ᐅ Our lifelong project: A single-family home with 8,600 square feet of living space
Created on: 8 Nov 2020 12:49
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VanillaSwap
Good morning ladies and gentlemen,
I have found the form that everyone usually fills out in advance to provide more input. We are still trying to find a suitable plot of land. Most of the properties currently listed online in Hesse have either a too low floor area ratio or site coverage ratio, or they are unsuitable due to their location or neighborhood.
In general, we are not fixed on Hesse and have decided to remain flexible, as long as the location is not in the eastern part of the country (too far away for us), since this building project is only intended as a second home, to be used as a weekend house.
We see this house as our last major construction project before retirement. We are both very skilled at DIY work, so tasks like electrical installation planning, bathroom construction, and even building a sauna and steam bath have already been completed entirely by ourselves. We also finished the last interior work completely on our own, as well as the garden including the terrace and pond, independently built. As you can see, there is a high level of own initiative and expertise, which we believe enables us to successfully undertake such a project. Additionally, we aim to keep labor costs low by "optimizing" taxes and contributions.
General information about you:
Who are you? Father, mother, 2 teenagers.
How old are you? Parents are in their late 40s, children around 18 years old.
Are more children planned? No.
Are you employed, self-employed, retired, homemaker, etc.? Father is self-employed (lawyer with his own practice), mother does not work.
Income and assets:
What income do you have (gross/net)? Net: at least €30,000 per month as private withdrawal
How much equity do you want to invest in the house project? Preferably a low equity share to make the most of the current available funds (our consideration)
Housing costs:
No rent, own single-family house
General information about the property:
How large is the plot? We are trying to secure a plot from 1500 sqm (approximately 16,150 sq ft) upwards, preferably larger. Our motto is: the bigger, the better. Please feel free to post ideas on where to find such plots in Hesse – private tips via PM will of course be rewarded. We would need a building envelope with dimensions of about 34 x 25-30 meters (112 x 82-98 ft).
New build, existing building (year built), house type? Garage? New build with underground garage (a major wish to accommodate my husband’s small car collection)
How big is the house? (living area / usable area): approximately 800 sqm (8,600 sq ft) plus basement (part underground garage, partly fitness room, etc.)
Construction or purchase costs:
Plot costs: We are budgeting up to half a million (Euros); please correct us if this seems unrealistic. The last time we built was in ’08-’09, and at that time such a budget still worked well for the land.
Development costs: Unknown
Building or purchase costs (including architect, structural engineer): estimated €1,000,000 - €1,500,000
Additional construction-related costs (e.g., utility connections, soil surveyor, temporary power, etc.): Unknown
Outdoor facilities/terrace, paths, garden design, fences, etc.: Outdoor pool desired
Total costs: €1.5 - 2 million
Cost breakdown:
Total costs: €1,500,000
Deductible equity: e.g., €150,000
Financing amount: €1,350,000
Attached you will find some pictures that inspired us stylistically and that represent what the final product should look like. Of course, we know this project is quite demanding in terms of effort and execution, but we are confident that with our ideas and contacts within the industry, we should be able to realize it.
We very much look forward to your input and hope to receive ideas on implementation, opinions on the budget, and suggestions for possible locations of the plot.
Best regards,
S.




I have found the form that everyone usually fills out in advance to provide more input. We are still trying to find a suitable plot of land. Most of the properties currently listed online in Hesse have either a too low floor area ratio or site coverage ratio, or they are unsuitable due to their location or neighborhood.
In general, we are not fixed on Hesse and have decided to remain flexible, as long as the location is not in the eastern part of the country (too far away for us), since this building project is only intended as a second home, to be used as a weekend house.
We see this house as our last major construction project before retirement. We are both very skilled at DIY work, so tasks like electrical installation planning, bathroom construction, and even building a sauna and steam bath have already been completed entirely by ourselves. We also finished the last interior work completely on our own, as well as the garden including the terrace and pond, independently built. As you can see, there is a high level of own initiative and expertise, which we believe enables us to successfully undertake such a project. Additionally, we aim to keep labor costs low by "optimizing" taxes and contributions.
General information about you:
Who are you? Father, mother, 2 teenagers.
How old are you? Parents are in their late 40s, children around 18 years old.
Are more children planned? No.
Are you employed, self-employed, retired, homemaker, etc.? Father is self-employed (lawyer with his own practice), mother does not work.
Income and assets:
What income do you have (gross/net)? Net: at least €30,000 per month as private withdrawal
How much equity do you want to invest in the house project? Preferably a low equity share to make the most of the current available funds (our consideration)
Housing costs:
No rent, own single-family house
General information about the property:
How large is the plot? We are trying to secure a plot from 1500 sqm (approximately 16,150 sq ft) upwards, preferably larger. Our motto is: the bigger, the better. Please feel free to post ideas on where to find such plots in Hesse – private tips via PM will of course be rewarded. We would need a building envelope with dimensions of about 34 x 25-30 meters (112 x 82-98 ft).
New build, existing building (year built), house type? Garage? New build with underground garage (a major wish to accommodate my husband’s small car collection)
How big is the house? (living area / usable area): approximately 800 sqm (8,600 sq ft) plus basement (part underground garage, partly fitness room, etc.)
Construction or purchase costs:
Plot costs: We are budgeting up to half a million (Euros); please correct us if this seems unrealistic. The last time we built was in ’08-’09, and at that time such a budget still worked well for the land.
Development costs: Unknown
Building or purchase costs (including architect, structural engineer): estimated €1,000,000 - €1,500,000
Additional construction-related costs (e.g., utility connections, soil surveyor, temporary power, etc.): Unknown
Outdoor facilities/terrace, paths, garden design, fences, etc.: Outdoor pool desired
Total costs: €1.5 - 2 million
Cost breakdown:
Total costs: €1,500,000
Deductible equity: e.g., €150,000
Financing amount: €1,350,000
Attached you will find some pictures that inspired us stylistically and that represent what the final product should look like. Of course, we know this project is quite demanding in terms of effort and execution, but we are confident that with our ideas and contacts within the industry, we should be able to realize it.
We very much look forward to your input and hope to receive ideas on implementation, opinions on the budget, and suggestions for possible locations of the plot.
Best regards,
S.
B
Bertram1008 Nov 2020 15:50Yes, especially consulting a psychologist is a good tip. I am a professional in the field and would recommend that as well. :p
Everyone, what is wrong with you? If you can’t take this seriously, just want to make fun of it, or are only concerned with boosting your own moral superiority, then please just skip this post.
Time will tell what the truth is. In any case, I wish you much success and hope for detailed documentation here in the forum.
Time will tell what the truth is. In any case, I wish you much success and hope for detailed documentation here in the forum.
H
hampshire8 Nov 2020 17:11VanillaSwap schrieb:
Wouldn’t you say that the combination of a fully paid-off single-family house (worth around 1 million) with our monthly income and the company’s value should provide enough collateral? Not necessarily for a construction loan, since the property itself must be sellable if needed. For a regular bank loan—why not.
superzapp schrieb:
How does one manage to put aside so much every month to only have 150K equity left with an income of 30K? If you assume that the 150K of available equity represents all assets, I agree with you. Sometimes it’s not worthwhile to sell holdings and you have to make do with the liquid funds. Just try thinking a bit bigger.
Bertram100 schrieb:
That’s why I simply can’t imagine what the OP wants to do with 800 sqm. And so far, it’s not really clear, except for “representative purposes.” 800 sqm (8,600 sq ft) of living space isn’t that much. For example, a generous guest area, a ballroom, and a suitable kitchen would fit easily. You can also use up space quickly if you want to display art “appropriately.” There really are no limits to the imagination. If it’s about representation for a second home, I would lean more toward buying a small castle and renovating it. Most of what we have is not really necessary. Explaining personal luxury in reasonable terms is one thing, but something far beyond that feels unimaginable and strange.
I’m interested in the project once it becomes more concrete.
S
sascha-t4-le8 Nov 2020 17:11Hey, I’m in the Wetterau district. Which area did you have in mind? I would also like to visit your construction site once it starts.