House construction planning: solid house or prefabricated house? With or without a basement?

As long as you still have so little idea and also don’t want to disclose any further details about income etc. (which is your business, but many people here reveal everything to get advice because it simply isn’t possible otherwise).
You can also read up on this in the construction financing forum.

With just wishes, without any concrete indication that this house will not remain just a pipe dream – hardly anyone here will help you.

There are advantages and disadvantages of solid construction and prefabricated houses. Neither is bad, and a lot has already been written here about this, so it helps to use the search function.

For example here

Basement or not, in the end you have to live in the house, know what you want and need and can afford.

We are building a house with solid wood walls, without a basement. But that doesn’t help you either.

Okay, I’ll check out your link on the side already :)

Well, I kind of just stumbled into the forum here and don’t know right away how it looks here and what you need from me.
I’m just looking for exchange in general first to even know what the point of the matter is.

Since we’ve had many ideas for a long time and have looked a lot online but nothing is sorted out, we don’t really know where to go from here.

The more information we’ve gathered so far, the more confused we became.
Everyone online writes something different.
Especially when it comes to prefabricated houses, there are sites that advise against them and other sites that clarify that such a prefabricated house can be not worse but better and basically the same as solid construction and therefore not cheaper.

2500€/sqm for the living space, basement/garage I don’t know.
If it is 200 sqm of living space, that is 500,000€, plus your 200,000€. On top of that come the basement and garage.

Okay, then we will definitely be more expensive than we previously naively thought.
So don’t back us off the project now.
But now I at least know roughly where we fit in and maybe what compromises we have to make.

We are also doing the garden design ourselves (DIY), but that is a lot of work and the material also costs money.

Sure, a nice garden is also open-ended in terms of price, especially if it is supposed to be smart.
But that’s why we want to do that ourselves afterwards.
Since we are not the types for vacations, that would be an ideal thing for us.
So to really let loose here.

I don’t think you really have any idea what even the simplest sanitary equipment costs. Here in Brandenburg for 2 small (2sqm, 8sqm) bathrooms including piping just under 12,000€.
We were at the bathroom showroom, watched the money, and then ended up (also due to incomplete information from the seller) 10,000€ higher. We have now reduced it to 5,000€ more but that is also no luxury, we have no concealed fittings, no super fancy rain shower, only at the toilets did we spend a bit more.

Okay, well, with the bathroom we are already aware it can be tight. My parents just renovated their bathroom and were quickly at 10,000 that was planned to 18,000 and it was not a huge bathroom. (Here the floor was lowered by 30 cm, which you have to deduct again.)

But if you count the bathroom bigger again for the new build, you’re certainly easily at 20,000.

But precisely to get all this a bit more rounded is why I’m here.
That’s where the thread is slowly starting.

From what I have read so far in the forum, 600,000€ for such a large house is already tight.

Okay, that definitely helps.

So that means either making compromises or budgeting more.

Phew, but it’s nice to get an estimate from fellow builders about roughly where we stand.
That definitely helps us become more aware of the project and what we need for it.

You didn’t even consider the objection from undergasse – do you know that as a private person you don’t have access to the software etc.? That means the DIY in that area is also at risk.

Which software exactly do you mean?

Crestron? Or from Control 4?

I know that here you get access through a company from Berlin and they then do things for you, and what you can’t do alone is then helped with payment.
(I haven’t committed myself to the mentioned brands here, I have dealt with this intensively and find these manufacturers good, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I will buy that way. It should only go in this direction in terms of functionality. There are also other options here that may not be exactly the same but offer similar.)

If now it comes to the point that in the technical planning I realize that I wouldn’t get along with my wishful thinking regarding the technology, then there are alternatives, which may not be as fancy but can deliver the same in the end.
I already have such a system theoretically at home, self-built.

In the end, as I said, I don’t want to build a flashy house but to achieve the functionality important for me / us.
And there are many alternatives that would also be cheaper.
What it will be in the end will show itself, in any case the tech thing is a hobby and pure passion.
Therefore, it should end in any case as DIY.
And that the mentioned brands could become too expensive is clear to me.
But then just the alternatives that can also be controlled via a single app in the end :)

We don’t want a luxury palace ^^ But to push what’s possible and still be affordable, of course :)

Normal equipment house without luxury frills in almost all parts of Germany 2000€/sqm. Rather now 2200€/sqm = 550,000€ just the house
+ incidental costs 50,000
+ basement 70,000

= house without frills, like smart/home cinema etc. you are at 670,000

In addition, there are the land and development costs. I had already tried to indicate that above.

Okay, sounds at least initially still possible.

In any case, this already helps a lot.
Even if it doesn't look like it at first for some people.

But it helps significantly when estimating.

Just to clarify again. My brother-in-law is just starting to build, but in Bavaria: 180sqm living space + basement - Turnkey 580k (good normal standard) - Additional costs 50k = 630k > 600k These are not 200sqm living space, there is no KNX, no garage or other paving work included, no kitchen or furniture, no solar system or anything more elaborate and of course no land. This just doesn’t work at all. So first find a good plot and then align wishes and budget!

Well, in Saxony-Anhalt as I said there are even free plots ^^ It’s clear that Bavaria isn’t exactly cheap :) But such prices for land are rather rare here. You’d really have to have the absolute best location in the area. As I said, the budget is initially what we thought we wanted to spend. Financing is less of a problem for us since I’ve dealt with the flat rates with my sister. However, since she mainly does real estate financing in the big city and it mostly concerns renovation and rental, she’s not really the right contact person, but I do already have the general knowledge that we could definitely get good financing, we just don’t want to fully exhaust it right at the beginning and first see how far we get with the idea and what we want to spend. There should also still be money left for the technical gadgets and the garden in the end. But as it seems, we’ve thought too low with the price compared to what we get. This definitely helps a lot for orientation. Either take more money in hand or rethink what we don’t need. That’s true. It shouldn’t become a palace of excess where money is wasted senselessly. I think we should really first go to those model home parks and get an impression of the square meters. Then it will be decided faster about the basement and the associated costs. And in the end, the planned own work also has to work out with the home builder. And here I think there are also exact statements about what the house costs we are currently looking at. Then you have the floor plan you stand in, and if you like it, you take it as it is, and changes can surely be priced as accurately as possible here. I think financially that should be the best way to plan it properly? As a rule of thumb, I can just add the 200k for technology and heating and be on the safe side. At least we are now definitely much further than before this post here.

Please first seriously start looking for a plot of land. Most people are very driven by inner desires and external influences when it comes to their dream plot. At the same time, talk to your house bank. Your dream house including incidental costs will easily cost over 550k – more like 600k. However, that’s without the land and development costs. If the bank gives the green light for the house and financing amount, buy the land. Once the land is settled, what you can and may build depends on the development plan. It may also be that you are required to use district heating on your dream plot. Therefore, discussions here without a plot are completely pointless, except to give you a sense of cost.

Okay, that’s of course good information as well. District heating actually exists here in the city. However, since I’ve already seen these air heat exchangers in a new development area, I think it’s not compulsory here. Visually, there are also houses that look more or less like what we imagine. But thanks for the hint, I should definitely consider that too. What happens if I find a plot but don’t have a house yet? I’m still very confused about that. Does anyone know the best way to find a plot or an area where building is allowed? I can’t just go around saying, “Look, I want to build there…”? Does it make sense to ask the city where you can even look?

At least we are already significantly further than before this post.

Except that "we" are already at post #51, I can't see any "significantly further" now.
I need to get some cola first... :D

What about if I have found a plot of land but no house yet? I am still really confused about that. Does anyone know the best way to find a plot of land or an area where building is permitted?

I can't just go and say, look, I want to build here ...? Does it make sense to ask the city where I can even look?

It's better if you have a plot of land before you have more concrete ideas about a house because the development plan or conditions on the plot can make certain things impossible or not sensible.

So 1. plot of land, meanwhile clarify what the rough wishes are and to what extent they are financially feasible. 2. have a good floor plan designed, then look for and plan with house providers.

In SA, it doesn't seem to be as much of a shortage of plots as elsewhere. So, first you Google new development area + city / town / region of your choice.

If you don't find anything there, then drive through the villages and look for empty plots, ask neighbors etc. (you would have to leave your apartment for this) and at the same time check the websites of all small municipalities / towns where you would want to build and, if necessary, inquire if nothing is found there. I did it that way in Brandenburg and was on the waiting list in several places / received feedback about various plots.

Finding something on Immoscout etc. is rather difficult and in sought-after regions, something is often wrong with the plot. (We were lucky and actually found the seller of the new development area on Immoscout, but otherwise, what was offered was not so great)