Building Tips for Beginners

What budget do you have and what did you roughly imagine?

I think 350,000 EUR, but it may be that I realize this budget is not enough around here, even for a small house. I have to see....
A bank told me that they would even finance a budget of up to 480,000 EUR, but I absolutely do not consider that to be serious, and I definitely do not want to take out such a high loan. If the 350,000 EUR is not enough, I have to consider whether I want to do the project at all.

The important thing is first the concrete decision of exactly _which_ system you want to build: prefabricated or solid house.

I have decided on a prefabricated house because it goes faster, and (I hope) you have a fixed completion date. I also hope that it is less complicated and maybe a bit cheaper.
Furthermore, I already know that I want a bungalow so that the house is barrier-free right away, in case one can no longer manage stairs later on.
What might dissuade me from the bungalow is if I find out that I need a bigger plot of land for the bungalow, or that you might not be allowed to build a bungalow on the maybe only really suitable plot.
My space requirement as a single person is not that high, but I do want to spread out a bit, so it should be 80-100 sqm.
As for the basement, I need to inform myself. So far I have lived with a small storage room and do not have a space problem, so I would not necessarily need a basement to store things. But I wondered whether, if the room with the heating is on the living level, there might be a noise nuisance if something buzzes or hums there (no idea if anything can buzz or hum, but if so, that would bother me greatly).

You should also talk to an architect

Actually, I want to do everything as uncomplicated and with as little effort as possible, and I am not very demanding, I think a design from a house building company would be enough for me. With most you read that you can also make changes to the design, like moving walls, etc.
So you can adjust it a bit if you want. Whether that causes extra costs right away, I don’t know, though.

Toi, toi, toi!

Thanks!

I decided on a prefabricated house because it is faster, and you (I hope) have a fixed completion date. I also hope that it is less complicated and maybe somewhat cheaper.

All points can be refuted with a "no." Order a prefabricated house now! The assembly (not the interior finishing!) is indeed quick, but you might have to wait a year until the house is delivered. By that time, the conventionally built house will already be finished. You can also agree on completion dates with a general contractor/general builder/developer. If you have change requests during the manufacturing process of the prefabricated house, you will encounter a problem. With solid construction, you can incorporate change requests almost at any time – it is less complicated than with a prefabricated house. ... and the idea that it is cheaper is a rumor. Prefabricated houses tend to be somewhat more expensive!

maybe you have to wait a year until the house is delivered.

that probably doesn’t happen often with a reputable provider. Maybe with a small or a cheap provider?

You can also agree on completion dates with a GU/GÜ/developer.

But I would think that with a solid house, where all work is done individually, delays are much more likely if a craftsman doesn’t show up. I had imagined that a house building company that routinely builds prefabricated houses would rather manage everything smoothly.

What does the abbreviation GÜ actually stand for?
GU stands for general contractor, I guess.

Prefabricated houses tend to be somewhat more expensive!

I’ve never heard that. At most, you sometimes read that they are not that much cheaper than solid houses. But I also assume that it depends on the specific equipment.

At present, I actually have very few individual demands, i.e., I could come to terms with a "standard model." Of course, it’s possible that special wishes will come when you have dealt more with the details.

that will probably not happen often with a reputable provider. Maybe with a small or a cheap provider?

Yes, that can certainly happen to you even with a reputable and also large provider.

Currently, order books are well filled everywhere – such waiting times are quite realistic.

But I would think that with a solid house, where all the work is done individually, delays can happen much more easily if a craftsman does not show up. I had imagined that with a house-building company that routinely builds prefab houses, everything would run more smoothly.

That is absolutely independent of solid house or prefab house. With both, you need more or less craftsman companies that have to be scheduled in time.

I have never heard that before. At most, one sometimes reads that they are not so much cheaper than solid houses. But I also assume that it depends on the specific equipment.

Yes, is absolutely right there. Prefab houses are (with proper quality) usually more expensive than a solid built house.

Regards,

Dirk

What does the abbreviation GÜ actually stand for? GU stands for Generalunternehmer, I guess.

GU = Generalunternehmer = at least builds part of it themselves (own construction company) GÜ = Generalübernehmer = contracts out all trades to subs (more of a service provider who plans and coordinates but does not build themselves)

Yes, is absolutely right. Prefabricated houses are (with proper quality) usually more expensive than a solidly built house.

Yes, it is incredible: it’s true, it used to be different.

The delivery times have also become very long with many manufacturers.

A previous poster mentioned Viebrockhaus. It was built next door here – unbelievably fast construction progress. And the houses are very nice. (Well, DaVinci and Huf are in a different league after all… but you can’t have it all).

Good experiences regarding “relatively trouble-free building” here in my Gäu area have also been made with Hanse or with Danwood.

Best regards
Thorsten