximum of €500,000.
- Our requirements are quite basic; we don’t need any "bells and whistles"—four walls, a roof, a garage, and storage space (whether in a basement or a separate room doesn’t matter).
The price-performance ratio simply needs to be right.
- Cost breakdown: Land about €120,000, ancillary costs €40,000, garden €10,000, garage €7,000, kitchens €20,000. The remaining budget is planned for the house itself.
Now to our questions:
1. Is the project at all feasible within this budget? What amount should we otherwise expect at this scale?
In the Stuttgart area, it will be difficult to get a building plot for your price. I know the area well and estimate land prices around €300 per m² (about $28 per sq ft).
Is the €120,000 including all additional costs? That would be 5% tax, 3.57% realtor fee, 2% notary and land registry fees.
The garden budget is optimistic but you can finish that later… I would also count driveway and terrace in that.
Garage at €7,000 is realistic if it’s a standard 3 x 6 meter (10 x 20 feet) garage.
That leaves about €300,000 for building the house. Without a basement, I’d say this is doable. With a basement, which can cost €40,000 or more, it will be tight.
2. Classic topic: wood or masonry? We are generally open to both materials and unbiased. We understand both have advantages and disadvantages.
However, we have been flooded with many sometimes contradictory opinions and views.
a) Is it true, for example, that "wood houses" are three times more durable than "masonry houses" and also offer better fire protection?
Wood usually burns much more easily than masonry 🙂 Regarding fire protection, I would rate both equally, as fire-resistant materials must be used in both cases. But in the end, if there’s a fire, every house suffers.
As for durability, it’s hard to say: there are 30-year-old masonry buildings and well-maintained 100-year-old houses. It mostly depends on maintenance and care.
Our builder has been constructing timber frame houses for 60 years, some of which are still standing today. The real question is, will you want to live in a house built to today’s standards in 50 years? Who knows how technology will evolve? I think building houses for generations is no longer very economical… children usually tear them down and build something new anyway 🙂
b) Is it true that sound insulation is significantly worse in "wood houses" compared to "masonry houses"?
It depends on workmanship and quality.
c) One provider also claimed that a "wood house" is just as stable and durable as a "masonry house." Is this correct?
Those Californian wooden shacks probably not, but a solid wood house certainly is… Swedes and Norwegians build almost exclusively this way, so it can’t be that bad.
d) What do you know about the resale value of both construction types? We have read multiple times that selling a "wood house" can involve up to a 40% loss in value.
Some sellers are real psychics. If you plan to sell, then build with masonry, since negative perceptions about wood are hard to shake. In my opinion, the selling price is mostly influenced by the location of the plot. Especially in Stuttgart, where space is really limited.
e) Is it true that both materials cost about the same for comparable quality?
From conversations we’ve had… yes. If you build cheaply, you can’t complain later.
f) Do you have any good or bad experiences with either material?
3. Are cheaper construction companies automatically of lower quality? Do you know reliable and good-quality companies that could fit within our budget?
You always need to consider why a company can offer lower prices. Either they pay their workers poorly, or they use the cheapest building materials, or costs are later inflated by "extra services" and excessive surcharges. Or it’s a bankruptcy model 🙂
4. Topic KFW (government funding/federal subsidy): Sounds very interesting overall.
a) What experiences have you had with this funding?
b) Is it easy to obtain if the conditions described on the official website are met or is there a typical "catch" to watch out for?
We use the KfW 55 loan. €50,000 at good rates. Drawback: it must be repaid within 10 years or it can get expensive.
But the loan can be repaid fully at any time, so if you expect an inheritance, for example, it can be worthwhile.
However, the loan usually comes with conditions, such as specific energy efficiency standards.
5. Is our rough cost estimate (above) somewhat realistic?
Roughly yes. We’re building a prefabricated house without basement of about 140 m² (1500 sq ft) for €215,000 plus additional costs. A colleague built a two-family house for just over €330,000 with a finished basement.
6. What do you think about automatic ventilation systems? Are these recommended for both construction types (wood/masonry), or have you had bad experiences with them?
I wouldn’t build without one… especially in heavily insulated houses everything is completely airtight. If ventilation is done incorrectly, mold is a guaranteed problem, no matter the construction method.
Financially and in terms of heating, these systems don’t pay off, but they definitely improve living comfort. Costs are around €7,000 to €10,000.
Many thanks in advance for your answers :0)!
I hope this helps a little 🙂 my answers in red
The budget seems a bit tight to me...
7k for the garage? Will one parking space be enough for a two-family house?
I am currently also planning a two-family house. The double garage planned there is around 30k.
Including additional costs and basement/garage, according to the architect’s estimate, we are currently at about 550k (one unit with approximately 150m² (1,615 sq ft) and one with approximately 110m² (1,184 sq ft) of living space).
7k for the garage? Will one parking space be enough for a two-family house?
I am currently also planning a two-family house. The double garage planned there is around 30k.
Including additional costs and basement/garage, according to the architect’s estimate, we are currently at about 550k (one unit with approximately 150m² (1,615 sq ft) and one with approximately 110m² (1,184 sq ft) of living space).
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