How are you dealing with the current construction situation?

Really difficult situation... We want to continue with it. We feel like we have planned everything but still more or less have nothing. Construction is expected to start in August. All trades are to be awarded individually. I have found companies for each trade and have also received offers. I have received the financing commitment from the bank at about 1.38% fixed for 10 years, which I also have to sign soon and cannot postpone any longer. KfW55 also has to be completed by January 2024, otherwise the subsidy will be lost. That means if I wait, the new loan and missing subsidy will definitely result in about €35,000-40,000 more costs for the house.

About the construction itself: Masons and carpenters work on a time and material basis (they are not direct acquaintances, but we know each other). Building materials are provided through a building materials dealer. Heating, building services, and electrical/photovoltaic work are also done by known craftsmen on a time and material basis.

Ultimately, it always comes down to the same thing: the real price at the later order unless I order now and stock it myself (which I cannot do). For example, windows: should I order blindly now without measurement because I have to fear that they might be 10% more expensive if needed later? It’s the same with other things in interior finishing. This uncertainty and lack of planning ability eat away at me the most.

Did you get a fixed price, and until when does it apply? And I will say it x times more. Hire an external construction supervisor.

The biggest construction company is often not the best solution. You are just a crumb in their entire construction projects.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you. Our house handover is supposed to be in July :cool:

Thanks and first of all to you as well a smooth completion. In my contract, the price is held for 12 months, and once the construction preparations are completed (permit granted, insurances finalized, financing secured, etc.), the price applies until completion. However, nowadays you have to be willing to compromise – I certainly won’t take increases lightly, but I will decide that if it should come to that. I haven’t placed an order for the garages yet due to lack of a price guarantee and a fixed agreed price increase after 6 months – so I can order them even 5 months before installation. If they are not deliverable, it won’t kill me either.

I have the advantage that my father is retiring soon and, as a construction-enthusiast engineer, will watch over the construction site with eagle eyes. Of course, it’s not ideal if an independent expert opinion is needed for legal enforcement, but you cannot protect yourself against everything.

All in all, it’s like with many others here: I just barely got the KfW subsidy in time, the bank interest rates are fixed (1.79% for 10 years, despite a lot of equity, but the timing just wasn’t right... in January it was still 0.85%) and prospectively these two issues already offset a potential price increase. I have two (real...) separate residential units, i.e. €67,500 KfW 40 EE subsidy. For the subsidy, I can accept some increase – gritting my teeth.

At least you can consider yourselves lucky to have found a construction partner. We haven't been given any prices for months, inquiries take months and only come after repeated requests. Every construction company has its own regional connections and thus their own preference to work with a particular architect. What to do...

And very important. External construction supervisors.

Does construction supervision by the energy expert who is also a building surveyor count as well, or is the external construction supervisor to be considered differently?

I assume that a dedicated construction supervisor is meant. This has a big advantage: As a rule, loyalty lies with the one who pays the invoices. This means that if you hire a construction expert for supervision, they have your interests as a priority.

We are in the reassuring situation of having a signature under the financing and also having the contractual framework for the construction in the mail, which we will soon sign. Therefore, the sleepless nights have been limited for a few days now. Of course, a little residual fear always remains.

From the family circle, there have already been one or two comments arising from fear. However, all of them now have a lot of trust in our judgment because we have already carried out a similar project with House 1. Back then, those were also all numbers that my family found outrageous. Simply because building was done very differently in the 70s. Different interest rates, different amounts, different amounts of personal contribution. But we calculated it at the time and were successful. Therefore, the comments about House 2 are kept to a minimum. Otherwise, I have 2 siblings, one of whom built a new house herself a few years ago and values the advantages of new houses – she is very pro. The other sibling took over the parental home and is rather the faction of "I’ll take the old house and lifelong right of residence from mom, but will be debt-free pretty quickly" – they are generally more critical of a "high loan rate until retirement." However, they do not directly doubt our decision and support us, which I greatly appreciate.

Otherwise, we are now moving full steam ahead. There is nothing good except doing it.