Beginner seeking advice - when should planning start?

Hello people :)

In the last few days I have been thinking more about the idea of building again. It is basically a done deal that my girlfriend and I definitely want to own our own house later, but the question of whether to buy a house or build one keeps coming up. We keep checking the usual portals to simply get an overview of the currently available properties here nearby (Mülheim an der Ruhr). Since the market situation has been, to put it mildly, "more critical" for some time now, my question arises. Because while surfing through the real estate portals I often find myself criticizing at least 2-3 things about the houses that I think could be done differently :D Therefore, to what extent should preparations/efforts already be made before starting a building project?

I hope the question doesn’t come across as too "stupid"! :eek:

It is never too early to start with requirements. They should also be reasonably well-developed before you begin to get specific. Otherwise, it becomes stressful when you start requesting quotes and all of them apply to different houses. Without proper requirements, it's easy to get led by buzzwords (massive vs prefab, Kfw 40+, heat pump, etc.). Which rooms do you need, how large should they be at a minimum, and what budget does it have to fit into? As far as planning is concerned, you have to be careful because a lot depends on the plot and the development plan. So it's better to do rough planning rather than detailed planning since the latter is not always possible.

Because when surfing through real estate portals, I keep catching myself finding at least 2-3 things to criticize about the houses that, in my opinion, could be immediately discarded :D

What would those be, for example? Always remember that a 95% used property might be "better" than the rental apartment. With ownership, you can always tinker and change things; with renting, you have to live with the shortcomings until you move out. A new build is usually not perfect with the first house. Only you see and experience the "problems" over time. It gets better with the second or third house :cool:. Nevertheless, make yourselves a list of what is important to you and why. The why sometimes invites reflection. And prioritize the points.

We were at the LBS a few months ago for a small consultation regarding what would be financially feasible for us. As far as I remember correctly, they said back then "400-420,000 would not be a problem." Since both my girlfriend and I have salary increases coming up, our monthly net income will increase by almost 400€ in the next 2 years; currently we have about 4200€ net per month.
In terms of space, we are looking at at least four rooms; honestly, five wouldn’t be bad either. The whole thing then on 140-150 sqm.
Regarding solid construction vs. prefab, I haven’t really dealt with it yet, I literally just briefly read into it. KFW funding sounds tempting, of course, but it has to be compatible with the final costs.
When it comes to indoor climate, I am very impressed by heat pump technology, I won’t lie. With that, rooms can probably also be cooled in summer, which would be better than an extra air conditioner that consumes additional electricity, I think?

What would those be, for example?
Always remember that a 95% used property might be “better” than the rental apartment. With ownership, you can always tinker and make changes; with renting, you have to live with the shortcomings until you move out.
A new build is generally not perfect from the first house onwards. You only see and experience the “problems” over time. It gets better with the second or third house :cool:.

Nevertheless, make a list of what is important to you and also why. The why sometimes invites you to reflect. And prioritize the points.

So renting a house is generally out of the question in our calculation :p

I am a modest person who doesn’t need much to live, I think one house is enough for me :p:p

I wouldn't start with gimmicks now that are probably not even in your budget (air conditioning)

Also keep in mind that you will have to make compromises even with a new build. Due to the plot, development plan, and budget. It will never be perfect.