First variable loan, then construction financing?

Well, it depends. I would say that these are ancillary construction services and belong in the financing.

Basically, you need a coherent concept. What surprises me is that on the one hand you have a shell construction house, and on the other hand an architect.

Just a dumb question: do you think you'll get through the construction phase when it's already calculated so tight? We're right in the middle of it ourselves. And what I pay on the side for "loan costs" plus materials and so on, because it simply wasn't considered in the financing, is brutal. Every month, easily 500 € go out the door. Plus what generally comes up. Recently, completely new brakes on the car. 800 € gone.
By the way, our neighbor has a shell house. He took 3 months just to install the drywall sheets. He’s been at it for 9 months now and we've almost caught up with him. Next week the screed is coming in and then we’ll be ahead of him. In other words, until the plumbing goes in and you can move in, a lot of time will still pass, and plumbing is one of the last trades.

I understand an Ausbauhaus to be a house that lacks interior work such as floor coverings, sanitary equipment, tiles, etc., but one could already live in it (once the bathroom is finished), since the heating works and the house is also sealed. For such a house, I also need an architect; otherwise, how should the construction company build me a house? Maybe I am confusing the terms right now..

What I learned yesterday is that the already mentioned fittings (floor, ceilings, walls) should be counted as one's own equity at the bank, so you don’t have a 100% financing. That was our plan too, but I didn’t know that this would reduce the financing share.

And regarding the shortage of financial means, I can confirm that we will actually have no 1000 € per month left for unexpected expenses; nevertheless, it has to work. I think hardly anyone builds a bungalow and calculates it so that 50% of their salary remains in their pocket. That way, one can save money until retirement age. Still, many thanks for the hint! I will calculate everything in advance, so there should be no major deviations. I am not the type to start building with my eyes closed. Before I have an exact plan and especially precise numbers (+ risk) in mind, I will not start building. And we will do that after we have the land (due to the high demand, the land is only reserved for a short time).

I understand an Ausbauhaus as a house that is missing interior work such as floor coverings, sanitary equipment, tiles, etc., but you could already live in it (once the bathroom is finished), since the heating works and the house is sealed. For such a house, I still need an architect, how else should the construction company build me a house? Maybe I am confusing the terms right now...

The companies usually have their own architects. You only get partial contact with them.

I think hardly anyone builds a bungalow and calculates it so that they still have 50% of their salary left in their pocket.

Yes, more than you think. Why? On the one hand, so that the double burden during the construction phase is manageable. On the other hand, because a house is simply significantly more expensive to maintain than an apartment (with a reasonably good energy standard). Just until you get your house to a state where you can relax on a Sunday, you still need a lot of money. Parallel to the construction, we unexpectedly had to build a retaining wall (plant rings + gravel + concrete together 800 €). And those were just the first 10 m. 60 m are still missing, but they will come bit by bit. Then, oh no, the attic has to be boarded (300 € cost). Hmpf, infiltration wasn’t considered, now pipes have to go into the ground (600 €), etc. And you haven’t even gotten to the garden yet.

A friend of mine bought a used one. They don’t have it so easy either and have to watch their money carefully. Every little thing is carefully saved for first. A broken washing machine then leads to an overdraft on the account.

On the terms

Shell house: is usually finished on the outside, with plumbing, electrical, and heating still to be done inside. Tiling and painting are included in few house offers; often these are done by an external craftsman or in [EL].

A turnkey offer includes almost everything, except for the aforementioned painting and flooring. These must also be paid for separately.

Whether an architect-designed house or a house built with a general contractor/general builder (GU/GÜ): it is not advisable to move in and then lay the flooring.

The costs of an architect-designed house are harder to predict; a GU/GÜ usually provides a final price including all special features; the earthworks and thus ancillary building costs are always less predictable, which affects all types of house construction, whether with an architect or a builder who offers "turnkey."

If hardly any equity for buffer is available, I recommend house construction with a GU/GÜ.

Best regards in brief

I understand an Ausbauhaus as a house missing interior work such as floor coverings, sanitary equipment, tiles, etc., but one could already live in it (if the bathroom is finished), since the heating works and the house is also sealed.

Indeed, a few terms are not quite right. Ausbauhaus is rather at the extreme end of the spectrum (envelope yes, everything else still needs to be done, including screed, heating, electricity, insulation, drywall cladding, floor coverings, filling, wallpapering/painting).

However, there are the most impossible combinations. It is quite fluid, depending on how and with whom one builds.

What I learned yesterday is that the already mentioned fittings (floor, ceilings, walls) should be counted as your own capital at the bank, so you don't have 100% financing. We had also planned that, but I did not know that the share of financing would be reduced as a result.

Depending on the actual completion level, the topic of "muscle mortgage" comes into play. In other words, labor services (without VAT) that you will provide yourself can be included as "equity" in the financing.

But that is just a "calculation trick" regarding the BLA.

After all, the materials always have to be paid for, and not everyone can tile a bathroom. Also, depending on the level of completion, only 5-30K € of "muscle mortgage" is feasible. The 30K is what, for example, Allkauf House "gets out" if you do the entire interior work yourself.

And it carries risks/problems:

1) You overestimate the actual workload -> Even if you just do the coverings for an entire house (except in the bathrooms), and prepare and wallpaper and paint all ceilings and walls ready for painting, that's quite a lot for a whole house. A genuine Ausbauhaus is a real challenge.
Also, the time you can spend on the construction site is not unlimited.

By the way, our neighbor has an Ausbauhaus. He alone took 3 months to install the drywall panels. He has been working on it for 9 months now and we have nearly caught up with him.

2) This means the issue of double burdens is even more intensified.

3) Some banks do not like proper Ausbauhäuser at all. After all, completion is riskier. Also, the proof of construction progress differs greatly among banks. It is important to find the right partner here.

4) If you realize that for one thing or another professionals would be better, you have the problem of additional financing.

Since the demand for plots is enormous and all are already allocated, we only have next week left to apply for a loan. Scenario 1 is therefore out, because no exact plan is yet known, right?

Have you been to a bank or a financial broker?

And be clear about what you can really manage as [EL].