Hello everyone,
after being inactive for a while, I have lots of questions again today.
Why? It looks like a new residential area will be developed in our preferred location, and we want to build our own house there.
At the moment, it seems the area is expected to be serviced starting spring 2016, and according to the city, construction on the plots could begin as early as January 2017.
So technically, we still have plenty of time... or do we?
We want to take advantage of this and start getting familiar with house building as early as possible. Over the past few years, we have only sporadically dealt with basic topics like basement construction, heating system choices, and mechanical ventilation. But because we didn’t have a plot yet, we never went deeper. That is about to change now.
However, we are wondering which topics we should tackle first or which ones can already be addressed at this very early stage? Do you experts here have some helpful ideas or advice?
One note: We are very well prepared regarding the financing of the whole project, as we both come from the banking sector. :-)
Especially since we currently still do not have a plot and the site plan will probably be available earliest by the end of 2015 / beginning of 2016, we would like to know which house-building related topics we can already start working on today.
What do you think about guides offered by consumer organizations like Stiftung Warentest or consumer advisory centers? Is it worth buying them to get a basic understanding?
Right now, I am unsure how useful it is to already approach a general contractor or a manufacturer of solid houses to get a first impression of the core building costs.
Also, is it sensible to compare building specifications at such an early phase?
Since we definitely want to involve an external expert (e.g., from the Private Homeowners Association or a Homeowners’ Protection Association) early on, we need to figure out when this would make the most sense, or if it’s better to already book an appointment now for mid-2016?
Regarding the house design, these points are currently certain for us:
In summary, I would appreciate some support for getting started. Our goal is to plan the house building project thoroughly in the long term so that when it finally begins, we don’t face a bunch of unanswered questions.
Thanks in advance!
Joschka
after being inactive for a while, I have lots of questions again today.
Why? It looks like a new residential area will be developed in our preferred location, and we want to build our own house there.
At the moment, it seems the area is expected to be serviced starting spring 2016, and according to the city, construction on the plots could begin as early as January 2017.
So technically, we still have plenty of time... or do we?
We want to take advantage of this and start getting familiar with house building as early as possible. Over the past few years, we have only sporadically dealt with basic topics like basement construction, heating system choices, and mechanical ventilation. But because we didn’t have a plot yet, we never went deeper. That is about to change now.
However, we are wondering which topics we should tackle first or which ones can already be addressed at this very early stage? Do you experts here have some helpful ideas or advice?
One note: We are very well prepared regarding the financing of the whole project, as we both come from the banking sector. :-)
Especially since we currently still do not have a plot and the site plan will probably be available earliest by the end of 2015 / beginning of 2016, we would like to know which house-building related topics we can already start working on today.
What do you think about guides offered by consumer organizations like Stiftung Warentest or consumer advisory centers? Is it worth buying them to get a basic understanding?
Right now, I am unsure how useful it is to already approach a general contractor or a manufacturer of solid houses to get a first impression of the core building costs.
Also, is it sensible to compare building specifications at such an early phase?
Since we definitely want to involve an external expert (e.g., from the Private Homeowners Association or a Homeowners’ Protection Association) early on, we need to figure out when this would make the most sense, or if it’s better to already book an appointment now for mid-2016?
Regarding the house design, these points are currently certain for us:
- Absolutely three children's rooms
- Definitely need two bathrooms
- Construction with a basement
- The plot will definitely be on a slope
- The living area should be around 180-200 square meters (1,940–2,150 square feet)
- The plot will be approximately 500 square meters (5,380 square feet)
- We would also like a two-story house with a hipped roof
In summary, I would appreciate some support for getting started. Our goal is to plan the house building project thoroughly in the long term so that when it finally begins, we don’t face a bunch of unanswered questions.
Thanks in advance!
Joschka
J
Joschka8025 Jun 2015 16:40Hello everyone,
Thank you for your replies. Regarding the zoning plan, it is confirmed that construction up to two stories is permitted. This is because a zoning plan was already approved about three years ago during the development of the adjacent new residential area, which will also apply to the newly designated building zone.
Concerning the plot, I have already leveraged some personal connections and things are looking very promising at the moment. ;-)
On the topic of cost estimation, I have done some research and got the impression that, despite the guideline figures (1,500 EUR/sqm to 1,800 EUR/sqm), there is still a lot of uncertainty. Is an estimate of 1,800 EUR/sqm for the Rhine-Main area sufficient and does it allow for some buffer? We aim for a slightly upscale finish, including underfloor heating, electric shutters, and a walk-in shower. However, we do not plan to implement home automation with KNX, for example. Additional costs include around 40,000 EUR for incidental building expenses and 25,000 EUR for landscaping due to the sloped terrain.
Is a basement really around 50,000 EUR? So far, I have calculated 40,000 EUR all-in. I was thinking of a prefabricated basement from Glatthaar with suitable insulation. Or am I completely off here?
Building with an architect is basically not an option for us, as the additional costs can quickly exceed another 40,000 EUR. Or am I misunderstanding something?
Thank you for your replies. Regarding the zoning plan, it is confirmed that construction up to two stories is permitted. This is because a zoning plan was already approved about three years ago during the development of the adjacent new residential area, which will also apply to the newly designated building zone.
Concerning the plot, I have already leveraged some personal connections and things are looking very promising at the moment. ;-)
On the topic of cost estimation, I have done some research and got the impression that, despite the guideline figures (1,500 EUR/sqm to 1,800 EUR/sqm), there is still a lot of uncertainty. Is an estimate of 1,800 EUR/sqm for the Rhine-Main area sufficient and does it allow for some buffer? We aim for a slightly upscale finish, including underfloor heating, electric shutters, and a walk-in shower. However, we do not plan to implement home automation with KNX, for example. Additional costs include around 40,000 EUR for incidental building expenses and 25,000 EUR for landscaping due to the sloped terrain.
Is a basement really around 50,000 EUR? So far, I have calculated 40,000 EUR all-in. I was thinking of a prefabricated basement from Glatthaar with suitable insulation. Or am I completely off here?
Building with an architect is basically not an option for us, as the additional costs can quickly exceed another 40,000 EUR. Or am I misunderstanding something?
B
Bieber081525 Jun 2015 20:42At first, I also wanted to know every detail precisely, but now I tell you: Don’t commit yourself to a budget with a +/- 10,000 euro margin today ;-). Who really knows the prices in 2017? What tax rates will apply in 2017? What currency will we use in 2017 — well, let’s not paint the worst-case scenario... Some people believe that building will become cheaper again with rising interest rates and falling demand. (I don’t believe that, but I am generally a rather skeptical/pessimistic person).
For slightly upscale finishes, I would rather estimate around 1,800 euros per square meter (approximately 167 USD per square foot).
For slightly upscale finishes, I would rather estimate around 1,800 euros per square meter (approximately 167 USD per square foot).
J
Joschka8026 Jun 2015 11:00I am not looking to know the exact amount today. Rather, I want to get a sense of the budget I need to plan for a single-family house (180-200 m² (1937-2153 sq ft) living area, with slightly upscale finishes), additional construction costs, and a double garage.
The plot of land is not included in this. I would also factor in a price increase of around 3-4% until 2017.
Additionally, I want to use the lead time as effectively as possible to learn broadly about the common pitfalls in house construction. My goal is simply to reduce the information gap between myself and the company that will be contracted to carry out the work.
The plot of land is not included in this. I would also factor in a price increase of around 3-4% until 2017.
Additionally, I want to use the lead time as effectively as possible to learn broadly about the common pitfalls in house construction. My goal is simply to reduce the information gap between myself and the company that will be contracted to carry out the work.
Hello Joschka!
Perhaps our planning experiences, which we have documented in our building blog, might help you.
link removed by moderation
You won’t find a construction diary there that details every single day of our personal building journey. Instead, we have tried to filter out from all our experiences the points that, in our layperson’s opinion, could be interesting for other homeowners.
Best regards
Perhaps our planning experiences, which we have documented in our building blog, might help you.
link removed by moderation
You won’t find a construction diary there that details every single day of our personal building journey. Instead, we have tried to filter out from all our experiences the points that, in our layperson’s opinion, could be interesting for other homeowners.
Best regards
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