How to plan the process for your own single-family house?

  • Erstellt am 2011-05-15 16:27:11

Bubb

2011-05-15 16:27:11
  • #1
Hello everyone,

As a complete layman, I would need something like a rough schedule for building a detached single-family house.

Until about three weeks ago, I hadn’t even considered building a house in my wildest dreams, until my wife was once again browsing “Immoscout” one evening in the hotel room during a business trip.

Although this had happened more frequently over the years, there was a natural obstacle here in and around Munich that had protected me from such adventures as buying real estate: “THE PRICE LEVEL.”

What was new this time with my wife was that she was surfing for plots of land – and as fate would have it, a plot was offered just one place away from us, right in a beautiful, quiet residential area.

It was previously the garden area of an older detached single-family house. The plot was divided and sold due to generational reasons.

Building permission is available, fully developed, etc., and before I really knew what was happening, I was standing there on a garden meadow on a Saturday with my wife and the realtor, a piece of land that somehow had the quality of pulling my saved money right out of my pocket.

I had never intended to get into debt for a house and to give up almost everything else for 30 years as my parents did.

A prerequisite for me was that we could pay the plot “in cash,” and when the seller found out that we did not need financing for the plot, he gave us almost 25,000 euros off the price, and I had already lost – the plot was purchased a few days later.

He was interested in a very quick transaction.

The current state of affairs is: money gone (a little more than 300,000 euros) – plot owned.

Meanwhile, I am also convinced that in our case it is better to own rather than rent, since we are paying almost 1,900 euros/month including utilities for our apartment.

Just one day later, I went to a house exhibition to gather information.

My first impressions were rather unpleasant. As soon as some sellers found out that a plot was available, the “hard sell methods” were used, appointments, intensive talks, etc., and I felt extremely pressured, which I also told them very bluntly.

Everyone is the best, everyone has the best product, everything is individual, etc.

With other providers, I was met with great arrogance because I was apparently standing there in jeans and a polo shirt. Just four days later, when I came out of the office wearing a suit, they were sucking up and offering drinks and snacks (same sellers).

What is certain for us, however, is that we need a developer.

The house should be solid with a basement (about 160 sqm excluding basement area) and must be built with as little own effort as possible, since we have little experience in craftsmanship.

For us, one option would be “completely finished basement and ground floor,” and the upper floor can be developed later.

The questions now are how to proceed?

Secure financing first (about 350,000 euros) and then look for a developer? (Problem: Banks want information about the house, which does not even exist in planning yet, e.g., enclosed space, sqm according to “DIN something,” etc.)

Or have a house planned first and then deal with financing?

We have quite concrete ideas about the house/layout/room divisions (gable roof 35° - 38°, knee wall 70 cm, and building window are legally specified).

How should one approach developers? Do they already plan a complete house without a contractual basis? (Plans, development plans, etc., are all available)

Are the sellers professionals or “just” salespeople?

Do you take one plan and then visit several developers or does each one create their own plan/layout?

Do you get the floor plans?

Can you take construction service descriptions with you before signing and compare them? (Selection of materials before signing, I want to know beforehand what things we are buying)

How many meetings are there on average? How transparent are the cost breakdowns of the individual items? (Basement, architectural services, sanitary, electrical, etc.)

What is common and what is rather unusual? (Receiving plans, cost transparency, which companies are employed, etc.)

What must you agree to and what definitely not?

Where should alarm bells ring, or what are signs that you should end a conversation and say goodbye? (e.g., sign first, you can cancel later free of charge, *head shaking)

Most providers quote a price per sqm, e.g., 1,700 euros (that would include everything), which I find too general, even if these are average values.

I am very grateful for your help.

Best regards

Bubb
 

perlenmann

2011-05-15 16:59:44
  • #2
Hello Bubb,

first of all, respect, 300k for a plot of land? Well, Munich

I did it similarly. 13 months ago we found the plot, reserved it, and first checked out several companies with the specifications we had, and tomorrow the excavator starts!

In the meantime, read up here in the forum on what matters. And what you want.
A few months won’t matter before you rush into anything. If you know someone who has built before, ask them about the companies. The reference customers referred to you by companies are not, in my opinion, meaningful. And many posts get removed online when they become too critical.
 

dastef

2011-05-15 21:52:30
  • #3
Hello,

a few months ago we also bought a plot of land and are now planning to build our house.

We have an appointment with an architect soon to have our house planned. The first conversations were already very positive in this regard and we have now scheduled an appointment on the plot for mid-July. Until then we should think about the room layout so that he knows what ideas we have.

The builder also designs, but we are not so sure if that really meets our wishes. Or to put it another way: Will the builder disagree if I want a layout that is not sensible? Maybe the company takes an existing plan out of the drawer and just adapts it?

As soon as we have the plan, we will contact local builders. Since all companies will create an offer based on the same plan, the prices should be comparable. If each company is allowed to design on their own, I am comparing apples with pears and plums, right?

From our own experience we cannot yet answer all your questions, but our plan is:
- Appointment with architect for a plan that exactly corresponds to our ideas and also has a room concept
- Go to the builders with the plan and get offers that are then comparable
- Have the offer checked by an independent construction engineer or similar to see if the builders really offered what you wanted (we have already experienced through acquaintances that the desired basement was accidentally forgotten in the offer...)
- Negotiate, negotiate, negotiate......

We hope we could help.

Regards
dastef
 

Bubb

2011-05-16 01:50:48
  • #4
Hello, thank you very much for the responses,

@Perlenmann especially that you replied today, even though the excavator is coming tomorrow (or today) and your project is starting.

At the moment, I am acquiring knowledge day and night. It started with me having to learn the simplest terms first, such as dormers, cross gables, knee walls, etc., so that I could somewhat understand the prescribed development plan. (Before, it was just skylights, sloping ceilings, etc. for me.)

However, I notice that I am reaching limits because I still cannot imagine what a room with a gable roof pitched at 35° - 38° (which is actually better or more sensible?) with a roof overhang of 50 cm looks like, and which areas are counted (floor area ratio 0.3) and which are not.

We have a building envelope of 14.50 m x 9.5 m.

How was it for you? Did they give you the plans before you signed?

Good luck and success on your big day today

@dastef

Did I understand that correctly?

You went to an architect and had a plan drawn up taking into account the legal requirements at your location to then obtain offers from various builders or general contractors based on the plan?

I still have a few questions about that.

Do you let completely plan everything, from the floor plan to sockets, switches, wiring, etc.?

How do you handle the permits (does your architect take care of that or should your executing construction company do it?)

How detailed does the architect go so that the comparability of offers can be achieved? (Is there, besides the floor plan, also an exact construction description included?)

You can only really compare offers if the materials (quantities, brand names, etc.) and the "qualities of construction types" (e.g., roller shutter box inside or outside) are listed in detail.

Is that even possible with a house construction? (With our elaborately planned fitted kitchen three years ago, comparability was already extremely complex.)

The architect bills according to his fee schedule that is legally required. What is the approximate price range if you have a plan drawn up like you did?

Best regards Bubb
 

perlenmann

2011-05-16 08:57:04
  • #5
I hope it gets started, that was the statement.

The reading is the problem. You want to know everything in a short time, but you can never understand everything that quickly. For that, you would need several studies and teachings ....

We created and also received all the plans, which then makes the price calculation possible. After that, we signed.

A tip for a company, if you don’t know anyone. Drive to a new development area and ask around there.
 

Bonnat

2011-05-16 12:20:30
  • #6
First of all, if I were you, I would do some reading. You are not pressed for time and it is the biggest investment of your life - be happy and don’t rush yourselves.

The alarm bells should actually already be ringing for you because you want to take on such a project without even having read at least one basic book on the subject - that way you are easy prey - some basic knowledge cannot be replaced even by a few posts in the forum. You have already made the first mistake anyway - paying for the land entirely in cash and not including it in the rest of the financing plan.

Oh, and no: You are DEFINITELY NOT looking for a DEVELOPER!

Regards
Peter
 

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