ᐅ Overwhelmed... Is my calculation or knowledge correct?

Created on: 10 Aug 2016 20:15
S
Schwabenland
Good evening!

I come from the Tübingen district and I am 27 years old. My wife and I have now received confirmation for our desired plot, which we will buy in the next few days. Now the planning for the actual house begins.

I am a complete beginner and have browsed this forum a bit, but it’s overwhelming. All the information drives me crazy and discourages me; I don’t even know where to start!

We don’t have a huge budget and want to build with a construction company such as Heinz von Heiden, Town & Country, or Scanhaus Marlow. Some kind of builder that is not the most expensive but still delivers good quality work, preferably solid construction. There are good and bad reviews about every builder online, so I won’t even ask here for recommendations, right?

What I have found out so far are the following hidden costs: (House only, no landscaping)

On top of the “turnkey price,” I have to calculate:
1. About 25,000€ (27,500 USD) additional construction costs
2. Kitchen
3. Lighting fixtures
4. Own work, usually: flooring/wall work + materials
5. Basically add about 20,000€ (22,000 USD) for selections to the stated “turnkey price” because the standard is often too basic

I need to pay attention to the construction description included with “turnkey”:
1. Is triple glazing included?
2. What standard is installed?
3. Heat pump, etc.?
4. What extras do I want + what does all that cost?

I would like to know now:

1. What is the best way to proceed? I want to schedule appointments with the companies mentioned above. How do I best prepare for meetings with these somewhat opaque builders?

2. What other hidden costs should I watch out for that I haven’t mentioned or don’t know yet?

3. What must the house absolutely have in terms of “equipment”/standard?

An example of how I calculate:

House standard turnkey: about 170,000€ (187,000 USD)
Selections:        about 20,000€ (22,000 USD)
Additional construction costs: about 25,000€ (27,500 USD)
Flooring + wall materials: about 6,000€ (6,600 USD)
Kitchen:             about 15,000€ (16,500 USD)
Lighting:            about 3,000€ (3,300 USD)
Financial buffer:      about 5,000€ (5,500 USD)

= 244,000€ (269,000 USD)

Is this correct? Am I missing anything? Do I need to add anything else, if yes, what?

I would really appreciate your help!
Best regards
P
Peanuts74
16 Aug 2016 09:06
Tihiddi schrieb:
We also compared several home builders (Heinz von Heiden, Town & Country) and numerous general contractors. This was done solely by comparing the scope of work documents (Bauleistungsbeschreibung).
When adjusting individual scope of work documents, Heinz von Heiden suddenly became 40,000€ (about 44,800 USD) more expensive O.O
Town & Country was eliminated early on because they couldn’t accommodate our custom floor plan.
With the home builders, it was obvious right away that we were facing salespeople with only partial knowledge. However, they were good at telling you what you wanted to hear.


Just salespeople, especially at the large companies.
If you want to deviate from the "show home," they either say it’s not possible or it becomes extremely expensive, even if you just want to move a window. We were able to change window positions during the construction phase without any extra cost.
RobsonMKK16 Aug 2016 09:27
@Peanuts74 What does extremely expensive mean to you?
P
Peanuts74
16 Aug 2016 10:11
An acquaintance who built with a large prefabricated house company paid a four-figure amount to have one window moved.
RobsonMKK16 Aug 2016 10:17
Okay, that’s really intense.
I wonder, did he only change the window or more than that, and did he have to pay that much every time?

In our case, there will be a one-time charge for the layout change, and then we can make as many modifications as we want.
P
Peanuts74
16 Aug 2016 10:23
As far as I know, he chose a standard house model and only made a few changes. He was a bit upset about one window that alone cost quite a bit, which is why I still remember it...
However, it was a prefabricated house with a timber frame construction, so it’s possible that the beams have to be calculated differently in that case.
It’s probably easier with solid constructions...
Hoeffa16 Aug 2016 15:57
Peanuts74 schrieb:
How much did the 3 garages cost once fully installed?

They will cost a bit over 21,000 (construction has not started yet). However, they are kept relatively simple. White plaster finish, anthracite-colored up-and-over doors, an opening between the two garages and a passage to the "equipment garage" at the back, as well as an opening to the door leading to the utility room and a door at the back to the garden. Packages like electrical wiring or motors were omitted. I will do all of that myself afterward because the prices for those are outrageously high.