House hunting: It can't be that difficult...

Hey ypg, no, my wife and I belong to the faction "Rights in the morning and free in the afternoon," although in the afternoon I actually have neither free time nor any rights, at least that's what my wife says ;). Regards, Jake

... or?
Hello everyone,
my wife and I are looking for a stylish home that can meet our space needs in a single full-story variant. Unfortunately, it’s turning out to be much more difficult than expected.
Our needs:
Besides the basic rooms kitchen, living/dining, sleeping, bathroom, we also want:
2 children’s rooms
2 workrooms
1 guest room
1 additional shower toilet for the children in the attic
1 guest toilet
1 utility room

We are fully aware that this number of rooms is not very common. However, we need the workrooms for professional reasons and since our closest relatives live 140 km away, a guest room is also necessary.
We currently have a plot reserved (1052 m²). The budget is 400k€, minus the plot (40k€) leaves 350k€ for the house and garden, we would like to reserve 10k€ as a contingency.

Due to the expected high space requirements, we favored a basement, where among other things pantry, storage, technical room, and my workroom can go. A prefab house company (solid construction) has now quoted us about 63,000€ for a basement (+4,000€ for two additional rooms in this floor plan).
It was known that basements no longer cost "just" 30,000€ since they have to be KfW-55 (in our case) standard, but that it is more than double, was not.

All in all, we are quite shocked. We are currently waiting for the offer but can already estimate that the leading digit is probably a 4 and thus it far exceeds our budget.
Included as luxuries besides the basement: a floor-level shower (along with shower wall 1,500€ + costs for waterproofing beneath the tiles), a sauna connection (sauna itself not included in the price), and two additional Velux windows in the attic.

We are probably too naive about the prices, but it cannot be that you can’t find a suitable home for 350k€. We have certainly studied about 100 floor plans, but without a basement and/or major changes we never managed, and those get very, very expensive fast even in prefab houses as far as we know.

Do you have any ideas, nice floor plans we might have overlooked or sensible suggestions? Currently, we have a first general inquiry with a prefab house provider but have hardly any hope...
Regards, Jake

We are currently planning something similar (only one workroom, but a large one, only one bathroom in the attic) and I am surprised that it shouldn’t work with 400k€ considering the price of the plot. The prices for the basement seem reasonable if it is a living basement. One must not forget in the calculation that a foundation slab easily costs 15 to 20k€.
To get some benefit from the additional costs for the basement, you should also use it accordingly, i.e., relocate office and/or guest room to the basement. With this plan, we come to about 300k€ excluding outdoor facilities but including additional construction costs (turnkey and a chimney flue is already included, as well as a small solar collector). And we already have a really well insulated house. We simply opted for a very simple building shape (no balcony, no bay window, no loggia, no gable or so), that saves a lot of money. And that the attic is not a full story can be achieved if necessary by a smaller knee wall.
Our floor plan is similar to that of a house called Stockholm from a provider in the far north. Maybe that is something for you.

Hello Jake,

first of all - with that saying "my wife and I belong to the faction 'right in the morning and free in the afternoon', although in the afternoon I actually am neither free nor have any rights, at least that's what my wife says" there's some humanity in it; I like that ;)

Of course we thought about that. Unfortunately, legally it is not possible for us to use the study also as a guest room.

Do you both mostly work from home?

I don’t quite understand: We calculated about €30k additional construction costs and €15k for the outdoor facilities, because we get some things a bit cheaper there. So about €300k for the house. The €40k for the plot are including incidental costs.

You write in the first post about a total budget of €400k. I calculate as follows: Plot with €40k, the typical additional construction costs amounting to €35-40k, painting and flooring in EL about €10k, outdoor facilities in EL about €10k, prefabricated garage 3 x 9k €12k and reserve for extras again €10k. That leaves a total of about €278k. Since you now write that the €40k for the plot are calculated including incidental costs, you might really get by with €30k in additional construction costs. Calculated that way, you would still have €288k left for the house :-)

If building window means the buildable area (according to Wikipedia), then it is 0.3 of 1052m², so about 350m².

No, what you describe is the site coverage ratio => site coverage ratio.

Usually, each plot not only has a certain location to be built on, but also exact length and width specifications. For example, 12 x 12 or 8 x 11 etc. - within this building window you then additionally have to observe the site coverage ratio as well as the floor space index => floor space index plus the development plan including textual provisions.

That could be tight, right? Not to mention the temperatures in summer.

That critically depends on the eaves height and the prescribed roof pitch, which are described in the textual provisions for the plot. The issue of heat in summer remains, of course. You can protect yourself against cold, but not really against heat; unless you install air conditioning units.

That is my fear. Only whether that will work with the budget is questionable. Not to mention the additional stress you bring into the house for everything... We came to the providers because we cannot just take a vacation and keep an eye on the construction, so the "one-stop shop" appealed to us.

I did not mean that you should also contract through an architect. But he is useful in your case regarding floor plan design, as many competing requirements have to be reconciled. Once the planning is done, you can still go to a provider of your choice and have them make you a turnkey offer ;)

Building in Lower Saxony is not quite as expensive as in the rest of the country. But I also do not see the basement being realizable with your budget in this region.

As I said, the big problem is that our studies are necessary, they have to be lockable and thus inaccessible to guests. In principle, one would be sufficient, but bigger, too, would be necessary, but then the marriage would be over before the first loan ends ;)

Those would certainly be interesting arguments ;)

Seriously - think about the architect + floor plan design option.

Rhenish regards

To benefit somewhat from the additional costs for the basement, you should also use it accordingly, that is, move the office and/or guest room to the basement.

Hello Charly42, a study was planned in the basement anyway. Currently, we are also looking for floor plans that allow us to have a study and guest room in the basement while keeping the upper floors smaller and more affordable.

Our floor plan is similar to that of a house called Stockholm from a provider in the far north. Maybe that is something for you.

I will definitely take another look at that.

Hello Jake,

Do both of you mainly work from home?

Hello Bauexperte,
in quiet times it is about 20 hours per week, during peak times like now it can be 40, during weekdays with holidays up to 45.

You write in the first post about a total budget of TEUR 400. I calculate as follows: Plot with TEUR 40, typical additional construction costs of TEUR 35-40, painting and flooring in EL about TEUR 10, outdoor facilities in EL about TEUR 10, prefabricated garage 3 x 9 TEUR 12 and reserve for extras another TEUR 10. That leaves about TEUR 278 in total. Since you now write that the TEUR 40 for the plot includes additional costs, you might really manage with TEUR 30 for construction costs. Calculated this way, you would still have TEUR 288 left for the house :-)

Regarding the plot:
Costs 31,560€, sewer 4,302.68€, surveying 1,450€, so we would have to pay 37,312.68€ to the providing bank. Of course, there are still notary and land registry fees. The municipality is likely to subsidize the purchase with about 2,000€, so we are calculating with 40,000€.

No, what you describe is the floor space index => floor space index.

Usually, for every plot there is not only a specific location which is to be built on, but also exact length and width dimensions. For example, 12 x 12 or 8 x 11, etc. — within this building envelope you must then also observe the floor space index as well as the floor area ratio => floor area ratio plus the development plan including textual provisions.

So far, we have not found any such indications in the textual provisions that were sent to us with the exposé. Only the distance to the boundary, the floor space index, the number of full floors, etc. But I will ask the municipality to be sure.

I didn’t mean that you have to outsource to an architect. However, in your case, an architect makes sense for floor plan planning, since you have to reconcile many competing demands. Once the planning is done, you can still go to a provider of your choice and have them make you a turnkey offer ;)

Maybe we have to warm up to the idea. Even though that means costs again (about how much roughly?).

That would surely be interesting arguments ;)

They are usually rather boring.
"Honey, can you please turn off the radio?"
"Does it have to be?"
*BANG* "There, now it’s off."
"I could have turned it off normally too..."
*BANG*
*Tomorrow all throwable objects will be removed or leashed in the study*

Seriously — think about the architect + floor plan draft option.

Rhenish greetings

We will, thanks.
Regards, Jake

Floor plans can usually all be changed :)

Hello Jake,

Channel €4302.68

Is that the amount for the development fee - the public channel is brought up to the property - or the total price channel, including house connection?

Maybe we have to come to terms with the idea. Even if those are costs again (approximately how much?).

Architects bill according to HOAI; in the case of design planning based on the estimated construction costs.

Rhenish greetings