ᐅ New Single-Family Home Construction in Southern Germany
Created on: 18 Nov 2020 00:43
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WilderSuedenW
WilderSueden18 Nov 2020 00:43Hello everyone,
after jumping straight into the basement discussion thread, I want to use this one as an introduction and idea-sharing thread. Some things might seem a bit chaotic at first, but that will surely clear up.
We are expecting our first child in February. Since two rooms are obviously too few for the long term, we need something larger. The housing market here in Konstanz is notoriously difficult, so we didn’t spend much time searching here. Thanks to Corona home office, we focused on areas a bit further away right from the start. Initially, we looked mostly at existing properties, but due to the poor condition of what’s on offer, we unexpectedly ended up deciding to build. We were actually lucky to get a plot in a new development area around Stockach-Pfullendorf. The site started being developed this week and will probably be buildable from summer onward.
Here are some key details:
- He/I am 33, work in the software industry, based in Konstanz, from a rural area
- She is 41, a teacher in the Hegau region, from a city that basically doesn’t exist
- One child on the way, no further children planned and unlikely due to her age
- Currently living in about 65sqm (700 sq ft) with 2.5 rooms in a lovely apartment building…
- Basically, we don’t want anything too fancy—no extensive smart home automation, no luxury mansion with marble and so on. Just something solid and nice. We are not building to fulfill a lifelong dream but to avoid renovating an old house worth half a million euros. Plain wallpaper texture and laminate flooring would be fine for us if the quality is good.
- Accordingly, we don’t mind using a “standard” floor plan from a prefabricated house builder or a typical model home.
- That said, since we are building, it should be energy efficient and we don’t want to use concepts that might soon be politically outdated or unsupported.
- Do-it-yourself work only to a limited extent, as we are neither professionals nor do we have relevant contacts. Also, the new house is a bit further away, so working on it in the evening is unlikely. A weekend of painting before moving in is no problem, and after moving in, doing the carport, terrace, and garden ourselves is also fine.
- The construction partner must be reliable.
Plot and financials:
- Plot roughly 700sqm (7,535 sq ft) at 98€ per sqm → 70,000€, fairly rectangular
- 120,000€ equity (with some reserve left)
- Financing and ownership entirely in my name (unmarried and no joint assets intended)
- Planned overall budget about 500,000€
- Target monthly payment 1,500€
- Accordingly, loan to be repaid in 25 years with that rate, with some extra repayments planned mid-term aiming for about 20 years total
Budget breakdown:
- Plot 70,000€
- Ancillary plot costs 5,000€
- Other construction-related fees 60,000€
- Basement 50,000€
- Kitchen 10,000€
- Driveway, carport, terrace as DIY 15,000€
-----
210,000€
Leaves about 290,000€ in the budget for the house itself, which is probably quite tight for what we have planned. The budget still needs to be adjusted with a buffer.
So far, our wishlist looks roughly like this:
- Not excessively large, more like 120–130sqm (1,290–1,400 sq ft)
- Efficient, modern house
- Photovoltaic system (possibly with battery storage)
- Underfloor heating with heat pump
- Home office for me on the ground floor (makes sense since I mostly work from home)
- Bedroom upstairs, one office for her that also serves as a guest room and reserve nursery
- Large open-plan kitchen/living area
- Basement
- Cistern
- Carport for two cars and one trailer
Our first contact about building was through an ad from the local Town & Country partner. The consultant was friendly, and the show house in Geisingen looked quite nice, but somehow it all felt a bit too conservative. Built according to the Energy Saving Ordinance 2016, standard gas heating. Sure, upgrades are possible, but I’m not sure if a heat pump makes sense under that regulation anymore. The fact that the show house had cracks in the plaster here and there isn’t exactly reassuring either. But the base price is lower. Current status: two meetings, visited the show house, haven’t requested the scope of services yet.
Then we looked a bit into prefab houses. Most offer KfW55 standard, which is closer to what we want and would be a good base for going to KfW40+ since a photovoltaic system is already planned (probably just with battery preparation though). Visited the park in Villingen-Schwenningen. Had a long chat with Schwabenhaus; the consultant seemed to want to downplay costs and was very keen to sell a ground-source heat pump with boreholes. The upgrade options for the promotional houses looked likely to increase costs significantly. Visited Heldhaus, liked it quite a lot but their cost outline overshoots the budget by roughly 100,000€.
Today we had an appointment with Schwörerhaus. The floor plan of one of their promotional houses fits pretty well. Basement plus KfW40+ seems somewhat challenging in combination. Otherwise, a generally good impression; the briefly reviewed scope of services doesn’t give the impression the house would be unpleasant to live in. Let’s see what the first offer will look like. I don’t get the feeling there’s much that could go wrong there.
Next week we have an appointment with Weberhaus. We found a floor plan we really like. The price is initially the highest, but their examples include KfW40+ standard and smart home automation upfront.
Our goal is to narrow down the number of companies we continue with to a maximum of two by Christmas and then decide on a construction partner early next year. In spring, the baby will take priority, not just house planning.
I’ve already posted some thoughts about the basement and possible basement substitutes. The insulation costs for the basement seem to fully consume the additional subsidies, so the photovoltaic battery would have to be paid out of pocket again. One idea on the drive back from the appointment was whether it makes sense to build the house initially to KfW55 standard without extra insulation. The difference in heating costs is relatively small. Then install just the conduit pipes for photovoltaics with battery preparation. A few years later, add a battery once prices drop. That would also likely bring the house closer to the planned budget than going for KfW40+.
These are my thoughts so far. Have I missed anything important?
after jumping straight into the basement discussion thread, I want to use this one as an introduction and idea-sharing thread. Some things might seem a bit chaotic at first, but that will surely clear up.
We are expecting our first child in February. Since two rooms are obviously too few for the long term, we need something larger. The housing market here in Konstanz is notoriously difficult, so we didn’t spend much time searching here. Thanks to Corona home office, we focused on areas a bit further away right from the start. Initially, we looked mostly at existing properties, but due to the poor condition of what’s on offer, we unexpectedly ended up deciding to build. We were actually lucky to get a plot in a new development area around Stockach-Pfullendorf. The site started being developed this week and will probably be buildable from summer onward.
Here are some key details:
- He/I am 33, work in the software industry, based in Konstanz, from a rural area
- She is 41, a teacher in the Hegau region, from a city that basically doesn’t exist
- One child on the way, no further children planned and unlikely due to her age
- Currently living in about 65sqm (700 sq ft) with 2.5 rooms in a lovely apartment building…
- Basically, we don’t want anything too fancy—no extensive smart home automation, no luxury mansion with marble and so on. Just something solid and nice. We are not building to fulfill a lifelong dream but to avoid renovating an old house worth half a million euros. Plain wallpaper texture and laminate flooring would be fine for us if the quality is good.
- Accordingly, we don’t mind using a “standard” floor plan from a prefabricated house builder or a typical model home.
- That said, since we are building, it should be energy efficient and we don’t want to use concepts that might soon be politically outdated or unsupported.
- Do-it-yourself work only to a limited extent, as we are neither professionals nor do we have relevant contacts. Also, the new house is a bit further away, so working on it in the evening is unlikely. A weekend of painting before moving in is no problem, and after moving in, doing the carport, terrace, and garden ourselves is also fine.
- The construction partner must be reliable.
Plot and financials:
- Plot roughly 700sqm (7,535 sq ft) at 98€ per sqm → 70,000€, fairly rectangular
- 120,000€ equity (with some reserve left)
- Financing and ownership entirely in my name (unmarried and no joint assets intended)
- Planned overall budget about 500,000€
- Target monthly payment 1,500€
- Accordingly, loan to be repaid in 25 years with that rate, with some extra repayments planned mid-term aiming for about 20 years total
Budget breakdown:
- Plot 70,000€
- Ancillary plot costs 5,000€
- Other construction-related fees 60,000€
- Basement 50,000€
- Kitchen 10,000€
- Driveway, carport, terrace as DIY 15,000€
-----
210,000€
Leaves about 290,000€ in the budget for the house itself, which is probably quite tight for what we have planned. The budget still needs to be adjusted with a buffer.
So far, our wishlist looks roughly like this:
- Not excessively large, more like 120–130sqm (1,290–1,400 sq ft)
- Efficient, modern house
- Photovoltaic system (possibly with battery storage)
- Underfloor heating with heat pump
- Home office for me on the ground floor (makes sense since I mostly work from home)
- Bedroom upstairs, one office for her that also serves as a guest room and reserve nursery
- Large open-plan kitchen/living area
- Basement
- Cistern
- Carport for two cars and one trailer
Our first contact about building was through an ad from the local Town & Country partner. The consultant was friendly, and the show house in Geisingen looked quite nice, but somehow it all felt a bit too conservative. Built according to the Energy Saving Ordinance 2016, standard gas heating. Sure, upgrades are possible, but I’m not sure if a heat pump makes sense under that regulation anymore. The fact that the show house had cracks in the plaster here and there isn’t exactly reassuring either. But the base price is lower. Current status: two meetings, visited the show house, haven’t requested the scope of services yet.
Then we looked a bit into prefab houses. Most offer KfW55 standard, which is closer to what we want and would be a good base for going to KfW40+ since a photovoltaic system is already planned (probably just with battery preparation though). Visited the park in Villingen-Schwenningen. Had a long chat with Schwabenhaus; the consultant seemed to want to downplay costs and was very keen to sell a ground-source heat pump with boreholes. The upgrade options for the promotional houses looked likely to increase costs significantly. Visited Heldhaus, liked it quite a lot but their cost outline overshoots the budget by roughly 100,000€.
Today we had an appointment with Schwörerhaus. The floor plan of one of their promotional houses fits pretty well. Basement plus KfW40+ seems somewhat challenging in combination. Otherwise, a generally good impression; the briefly reviewed scope of services doesn’t give the impression the house would be unpleasant to live in. Let’s see what the first offer will look like. I don’t get the feeling there’s much that could go wrong there.
Next week we have an appointment with Weberhaus. We found a floor plan we really like. The price is initially the highest, but their examples include KfW40+ standard and smart home automation upfront.
Our goal is to narrow down the number of companies we continue with to a maximum of two by Christmas and then decide on a construction partner early next year. In spring, the baby will take priority, not just house planning.
I’ve already posted some thoughts about the basement and possible basement substitutes. The insulation costs for the basement seem to fully consume the additional subsidies, so the photovoltaic battery would have to be paid out of pocket again. One idea on the drive back from the appointment was whether it makes sense to build the house initially to KfW55 standard without extra insulation. The difference in heating costs is relatively small. Then install just the conduit pipes for photovoltaics with battery preparation. A few years later, add a battery once prices drop. That would also likely bring the house closer to the planned budget than going for KfW40+.
These are my thoughts so far. Have I missed anything important?
WilderSueden schrieb:
After jumping straight into the basement thread, I want to use this one as a thread for introductions and collecting ideas. This idea is somewhat so-so, as the directions on floor plans and financing in the categories here vary quite a bit. As a layperson, you quickly have to be ready to duck under fire from well-meaning advisers and know-it-alls. So it’s better to discuss finances and technical/design aspects of building a house in separate threads—in fact, the financing section is mostly free of 11ant anyway ;-).
If you already have a specific plot of land, it should be introduced in more detail, preferably including its zoning and topographical conditions.
Be clear about the standard you want—and early on, weed out providers who try to convince you that things you don’t consider important will be basically cost-neutral thanks to subsidy programs. For the average consumer, there is the Energy Saving Ordinance—anything beyond that addresses the “avant-garde” clientele. Simply put: if you don’t shop at the organic store several times a month, leave KfW40 or even passive house standards to other homebuilders. Or as @Nordlys says, keep it simple, rugged, and reliable. Don’t reinvent the wheel: every deviation from the standard costs you—not only money. Choose your (manageable handful of) priorities to fight for, for example “eco-sustainable” OR “smart.” Combining multiple priorities with AND requires above-average financial resources and willingness to learn about technology. Nowadays you can write a thesis on different ventilation hood concepts, but you don’t have to ;-)
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
W
WilderSueden18 Nov 2020 12:43Regarding financing, I’m not too worried at this point. The budget is roughly set, and I’m confident a bank will provide financing on reasonable terms. Now, the focus is on aligning our wishes with the budget. We definitely want to avoid exceeding the budget before construction even starts 😉
That’s also why I’m considering not going for KfW40+ standard, even though I find the idea of a battery system quite interesting. In the end, it’s more of a nice-to-have rather than a must-have since it can be retrofitted fairly easily. The €12,000 difference in subsidies isn’t enough to cover the gap between the budgeted and the required amount.
I’ll present the plot of land this evening. Unfortunately, we don’t have many details yet—just a scan of the graphic site plan showing the available plots, plus some photos I took during the visit. Since infrastructure development has only just begun, it’s naturally difficult to determine the exact boundaries and assess the slope.
That’s also why I’m considering not going for KfW40+ standard, even though I find the idea of a battery system quite interesting. In the end, it’s more of a nice-to-have rather than a must-have since it can be retrofitted fairly easily. The €12,000 difference in subsidies isn’t enough to cover the gap between the budgeted and the required amount.
I’ll present the plot of land this evening. Unfortunately, we don’t have many details yet—just a scan of the graphic site plan showing the available plots, plus some photos I took during the visit. Since infrastructure development has only just begun, it’s naturally difficult to determine the exact boundaries and assess the slope.
WilderSueden schrieb:
When it comes to financing, I’m not really worried anymore.I’m also not concerned about your financing, but about your mental and emotional well-being if you receive conflicting advice on both topics in the same thread—because the makeup of the community discussing structural design is completely different from that in the financing area. In one area, your reputation needs to be bulletproof, and in the other, watertight. So you basically have to keep one ear closed at a time, or you’ll go crazy when one side tells you, “Change the staircase position in the mudroom,” while the other says, “My gross-to-net calculator shows your budget doesn’t add up.”https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
W
WilderSueden18 Nov 2020 13:24Since a custom-designed house probably isn’t worth it for us, the walls and stairs are basically fixed and can only be changed by completely redesigning the floor plan. Hopefully, such discussions will be avoided here accordingly. But I think I’ll revise that again this evening.
A basement for 50k is very ambitious.
290k for 120-130 sqm (roughly 1,290-1,400 sq ft) should be achievable. I would skip KFW40+.
Your house is not big. Do a detailed room layout—not just kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, but
kitchen with a peninsula and 4m (13 feet) of continuous countertop space,
bedroom with a 2.20m (7.2 feet) long bed (since you are quite tall), 4m (13 feet) wardrobe + 1m (3 feet) for towels,
6m (20 feet) bookshelf, XXL sofa, etc.
You don’t have any extra space in terms of area. Large floor space can compensate for planning mistakes.
For every floor plan you like, draw in your furniture. That way you will find the floor plan that fits you best out of the huge selection. On top of that, there is the building plan / planning permission; not every house can be built on every lot.
290k for 120-130 sqm (roughly 1,290-1,400 sq ft) should be achievable. I would skip KFW40+.
Your house is not big. Do a detailed room layout—not just kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, but
kitchen with a peninsula and 4m (13 feet) of continuous countertop space,
bedroom with a 2.20m (7.2 feet) long bed (since you are quite tall), 4m (13 feet) wardrobe + 1m (3 feet) for towels,
6m (20 feet) bookshelf, XXL sofa, etc.
You don’t have any extra space in terms of area. Large floor space can compensate for planning mistakes.
For every floor plan you like, draw in your furniture. That way you will find the floor plan that fits you best out of the huge selection. On top of that, there is the building plan / planning permission; not every house can be built on every lot.
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