ᐅ Planning a Single-Family Home with a General Contractor, Architect, or Similar Professional
Created on: 14 Mar 2015 09:33
P
Payday
Hello,
after deciding against the half-finished house (shell construction with roof and windows – some will know what I mean), we have now reached the goal of having a new single-family home built.
We have already obtained some more concrete offers and know that we will manage with our budget.
The budget looks as follows (provisional bank approval, no contract yet, etc.):
€50,000 (approximately $54,000) own equity from €70,000 (approximately $76,000) available
€50,000 (approximately $54,000) KfW loan
€150,000 (approximately $162,000) mortgage
The plot costs €52,000 (approximately $56,000) for 580 sqm (about 6,240 sq ft) plus €4,500 (approximately $4,860) incidental costs (notary + property transfer tax) = own equity.
This leaves €200,000 (approximately $216,000) for the entire house including all incidental costs (including kitchen and carport) and €5,000 (approximately $5,400) special reserve (+€15,000 (approximately $16,200) additional own equity).
The plan is for a “turnkey” house priced at €155,000 (approximately $168,000) plus €4,500 (approximately $4,860) incidental costs (Note: property transfer and notary fees are not included here).
When I flip through catalogues, I hardly find any providers offering something at this price. The materials are not even the problem; it seems more about the enormous profit margins?!
We have also driven through the new development areas nearby and looked at the houses/signs. We have some smaller general contractors here (as in other places apparently). Some have been around for a long time, about 15–20 years. The management usually consists of two people (one practical, one theoretical), plus a bunch of craftsmen.
What do you think of such companies? The direct contact with the customer is probably much closer than with a large company, but what about price and reliability (completion guarantee/bond)?
after deciding against the half-finished house (shell construction with roof and windows – some will know what I mean), we have now reached the goal of having a new single-family home built.
We have already obtained some more concrete offers and know that we will manage with our budget.
The budget looks as follows (provisional bank approval, no contract yet, etc.):
€50,000 (approximately $54,000) own equity from €70,000 (approximately $76,000) available
€50,000 (approximately $54,000) KfW loan
€150,000 (approximately $162,000) mortgage
The plot costs €52,000 (approximately $56,000) for 580 sqm (about 6,240 sq ft) plus €4,500 (approximately $4,860) incidental costs (notary + property transfer tax) = own equity.
This leaves €200,000 (approximately $216,000) for the entire house including all incidental costs (including kitchen and carport) and €5,000 (approximately $5,400) special reserve (+€15,000 (approximately $16,200) additional own equity).
The plan is for a “turnkey” house priced at €155,000 (approximately $168,000) plus €4,500 (approximately $4,860) incidental costs (Note: property transfer and notary fees are not included here).
When I flip through catalogues, I hardly find any providers offering something at this price. The materials are not even the problem; it seems more about the enormous profit margins?!
We have also driven through the new development areas nearby and looked at the houses/signs. We have some smaller general contractors here (as in other places apparently). Some have been around for a long time, about 15–20 years. The management usually consists of two people (one practical, one theoretical), plus a bunch of craftsmen.
What do you think of such companies? The direct contact with the customer is probably much closer than with a large company, but what about price and reliability (completion guarantee/bond)?
The problem is always the same: people only ask and focus on their own questions but never engage with other threads in the forum.
As a result, they don’t gain any knowledge about other topics. Every day, there are posts here explaining how financing could work. Every day, there are also discussions about fixed-price contracts or architects, costs, and so on.
For years, people in this forum have been happy to answer questions, and sometimes it can be quite amusing when someone is enlightened about how emailing works or that a breakdown of additional costs can be found somewhere online. By the way, detailed breakdowns of additional costs are available right here in the forum; you just have to look for the link yourself, Easter is almost here anyway :P
As a result, they don’t gain any knowledge about other topics. Every day, there are posts here explaining how financing could work. Every day, there are also discussions about fixed-price contracts or architects, costs, and so on.
For years, people in this forum have been happy to answer questions, and sometimes it can be quite amusing when someone is enlightened about how emailing works or that a breakdown of additional costs can be found somewhere online. By the way, detailed breakdowns of additional costs are available right here in the forum; you just have to look for the link yourself, Easter is almost here anyway :P
ypg schrieb:
...By the way, detailed additional cost breakdowns can be found here in the forum, you just have to search for the link, Easter is almost here Yes, I could search until Christmas and haven’t found a good list. Do you have the link handy?In my opinion, the discussion lacks any real basis. So far, I haven’t seen anything with clear structure or planning. What kind of plot is it? Do you need a soil report? Are gas, electricity, and water connected? What type of heating system is considered? Is it a sloped site? And so on.
No matter what you call the costs—the invoices still have to be paid. You expect the kitchen and carport to be included with such a small budget? That’s a joke!
Here’s a list of invoices only (no claim to completeness) that we paid one after another during construction which were NOT included in the base price of the house. The entire shopping list for the electrical work we did ourselves is not shown here—it would have been more than 50 items long.
Admittedly, we had high additional costs because we had to partially develop the plot. But maybe this gives you an idea of who constantly expects money and where extra costs can arise. For instance, we paid 2000 euros just for the move, which was only about 70km (about 45 miles).
And if you say, “I don’t have all these surcharges because I only go for the standard options everywhere,” then you really should look closely at the standards offered by your bargain suppliers. Some things may be completely left out—like base plates or similar. You’ll be in trouble when construction starts.
Court fees, state judicial treasury
Property transfer tax
Permit fee for infiltration system
Notary fees
Fee for approval of land purchase
Fee for deep drilling / heat pump
State judicial treasury registration of mortgage
COUNTY OF LEIPZIG building permit / planning permission
Building application
Structural engineering, energy saving regulations
Plot
Surveying
Well
Installation of deep drilling
Outdoor facilities
Garage foundation
Parking space (earthworks only)
Soil report
Cistern
Septic system
Earthworks / site setup
Terrace & pathway
Infiltration system
Attic expansion
Chimney
OSB boards for roof structure
Lightning conductor
Aluminum roller shutters
Electric roller shutters
Surcharge for sliding door
Surcharge for front door
Electrical work (own labor)
Construction site supplies
Concrete screed for shed
Surcharge for tiles
Barrier-free shower
Towel radiator
Additional shower downstairs
Large bathtub / bathroom selections
Drinking water
Controlled residential ventilation connection fee
Outdoor stairs
Surcharge for indoor stairs
Painting sponsored by Dad
Painting supplies
Telephone
Work pants
Construction spatula
Construction supplies
Bolt cutters
Covered entrance (not included yet!!!)
Fireplace (not included yet!!!)
Gravel gutter
Moving costs
Altogether, this list came to 107,000 euros, of which the plot accounted for 35,000 euros. So 72,000 euros just for fees, site development, surcharges, own labor, and other extras. And painting was even sponsored by Dad—that easily saves you 4,000 euros if you have a Dad…
Oh, I just noticed that the terrace and pathway are not included in the 107,000 (107 TEUS). Doing the electrical work yourself came to about 4,800, since that is generally included in the quote. But I would also check how many power outlets are actually left. An additional cost of 10,000 (10 TEUS) is not unusual—unless you do it yourself.
kaho674 schrieb:
Yes, I’m searching until Christmas, but haven’t found a good list. Do you have the link handy?No, you don’t have to search until Christmas:
just visit the homepage section about construction costs... the post by Bauexperte is pinned at the top and always the first to find in this topic.
Regards, Yvonne
ypg schrieb:
No, you don’t have to search until Christmas: just go to the homepage section about construction costs… the post by Bauexperte is pinned at the top and always the first one you’ll find in this topic.
Regards, Yvonne Great, thanks.