Hello,
My fiancé and I are currently in the “finding the right solution” phase. We have equity of €30,000 (about $33,000) from old building savings contracts that I received as a gift from my grandparents. In addition, there is a small amount of capital from our own building savings contracts.
Overall, we would like to spend €150,000 (about $165,000), so we still need to borrow around €120,000 (about $132,000) and plan to repay it over 20 years with monthly payments of €700 (about $770) at an interest rate of 3%.
Plots of land are quite affordable here (compared to Munich or other metropolitan areas). Prices range from around €23 (about $25) in rural areas to about €70 (about $77) per square meter in small towns. We live about 50 km (30 miles) south of Bremen. We don’t want too large a plot—maybe 800–900 square meters (9,000–10,000 square feet)—as we are not really garden enthusiasts.
The size of the house should be between 130 and 140 square meters (1,400–1,500 square feet).
Considering the sharply rising energy costs, we want an energy-efficient house or passive house that can also be cooled in summer, as I have problems with hot weather. Since we don’t own a kitchen yet, this will need to be purchased. A small partial basement would be nice to do laundry and store things. Also, a double garage (with a small pit and/or lift and a small workshop). Oh, and underfloor heating inside the house. We both love wood. On the ground floor, all rooms except the living room, and in the upper floor bathrooms, should have tiles; the living room and other upper-floor rooms should have wooden floors. I would also really like to leave the upper wooden beams exposed.
My fiancé has already built a house once with his parents and is objectively not inexperienced; his family is the same. There are some tasks we would like to do ourselves, for example paving and installing interior doors. Also wallpapering and laying wooden floors.
I also dream of a plaster facade but have concerns about possible follow-up costs. We have already decided on clay bricks. Since we currently live in an attic apartment (which is actually quite lovely), I’m fed up with low sloping ceilings and therefore dream of a Tuscan-style house.
I am also wondering if I might want dark green window frames. By the way, I am aware that the house will probably have two stories. So much for the ideas so far.
Now I have about 1,000 questions running through my mind:
- How do I avoid ending up with a black sheep builder?
- How can I clearly separate contractor work from DIY work, so that in case of defects that aren’t our fault it’s clear who is responsible?
- Since we want to build with solar panels and so on, can we apply for any subsidies or incentives?
- Geothermal heat pumps are very popular, but don’t they consume a huge amount of electricity? Similar to night storage heaters?
- How do we find the right building plot for us? We’re afraid we might build and then not like the location (we’ve already had this problem when choosing our first apartment).
- How do we avoid expensive hidden costs with the plot, for example if building is difficult due to peat or other ground issues?
- Is a plaster facade really so expensive?
- Which DIY tasks actually save money and make sense to do yourself?
- What costs should we expect for creating a simple garden/site landscaping?
- How do I recognize harmful materials, paints, varnishes, etc.?
- What is better: plastic (PVC) windows or wooden windows?
- And the most important question is:
Are my plans even feasible with our budget and financing, or am I just building castles in the air?
My fiancé and I are currently in the “finding the right solution” phase. We have equity of €30,000 (about $33,000) from old building savings contracts that I received as a gift from my grandparents. In addition, there is a small amount of capital from our own building savings contracts.
Overall, we would like to spend €150,000 (about $165,000), so we still need to borrow around €120,000 (about $132,000) and plan to repay it over 20 years with monthly payments of €700 (about $770) at an interest rate of 3%.
Plots of land are quite affordable here (compared to Munich or other metropolitan areas). Prices range from around €23 (about $25) in rural areas to about €70 (about $77) per square meter in small towns. We live about 50 km (30 miles) south of Bremen. We don’t want too large a plot—maybe 800–900 square meters (9,000–10,000 square feet)—as we are not really garden enthusiasts.
The size of the house should be between 130 and 140 square meters (1,400–1,500 square feet).
Considering the sharply rising energy costs, we want an energy-efficient house or passive house that can also be cooled in summer, as I have problems with hot weather. Since we don’t own a kitchen yet, this will need to be purchased. A small partial basement would be nice to do laundry and store things. Also, a double garage (with a small pit and/or lift and a small workshop). Oh, and underfloor heating inside the house. We both love wood. On the ground floor, all rooms except the living room, and in the upper floor bathrooms, should have tiles; the living room and other upper-floor rooms should have wooden floors. I would also really like to leave the upper wooden beams exposed.
My fiancé has already built a house once with his parents and is objectively not inexperienced; his family is the same. There are some tasks we would like to do ourselves, for example paving and installing interior doors. Also wallpapering and laying wooden floors.
I also dream of a plaster facade but have concerns about possible follow-up costs. We have already decided on clay bricks. Since we currently live in an attic apartment (which is actually quite lovely), I’m fed up with low sloping ceilings and therefore dream of a Tuscan-style house.
I am also wondering if I might want dark green window frames. By the way, I am aware that the house will probably have two stories. So much for the ideas so far.
Now I have about 1,000 questions running through my mind:
- How do I avoid ending up with a black sheep builder?
- How can I clearly separate contractor work from DIY work, so that in case of defects that aren’t our fault it’s clear who is responsible?
- Since we want to build with solar panels and so on, can we apply for any subsidies or incentives?
- Geothermal heat pumps are very popular, but don’t they consume a huge amount of electricity? Similar to night storage heaters?
- How do we find the right building plot for us? We’re afraid we might build and then not like the location (we’ve already had this problem when choosing our first apartment).
- How do we avoid expensive hidden costs with the plot, for example if building is difficult due to peat or other ground issues?
- Is a plaster facade really so expensive?
- Which DIY tasks actually save money and make sense to do yourself?
- What costs should we expect for creating a simple garden/site landscaping?
- How do I recognize harmful materials, paints, varnishes, etc.?
- What is better: plastic (PVC) windows or wooden windows?
- And the most important question is:
Are my plans even feasible with our budget and financing, or am I just building castles in the air?
F
Fortuna863 Jul 2013 10:53If you think so. It’s good that you can compare it directly like that. Thanks for the information.
... I’m not just saying it, I KNOW it! I am currently right in the middle of the construction phase, meaning our plans are starting to take shape and the first invoices are already arriving (but the basement isn’t even finished yet, and it’s being completely built by ourselves since we have the expertise!). Well before the start of construction, we had already spent a good €50,000 on things like the plot of land, property transfer tax, notary fees, land registry changes, mortgage registration, building permit / planning permission fees, water connection, and so on—without a single shovel even breaking ground on the 893 sqm (9,610 sq ft) rural property. If I only had €100,000 left for the house now, I wouldn’t even be able to complete the shell structure. It’s really that simple.
Kerhan and the others are, of course, right—forget about the 150,000 € figure quickly. A detailed breakdown of realistic costs will quickly bring you back down to earth. Additional items such as property transfer tax (in Bremen or Lower Saxony it is 4.5%) come into play. So right after buying the plot, you will immediately receive a bill from the tax office.
Honestly, I find all the questions you raise here quite remarkable. Anyone building today who does not want to leave everything to a consultant or general contractor (which depending on the scope can be quite expensive) has to fight their way through information on the internet and elsewhere—sometimes a tedious process.
Such questions are completely pointless. How should forum participants know your interests or what you like? You need to be active yourself and also drive around the area.
From personal experience, I can say that this is not easy. Also, everyone has different expectations regarding the build and the quality of work. What one person doesn’t mind might bother another, who then ends up chasing corrections for a long time.
Our construction company went bankrupt shortly after (fortunately) our house was completed. I had this company thoroughly checked beforehand, yet the bankruptcy was unexpected. What I mean is, you cannot fully protect yourself from such things—there is no 100% guarantee.
It is best to keep saving or plan your budget with significantly more funds. A buffer of 20,000 - 40,000 € (about 22,000 - 44,000 USD) is realistic. Building rarely goes as smoothly as you imagine. Every additional electrical outlet costs significantly more later than if it had been considered in the initial planning.
Honestly, I find all the questions you raise here quite remarkable. Anyone building today who does not want to leave everything to a consultant or general contractor (which depending on the scope can be quite expensive) has to fight their way through information on the internet and elsewhere—sometimes a tedious process.
- How do we find the right building plot for us? We are afraid that we will build and then not like it there. :-( (we already had this problem when looking for our first apartment)
Such questions are completely pointless. How should forum participants know your interests or what you like? You need to be active yourself and also drive around the area.
How do I avoid ending up with a bad actor in the construction world?
From personal experience, I can say that this is not easy. Also, everyone has different expectations regarding the build and the quality of work. What one person doesn’t mind might bother another, who then ends up chasing corrections for a long time.
Our construction company went bankrupt shortly after (fortunately) our house was completed. I had this company thoroughly checked beforehand, yet the bankruptcy was unexpected. What I mean is, you cannot fully protect yourself from such things—there is no 100% guarantee.
It is best to keep saving or plan your budget with significantly more funds. A buffer of 20,000 - 40,000 € (about 22,000 - 44,000 USD) is realistic. Building rarely goes as smoothly as you imagine. Every additional electrical outlet costs significantly more later than if it had been considered in the initial planning.
Fortuna86 schrieb:
Yes, I recently read that you have to add 300 € per square meter for a basement. So a small 30 sqm (320 sq ft) basement would cost 6,000 € accordingly. That’s a wrong assumption. A partial basement is not much cheaper than a full basement. Excavation work still needs to be done, the soil at the end of the partial basement must be supported, and the transition to the slab foundation must be properly prepared.
For just a slab foundation alone, you can already expect costs of 10,000 - 15,000 € (about 11,000 - 17,000 USD). A partial basement won’t be cheaper than that.
Fortuna86 schrieb:
Why is an outdoor area so expensive? Simply put, just a bit of lawn, a few fence panels (20 € per panel). Paving the driveway and paths?
In our new development, the building plan / planning permission requires that the planting of trees and shrubs must be done in the year after the house is completed. That also comes with costs.
Fortuna86 schrieb:
I just want to get information and honestly find your very shocked reactions a bit exaggerated. :-/ If you look on the first page of this category and read through just 1 or 2 threads, you’ll see the recurring question of whether a house can be built for price X.
You’ll also find pricing details there. So some users might get a bit irritated when the same question keeps coming up *eye roll*.
Getting informed means also reading other posts. And if something is unclear, feel free to ask again.
Then you will get help 😉
B
Bauexperte3 Jul 2013 11:42Hello,
Full usable basement – approx. €35,000
Additional construction costs – approx. €35,000
Painting work in electrical contractor (EL) – approx. €10,000
Flooring in electrical contractor – approx. €10,000
Exterior landscaping in electrical contractor – approx. €10,000
Contingency for extras – approx. €10,000
Total "house" costs – approx. €302,000. Without land, you already have a shortfall of around €152,000 against your target budget.
Regards, Bauexperte
Fortuna86 schrieb:I always speak honestly, so I’ll say that you are quite bold if you already call the few answers so far "exaggerated." I’m missing any clear willingness from you to read through the forum. Maybe you can imagine that your questions have already been answered many times before? I know most beginners don’t show much initiative – kind of like, "oh, someone else will save me the trouble of searching and just answer" – but a little cooperation should be a given. I’m curious how you’ll label my reply … this is definitely not a “safe space” 😕
I want to get some information, and to be honest, I find your reactions a bit exaggerated. :-/
Fortuna86 schrieb:And what about the earthworks and the refilling and compacting for the actual foundation slab? A partial basement is always extremely expensive compared to a full basement. Your 30 sqm would altogether cost roughly €25,000 … here in the north!
I recently read that an additional €300 per sqm is charged for a basement. So a small 30 sqm would cost about €6,000.
Fortuna86 schrieb:Minimum – depending on plot shape – is about 350 sqm for a detached house. So the total cost for land in the village would be roughly €8,050, or in the small town about €24,500. This leaves around €141,950 for the house and all associated building costs in the first case, and about €125,500 in the latter.
Overall, we want to spend about €150,000, so we need to borrow around €120,000 and repay this at 3% with €700 monthly over 20 years. Land is quite affordable here (compared to Munich or other metropolitan areas). Prices range from €23 per sqm in rural areas up to about €70 in smaller towns. We live 50 km south of Bremen. We don’t want a very large plot (maybe 800–900 sqm). We are not big gardening fans.
Fortuna86 schrieb:House built to KfW 70 energy standard – approx. €192,000 (in the north)
The house size should be between 130 sqm – 140 sqm.
Full usable basement – approx. €35,000
Additional construction costs – approx. €35,000
Painting work in electrical contractor (EL) – approx. €10,000
Flooring in electrical contractor – approx. €10,000
Exterior landscaping in electrical contractor – approx. €10,000
Contingency for extras – approx. €10,000
Total "house" costs – approx. €302,000. Without land, you already have a shortfall of around €152,000 against your target budget.
Fortuna86 schrieb:About €10,000 extra.
Considering the sharply rising energy prices, we would like an energy-saving house/passive house that can also be cooled in summer, as I have problems with summer heat.
Fortuna86 schrieb:Special offer maybe about €2,000.
Since we don’t own a kitchen, we would have to purchase one.
Fortuna86 schrieb:Around €20,000 to €25,000.
Also a double garage (with a small pit and/or lift and a small(!) workshop).
Fortuna86 schrieb:Additional cost for insulation and drywall maybe about €2,000.
Also, I would love it if the upper wooden beams could be left exposed.
Fortuna86 schrieb:See above.
My partner has already built a house once with his parents and is objectively quite capable, as is his family. There are some things we can and want to do ourselves, for example paving and installing interior doors, as well as wallpapering and laying wooden floors.
Fortuna86 schrieb:Depending on the number of windows, additional cost between about €2,000 and upwards.
However, I’m thinking about maybe having dark green windows.
Fortuna86 schrieb:Read the forum :o
Now I have probably a thousand questions running through my head:
Fortuna86 schrieb:My question is: are you trying to shake up the forum here, or are you really this naive?
- and the most important question is:
Are my plans even feasible with my financing and our wishes, or am I just building castles in the air?
Regards, Bauexperte
Similar topics