ᐅ Evaluating Different Options in Single-Family Home Construction
Created on: 1 Nov 2023 11:05
S
Schnubbihh
Hello dear community,
We are currently planning the construction of our single-family home and I would like to clarify as many details as possible and make decisions about the equipment before signing the contract.
Here are some of my thoughts; I would appreciate your opinions on each point. I welcome contrasting views (with appropriate reasoning).
(1) Shutter material
Decision: Plastic slats
Reason: We will have white windows, so the extra cost for aluminum shutters is not worthwhile (for better color options)
(2) Shutters vs. Venetian blinds on the ground floor
Decision: Shutters
Reason: Venetian blinds are vulnerable to wind (Northern Germany) and somewhat more expensive; with some automation of the shutters, hopefully we won’t sit in the dark during summer anyway
(3) Heating
Decision: Air-to-water heat pump
Reason: Best price/performance ratio
(4) Ventilation
Decision: Central ventilation system
Reason: Less noise and better efficiency, but higher costs (purchase and maintenance)
(5) Internal walls
Decision: Masonry made of calcium silicate bricks (instead of aerated concrete or drywall)
Reason: Better sound insulation desired (5-person household); additional costs are not significant
(6) Interior doors (sound insulation)
Decision: Upgrade with better sound insulation
Reason: Improved sound insulation by about 3 dB (honeycomb core instead of hollow core) costs approximately €35 (about $35) more per door leaf. (According to general contractor)
(7) Interior door (clear height)
Decision: Clear height 2.1 m (6 ft 11 in)
Reason: I am 2 m tall (6 ft 7 in) and have three sons who won’t be short either; additional cost for 2.10 m clear height in a standard interior door is about €65 (about $65) each. (According to general contractor)
(8) Staircase
Decision: Reinforced concrete staircase instead of wood
Reason: Better sound insulation; closed staircase with storage space underneath
(9) Window security standard
Decision: Not decided yet (RC1 vs. RC2N vs. better)
Reason: According to the general contractor, there are no major differences between RC1 and RC2N; extra costs are not worthwhile
(10) Patio door
Decision: Swing door instead of lift-and-slide door
Reason: Price difference too high; risk of moisture ingress with lift-and-slide door
(11) “Outsourcing trades”
Decision: Exclude certain trades from the general contractor contract to save costs, contract local providers (not self-performed work!)
Reason: Trades like sanitary equipment, flooring, and painting can be obtained significantly cheaper from a local supplier
(12) Bathtub
Decision: No bathtub in the upper floor bathroom, but prepare connections for possible retrofitting and for washing machine use
Reason: We are not fans of bathtubs and want to save costs; however, we want to prepare in case we change our minds or for a higher resale value
(13) Electrical and home automation
Decision: Still quite open
Reason: Would like to do something but solutions quickly become too expensive
(14) TV cable connection
Decision: Still open, possibly omit completely
Reason: We watch a lot of TV over the internet; maybe costs can be saved here (?); is a TV connection necessary in every room anymore?
(15) Second sink in the utility room
Decision: Still open, weighing costs and benefits
Reason: Would be a nice feature for the kids’ dirty shoes or cleaning fish (I am an angler)
(16) Second exterior door from the carport to the utility room
Decision: Still open
Reason: Would be a nice feature to bring less dirt into the hallway (kids, groceries, drinks) and to get dry from the car to the house and vice versa; however, the two doors are only a few meters apart — is this really useful?
We are currently planning the construction of our single-family home and I would like to clarify as many details as possible and make decisions about the equipment before signing the contract.
Here are some of my thoughts; I would appreciate your opinions on each point. I welcome contrasting views (with appropriate reasoning).
(1) Shutter material
Decision: Plastic slats
Reason: We will have white windows, so the extra cost for aluminum shutters is not worthwhile (for better color options)
(2) Shutters vs. Venetian blinds on the ground floor
Decision: Shutters
Reason: Venetian blinds are vulnerable to wind (Northern Germany) and somewhat more expensive; with some automation of the shutters, hopefully we won’t sit in the dark during summer anyway
(3) Heating
Decision: Air-to-water heat pump
Reason: Best price/performance ratio
(4) Ventilation
Decision: Central ventilation system
Reason: Less noise and better efficiency, but higher costs (purchase and maintenance)
(5) Internal walls
Decision: Masonry made of calcium silicate bricks (instead of aerated concrete or drywall)
Reason: Better sound insulation desired (5-person household); additional costs are not significant
(6) Interior doors (sound insulation)
Decision: Upgrade with better sound insulation
Reason: Improved sound insulation by about 3 dB (honeycomb core instead of hollow core) costs approximately €35 (about $35) more per door leaf. (According to general contractor)
(7) Interior door (clear height)
Decision: Clear height 2.1 m (6 ft 11 in)
Reason: I am 2 m tall (6 ft 7 in) and have three sons who won’t be short either; additional cost for 2.10 m clear height in a standard interior door is about €65 (about $65) each. (According to general contractor)
(8) Staircase
Decision: Reinforced concrete staircase instead of wood
Reason: Better sound insulation; closed staircase with storage space underneath
(9) Window security standard
Decision: Not decided yet (RC1 vs. RC2N vs. better)
Reason: According to the general contractor, there are no major differences between RC1 and RC2N; extra costs are not worthwhile
(10) Patio door
Decision: Swing door instead of lift-and-slide door
Reason: Price difference too high; risk of moisture ingress with lift-and-slide door
(11) “Outsourcing trades”
Decision: Exclude certain trades from the general contractor contract to save costs, contract local providers (not self-performed work!)
Reason: Trades like sanitary equipment, flooring, and painting can be obtained significantly cheaper from a local supplier
(12) Bathtub
Decision: No bathtub in the upper floor bathroom, but prepare connections for possible retrofitting and for washing machine use
Reason: We are not fans of bathtubs and want to save costs; however, we want to prepare in case we change our minds or for a higher resale value
(13) Electrical and home automation
Decision: Still quite open
Reason: Would like to do something but solutions quickly become too expensive
(14) TV cable connection
Decision: Still open, possibly omit completely
Reason: We watch a lot of TV over the internet; maybe costs can be saved here (?); is a TV connection necessary in every room anymore?
(15) Second sink in the utility room
Decision: Still open, weighing costs and benefits
Reason: Would be a nice feature for the kids’ dirty shoes or cleaning fish (I am an angler)
(16) Second exterior door from the carport to the utility room
Decision: Still open
Reason: Would be a nice feature to bring less dirt into the hallway (kids, groceries, drinks) and to get dry from the car to the house and vice versa; however, the two doors are only a few meters apart — is this really useful?
B
Bertram1001 Nov 2023 19:30xMisterDx schrieb:
It is not impossible for four people to live in 120m² (1,292 sq ft); it has been done before. Our entire neighborhood is built like this. Almost all the houses are around 120m² (1,292 sq ft) with two children’s bedrooms and one master bedroom. It works quite well. No one complains that anything is impossible. Don’t worry about the house size—it will work out fine (with good planning).
ypg schrieb:
You’ll be surprised how low the credits are when you remove something. And you can pretty much forget about any warranty then. Removing items with the general contractor (GC) is pointless anyway if more than two trades are involved—I forgot to mention that earlier. These trades should already be marked in the tender documents as ones that do not belong to the overall package if there is a GC bidder.
Schnubbihh schrieb:
Regarding the cable connection: We do get internet through that at our place, but having the outlet in the utility room with the router is sufficient. I can then do without all the sockets in the individual rooms since Ethernet is available. Although I’m not sure how large the credit for that would be. Ah, you didn’t mean the entire connection, just the combo outlet and the coaxial cable from the utility room to the living room. Removing that from the standard package will cost more than leaving it unnecessarily installed in a standard 08/15 way.
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K
KarstenausNRW1 Nov 2023 20:13Schnubbihh schrieb:
I am still unsure about the security classes for windows. I need to do more detailed research on this.Have GU explain the difference in the windows they offer you. Some manufacturers install a class called "enhanced security requirements" at the factory. This is roughly equivalent to RC2N – for example, with a higher number of mushroom cam locks.The additional cost for RC2N on ground-floor windows should not exceed €350 (about $380). Without the "N," it becomes significantly more expensive because laminated safety glass is used.
Just from police security statistics: only a single-digit percentage of all break-in attempts happen by smashing a window. It’s too loud and conspicuous. Usually, they first try to pry the window open briefly.
xMisterDx schrieb:
And yes, there was a break-in just two streets over shortly after the new homes were occupied.Similar experience for us (in our previous house). During construction, there were about half a dozen break-ins and thefts in the nearby neighborhood. After we moved in, we had three incidents ourselves (once someone entered the garden and stole the gas grill / once they got into the garden and stole a garden bench and fire bowl / once they entered the garden and took only portable items from the garden shed; similar cases happened in the neighborhood. Not a single attempt to break into the house itself).X
xMisterDx1 Nov 2023 20:33I wouldn’t ask the general contractor, since they have already proven their lack of knowledge by saying that RC2N is almost the same as RC1 and therefore doesn’t make sense.
"Enhanced security" is just a marketing slogan. With RC2, depending on the window size, you have 9 to 15 mushroom locks. With "enhanced security," it would have been around 4 or 5.
And even if it accounts for only 9% of all break-ins: if you’re unlucky and a gang of burglars is roaming your area, your home will still be empty when you come back. The chance of me getting into a serious car accident is also low, yet I still have insurance and have selected every possible safety option.
"Enhanced security" is just a marketing slogan. With RC2, depending on the window size, you have 9 to 15 mushroom locks. With "enhanced security," it would have been around 4 or 5.
And even if it accounts for only 9% of all break-ins: if you’re unlucky and a gang of burglars is roaming your area, your home will still be empty when you come back. The chance of me getting into a serious car accident is also low, yet I still have insurance and have selected every possible safety option.
(1) We had plastic windows in the first house and aluminum in the new one. I find aluminum slightly nicer, but according to the building insurance, it’s also more prone to damage. I had no complaints about the plastic windows either.
(2) We installed external Venetian blinds on the main window in the living room, but we’re not located in the north. I have been there and know how windy it can get. Back then, we didn’t have blinds. But the sandbox was often blown around outdoors, so I understand the decision.
(3) Excellent.
(4) Excellent. We had a centralized ventilation system in both houses. It costs money and quite a bit of electricity, but I would never want to do without it again.
(6) We don’t have that, but it can make sense. Definitely recommended if you have children or a “Baby Shark” risk.
(8) Excellent. We had wooden stairs in the first house, and in the new house, we have a closed concrete staircase with wooden treads. In addition to the benefits you mentioned, the concrete stairs don’t creak when walking.
(10) We reluctantly went with the lift-and-slide door system because of the price. We found the other option a bit flimsy, and you can accidentally lock yourself out with it—I seem to have a talent for that. Although we have about 20 other doors around the house, so surely one of them will be open if we’re sitting outside. 😀
(11) Get quotes beforehand to estimate whether it really turns out cheaper. That wasn’t always the case for us.
(13) Electrical and home automation
Decision: Still quite open
Reason: I would like to do it, but the solutions quickly become too expensive.
(14) We went for it, partly considering resale value and because it was included in the contract. We use the satellite dish occasionally for public transport info and streaming apps.
(15) If you also have the washing machine there, that’s an additional plus. It doesn’t cost much. We only had the connection installed and set up a temporary kitchen unit there. Very useful—we use the sink daily.
(16) Go for it! Definitely useful. We had it in both houses and use it very often.
(2) We installed external Venetian blinds on the main window in the living room, but we’re not located in the north. I have been there and know how windy it can get. Back then, we didn’t have blinds. But the sandbox was often blown around outdoors, so I understand the decision.
(3) Excellent.
(4) Excellent. We had a centralized ventilation system in both houses. It costs money and quite a bit of electricity, but I would never want to do without it again.
(6) We don’t have that, but it can make sense. Definitely recommended if you have children or a “Baby Shark” risk.
(8) Excellent. We had wooden stairs in the first house, and in the new house, we have a closed concrete staircase with wooden treads. In addition to the benefits you mentioned, the concrete stairs don’t creak when walking.
(10) We reluctantly went with the lift-and-slide door system because of the price. We found the other option a bit flimsy, and you can accidentally lock yourself out with it—I seem to have a talent for that. Although we have about 20 other doors around the house, so surely one of them will be open if we’re sitting outside. 😀
(11) Get quotes beforehand to estimate whether it really turns out cheaper. That wasn’t always the case for us.
(13) Electrical and home automation
Decision: Still quite open
Reason: I would like to do it, but the solutions quickly become too expensive.
(14) We went for it, partly considering resale value and because it was included in the contract. We use the satellite dish occasionally for public transport info and streaming apps.
(15) If you also have the washing machine there, that’s an additional plus. It doesn’t cost much. We only had the connection installed and set up a temporary kitchen unit there. Very useful—we use the sink daily.
(16) Go for it! Definitely useful. We had it in both houses and use it very often.
R
RotorMotor1 Nov 2023 21:21Regarding point 1) Since some have now voted for aluminum, I wanted to mention again that I would not choose it again. Our aluminum roller shutters are annoyingly loud.
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