KFW Credit 261: New Construction Efficiency House 40 NH

Thank you for the feedback, but I would like to follow up again:

You have to plan for extra costs everywhere. Every (and I really mean every single) installed material must be certified. In addition, the CO2 footprint is checked thoroughly. And everything is also accompanied by an expert (there are currently only a few of them, and those that exist are well booked).

Where exactly do these extra costs arise? Do the common manufacturers and construction companies not meet the minimum requirements, or is it only about the effort required to issue the certificates?

As I said, the surcharge compared to KfW is roughly what you recoup through the cheaper financing. NH is for the green conscience, not for the wallet.

That statement cannot be made generally when the construction interest rate is extremely volatile. At what interest rate was that valid? In the last 5 weeks alone, normal construction interest rates have increased by almost 1%. Furthermore, the KfW interest rate ranges from 0.16% to 1.2% depending on the term. So here too, there is no universally valid statement; depending on the specific financing plan, the possible "KfW discount" should be somewhere between €15k and €75k.
And then there is the question of what one plans anyway—I don't build with a photovoltaic roof or geothermal energy out of green conscience.

In the end, the standard achieved does not really matter to me. I want an efficient house and to generate plenty of electricity myself. And from my house planning without funding, the effort is "felt" to be no longer that great. Due to KfW, I currently have savings of a mid-five-figure amount solely from interest (depending on how things continue after 10 years, somewhere between €20k and €60k); at the same time, I have a lower monthly rate, receive a €6,000 repayment grant, and possibly a higher resale value, should that ever become relevant.
For that, I have to go for KfW40, which simultaneously reduces my ongoing costs, and I have to use certified materials. I simply cannot grasp the cost of the latter at all. If suddenly all craftsmen from my construction company drop out because of missing certificates, then the whole thing is not feasible for me. If it is only about the fact that I cannot use the cheapest stair railing or every faucet in the end, that is very bearable.

If anyone already has concrete experience with this, I would be very grateful.

Where exactly do the additional costs arise? Don't the common manufacturers and construction companies meet the minimum requirements, or is it only about effort costs for issuing the certificates?

No, the common manufacturers do not meet the requirements. They also have to purchase their materials, and that is where the problem lies. The entire supply chain must be considered. Certificates for NH are rare or must be procured for individual customers = expensive.

The statement cannot be formulated generally if the construction interest rate is extremely volatile. At what interest rate did that apply? In the last 5 weeks alone, normal construction interest rates have increased by almost 1%. Additionally, the KfW interest rate varies between 0.16% and 1.2% depending on the term.

That applied at 0.41% KfW and comparable approx. 3% capital market loans. As a rule of thumb, it fits well. With a construction volume (including incidental costs etc. excluding land) of €16 million, the additional expense from KfW 40 to KfW 40NH was well over €1 million. The customer receives €7.5 million in funding.
In that case, it is worthwhile. The jump from 55 to 40 NH would have equalized the funding in my real case.

In the end, I actually don’t care about the achieved standard. I want an energy-saving house and generate plenty of electricity myself.

Then build Standard. Why?
- Standard is economical
- the savings between 40 and Standard are minimal
- the cost increase from Standard to 40 is so high that you probably won’t recover that tiny additional saving in heating costs during your lifetime
- electricity production is considered independently of the energy level of the house

For that, I have to go to KfW40, which simultaneously reduces my ongoing costs

What do you actually expect? In Standard you have €70 monthly heating costs; in the best variant 40, it’s then still €40. For €360 savings per year, are you going to spend €50, €70 thousand, or more on KfW 40?

a higher resale value, should that ever become relevant.

I agree with you there.

If suddenly all the craftsmen of my construction company fall out due to missing certificates, then the whole thing is not feasible for me.

That will be the problem.

As I said, you will rarely find experiences. 40 NH has been applied for only about ±300 times (my status from summer). Commercial applicants are also included.

No, the common manufacturers do not meet the requirements. They also have to purchase their materials, and that is where the problem lies. The entire supply chain must be considered. Certificates for NH are rare and must be obtained for individual customers = expensive.

This applied to 0.41% KfW and comparable approx. 3% capital market loans. As a rule of thumb, it fits well. For a construction volume (including incidental costs etc., excluding the land) of €16 million, the additional expenditure from KfW 40 to KfW 40NH was well over €1 million. The customer receives funding of €7.5 million.
In this case, it is worth it. The jump from 55 to 40 NH would have balanced out the funding in my real case.

Then build standard. Why?
- Standard is economical
- the savings between 40 and standard are small
- the cost surcharge from standard to 40 is so high that you probably won’t recoup that tiny bit of additional heating cost saved during your lifetime
- producing electricity is seen independently of the energy level of the house

What do you actually expect? In standard, you have €70 monthly heating costs, in the best variant 40 it’s then still €40. For €360 savings per year, you would then spend €50k, €70k or more on KfW 40?

I agree with you there.

That will be the problem.

As I said, you will rarely find experiences. 40 NH has only been applied for approx. 300 times (+/- my status from summer). Commercial projects are also included.

Hello!

I have a quick question about KfW 40 NH... Do all materials that I want to install in the house have to be certified? Or is it sufficient if I can prove certified materials up to the amount of the loan applied for (here therefore 120k plus fees)?

We are currently planning our new build and recently came across this funding – we would currently also aim for KfW40. It will be a wooden house made of solid log beams, and the future homeowner has a penchant for as efficient technical gadgets as possible :D

Thanks in advance!

Hi!

I have a quick question about KfW 40 NH... Do all materials that I want to install in the house need to be certified? Or is it enough if I can prove certified materials up to the amount of the applied loan (here 120k plus fees)?

We are currently planning our new build and recently came across this subsidy - we would aim for KfW40 as of now. It is supposed to be a wooden house made of solid log beams, and the future owner has a fondness for as many efficient technical gadgets as possible :D

Thanks in advance!

Even though I am not familiar with KfW, I would say the entire house must meet the standard.
You receive the 120,000€ subsidy for a house that meets the 40 NH standard and not 120,000€ pocket money to buy materials that then meet the standard.
The standard can only be fulfilled by the house as a whole.

It is advisable to build to the standard and save the costs for 40 NH because these can never be recovered with heating costs, but this is only possible if the building plot allows it. In our case, KfW 40+ is specified in the building area. This basically equalizes any question in this regard.

There is definitely a difference between 40+ and 40+ with certification. Although, that difference is certainly smaller than the difference between 55 and 40+ ;)