ᐅ New Single-Family Home Construction in Southern Germany
Created on: 18 Nov 2020 00:43
W
WilderSueden
Hello 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since we are building, it should be energy efficient and we don’t want to use concepts that might soon be politically outdated or unsupported.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?
W
WilderSueden24 Nov 2020 12:11If the building height is roughly equal to the ridge height, a gable roof with a pitch of 30-45 degrees is only possible without a knee wall, making the upper rooms barely usable. That is why it is referred to as a glorified (= better) attic.
WilderSueden schrieb:
A gable roof with a 30–45 degree slope is only possible without a knee wall, and the upper rooms are hardly usable. I consider that an exaggerated conclusion. While knee walls do make living in energy-efficient buildings less enjoyable, there are certainly worse issues than having a knee wall instead of a dormer wall. In a half-story, you don’t have full standing height across the entire roof cross-section anyway. A 30° slope without a knee wall is only suitable for a small attic studio, but in the past, 45° roofs without knee walls were commonly inhabited (creating a one-and-a-half-story house that fully deserves the name from a calculation standpoint).
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
W
WilderSueden24 Nov 2020 18:29It might be a bit exaggerated, but I believe there are good reasons why nowadays the roof isn’t extended all the way down. The great crawl spaces on the knee wall have also been discontinued.
The calculation above was for a 30-degree pitch to maximize the knee wall height. With a 45-degree pitch, the roof would have to start much lower or the house would need to be narrower. That’s why I still assume it refers more to the eaves. I haven’t received a reply yet; if nothing comes by tomorrow noon, I’ll have to give them a call.
The calculation above was for a 30-degree pitch to maximize the knee wall height. With a 45-degree pitch, the roof would have to start much lower or the house would need to be narrower. That’s why I still assume it refers more to the eaves. I haven’t received a reply yet; if nothing comes by tomorrow noon, I’ll have to give them a call.
WilderSueden schrieb:
but I think there are reasons why nowadays the roof is no longer extended all the way down. The nice crawl spaces at the knee wall have also been discontinued."Crawl spaces" sounds much nicer than "Abseiten" 🙂 The architectural reason for switching to knee walls was – long before homeowners became "height obsessed" – simply that both the knee wall and the short wall (Drempel) are just variants of the roof structure with different levels of precipitation. Jack rafters have been gone for about sixty years. The reason why the previously decliningly popular short wall (Drempel) is now avoided completely lies in energy saving regulations: the short wall variant provides less width of usable attic space, but offers the storage space of the "Abseiten." Maintaining this tradition would be a hassle in terms of the thermal envelope, which people prefer to avoid – and without using the "Abseiten," the short wall becomes more of an annoyance overall. Furthermore, with a short wall you can only have dormers with the classic over-the-waistline balustrades, whereas today people prefer cross dormers (gable dormers) with floor-to-ceiling windows. Which I can understand – even a small dog wants to be able to look outside sometime ;-)
WilderSueden schrieb:
I haven’t received an answer yet; if nothing comes by tomorrow noon, I’ll have to call.I hope you get clarity soon; it really makes a difference beyond just the decimal point what is actually meant there (though legally "the written word applies") ;-)https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
W
WilderSueden29 Nov 2020 22:12It’s been a few days since I last posted here. Meanwhile, quite a bit has happened.
Regarding the building height, I called to inquire. The person in charge also thought that the eave height was probably meant. This means there’s free rein for a large attic, as the basement is basically off the table. As much as I would like to have one, it’s the cost factor that makes the big difference between sleeping peacefully and a tight budget. I assume I could get the bank to increase the budget, but I’d rather not. A pantry can still be nicely accommodated in a storage room under the stairs, and we’ve now found several floor plans that include the technical room on the ground floor. If necessary, the home office will have to shrink a bit first. At this point, it seems that only a substantial soil exchange could bring the basement back.
As for the soil... that is currently my biggest problem. Since the plot is only reserved and not yet purchased, I can’t just commission a soil report to get clarity. On the other hand, I find it problematic to commit to a plan that assumes good soil conditions right now. I plan to call the local authority in the next few days to see if anything is known, and perhaps ask one of the future neighbors when we’re next on site. Unfortunately, with the great weather we’ve had, there’s rarely anyone outside... Any other ideas on how to narrow this down? With the current state of site development, I also took a photo of a large trench; if that helps, I can share it.
Regarding construction partners, I have shortlisted and contacted two local general contractors. One hasn’t responded at all so far, and the other is already fully booked for next year. That could speak in favor of the contractor, but it doesn’t help me much right now. I have now selected and contacted a third one; let’s see what comes of that. Otherwise, the first offer from Schwörerhaus has arrived. It seems okay at first and within budget, but on closer inspection and in direct comparison with the Weberhaus service description, it’s clear that some corners are cut. Still, we’ll keep pursuing it for now, but we definitely need to talk more about floor plans beyond the standard promotional houses. The conversation with Weberhaus on Friday went quite well: we talked lengthily about our wishes and then the floor plan itself. It’s quite expensive, but it also has a solid standard where I get the feeling the upgrades are more cosmetic than functional.
By the way, I have now started a small booklet where I’m more or less organizedly recording all my thoughts about the house-building process. One topic per page, and whenever something comes to mind, I try to note it down. It’s definitely more organized than my previous mess of notes. At least so far.
Regarding the building height, I called to inquire. The person in charge also thought that the eave height was probably meant. This means there’s free rein for a large attic, as the basement is basically off the table. As much as I would like to have one, it’s the cost factor that makes the big difference between sleeping peacefully and a tight budget. I assume I could get the bank to increase the budget, but I’d rather not. A pantry can still be nicely accommodated in a storage room under the stairs, and we’ve now found several floor plans that include the technical room on the ground floor. If necessary, the home office will have to shrink a bit first. At this point, it seems that only a substantial soil exchange could bring the basement back.
As for the soil... that is currently my biggest problem. Since the plot is only reserved and not yet purchased, I can’t just commission a soil report to get clarity. On the other hand, I find it problematic to commit to a plan that assumes good soil conditions right now. I plan to call the local authority in the next few days to see if anything is known, and perhaps ask one of the future neighbors when we’re next on site. Unfortunately, with the great weather we’ve had, there’s rarely anyone outside... Any other ideas on how to narrow this down? With the current state of site development, I also took a photo of a large trench; if that helps, I can share it.
Regarding construction partners, I have shortlisted and contacted two local general contractors. One hasn’t responded at all so far, and the other is already fully booked for next year. That could speak in favor of the contractor, but it doesn’t help me much right now. I have now selected and contacted a third one; let’s see what comes of that. Otherwise, the first offer from Schwörerhaus has arrived. It seems okay at first and within budget, but on closer inspection and in direct comparison with the Weberhaus service description, it’s clear that some corners are cut. Still, we’ll keep pursuing it for now, but we definitely need to talk more about floor plans beyond the standard promotional houses. The conversation with Weberhaus on Friday went quite well: we talked lengthily about our wishes and then the floor plan itself. It’s quite expensive, but it also has a solid standard where I get the feeling the upgrades are more cosmetic than functional.
By the way, I have now started a small booklet where I’m more or less organizedly recording all my thoughts about the house-building process. One topic per page, and whenever something comes to mind, I try to note it down. It’s definitely more organized than my previous mess of notes. At least so far.
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