ᐅ New single-family house construction without a garage, self-performed work
Created on: 7 May 2019 14:05
S
StefMeister
Hello everyone,
I’m transitioning from a silent reader to an active participant. In the near future, probably within the next 2-3 months, my fiancée and I plan to start building a single-family home. Here are some background details about what we plan to build and some information about our finances.
About me and my fiancée:
Me:
Age: 24
Profession: Trained road construction foreman with a master craftsman certificate, currently working as a project manager in construction projects for electrical substations, building construction, and building refurbishment.
Her:
Age: 21
Profession: Tax clerk, currently studying to become a business lawyer, with plans to qualify as a tax advisor and later continue as a certified public accountant.
Finances:
Equity capital: Currently about €40,000 divided into €20,000 in mutual funds, €5,000 in ETFs, and €15,000 in bank savings
Net income: €4,700 per month
Savings per month: €2,800
Our net income is expected to increase to about €5,300 per month within the next 2-3 months due to promotions in both of our jobs. Financially, we are well-positioned since neither of us has reached the peak of our careers yet. There are no limits upwards, especially for her, as she is expected to make a significant leap once she completes her studies, likely within two years.
Building costs / financing:
Plot of land: €70,000, fully serviced (711m² (7640 sq ft), flat with a slope toward the road, see picture)
Construction costs (more details below): €300,000
Additional building-related costs: Will be paid entirely from equity
Connection costs: Approximately €8,000 (probably significantly less)
Loan amount: €400,000
Monthly payment supported by both of us: about €1,400 (based on a 25-year term as of four weeks ago, with additional repayments of 5-8% depending on the lender; I don’t remember the exact interest rate right now)
Background:
Our decision to build a house came very quickly for both of us. It might be hard to understand for many, but somehow this idea was always lingering subconsciously for both of us. I simply asked whether we should move in together since we already spend almost all day together apart from work, get along well, and never get bored or annoyed by each other. We are both very neat and tidy to the point that we sometimes keep everything too clean.
We compared the costs of renting an apartment and decided that building a house is a much better option for us. This fits our idea of home ownership much better than buying a condominium, which in our region either is poorly maintained or has way overpriced offers. This decision was not sudden and was communicated and agreed on with our families.
The house:
Once we had finally agreed to build our own house, I started ordering various catalogs and used a design program to incorporate all our ideas, which I then shared with my fiancée. We both fell in love with the design. Currently, only the staircase and the living room are being slightly reworked by the architect because our original plan was a bit too open, with a freestanding staircase and excessively large windows. After reviewing a similar house, we realized there was too much openness or visibility, which we wanted to reduce.
Our wish list includes a large, spacious kitchen with plenty of storage, an island, and a side-by-side refrigerator, since we both really enjoy cooking and spend a lot of time there. We wanted a large living room with a dining area but also a cozy retreat within the living room for relaxing, chatting, and reading – a kind of fireplace room.
We insisted on having a master bathroom on the upper floor prepared for a sauna, and our future children should each have their own bathrooms. This idea comes from our current living experience. We also want a guest bathroom with a shower on the ground floor because some relatives travel over 200 km (125 miles) to visit, and for convenience, having a toilet on the ground level is important.
Large windows facing the garden in the living room and the master bedroom on the upper floor are important as the sun shines into the garden from noon, giving beautiful natural light in both summer and winter.
Additionally, we need a home office big enough for both of us since we both work from home, and my employer actively supports telecommuting.
This was the basic concept, and once we agreed on that and our desired features, we started searching for land. We never expected to find something after two months, but by a stroke of luck, a plot became available right next to her parents’ house – perfectly suited for our home. Her father found out that the owners wanted to sell it, so we didn’t hesitate. Since I’m already well integrated into the village, moving my home base 5 km (3 miles) away was no issue.
Also, I’m a skilled craftsman and construction enthusiast. I did exactly what I love, and I really enjoy building and managing the challenges that come with it.
Now, the key details of the house:
- Approximately 180 m² (1937 sq ft) of living space
- 2 full stories
- No basement, but insulated floor slab (similar to Jakodur)
- No binding development plan
- Heating via district heating
- Underfloor heating in almost all rooms (both of us have dust allergies)
- Modern, minimalist urban villa style with simple black/gray tones without excessive decoration
- Facade with facing brick
- 3 bathrooms (one for the children, one for the parents, one guest bathroom with shower)
- Utility room for washing machine, storage, and building services with a tall corner window
- No garage
- Space and rooms prepared for two children
Still undecided:
- Whether to install a photovoltaic system for electricity generation on the roof
- Lighting with recessed spotlights in the roof overhang
As for the construction phase, the house will be built almost entirely by ourselves. The only contracted services will be the architectural work (the architect is a family friend and charges significantly less than usual) and probably the roof structure.
Why is this possible to build mainly by ourselves (which explains the cost of under €2,000 per m²)?
For earthworks, shell construction, interior finishing, heating and plumbing, and electrical work, we have master craftsmen in the family who have already promised to help and have been asked to contribute their labor. I will be building the shell with two masons, and about 20 friends have already agreed to help with the interior finishing. Additionally, we owe them a favor.
Moreover, we can save on materials since my father and brother work for a building material wholesaler.
The utilities connections will already be laid up to the property boundary during the current expansion, and because of my professional contacts to relevant authorities, this will be cheaper for us, although I am not allowed to carry out this work myself despite my qualifications.
For those who have read this far, I would appreciate both positive and negative feedback on the design (the most recent version will be shared after tomorrow’s architect meeting) and on our overall plans. I look forward to your responses, suggestions, and critiques.
I’m transitioning from a silent reader to an active participant. In the near future, probably within the next 2-3 months, my fiancée and I plan to start building a single-family home. Here are some background details about what we plan to build and some information about our finances.
About me and my fiancée:
Me:
Age: 24
Profession: Trained road construction foreman with a master craftsman certificate, currently working as a project manager in construction projects for electrical substations, building construction, and building refurbishment.
Her:
Age: 21
Profession: Tax clerk, currently studying to become a business lawyer, with plans to qualify as a tax advisor and later continue as a certified public accountant.
Finances:
Equity capital: Currently about €40,000 divided into €20,000 in mutual funds, €5,000 in ETFs, and €15,000 in bank savings
Net income: €4,700 per month
Savings per month: €2,800
Our net income is expected to increase to about €5,300 per month within the next 2-3 months due to promotions in both of our jobs. Financially, we are well-positioned since neither of us has reached the peak of our careers yet. There are no limits upwards, especially for her, as she is expected to make a significant leap once she completes her studies, likely within two years.
Building costs / financing:
Plot of land: €70,000, fully serviced (711m² (7640 sq ft), flat with a slope toward the road, see picture)
Construction costs (more details below): €300,000
Additional building-related costs: Will be paid entirely from equity
Connection costs: Approximately €8,000 (probably significantly less)
Loan amount: €400,000
Monthly payment supported by both of us: about €1,400 (based on a 25-year term as of four weeks ago, with additional repayments of 5-8% depending on the lender; I don’t remember the exact interest rate right now)
Background:
Our decision to build a house came very quickly for both of us. It might be hard to understand for many, but somehow this idea was always lingering subconsciously for both of us. I simply asked whether we should move in together since we already spend almost all day together apart from work, get along well, and never get bored or annoyed by each other. We are both very neat and tidy to the point that we sometimes keep everything too clean.
We compared the costs of renting an apartment and decided that building a house is a much better option for us. This fits our idea of home ownership much better than buying a condominium, which in our region either is poorly maintained or has way overpriced offers. This decision was not sudden and was communicated and agreed on with our families.
The house:
Once we had finally agreed to build our own house, I started ordering various catalogs and used a design program to incorporate all our ideas, which I then shared with my fiancée. We both fell in love with the design. Currently, only the staircase and the living room are being slightly reworked by the architect because our original plan was a bit too open, with a freestanding staircase and excessively large windows. After reviewing a similar house, we realized there was too much openness or visibility, which we wanted to reduce.
Our wish list includes a large, spacious kitchen with plenty of storage, an island, and a side-by-side refrigerator, since we both really enjoy cooking and spend a lot of time there. We wanted a large living room with a dining area but also a cozy retreat within the living room for relaxing, chatting, and reading – a kind of fireplace room.
We insisted on having a master bathroom on the upper floor prepared for a sauna, and our future children should each have their own bathrooms. This idea comes from our current living experience. We also want a guest bathroom with a shower on the ground floor because some relatives travel over 200 km (125 miles) to visit, and for convenience, having a toilet on the ground level is important.
Large windows facing the garden in the living room and the master bedroom on the upper floor are important as the sun shines into the garden from noon, giving beautiful natural light in both summer and winter.
Additionally, we need a home office big enough for both of us since we both work from home, and my employer actively supports telecommuting.
This was the basic concept, and once we agreed on that and our desired features, we started searching for land. We never expected to find something after two months, but by a stroke of luck, a plot became available right next to her parents’ house – perfectly suited for our home. Her father found out that the owners wanted to sell it, so we didn’t hesitate. Since I’m already well integrated into the village, moving my home base 5 km (3 miles) away was no issue.
Also, I’m a skilled craftsman and construction enthusiast. I did exactly what I love, and I really enjoy building and managing the challenges that come with it.
Now, the key details of the house:
- Approximately 180 m² (1937 sq ft) of living space
- 2 full stories
- No basement, but insulated floor slab (similar to Jakodur)
- No binding development plan
- Heating via district heating
- Underfloor heating in almost all rooms (both of us have dust allergies)
- Modern, minimalist urban villa style with simple black/gray tones without excessive decoration
- Facade with facing brick
- 3 bathrooms (one for the children, one for the parents, one guest bathroom with shower)
- Utility room for washing machine, storage, and building services with a tall corner window
- No garage
- Space and rooms prepared for two children
Still undecided:
- Whether to install a photovoltaic system for electricity generation on the roof
- Lighting with recessed spotlights in the roof overhang
As for the construction phase, the house will be built almost entirely by ourselves. The only contracted services will be the architectural work (the architect is a family friend and charges significantly less than usual) and probably the roof structure.
Why is this possible to build mainly by ourselves (which explains the cost of under €2,000 per m²)?
For earthworks, shell construction, interior finishing, heating and plumbing, and electrical work, we have master craftsmen in the family who have already promised to help and have been asked to contribute their labor. I will be building the shell with two masons, and about 20 friends have already agreed to help with the interior finishing. Additionally, we owe them a favor.
Moreover, we can save on materials since my father and brother work for a building material wholesaler.
The utilities connections will already be laid up to the property boundary during the current expansion, and because of my professional contacts to relevant authorities, this will be cheaper for us, although I am not allowed to carry out this work myself despite my qualifications.
For those who have read this far, I would appreciate both positive and negative feedback on the design (the most recent version will be shared after tomorrow’s architect meeting) and on our overall plans. I look forward to your responses, suggestions, and critiques.
S
StefMeister9 May 2019 12:19@halmi I know what I was told, but I don’t understand why this solution would wake anyone up. There are nice options for waking up with dimmable lights or light strips that don’t flood the room with bright daylight, allowing for a gentle wake-up. I see absolutely no problem with that, and the now separated bathroom area should be no different. I hardly believe you’d hear anything from there, and even if you did, people aren’t sick all the time, and usually, one partner ends up catching whatever the other has anyway.
@dertill Thanks for the feedback. Without local knowledge, you might be right, but my father-in-law built his house with almost exactly the same orientation and location. These are the factors we observed and asked about during the summer. These are simply practical experiences, which is why the plot made sense for us due to its location and amount of sunlight. Don’t worry—that was the basis for considering this plot. Our house will also be built significantly higher than the neighboring houses, which are at most 1.5 full stories, meaning the sun shines over the houses without casting shadows. I hope this better explains my point of view. The sunlight exposure really is based on experience; my fiancée’s parents’ house is about 400 meters (approximately 437 yards) away on the same side of the street.
@dertill Thanks for the feedback. Without local knowledge, you might be right, but my father-in-law built his house with almost exactly the same orientation and location. These are the factors we observed and asked about during the summer. These are simply practical experiences, which is why the plot made sense for us due to its location and amount of sunlight. Don’t worry—that was the basis for considering this plot. Our house will also be built significantly higher than the neighboring houses, which are at most 1.5 full stories, meaning the sun shines over the houses without casting shadows. I hope this better explains my point of view. The sunlight exposure really is based on experience; my fiancée’s parents’ house is about 400 meters (approximately 437 yards) away on the same side of the street.
Y
yellow_ms9 May 2019 12:25The bathtub has already been mentioned. But once again, the question is: where do the small children bathe? And the distance to the second child, if they are still small and have an issue at night – that means travel expenses. Of course, you don’t have to plan your house solely based on this, but the floor plan gives me the impression that the children are already past the early years.
S
StefMeister9 May 2019 12:35There will be no bathtub in the entire house, only a temporary one, or there are installable systems for the shower that work really well. A good friend of ours has one, and she never misses having a bathtub—she simply didn’t have one in her apartment. It feels like the children have outgrown that stage, which is intentional. For example, I didn’t have a bathtub growing up either, only a shower, so I’m quite relaxed about it when it comes to the kids.
@haydee Yes, back pain and such are certainly unpleasant, but ultimately you have to get in and out of the bathtub, and unfortunately, we currently have a case of back pain in the family where the person is really suffering and uses the bathtub :/ I’m quite pragmatic about it—considering we would use it only 3–4 times a year, it’s not worth the space for us personally. I’d rather install a Jacuzzi with a canopy in the garden later than have a bathtub. But I guess that’s just my personal feeling about bathtubs; I definitely won’t miss it.
And yes, the house is really designed for adults and grown children. That’s exactly what we planned it for. The time with small children will require a bit of improvisation but can definitely be managed.
@haydee Yes, back pain and such are certainly unpleasant, but ultimately you have to get in and out of the bathtub, and unfortunately, we currently have a case of back pain in the family where the person is really suffering and uses the bathtub :/ I’m quite pragmatic about it—considering we would use it only 3–4 times a year, it’s not worth the space for us personally. I’d rather install a Jacuzzi with a canopy in the garden later than have a bathtub. But I guess that’s just my personal feeling about bathtubs; I definitely won’t miss it.
And yes, the house is really designed for adults and grown children. That’s exactly what we planned it for. The time with small children will require a bit of improvisation but can definitely be managed.
S
StefMeister9 May 2019 12:40Large sliding doors are already planned. My father-in-law will build the bedroom wardrobe and the kitchen for us if we pay for the materials. In the dressing room, we will install swivel spotlights for the wardrobes, and the wall might be extended a bit longer.
Hello, I hope I still have time to strain my eyes and recognize colors until I’m 50, but that’s a good tip. It’s definitely worth considering at least building it so that it can be easily fitted with a door later in life or even now.
Hello, I hope I still have time to strain my eyes and recognize colors until I’m 50, but that’s a good tip. It’s definitely worth considering at least building it so that it can be easily fitted with a door later in life or even now.
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