ᐅ Looking for a roadmap – Topic: Homeownership for everyone

Hello everyone,

We are also planning to build a house "soon," with the planning phase including the building permit / planning permission to be completed by spring. My parents-in-law also want to treat themselves to a small house for their "later" stage of life – so we decided to build together and combine our financial resources.

We are considering either:

a single-family home (for us, about 150m² (1600 sq ft)) plus a granny flat / accessory dwelling unit (for the parents-in-law, about 80-90m² (860-970 sq ft))
or a
classic semi-detached house
– the advantages and disadvantages still need to be fully weighed

The building plot is available and the budget has been clarified.

These thoughts are only a few hours old, and I now need to come up with a strategic plan on how to proceed best. I am thinking of a passive house or possibly even a plus-energy house. However, I need to develop the proposals and ultimately present them – the parents-in-law are quite open.

We want to contribute quite a bit of DIY work to build these two separate living units. Because of this, I believe we are already too "custom" for many prefab house manufacturers.

Nevertheless, I want to explore "both worlds" to get an overview of the costs involved:

- Prefab house
- Architect-designed house

I will select one (or more) prefab house suppliers and request a custom quote, and a local architect will also provide me with an offer. I am aware that I probably cannot compare the two directly: A ready-made house off the shelf is definitely in a different price category than a completely newly designed architect’s house. One might be a timber frame house, and the other may be solid masonry – still, I want to weigh the pros and cons against each other.

At the same time, I will read extensively to avoid unpleasant surprises later. As mentioned, I am the family’s in-house architect, who can and should set a direction. Of course, I want to take advantage of this situation…

A question to the experienced members: How would your “roadmap – topic: family home for all” look like in a case like mine?

Thanks very much and best regards

Get quotes first and then compare the prices to see if they match your already defined budget. If you’re not an expert yourself, consult professionals to evaluate the value of any work you plan to do yourself. People often overestimate their own skills or underestimate the associated costs. DIY stores are definitely not the right place to get accurate estimates.

In terms of price, a quality prefab house will generally cost about the same as an architect-designed house. Nowadays, even prefab home suppliers allow you to customize everything according to your preferences. If a bank is involved, you should have your plans reviewed beforehand. Sometimes people tend to daydream. We also thought we could build something nice with $250,000… no way.

Don’t forget additional building costs, and don’t fall for brochure prices 😀

Thank you for the quick response.
The main priority will initially be to define our shared goals. From this, a rough sketch should emerge, outlining how we envision our joint "house."

I am considering which detailed information should be included in a request for a quote—for example:
- type of construction (passive house standard, etc.)
- desired living area
- basement yes/no
- which tasks will be handled by ourselves
and so on.

My hope is to receive a quote with a detailed scope of work, which can then be compared more accurately and also reviewed by a professional, as recommended. Even the term "turnkey" is quite flexible on its own...

Is there a kind of checklist or template that specifies which information is essential in a request? I don’t want to only discuss directly with a local architect but also contact a more distant prefab home supplier.
Thanks….

You want to build a house. Forget about requesting a quote by email. That usually takes 2 to 3 meetings with a consultant. Only after that can they provide you with an offer. Anything else are just numbers from the sky—you might as well use prices from websites. Our prefab home provider offers fully flexible and custom floor plans. Because of this, you only get a price after having several appointments with the provider to plan your house.

Beforehand, you should have a rough idea of what your house should look like: single-family home or semi-detached house / two full floors / roof shape / and so on. Often, these parameters are fixed by land development plans or zoning regulations. If not, the home provider can calculate two offers for you... BUT you won’t get very far by email.

Wastl schrieb:
Something like this takes 2 to 3 appointments with a consultant. After that, they can provide you with an offer.

Yes, that makes sense. We have already had a consultation with an architect – they also said that the following meetings remain non-binding and therefore free of charge. Costs only arise once a concrete planning phase starts, meaning when they actually begin working on the drawings. In my opinion, that sounds logical and fair...

Alongside the local architect, we find the houses from "Bauunion 1905" quite interesting, especially since one is currently being built in the neighboring town. So now the building planner should come to us...

Although this is a bit off-topic, if anyone has experience with this construction company, I would also appreciate any feedback.

Ask the homeowners there directly, if there are any. That’s where you’ll get the best information.