ᐅ Stopping or pausing a home construction project? Costs too high
Created on: 23 Nov 2021 12:06
C
Coffee82
Good morning,
My husband and I want to build a house.
We already have the plot of land. We are now facing an unpleasant situation.
We planned the house roughly with an architect, which went very quickly.
No building permit / planning permission has been applied for yet, and no detailed execution plan has been made.
The architect provided a cost estimate that surprised us a lot.
Of course, we had previously asked acquaintances, friends, and family members about the costs of their construction projects.
Obviously, we only considered recent projects.
The architect’s estimate is more than double what we initially expected—around 4500-5000€/sqm (420-465 USD/sqft).
After this, we consulted a few others locally and two from a bit further away. Everyone seems to agree on the construction costs.
I’m not allowed to share the documents here, but there is really nothing unusual. It’s a KW40+ house with 198 sqm (2132 sqft) of living and usable space, plus a double garage attached to the left side of the house. Of course, no basement.
The specifications given to the architect were average and typical. No marble floors, no smart home features. A simple house like my uncle’s, just new.
It looks like the house will cost around 1 million euros. On top of that, of course, there are additional costs such as fees for the architect, landscaping, etc. Together with the land, the total is so high that we neither can finance it nor afford to pay it.
Unfortunately, the architect had to do quite some work before he could estimate the costs.
Now we are worried that if we cancel the project, the architect will want 15,000 to 20,000 euros for the work he has already done.
What would you do in our place?
Best regards,
Coffee82
My husband and I want to build a house.
We already have the plot of land. We are now facing an unpleasant situation.
We planned the house roughly with an architect, which went very quickly.
No building permit / planning permission has been applied for yet, and no detailed execution plan has been made.
The architect provided a cost estimate that surprised us a lot.
Of course, we had previously asked acquaintances, friends, and family members about the costs of their construction projects.
Obviously, we only considered recent projects.
The architect’s estimate is more than double what we initially expected—around 4500-5000€/sqm (420-465 USD/sqft).
After this, we consulted a few others locally and two from a bit further away. Everyone seems to agree on the construction costs.
I’m not allowed to share the documents here, but there is really nothing unusual. It’s a KW40+ house with 198 sqm (2132 sqft) of living and usable space, plus a double garage attached to the left side of the house. Of course, no basement.
The specifications given to the architect were average and typical. No marble floors, no smart home features. A simple house like my uncle’s, just new.
It looks like the house will cost around 1 million euros. On top of that, of course, there are additional costs such as fees for the architect, landscaping, etc. Together with the land, the total is so high that we neither can finance it nor afford to pay it.
Unfortunately, the architect had to do quite some work before he could estimate the costs.
Now we are worried that if we cancel the project, the architect will want 15,000 to 20,000 euros for the work he has already done.
What would you do in our place?
Best regards,
Coffee82
Myrna_Loy schrieb:
I would argue that you shouldn’t try to save too much on things that are difficult or costly to replace later. This includes, for example, flooring and windows. Tom1978 schrieb:
Flooring is hard to replace? I would have thought about things like controlled ventilation systems, roller shutters, KNX home automation, empty conduits for wiring, or a fireplace 😎 That’s the extra stuff that is well explained further down.
@hampshire and someone else here put it very well… but I can’t quite recall the exact quotes or wording. Your list includes things that many people actually don’t plan for at all. Those are usually not replaced, but rather retrofitted later.
Tom1978 schrieb:
But it’s still easier to do than other things. I wouldn’t necessarily count tiles as hard to replace. Time-consuming, yes... Tiles or a surface finish on walls and floors are a must. When it comes to tiles, you typically choose something high-quality if it’s affordable, because you have to live with it for 20 years or more. KNX and similar are not just unnecessary “extras,” as already mentioned.
Ysop*** schrieb:
Since the original poster insisted when asked that they didn’t plan for such extras, I simply believe them. Maybe. But as Tom’s list already shows, everyone has very different needs and assurances. Besides, the comparison properties mentioned were already quite expensive (in my opinion).
Also, we’re talking about a €900,000 budget… whoever doesn’t plan for any extras at that budget… well, I don’t know...
pagoni2020 schrieb:
Most of the extras discussed here are hardly found there at all… and people still live fine 😱 Most of the extras that have been mentioned, debated, or promoted in this forum for years are barely found in our (new build) area. Okay, the building boom here was already 7 years ago. But even the houses built afterwards hardly have a fireplace, regular roller shutters are rare, KNX is unknown to many, sliding door units are also seldom, etc. Yes, there are individual cases, but it’s not as common as it’s presented here (fireplace, KfW40, and KNX).
Not really fitting in with KNX is the very good example of sliding doors – out of 65 houses here, sliding doors have been installed very, very rarely. You basically have to look for them. They don’t really relate to modern times either, since they existed at least as far back as the 1970s. But they have been a cost factor that most have not managed to justify building, regardless of their advantages.
P
pagoni202030 Nov 2021 20:40For example, we have deliberately chosen not to install sliding doors. I used to have a large one, but I prefer a "regular" door, and in one case, the second part can be fully opened.
In our small residential area, as @ypg describes, most homes do not have photovoltaic systems or mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, and some even have no roller shutters at all. There are north-facing patios, only small windows on the upper floor, etc., and yet people are satisfied with that. Our neighbor is technically interested but doesn’t have a KNX system; he is saving up for a patio roof and a carport. This is more or less what I observe broadly and how I remember it from my previous experience in home construction.
People here are all very proud of their homes, even if I wouldn’t have done things the same way. But I am at a different stage in life now, with completely different interests and preferences. To younger people, we probably seem like friendly eccentrics, as I have noticed. At least as the oldest member of the community, I feel entitled to that.
The more you read about today’s options and supposed standards, the more you “miss” them, and it’s hard to free yourself from that. In that respect, I often admire those who like to do their own thing, even if it wouldn’t be for me. For me, there is still a great deal of charm in simplicity. As I have said before, I would actually miss having light switches, or it would annoy me if the lights turned on by themselves. Although currently, we have a motion sensor in the hallway—wow, so I do have KNX or whatever it’s called—but if it annoys me, it will be removed again.
I find it fascinating to have fewer things overall, but each of the highest quality, so it’s enjoyable to look at or use them, from tools to pans. One is enough, but the “right” one.
In the past, I had endless stuff and was always chasing the latest trend. Today, that really annoys me—especially the time often wasted on those things.
I see cars worth €60,000–100,000 with a second vehicle and motorcycle on the patio but only the simplest concrete slabs, and inside the house, the same trend, maybe a picture from Ikea. I repeatedly find it unfortunate that such a distribution of priorities, which seems unhealthy to me at least, is lived out. Therefore, my credo is: don’t spend much money on the vehicle fleet, but instead have a great picture, special furniture you enjoy sitting on, a simpler kitchen but with well-functioning appliances, knives, etc., and…
At least that’s my opinion, and I work on it every day (and fail at times, too).
In our small residential area, as @ypg describes, most homes do not have photovoltaic systems or mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, and some even have no roller shutters at all. There are north-facing patios, only small windows on the upper floor, etc., and yet people are satisfied with that. Our neighbor is technically interested but doesn’t have a KNX system; he is saving up for a patio roof and a carport. This is more or less what I observe broadly and how I remember it from my previous experience in home construction.
People here are all very proud of their homes, even if I wouldn’t have done things the same way. But I am at a different stage in life now, with completely different interests and preferences. To younger people, we probably seem like friendly eccentrics, as I have noticed. At least as the oldest member of the community, I feel entitled to that.
The more you read about today’s options and supposed standards, the more you “miss” them, and it’s hard to free yourself from that. In that respect, I often admire those who like to do their own thing, even if it wouldn’t be for me. For me, there is still a great deal of charm in simplicity. As I have said before, I would actually miss having light switches, or it would annoy me if the lights turned on by themselves. Although currently, we have a motion sensor in the hallway—wow, so I do have KNX or whatever it’s called—but if it annoys me, it will be removed again.
I find it fascinating to have fewer things overall, but each of the highest quality, so it’s enjoyable to look at or use them, from tools to pans. One is enough, but the “right” one.
In the past, I had endless stuff and was always chasing the latest trend. Today, that really annoys me—especially the time often wasted on those things.
I see cars worth €60,000–100,000 with a second vehicle and motorcycle on the patio but only the simplest concrete slabs, and inside the house, the same trend, maybe a picture from Ikea. I repeatedly find it unfortunate that such a distribution of priorities, which seems unhealthy to me at least, is lived out. Therefore, my credo is: don’t spend much money on the vehicle fleet, but instead have a great picture, special furniture you enjoy sitting on, a simpler kitchen but with well-functioning appliances, knives, etc., and…
At least that’s my opinion, and I work on it every day (and fail at times, too).
4. Q: Children’s Bathroom
The term Kkk-osten stands for children’s bathroom, KNX, KfW40 standard, and fireplace/controlled residential ventilation.
I meant the exterior sliding doors, but interior sliding doors come to mind as well: a must-have for many.
Same with us..
…what’s installed inside generally goes unnoticed; interesting are floor plans that spark curiosity and how, outside, the beer is chilled or the meat is prepared.
My observations differ here: stylish kitchens but without much high tech, since eggs fry just fine on a normal stove, chives only need scissors, and meat is cut by the butcher. 🙂
Fortunately, the trend back to simple kitchens with only five ingredients is returning.
I don’t have any gimmicks, only a fingerprint scanner and a self-cleaning toilet 😉
The term Kkk-osten stands for children’s bathroom, KNX, KfW40 standard, and fireplace/controlled residential ventilation.
pagoni2020 schrieb:
For example, we deliberately do not have sliding doors; I used to have a large one, but I prefer a regular door and, in one case, the second part fully folding open.
I meant the exterior sliding doors, but interior sliding doors come to mind as well: a must-have for many.
pagoni2020 schrieb:
People here are really proud of their houses,
Same with us..
pagoni2020 schrieb:
he is saving up for a patio roof and carport. That’s more what I notice generally and how I remember it from my previous house-building experience.
…what’s installed inside generally goes unnoticed; interesting are floor plans that spark curiosity and how, outside, the beer is chilled or the meat is prepared.
pagoni2020 schrieb:
a simpler kitchen but great working appliances, knives, etc. and........
My observations differ here: stylish kitchens but without much high tech, since eggs fry just fine on a normal stove, chives only need scissors, and meat is cut by the butcher. 🙂
Fortunately, the trend back to simple kitchens with only five ingredients is returning.
I don’t have any gimmicks, only a fingerprint scanner and a self-cleaning toilet 😉
P
pagoni202030 Nov 2021 22:24ypg schrieb:
My observations differ there: stylish kitchens, but without much high-tech, since you can fry eggs on a regular stove, chives only need scissors, and meat is left to be cut by the butcher. I guess I wasn’t very clear. I meant a good quality kitchen but with less fuss—more like one really good knife, one good frying pan, etc. When it comes to appliances, by my standards I’m equipped with high-tech, including a 60cm (24 inch) induction cooktop with a built-in extractor hood, although by forum standards that’s rather a low performer.
pagoni2020 schrieb:
For my standards, I am equipped with high-tech appliances, including a 60cm (24 inches) induction cooktop with a built-in downdraft extractor, but by forum standards, it’s unfortunately a low performer.… and you say that here, while almost simultaneously there was a discussion about whether to choose an 80cm (31.5 inches) or 90cm (35.5 inches) cooktop and a centrally located extractor hood that seems to consume the equivalent of €3000 of living space. I understand you, just gadgets after all!
pagoni2020 schrieb:
Regarding appliances, I consider myself well-equipped by my standards, even a 60cm (24 inch) induction cooktop with a built-in extractor hood, but by forum standards, unfortunately, that’s rather low-performance.You are so modest. A true virtue.