ᐅ Single-family House with Basement – Planning – Please Comment

Hello everyone,

after weeks of reading along, here is my first post:

We recently had our first meeting with an architect for the following construction project:

Single-family house with about 170 sqm (1830 sq ft) of living space, including basement and garage (about 40 sqm / 430 sq ft)
Timber frame construction (KFW70 standard)
Relatively open design; no bay windows, so cubic shape; possibly a townhouse style
Probably two floors above the basement
Flat plot of land
Simple foundation (at least according to neighboring plots; topsoil and clay; easily accessible)
Construction start planned for 2014
Rhineland-Palatinate region

A fully developed plot is already available.

Initial cost estimate from our architect (excluding land):

Around 390,000 EUR turnkey, including additional costs (including VAT)

Features (good standard):

Mechanical ventilation system
Ground source heat pump (including drilling)
Sun protection
Chimney (without fireplace)

Including exterior landscaping (estimated at about 20,000 EUR)

Including additional costs (architect fees for phases 1-9, structural engineering, surveying, utility connections, building permit/planning permission application, etc.)

Not included in calculation:
Kitchen, fireplace, furnishings, lighting, etc. (I estimate about 40,000 EUR)

Is this estimate realistic so far?

Looking forward to your comments.

So far, we have a good feeling about the architect.
The price also seems manageable for us.

What kind of financial buffer should be planned for a construction budget of this size?

Best regards,
neo

Please provide more details, as it will be difficult without knowing exactly what you mean...
- 40,000 euros (!) for the kitchen and what exactly else? What do you mean by furnishings? Are tiles and wall/ceiling finishes included?
- 20,000 euros for outdoor areas: What does that include?

heltino schrieb:
Please provide more details; without knowing exactly what you mean, it’s hard to understand...
- 40,000 euros (!) for the kitchen and what exactly else? What do you mean by furnishings? Are tiles and wall/ceiling coverings included?
- 20,000 euros for outdoor areas: What does that include?

- 40,000 euros: 15,000 euros for the kitchen, 10,000 euros for additional furniture (we are basically fully furnished, but there will definitely be more), 5,000 euros for lamps and curtains, the rest for satellite system, intercom, etc., plus a contingency
Tiles, painting, etc., are included in the house construction costs
- 20,000 euros: parking space and paving, outdoor seating area, landscaping the garden

neo

15,000 for the kitchen is a lot of money – you can definitely get something very nice with that. 10,000 for furniture should also be enough – you can get a very nice bathroom setup with that amount. For us, it was about 1,000 for additional furniture (bathroom, 2 wardrobes – we didn’t need more). Lamps: You probably have a very exclusive taste. All the lamps together (if we had to buy everything new) cost us a total of 500 € (euros). A satellite system costs 150 € (euros) – per receiver a maximum of 200 € (euros). You really have a good cushion included there 🙂
Your house price sounds reasonable as well.

I consider 15,000 to be a lot of money for a kitchen, but unfortunately, those are the typical market prices. Three years ago, we bought an A*no kitchen for our apartment. That was 9,000 gone in no time (no special extras, no luxury, just good standard quality).
Similar with the other things.

But actually, I was mainly looking forward to your (detailed) feedback about the house.

Best regards, neo

The budget for the "little things" depends on what is left over.

Best regards, neo

Hello,

neo0711 schrieb:

Recently, we had our first appointment with an architect regarding the following construction project:

Single-family house with approximately 170 sqm (1830 sq ft) of living area, including a basement + garage (approximately 40 sqm (430 sq ft))
Timber frame construction (KfW 70 energy standard)
Relatively open design; no bay windows, cubic style; possibly a townhouse
Probably two stories above the basement
Flat plot of land
Simple foundation (at least on neighboring plots; topsoil + clay; easily accessible)
Construction start in 2014
Rhineland-Palatinate

Fully serviced plot is already available.

Initial cost estimate from our architect (excluding land):
About 390,000 EUR turnkey including additional costs (including VAT)
Specifications (good standard):

Assuming the builder is a quality and reputable production house: for a townhouse, the price including additional costs is around EUR 40,000, for a cubic design you should add about EUR 10,000 more. Neither painting nor floor coverings are included in these cost estimates.

neo0711 schrieb:

Ventilation system
Ground source heat pump (including drilling)
Sun protection
Chimney (without fireplace)
Including outdoor landscaping (budgeted at about EUR 20,000)
Including additional costs (architect phases 1-9; structural engineering, surveying, utility connections, surveying, building permit / planning permission, etc.)

Is this calculation realistic so far?

Not really; but this is just "my assessment"!

Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, ground source heat pump, external shading, and chimney will cost you around EUR 43,000. Architecture and structural engineering must be included in the house price; surveying, utility connections, building permit / planning permission, etc., are part of additional costs amounting to EUR 35,000–40,000.

In addition, you should budget EUR 8,000–10,000 as a reserve for extra foundation costs, EUR 15,000 for painting and floor coverings, EUR 15,000 for outdoor landscaping, and an additional amount for extras.

Best regards