Buying a shell construction - Experiences

Hello everyone,

we are interested in a shell construction with roof and windows. Unfortunately without a basement.
Price approx. 145K€ + 25K€ additional costs.

Does anyone have experience with buying a shell construction?

What do we need to consider before we commission an expert?
Are there typical defects?
Is the price for 160m² without basement with windows and roof okay or too expensive?
We expect about 150K€ until completion. Is that realistic?

We are a bit uncertain because the shell construction has been standing like this for 2 years.

Thank you very much.

Hello Karolina,

unfortunately, many of your questions are difficult to answer.

- I assume the shell is being sold with the plot? So the price is for the land + the shell. Right?
- Location also matters – especially in the case of land. What are then the proportions of land/shell?
- Which additional costs of 25k are meant?
--> To say/claim whether the price is okay or not is currently not answerable, especially from a distance.

There are no typical damages to shells. It depends on the location – how has the building been exposed to the weather, how is the ground. In other words: water/moisture plays the biggest role. In addition, of course, the assessment of the quality of workmanship, the materials used (bricks, type, thickness, insulation value, roof tiles, roof frame, windows, foundation, base plate.........an expert can tell you that).

Such an interior finishing is quite something too. Surely everything from A to Z is still missing here. From A like connections and outdoor facilities to E like electricity and screed/insulation to Z for access and inside all trades (heating, ventilation, screed, wall construction,.....1000 points).

Professionals can estimate the price for the finishing (completion) quite accurately based on your wishes and the construction status. Giving a forecast whether 150k is enough: impossible from a distance. Please get solid advice and don’t just estimate and then experience a belly flop.

If the shell as such is still okay (such things usually survive quite well for 2 years) and the location too, there is basically nothing against buying. Many people do this, it’s not unusual now. Depending on your finishing wishes – as said, that is very expensive – you can see based on your budget whether the project is realistically feasible or not.

Best regards
Thorsten

PS: I have a little experience because a shell house is basically nothing other than a shell that has to be finished later. The difference is only: such a thing has not been exposed to moisture, it is tight after 2 days.

If dozens of core drillings are needed for further expansion because this was not planned before or was planned differently, it can already become an expensive affair at that point.

Hello,

Is the price for 160m² without basement with windows and roof okay or is it still too expensive?
We are calculating about 150T€ until completion. Is that realistic?

We are a bit unsure because the shell has been standing like this for 2 years.

First of all, the price is okay from my point of view; what is added for the plot of land?

Basically, this question cannot be answered without being at the shell stage. Therefore, answers from users here will be of little help to you.

Go through the shell with an expert _before_ you buy. Among other things, he will check whether the load-bearing interior walls were built with the "right" brick; possibly existing windows with lintel possibilities have the laminated safety glass on the correct side, etc. I am quite sure that you will not be able to recognize defects – if they exist at all – no matter how carefully they are described.

If the expert gives his okay – make sure to get a written assessment – you can buy the shell; 2 years is not a long time for a vacancy. You are also on the safe side with 150T€ for interior finishing, as long as you don’t want to implement exorbitant equipment requests.

Best regards from the Rhineland

Decisive is the quality of the construction execution with proof of the planning details ([insulation in the ground-contact area/floor slab/strip foundations], building waterproofing, shell construction details, windows, etc.) and the preceding planning including the approved building application, the thermal insulation certificate, the building application and shell construction static calculations according to which it was built, the soil survey as the basis of statics and foundation, the site drainage planning including any drainage planning, and the planning documents for the house connection. Then of course the ownership rights must be clarified (land register extract, easement extract), in which there may also be information as to why the shell construction is being sold. Ultimately, the shell construction, provided it is approved in all parts according to building regulations, must fit your ideas of a house design. If this is not the case, other weighty reasons must speak for wanting to convert a shell construction already with possible interventions in the statics. The purchase price would be interesting if the land price is included and the shell construction has been properly and verifiably erected by a specialist company. In case of concrete interest, you should carefully examine the building with an appraiser/architect/construction engineer/statician and check the above points.

One very important aspect has not been mentioned at all so far: the building permit! If this has already expired due to conditions and the like, you would have to apply for a new one. Then it can happen that work already carried out suddenly is no longer acceptable (e.g. insulation no longer meets the minimum requirements).

What do you understand by [Rohbau]? With/without roof and windows?! There are some trades that really cost a lot. With roof and windows, the 2 years would even bring advantages, as the building is probably very dry now. How about the house connections?

Back then we were offered a [Rohbau] with roof and windows including house connections. The entire interior finishing was missing. It failed because the building permit had expired and we were not sure if we would get a new one, and the owner wanted ridiculous right of way. Price-wise it was an amazing deal. The house still stands in the same [Rohbau] state even after 2 years...
For our interior finishing we calculated about €80,000 at the time, including some extras. It could also have been done with €60,000. (Heating, electricity, interior walls, plastering, sanitary, stairs, wall work, floor coverings, interior doors, front door (this was missing, there was only a construction door)). The house connections including waste/rainwater were finished.