ᐅ Single-Family Home – New Construction Project from Day One – And the Planning Begins
Created on: 7 Feb 2020 22:54
D
DaSch17
Hello dear community,
For the past few weeks, I have been following this forum and have already gathered some valuable tips for our own planning.
I would like to use this thread to keep you updated from the very first day of planning until moving in. I hope to receive some valuable advice from the community and that this thread can also serve as a guide for other first-time homebuilders.
Now, a bit about our building project:
As mentioned, we are still quite early in the process...
It all started, as it probably does for most, with requesting a catalog from a prefabricated house company. In our case, it was FingerHaus around mid-December.
This was followed by a phone call with a sales representative from the mentioned company and arranging a first consultation. This appointment is scheduled for Sunday, 09.02.2020.
Since then, we have been intensively working on budget planning, possible floor plans and building plots, as well as ideal typical living space layouts.
So far, we have not purchased a plot yet. However, we are in contact with a municipality that is currently planning an expansion of a new residential area. Fortunately, this allowed us to help decide the size, location, and shape of our future plot. Our desired plot is reserved for us.
Key details of our planned single-family home:
– Location: Southwestphalia, Siegen-Wittgenstein district
– Living area: 179 sqm (1,925 sq ft)
– Concrete slab foundation
– Gable roof
– 1.5 stories with gable roof
– Single garage with extended length for tools/storage room
Our budget:
– Plot including property transfer tax: 70,000 EUR
– Construction costs: 470,000 EUR
– Additional construction costs including earthworks: 70,000 EUR
Our schedule:
– By May 2021: Selection of the construction company
– By July 2021: Contract signing, building permit / planning permission application
– By July 2023: Completion of construction work
– By October 2023: Completion of owner-performed work (painting and flooring) and move-in
We understand that the start of construction depends on the delivery time of the prefab house company, which can vary between 6 and 24 months.
We have now selected 8 different companies with whom we want to conduct initial meetings:
– FingerHaus
– Hanse Haus
– SchwörerHaus
– Bien-Zenker
– Schäfer Haus (contact via family)
– Büdenbender Haus
– WeberHaus
– a local developer
After these initial talks, we want to proceed with more detailed discussions with 4 of these providers.
–––––––––––––––––––
What should we pay attention to during the initial meetings? What is particularly important? Should we disclose our budget to the sales representatives?
For the past few weeks, I have been following this forum and have already gathered some valuable tips for our own planning.
I would like to use this thread to keep you updated from the very first day of planning until moving in. I hope to receive some valuable advice from the community and that this thread can also serve as a guide for other first-time homebuilders.
Now, a bit about our building project:
As mentioned, we are still quite early in the process...
It all started, as it probably does for most, with requesting a catalog from a prefabricated house company. In our case, it was FingerHaus around mid-December.
This was followed by a phone call with a sales representative from the mentioned company and arranging a first consultation. This appointment is scheduled for Sunday, 09.02.2020.
Since then, we have been intensively working on budget planning, possible floor plans and building plots, as well as ideal typical living space layouts.
So far, we have not purchased a plot yet. However, we are in contact with a municipality that is currently planning an expansion of a new residential area. Fortunately, this allowed us to help decide the size, location, and shape of our future plot. Our desired plot is reserved for us.
Key details of our planned single-family home:
– Location: Southwestphalia, Siegen-Wittgenstein district
– Living area: 179 sqm (1,925 sq ft)
– Concrete slab foundation
– Gable roof
– 1.5 stories with gable roof
– Single garage with extended length for tools/storage room
Our budget:
– Plot including property transfer tax: 70,000 EUR
– Construction costs: 470,000 EUR
– Additional construction costs including earthworks: 70,000 EUR
Our schedule:
– By May 2021: Selection of the construction company
– By July 2021: Contract signing, building permit / planning permission application
– By July 2023: Completion of construction work
– By October 2023: Completion of owner-performed work (painting and flooring) and move-in
We understand that the start of construction depends on the delivery time of the prefab house company, which can vary between 6 and 24 months.
We have now selected 8 different companies with whom we want to conduct initial meetings:
– FingerHaus
– Hanse Haus
– SchwörerHaus
– Bien-Zenker
– Schäfer Haus (contact via family)
– Büdenbender Haus
– WeberHaus
– a local developer
After these initial talks, we want to proceed with more detailed discussions with 4 of these providers.
–––––––––––––––––––
What should we pay attention to during the initial meetings? What is particularly important? Should we disclose our budget to the sales representatives?
Patricck schrieb:
And building solid with a local craftsman wasn’t more expensive, Who says that solid construction is more expensive than prefabricated building? The latter is always somewhat more costly.
There’s no need to debate about 70,000 when the work specifications aren’t available. Heinz von Heiden is simply different from Weberhaus.
Hey Yvonne! Great to see you join the discussion again. I was waiting for your usually very critical but honest comment. Essentially, like a trial by fire.
The attic is intended as storage space. A conversion is basically not planned.
I think if we have triplets the first time or twins the second time, we will find a solution (extension or selling). You can’t plan for every eventuality in life...
We definitely wouldn’t need a shower on the ground floor for old age, as the straight staircase is perfect for a stairlift. And honestly: before I can no longer live on the entire upper floor, I’d rather sell and move into our condominium or build a barrier-free bungalow...
The idea with the guest toilet is good and would create a nicer guest bathroom. We had it like that before. We have now changed it to get more storage space in the utility room (utility room on the lower right of the plan). If we rotate the guest toilet, the door to the utility room shifts downward and the storage space is lost.
I had also tried rotating the staircase. It would actually be better downstairs. But the problems then arise especially upstairs. The parents’ and children’s areas are separated by the straight staircase. The separation would no longer be left and right on the plan but bottom and top.
1. Problem: The rooms would become too narrow because the building footprint is 9.80 m (32 feet) deep by 11.60 m (38 feet) wide.
2. Problem: The garden sides (bottom and left on the plan) would be used suboptimally. One area would then be in the northeast (street side) and one in the southwest (garden side). As it is currently divided upstairs, the children’s rooms and the bedroom all have garden views.
3. Problem: A part of the nice southwest side would then be used as a hallway.
I sketched the rotated staircase some time ago but found the result significantly worse than the current layout.
My wife insisted on an en-suite bathroom without a separate entrance and basically a walk-in closet, not a proper dressing room as a walkthrough. That’s how it is arranged in our condominium now as well. In theory, it would be possible to arrange the dressing room between the bathroom and bedroom and have a door to the hallway from there. But then the wall closet in the hallway would be lost. Regardless, my wife absolutely does not want the arrangement bedroom -> dressing room -> bathroom. In my opinion, the current layout of the master area also makes optimal use of the upper floor space.
We obtained quite a few quotes, including from two local solid masonry builders... The offers were all in this price range or even significantly higher. I don’t know where you built, so I can’t explain the difference.
We are building in southern Westphalia with what I consider a very high-end specification. From my experience so far, there is often a 50,000 to 70,000 EUR difference just due to the specifications between two quite similar houses. Even in wall construction alone, there can be significant differences.
ypg schrieb:
Don’t underestimate the unpredictability of the construction: tradespeople often use the full width, leaving no room for a shower later on.
No, since there’s not enough ceiling height, emergency escape windows, and no living area allowed, the ceiling will likely be finished so that no comfortable living space can be created there.
The attic is intended as storage space. A conversion is basically not planned.
I think if we have triplets the first time or twins the second time, we will find a solution (extension or selling). You can’t plan for every eventuality in life...
We definitely wouldn’t need a shower on the ground floor for old age, as the straight staircase is perfect for a stairlift. And honestly: before I can no longer live on the entire upper floor, I’d rather sell and move into our condominium or build a barrier-free bungalow...
ypg schrieb:
My tip:
I would rotate the layout of the guest toilet, then place the washbasin on the left side of the plan and the toilet under the window. Just a suggestion for more refinement, if possible.
Then: we have a similarly sized office (basically a similar floor plan).
I find the layout a bit inconvenient with the door in the “narrower part”… I would rotate the staircase, make the storage room a cloakroom, have a rectangular office, and from the kitchen area on the left side of the plan a small storage space only.
Upstairs, I think the double-through-bedroom situation in the master bedroom is doubly suboptimal… that can be improved anyway by rotating the staircase. The children’s rooms would shift somewhat, but I think that would work. But of course, it doesn’t have to be done… just a suggestion.
The idea with the guest toilet is good and would create a nicer guest bathroom. We had it like that before. We have now changed it to get more storage space in the utility room (utility room on the lower right of the plan). If we rotate the guest toilet, the door to the utility room shifts downward and the storage space is lost.
I had also tried rotating the staircase. It would actually be better downstairs. But the problems then arise especially upstairs. The parents’ and children’s areas are separated by the straight staircase. The separation would no longer be left and right on the plan but bottom and top.
1. Problem: The rooms would become too narrow because the building footprint is 9.80 m (32 feet) deep by 11.60 m (38 feet) wide.
2. Problem: The garden sides (bottom and left on the plan) would be used suboptimally. One area would then be in the northeast (street side) and one in the southwest (garden side). As it is currently divided upstairs, the children’s rooms and the bedroom all have garden views.
3. Problem: A part of the nice southwest side would then be used as a hallway.
I sketched the rotated staircase some time ago but found the result significantly worse than the current layout.
My wife insisted on an en-suite bathroom without a separate entrance and basically a walk-in closet, not a proper dressing room as a walkthrough. That’s how it is arranged in our condominium now as well. In theory, it would be possible to arrange the dressing room between the bathroom and bedroom and have a door to the hallway from there. But then the wall closet in the hallway would be lost. Regardless, my wife absolutely does not want the arrangement bedroom -> dressing room -> bathroom. In my opinion, the current layout of the master area also makes optimal use of the upper floor space.
Patricck schrieb:
I wanted to say I find it quite a high price for a prefab house. Not sure how luxurious it is.
And building solid masonry with local tradespeople was not more expensive, and everyone stuck to the offers despite some extra effort.
We obtained quite a few quotes, including from two local solid masonry builders... The offers were all in this price range or even significantly higher. I don’t know where you built, so I can’t explain the difference.
We are building in southern Westphalia with what I consider a very high-end specification. From my experience so far, there is often a 50,000 to 70,000 EUR difference just due to the specifications between two quite similar houses. Even in wall construction alone, there can be significant differences.
DaSch17 schrieb:
I sketched the twisted staircase some time ago but found the result clearly worse than the current layout.I quickly sketched it again just now.
- The open space is removed.
- The hallway becomes noticeably larger.
- The rooms are overall smaller and more narrow, especially the kids’ bedrooms.
Did you imagine it roughly like this?
I have no further suggestions regarding the floor plans because, in my opinion, although the design is not yet at the stage where I would immediately want to buy the house from you, it is definitely at the stage where it appears ready for construction as a not-my-house (meaning that any further "improvements" would actually just be "changes to suit my taste").
In light of the Villa Hotzenplotz, it should also be understandable that I am satisfied and reassured knowing that someone has sufficiently avoided creating a collection of complicated details. That there is one extra fireplace compared to my own house — who cares?
No, terrible — and I think what was meant was a reversal (rotation by 180 degrees, not 90 degrees).
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
In light of the Villa Hotzenplotz, it should also be understandable that I am satisfied and reassured knowing that someone has sufficiently avoided creating a collection of complicated details. That there is one extra fireplace compared to my own house — who cares?
DaSch17 schrieb:
Did you roughly imagine it like this?
No, terrible — and I think what was meant was a reversal (rotation by 180 degrees, not 90 degrees).
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
DaSch17 schrieb:
Hey Yvonne! Nice to see you join the discussion again. I’ve been waiting for your usually very, very critical but honest comment. Basically, this is like the real test. Well, wrong forum with a lot of input I wasn’t really interested in.
DaSch17 schrieb:
I think if we have triplets the first time or twins the second time, a solution will be found (extension or sale). You can’t prepare for every eventuality in life... Exactly.
DaSch17 schrieb:
The problems mainly arise on the upper floor. The parents’ and children’s areas are separated by a straight staircase. The separation would then no longer be left and right on the plan, but bottom and top on the plan. Yes, I think there are problems too. That requires a lot of careful thinking again. I find rotating the ground floor not only better for the rooms but also a refinement that only a few houses can afford. It fits well here.
DaSch17 schrieb:
Was this roughly what you had in mind? No, not at all. Too much hallway.
Where can I find the site plan? Where is what?
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