Dear all,
I am currently searching for a plot of land but am not making much progress because the resulting costs can vary greatly, which significantly affects my remaining budget.
I House Type
I would like a single-family house in the Bauhaus style, but with a brick veneer. My wife prefers a “traditional” house with a pitched roof or a half-hipped roof, but she would agree to the Bauhaus style if it does not lead to (significant) additional costs. In my opinion, the Bauhaus style should be more affordable due to its presumably more favorable volume-to-exterior-surface ratio and the flat roof, compared to a similarly equipped traditional house, right?
II Plot and Costs
We currently live in the commuter belt of Hamburg in Schleswig-Holstein and like this area very much, but the connections (transport, shops, schools) are rather poor. If we were to move closer to Hamburg, however, the land prices increase. Here, they are currently around 250 €/sqm (square meter), while closer to Hamburg (depending on the district) they range from 350 €/sqm, 440 €/sqm, up to 550 €/sqm.
Although I am planning with what I consider a generous total budget of about EUR 650K (170K equity), I quickly reach my budget limit given my desired plot size of 800 sqm (700 sqm minimum), especially since I cannot reliably estimate the house costs.
Since plots here are highly sought after, some are reserved within just 2-3 days, and binding confirmation— including bank financing approval—may be required within 14 days. As I cannot plan a house including costs and zoning restrictions within that timeframe, I want to clarify as many questions as possible in advance.
I would therefore appreciate your feedback on the overall project and expected costs so I can refine my plot search accordingly.
III Size and Equipment
The house should include the following rooms. How do you assess these sizes? Am I missing anything?
3 children’s rooms (each 18 sqm) 54
Bedroom 20
Kitchen 15? (separate room, not open-plan)
Guest room 18
Library 25
Dining room 20
Study 16 (maybe in the basement)
Living room 40
Total living area 193
Usable area (25% of living area) 48
Footprint 240
Are the bathrooms (2-3) included in the usable area, or do I need to add extra space for these?
Is the assumption of the usable area realistic?
The house should have a full basement, a central ventilation system with heat recovery, underfloor heating, and a stove. A garage would be nice but is not a priority.
An architect once gave me a rough figure of EUR 400K (including additional construction costs) for these requirements, but without the basement, though including the garage and floor coverings at 30 €/sqm. This matches the often-mentioned 2,000 €/sqm price, but what level of finish can I expect for this?
Ultimately: If you believe that the house described above in “really nice” condition is only available for, say, > 450K + extras, I would limit myself to the “cheaper” plots and perhaps buy a larger one there. If the house can be realized in “really nice” condition for 350K-400K, I would consider financing up to an additional 100K and looking for a better-connected plot.
Finally, assuming the restriction that the first floor may be a maximum of 60% of the ground floor’s living area, how large would the plot need to be in your experience to allow sufficient maximum buildable area? (I understand that zoning regulations vary greatly...)
Thank you very much
Sullivan
I am currently searching for a plot of land but am not making much progress because the resulting costs can vary greatly, which significantly affects my remaining budget.
I House Type
I would like a single-family house in the Bauhaus style, but with a brick veneer. My wife prefers a “traditional” house with a pitched roof or a half-hipped roof, but she would agree to the Bauhaus style if it does not lead to (significant) additional costs. In my opinion, the Bauhaus style should be more affordable due to its presumably more favorable volume-to-exterior-surface ratio and the flat roof, compared to a similarly equipped traditional house, right?
II Plot and Costs
We currently live in the commuter belt of Hamburg in Schleswig-Holstein and like this area very much, but the connections (transport, shops, schools) are rather poor. If we were to move closer to Hamburg, however, the land prices increase. Here, they are currently around 250 €/sqm (square meter), while closer to Hamburg (depending on the district) they range from 350 €/sqm, 440 €/sqm, up to 550 €/sqm.
Although I am planning with what I consider a generous total budget of about EUR 650K (170K equity), I quickly reach my budget limit given my desired plot size of 800 sqm (700 sqm minimum), especially since I cannot reliably estimate the house costs.
Since plots here are highly sought after, some are reserved within just 2-3 days, and binding confirmation— including bank financing approval—may be required within 14 days. As I cannot plan a house including costs and zoning restrictions within that timeframe, I want to clarify as many questions as possible in advance.
I would therefore appreciate your feedback on the overall project and expected costs so I can refine my plot search accordingly.
III Size and Equipment
The house should include the following rooms. How do you assess these sizes? Am I missing anything?
3 children’s rooms (each 18 sqm) 54
Bedroom 20
Kitchen 15? (separate room, not open-plan)
Guest room 18
Library 25
Dining room 20
Study 16 (maybe in the basement)
Living room 40
Total living area 193
Usable area (25% of living area) 48
Footprint 240
Are the bathrooms (2-3) included in the usable area, or do I need to add extra space for these?
Is the assumption of the usable area realistic?
The house should have a full basement, a central ventilation system with heat recovery, underfloor heating, and a stove. A garage would be nice but is not a priority.
An architect once gave me a rough figure of EUR 400K (including additional construction costs) for these requirements, but without the basement, though including the garage and floor coverings at 30 €/sqm. This matches the often-mentioned 2,000 €/sqm price, but what level of finish can I expect for this?
Ultimately: If you believe that the house described above in “really nice” condition is only available for, say, > 450K + extras, I would limit myself to the “cheaper” plots and perhaps buy a larger one there. If the house can be realized in “really nice” condition for 350K-400K, I would consider financing up to an additional 100K and looking for a better-connected plot.
Finally, assuming the restriction that the first floor may be a maximum of 60% of the ground floor’s living area, how large would the plot need to be in your experience to allow sufficient maximum buildable area? (I understand that zoning regulations vary greatly...)
Thank you very much
Sullivan
N
nordanney10 Feb 2014 16:33This will be a really spacious property, which is quite rare to see here in the forum. But it’s great if the budget allows it 😀
By the way, the bathrooms and hallways are considered living space, not just usable floor area, so they must be paid for accordingly.
If you work with an architect and contract individual trades separately, a budget of around 400,000 euros (about 440,000 USD) could be feasible – and still result in something really nice! However, that probably means a few Eastern European crews will be moving quickly around the construction site; in my opinion, this won’t be achievable with established local craftsmen. You probably won’t get a prefabricated house for that price either.
You will need to plan everything carefully in advance, or buy a plot of land you like first and then design the house accordingly. There are always ways to fit the budget – for example, an 18 sqm (194 sq ft) children’s room is a luxury. Is the budget also covering outdoor landscaping and other external work? Does the basement have to be included? (For a house this size, roughly 50,000 euros (about 55,000 USD) are usually invested in the basement.)
I would choose my favorite plot first and then start planning. If you are flexible, you will get a great house within the available budget.
By the way, the bathrooms and hallways are considered living space, not just usable floor area, so they must be paid for accordingly.
If you work with an architect and contract individual trades separately, a budget of around 400,000 euros (about 440,000 USD) could be feasible – and still result in something really nice! However, that probably means a few Eastern European crews will be moving quickly around the construction site; in my opinion, this won’t be achievable with established local craftsmen. You probably won’t get a prefabricated house for that price either.
You will need to plan everything carefully in advance, or buy a plot of land you like first and then design the house accordingly. There are always ways to fit the budget – for example, an 18 sqm (194 sq ft) children’s room is a luxury. Is the budget also covering outdoor landscaping and other external work? Does the basement have to be included? (For a house this size, roughly 50,000 euros (about 55,000 USD) are usually invested in the basement.)
I would choose my favorite plot first and then start planning. If you are flexible, you will get a great house within the available budget.
A
albert29910 Feb 2014 16:45We have made good progress and have already purchased the plot of land (about 900 sqm (9700 sq ft)) and the designs are also completed. The house (without garage) is designed in a Bauhaus style and must also comply with the two-thirds rule (the upper floor can be at most two-thirds the size of the ground floor).
The total area will be around 280 sqm (3000 sq ft) with a 150 sqm (1600 sq ft) roof terrace, plus a double garage and storage room, located in Schleswig-Holstein, where we pay €90 per sqm (sq ft), which is considerably less. Our total budget is about €650,000, including the garage, additional construction costs, landscaping (which will be minimal), architect fees, etc.
The kitchen, furniture, and KNX smart home system as extras are not included in this total. Within the next 1-2 weeks, I will receive a detailed cost breakdown since we are uncertain about many items:
For example, the exterior facade was initially planned to be plaster, then brick... Now we are back to plaster because the brick we like costs about three times as much as the standard brick.
I will update my thread shortly and upload the elevations and revised floor plans, feel free to take a look 😉
The total area will be around 280 sqm (3000 sq ft) with a 150 sqm (1600 sq ft) roof terrace, plus a double garage and storage room, located in Schleswig-Holstein, where we pay €90 per sqm (sq ft), which is considerably less. Our total budget is about €650,000, including the garage, additional construction costs, landscaping (which will be minimal), architect fees, etc.
The kitchen, furniture, and KNX smart home system as extras are not included in this total. Within the next 1-2 weeks, I will receive a detailed cost breakdown since we are uncertain about many items:
For example, the exterior facade was initially planned to be plaster, then brick... Now we are back to plaster because the brick we like costs about three times as much as the standard brick.
I will update my thread shortly and upload the elevations and revised floor plans, feel free to take a look 😉
Real luxury house. I’ll estimate a reasonable price and say €1800 per m² (approximately $195 per sq ft). So, if you take 240 m² (2583 sq ft) multiplied by 1800, you get €432,000 for the house without the basement. In Hamburg, with special requests, it will probably cost at least €1800 per m². Big house = big basement => about €40,000, totaling €472,000 for house plus basement. That leaves €178,000 for the land, which is already too little for 800 m² (8600 sq ft), right?
The budget is decent, but the location is quite expensive. The money melts away like butter in the sun. Maybe you should plan a bit smaller. Many of my relatives have large houses over 200 m² (2153 sq ft) but actually use only about 100 m² (1076 sq ft) of that. They say they would build much smaller if they had the choice. All the rooms are huge, and the heating costs are already alarming.
Here are the room sizes I would plan if I had your budget:
3 children's rooms (each 16 m² / 172 sq ft) 48
Bedroom 20 m² (215 sq ft)
Kitchen 15 m² (161 sq ft) (separate room, not open plan)
Guest room 12 m² (129 sq ft)
Library 15 m² (161 sq ft)
Dining room 16 m² (172 sq ft)
Living room 30 m² (323 sq ft)
Total living area 156 m² (1679 sq ft)
Utility space (25% of living area) 39 m² (420 sq ft)
Footprint 195 m² (2098 sq ft) (still a large house!)
Study 16 m² (172 sq ft) (possibly in the basement)
195 m² (2098 sq ft) × €2000 = €390,000 + basement €40,000 = €430,000 for the house. That leaves €220,000 for everything else. At your €250 per m² (approx. $27 per sq ft) × 800 m² (8600 sq ft) = €200,000 for the land. €20,000 left as a reserve – that’s how I would plan it. 🙂
That said, whether your architect can pull all those square meters together that easily is another question. 🙄
The budget is decent, but the location is quite expensive. The money melts away like butter in the sun. Maybe you should plan a bit smaller. Many of my relatives have large houses over 200 m² (2153 sq ft) but actually use only about 100 m² (1076 sq ft) of that. They say they would build much smaller if they had the choice. All the rooms are huge, and the heating costs are already alarming.
Here are the room sizes I would plan if I had your budget:
3 children's rooms (each 16 m² / 172 sq ft) 48
Bedroom 20 m² (215 sq ft)
Kitchen 15 m² (161 sq ft) (separate room, not open plan)
Guest room 12 m² (129 sq ft)
Library 15 m² (161 sq ft)
Dining room 16 m² (172 sq ft)
Living room 30 m² (323 sq ft)
Total living area 156 m² (1679 sq ft)
Utility space (25% of living area) 39 m² (420 sq ft)
Footprint 195 m² (2098 sq ft) (still a large house!)
Study 16 m² (172 sq ft) (possibly in the basement)
195 m² (2098 sq ft) × €2000 = €390,000 + basement €40,000 = €430,000 for the house. That leaves €220,000 for everything else. At your €250 per m² (approx. $27 per sq ft) × 800 m² (8600 sq ft) = €200,000 for the land. €20,000 left as a reserve – that’s how I would plan it. 🙂
That said, whether your architect can pull all those square meters together that easily is another question. 🙄
Stop!
Building is generally more affordable here in the north, even though land prices near Hamburg are quite high. We didn't even have to pay 1500 €/m² (140 $/ft²) – and that was with a shed roof (which is somewhat more expensive, just like a flat roof/Bauhaus style).
However, I also think that reducing the floor area by a few square meters would be beneficial, allowing the savings to be invested in higher-quality tiles, for example. Anyone planning on this scale will probably choose more upscale bathroom fixtures. Electrical work (more outdoor lighting, for instance) and the kitchen also consume a significant budget. So, I would calculate an additional 50 €/m² (about 5 $/ft²) and save 10–20 m² (100–215 ft²).
Quote: Flooring at 30 €/m² (about 3 $/ft²): I bet that doesn’t include the stylish 40 x 80 cm (16 x 31.5 inches) tiles... if those are desired (to match the house), expect a substantial additional cost.
Building is generally more affordable here in the north, even though land prices near Hamburg are quite high. We didn't even have to pay 1500 €/m² (140 $/ft²) – and that was with a shed roof (which is somewhat more expensive, just like a flat roof/Bauhaus style).
However, I also think that reducing the floor area by a few square meters would be beneficial, allowing the savings to be invested in higher-quality tiles, for example. Anyone planning on this scale will probably choose more upscale bathroom fixtures. Electrical work (more outdoor lighting, for instance) and the kitchen also consume a significant budget. So, I would calculate an additional 50 €/m² (about 5 $/ft²) and save 10–20 m² (100–215 ft²).
Quote: Flooring at 30 €/m² (about 3 $/ft²): I bet that doesn’t include the stylish 40 x 80 cm (16 x 31.5 inches) tiles... if those are desired (to match the house), expect a substantial additional cost.
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