Construction financing 160 sqm single-family house - feasibility assessment

So we have submitted everything and the total amount as stated above from me is turnkey (to all critics who didn’t want to believe it).

How long does the application take approximately until it is processed? 4 months? Do you have any experience?

I kindly ask for a photo of your face as soon as you receive the notice of real estate transfer tax on land AND house, since you are building with a developer.

I kindly ask for a photo of your face as soon as you receive the notice about the real estate transfer tax on the land AND house, because you are building with a developer

Reminds me of the credit card advertisement. Facial expression "priceless" :cool:

Besides, you don't yet know all the surprises that come your way during construction.

Where does all this "house construction is full of surprises" stuff even come from?
Except for the earthworks, I don't know of any item in house construction that can't be meticulously planned in advance.
Even the earthworks can be fairly well outlined with a soil survey, although there is always some residual uncertainty. But otherwise, with turnkey construction by a general contractor, there are no surprises that couldn't be planned for, right?

Where does all this "house construction is full of surprises" stuff actually come from? Apart from the earthworks, I don’t know of any aspect in house construction that can’t be meticulously planned in advance? Even the earthworks can be reasonably well outlined with a soil survey, although there is always some residual uncertainty. But otherwise, with turnkey construction by a general contractor, there are no more surprises that one couldn’t plan for, right?

There are things you don’t know beforehand.

1. Drainage
2. Outdoor facilities (unless you want to live in a construction site garden for several years).
3. Ideas that come over time. For example, with us: motion detectors, larger entrance, etc.

These are things you don't know beforehand.

1. Drainage
2. Outdoor areas (unless you want to live for several years in a construction site garden).
3. Ideas that come over time. For example, for us motion detectors, a larger entrance, etc.

I agree about the outdoor areas; it's really a range-from-to topic. There's no upper limit, but practically none downward either. We initially landscaped our garden ourselves (mind you, in northern Germany). It cost less than €10,000 and looks nice enough to sit behind the house in the sun. Of the "under 10k," €6,000 went into paving the terrace we have. If you feel confident doing that yourself, it can be even cheaper. Of course, not on a slope—you have to cut back or brace it, etc.—but what I wanted to say is: you can have that planned pretty well in advance. You can also contact garden landscapers for the outdoor area and get offers.

You should also be able to plan drainage. When planning, you already know where the shafts are and how far the house is from them, right? With the old house, we had offers for that early on; with the new one, the entire connection is included in the fixed price.

Well, and ideas that come up during the construction phase I generally stamp as "nice to have," but these are not things that would jeopardize a project, are they? Besides, honestly, you could also plan such things in advance if you wanted to.

On the topic of not being planned:

For example, we had budgeted 1000€ for construction electricity because that’s what it said on the internet. It ended up costing 3000€.

The excavation pit filled with water and collapsed on the sides -> 500€ additional costs for pumping out.

Earthworks 3000€ more than in the offer because more frost protection gravel was needed than in the offer.

Surcharge of 2000€ because precast concrete parts had to be used instead of on-site formwork for the basement, as the building gap was unexpectedly too small.

Almost 1000€ surcharge for building drying, which became necessary because mold started to form.

The municipality wanted a 1000€ additional payment because the drainage paid for when buying the property several years ago did not include the basement.

300€ because the construction water tap froze and burst in winter and had to be repaired by emergency service on the weekend.

500€ surcharge because a lifting system was installed, although it was previously said that it would barely be enough without it.

500€ drainage, because it turned out that the manhole covers didn’t fit and had to be raised significantly.

200€ surcharge for drilling into the basement for supply lines, which was nowhere mentioned beforehand.

1000€ surcharge because the municipal utilities only connected in January instead of December and a price increase applied in the new year.

I haven’t looked up the exact amounts now, but overall we had unexpected items totaling 10,000€. Of course, compared to 500k not a big deal, but still.