ᐅ Prefabricated House or Traditional Solid Construction Companies – Budget
Created on: 13 May 2020 12:56
C
Cary2020
Hello everyone. As you can see, I am new here and looking for advice. We are 25 and 27 years old, both employed, and our monthly net income is 3100 € (approximately $3,400). We have no equity saved up (we are already aware of the risks). Now, by coincidence, we have found a plot of land. It’s the only one in the area that meets our expectations (small, no more than 500 m² (6000 sq ft)). It was more or less a “random find.” Although we had agreed that we wanted to build a house someday, we hadn’t expected it to happen so soon. We want to build at the edge of the Harz mountains, in Lower Saxony. That’s the basic info.
Over the past few days, we have spent a lot of time researching the topic but have not reached any concrete conclusions yet. We have had initial phone appointments with banks; even without equity, it’s not impossible, and some very reputable, well-known banks were involved. We have further appointments with first companies and additional banks planned for next week. However, I would also like to connect with “regular” homeowners to get realistic assessments because we probably belong to this group ourselves.
Does anyone have experience with building a house at our income level? Is it feasible not only on paper but also in reality?
Then the big question arises: do we want a traditional solid house (brick and mortar) or a prefab house? Twenty years ago, when my parents built their home, prefab houses had a bad reputation. Nowadays, that seems to have improved significantly. Basically, we are still undecided. We see major advantages with prefab houses in the absence of moisture problems, clearly the price (is that really the case?), and according to experience reports, there is less shoddy workmanship. I’m hoping to learn from your experiences here.
The last point, of course, will be contacting companies. I am a bit hesitant about regional developers and would prefer to get in touch with larger firms like Viebrockhaus (probably quite expensive), Massa Haus, Arge, etc. Here too, I hope to have an initial exchange with you.
As you can see, we are just starting out and would like to bring some orientation to our confusion of thoughts. Thanks in advance for your help.
Over the past few days, we have spent a lot of time researching the topic but have not reached any concrete conclusions yet. We have had initial phone appointments with banks; even without equity, it’s not impossible, and some very reputable, well-known banks were involved. We have further appointments with first companies and additional banks planned for next week. However, I would also like to connect with “regular” homeowners to get realistic assessments because we probably belong to this group ourselves.
Does anyone have experience with building a house at our income level? Is it feasible not only on paper but also in reality?
Then the big question arises: do we want a traditional solid house (brick and mortar) or a prefab house? Twenty years ago, when my parents built their home, prefab houses had a bad reputation. Nowadays, that seems to have improved significantly. Basically, we are still undecided. We see major advantages with prefab houses in the absence of moisture problems, clearly the price (is that really the case?), and according to experience reports, there is less shoddy workmanship. I’m hoping to learn from your experiences here.
The last point, of course, will be contacting companies. I am a bit hesitant about regional developers and would prefer to get in touch with larger firms like Viebrockhaus (probably quite expensive), Massa Haus, Arge, etc. Here too, I hope to have an initial exchange with you.
As you can see, we are just starting out and would like to bring some orientation to our confusion of thoughts. Thanks in advance for your help.
I’m back with some new insights. Two banks have provided rough estimates so far. We are assuming a loan amount of 300,000 € (about $330,000). The quotes from the construction companies are in that range as well. So building costs plus everything else like additional fees, land, etc. – the complete loan amount. They can only give exact calculations once things become more concrete. Under these conditions, the monthly payment would be around 1000 € (about $1,100). That leaves 2100 € (about $2,300) for everything else. It’s tight, but we think it’s manageable with some compromises. We welcome opinions on this, but please NO harsh criticism. We will live with this for 35 years, not you.
And one specific question: How much should we expect to pay for additional monthly costs in a house? Currently, we pay around 300 € (about $330) for all additional costs: gas, water, electricity, waste disposal, internet, etc. Is it realistic to expect around 500 € (about $550) for these costs in a house, since it’s bigger and consumption will probably be higher at first due to cleaning and so on? Thanks in advance.
And one specific question: How much should we expect to pay for additional monthly costs in a house? Currently, we pay around 300 € (about $330) for all additional costs: gas, water, electricity, waste disposal, internet, etc. Is it realistic to expect around 500 € (about $550) for these costs in a house, since it’s bigger and consumption will probably be higher at first due to cleaning and so on? Thanks in advance.
Difficult. Additional construction costs are very individual. On top of that, there is everything not included in the quotes.
First, compare the two quotes with each other.
Then check here
https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/warum-ein-Hausbau-fast-immer-teurer-kommt-als-kalkuliert.16237/
https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/liste-der-anfallenden-Baunebenkosten-bauseits-teurer.9737/
https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/baukostenaufstellung-pdf-download.14064/
For your own work, determine realistic costs. Not the cheapest tile from the current promotional catalog, but the ones you would actually buy now, including everything you need, even tools.
Make sure to ask locally. The small local contractor is often more flexible and usually cheaper.
First, compare the two quotes with each other.
Then check here
https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/warum-ein-Hausbau-fast-immer-teurer-kommt-als-kalkuliert.16237/
https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/liste-der-anfallenden-Baunebenkosten-bauseits-teurer.9737/
https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/baukostenaufstellung-pdf-download.14064/
For your own work, determine realistic costs. Not the cheapest tile from the current promotional catalog, but the ones you would actually buy now, including everything you need, even tools.
Make sure to ask locally. The small local contractor is often more flexible and usually cheaper.
Then I misunderstood you.
I would calculate waste disposal, insurance, and property tax individually.
You have internet.
For water, electricity, and heating, I would estimate at least double or even triple the current costs. The house is larger, and you will be doing a significant amount of work yourselves after moving in.
I would calculate waste disposal, insurance, and property tax individually.
You have internet.
For water, electricity, and heating, I would estimate at least double or even triple the current costs. The house is larger, and you will be doing a significant amount of work yourselves after moving in.
Cary2020 schrieb:
I meant the monthly living costs excluding fixed expenses. So, for living expenses after deducting all fixed costs (rent, insurance, music lessons for the child, Netflix, Amazon Prime, €2,300 (around $2,500) savings contribution, etc.), we always estimate over €2,000 (around $2,150) for groceries, clothing, small trips (my mother lives in the Harz, about 200 km (125 miles) away), fuel for two vehicles, and so on.
Hello Cary2020
Okay, tight budget but a lot of dedication.
It’s good to hear up front that this won’t be a walk in the park.
If you really take that to heart, it can work out.
Requirement: physical commitment.
Buy the land first, then find an architect who will design the house without unnecessary extras. This includes having the bathroom directly above the kitchen, so water pipes run along one vertical stack. This saves some money. You have to apply this approach to every trade involved.
For example, I found an electrician who let me do the work myself. I chased all the channels for wiring, installed 4,500 meters (14,764 feet) of cables, and fitted most of the outlets and switches. And so on. I took my time over three years (I already owned property, so it wasn’t a problem). You can install floors yourself, do the ceilings, and landscaping isn’t too difficult either. Then it should work.
After the house plan is ready, find a shell builder to construct the basic structure, then a roofer (during the shell phase). Once the house is weather-tight, it’s your time. Do all the preparatory work yourself. That means working after hours every day, laboring on weekends, and spending your vacations on the construction site. It can be fun. After that comes screeding, plastering, and installations.
It can work. But it can also lead to divorce.
I like DIY. And most of the time, I do it better than the tradespeople.
Steven
Okay, tight budget but a lot of dedication.
It’s good to hear up front that this won’t be a walk in the park.
If you really take that to heart, it can work out.
Requirement: physical commitment.
Buy the land first, then find an architect who will design the house without unnecessary extras. This includes having the bathroom directly above the kitchen, so water pipes run along one vertical stack. This saves some money. You have to apply this approach to every trade involved.
For example, I found an electrician who let me do the work myself. I chased all the channels for wiring, installed 4,500 meters (14,764 feet) of cables, and fitted most of the outlets and switches. And so on. I took my time over three years (I already owned property, so it wasn’t a problem). You can install floors yourself, do the ceilings, and landscaping isn’t too difficult either. Then it should work.
After the house plan is ready, find a shell builder to construct the basic structure, then a roofer (during the shell phase). Once the house is weather-tight, it’s your time. Do all the preparatory work yourself. That means working after hours every day, laboring on weekends, and spending your vacations on the construction site. It can be fun. After that comes screeding, plastering, and installations.
It can work. But it can also lead to divorce.
I like DIY. And most of the time, I do it better than the tradespeople.
Steven