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
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
S
Schwabenland20 Aug 2016 23:19Good evening.
A lot has happened; in the meantime, we have had discussions with 7 different home builders to gather experience and explore options. Two more are still pending.
I can provide a more detailed update in the coming days about the direction things are heading, etc.
Now, more about the following, specifically Schwörerhaus. What I don’t understand and actually find hard to believe is that Schwörerhaus is the cheapest option! Even cheaper than the usual "budget providers."
Take a look:
Promotional house with 143 m² (1,539 sq ft): €196,216, starting from the top of the basement ceiling, move-in ready finish (meaning floors installed, painting completed, etc., the true “turnkey” condition).
+ €20,000 planning permission / building permit
+ €50,000 construction costs
= roughly €270,000. The standard Schwörerhaus features are very good! Plenty of sockets, everything well done and sufficient. There is an additional cost for the air-to-water heat pump; let’s say about €8,000.
That makes it €278,000. But the self-performed work, since I’ll be doing the flooring and painting myself, can be deducted, about -€18,000.
So it ends up at €260,000! And that includes everything! Other quotes are around €280,000 for equal or worse quality.
How is this possible? Something doesn’t add up, right? Can someone with experience explain this? Is there some trick here? Schwörerhaus is known as a quality and expensive builder...
How does it work with such companies if you actually want to change the floor plan, for example, by adding an extra room but keeping the total area the same?
They always say minor changes are free. What does that really mean in practice? Salespeople can say a lot. What happens if I want or need to make changes to the floor plan?
Best regards
A lot has happened; in the meantime, we have had discussions with 7 different home builders to gather experience and explore options. Two more are still pending.
I can provide a more detailed update in the coming days about the direction things are heading, etc.
Now, more about the following, specifically Schwörerhaus. What I don’t understand and actually find hard to believe is that Schwörerhaus is the cheapest option! Even cheaper than the usual "budget providers."
Take a look:
Promotional house with 143 m² (1,539 sq ft): €196,216, starting from the top of the basement ceiling, move-in ready finish (meaning floors installed, painting completed, etc., the true “turnkey” condition).
+ €20,000 planning permission / building permit
+ €50,000 construction costs
= roughly €270,000. The standard Schwörerhaus features are very good! Plenty of sockets, everything well done and sufficient. There is an additional cost for the air-to-water heat pump; let’s say about €8,000.
That makes it €278,000. But the self-performed work, since I’ll be doing the flooring and painting myself, can be deducted, about -€18,000.
So it ends up at €260,000! And that includes everything! Other quotes are around €280,000 for equal or worse quality.
How is this possible? Something doesn’t add up, right? Can someone with experience explain this? Is there some trick here? Schwörerhaus is known as a quality and expensive builder...
How does it work with such companies if you actually want to change the floor plan, for example, by adding an extra room but keeping the total area the same?
They always say minor changes are free. What does that really mean in practice? Salespeople can say a lot. What happens if I want or need to make changes to the floor plan?
Best regards
How much do they add to the price per square meter of the tiles? Additional costs can quickly become quite significant. The same applies to painting work. Then you have to compare what is additionally included or added, such as soil reports, surveying, groundworks, and so on.
S
Schwabenland20 Aug 2016 23:54The €50,000 (approximately $54,000) budget covers everything. Soil survey, measurements, groundwork, and so on. Really everything.
Based on what I have found, €50,000 is a very realistically estimated amount. Including a contingency for deep foundation work.
Oh, what was that… I think €40 per square meter (approximately $4 per square foot) for tiles!? In any case, well calculated.
Based on what I have found, €50,000 is a very realistically estimated amount. Including a contingency for deep foundation work.
Oh, what was that… I think €40 per square meter (approximately $4 per square foot) for tiles!? In any case, well calculated.
...the offer applies to the first 100!
Are you in or already number 101, where surcharges will apply?
Otherwise, regarding the promotion houses: this is how it is, no exceptions. Period!
Any changes, and you’re out of the main pool.
Anyway: nice offer! But don’t be fooled by the photos; they show additional features.
Are you in or already number 101, where surcharges will apply?
Otherwise, regarding the promotion houses: this is how it is, no exceptions. Period!
Any changes, and you’re out of the main pool.
Anyway: nice offer! But don’t be fooled by the photos; they show additional features.
S
Schwabenland21 Aug 2016 00:43Also a good tip; I didn’t know that. I will ask about it directly.
The part about the change is interesting too. Are you sure about that, or is it just a guess? Because we would need to make some changes! Best regards
The part about the change is interesting too. Are you sure about that, or is it just a guess? Because we would need to make some changes! Best regards
I am confident about the change, as long as other home builders offer it _exactly_ the same way. Other companies won’t handle it differently; otherwise, they wouldn’t be promotional houses. Schwörerhaus states this as well, doesn’t it!?
PS The fine print is always important – so please don’t overlook it when comparing!
PS The fine print is always important – so please don’t overlook it when comparing!
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