Planning for a single-family house

Hello Matthias,

So far I have three offers:

1. Nationwide mass provider:

Base price 153,400.00
Solar system, insulation, underfloor heating, controlled residential ventilation with heat recovery massive walls in the attic, shutters, triple glazing all extra again

The base price (means?) just under €1,100.00/sqm – where do you end up with all the additions?

2. Local developer A

The base price is approx. 173,550
Underfloor heating + 5,850
Central ventilation + 10,620
Possible shutters + 10,300
Solar system for hot water preparation + 4,820

The base price (means?) just under €1,250.00/sqm – with the additions it already becomes more realistic

3. Local developer B

As already described in the first post.

All inclusive for 180,000

The base price (means?) just under €1,300.00/sqm – I have already written a bit about the rest.

Where do the additional costs arise later with the apparently "too cheap" offers or how can I recognize that?

Put differently – what good is a presumably “bargain” if later – when all additions, ancillary construction costs and extras are included – it turns out to be a market-standard offer, but you have already locked in the financing based on the upfront figures?

There are quite a few providers who only compete on price; to be fair, I must add that they are merely reacting to the market :rolleyes:

They offer a very simple house at a square meter price between €1,000.00 and €1,100.00 and thus attract "leads". Only upon closer examination of the building description does it become clear that this supposed bargain cannot really be considered as such, because the "eyecatcher" only includes a bit more than the closed shell. So additions are purchased and in the end the final selling price approaches market-standard conditions again. The problematic thing is that these providers proceed similarly with the typical ancillary construction costs. Sometimes they "forget" to mention that property transfer tax applies to both house and land, since there is an economic connection between the land seller and the builder. This can prove disastrous on a tight budget, as these items usually add up according to all experience!

As a layperson, you probably will not recognize this or only by asking a lot of questions and reading; in such cases, however, a visit to a new development area can be very helpful. Find one near you and go there on the "weekend"; there are always builders on site – certainly also from your 3 offers above – and if they can speak candidly (meaning no builder or salesperson nearby) you will generally get honest information. Furthermore, it is actually always advisable to have the complete contract documents reviewed externally before signing the construction contract!

Kind regards

Hello everyone,

after I haven’t written anything here for a while, I have nevertheless continued working on the house construction project. Following your suggestion, I have initiated two steps.

1. I had the construction description of the general contractor, who offers the favorable price, reviewed by an architect. The architect’s conclusion was that the description is very detailed. Only a few minor points were criticized:

• Building permit and additional services caused by special regulations (according to development plan noise level area III)
• Changes at the expense of the builder
• Thermal insulation inaccurate
• Surveying office at own expense
• Free plot and construction road at the builder’s expense
• Seepage water from the excavation pit at own expense (rather unlikely due to no basement, but unusual, normally always included)
• House connections must be considered by the builder
• Roof overhangs: profile boarding and white full plastic profile boards
• Painting trade not included
• What exactly does bottom edge mean in regard to the downpipes?

2. I met with another architect and received an "offer" there. He offers to build the house at a fixed price (so I assume with a price ceiling). He stated the following:

"Single-family house, plastered, max. 130 m² living area, without house connection costs, SD, 45° DN,
turnkey including construction and incidental construction costs, 1 m knee wall,
house according to planning or defined by m² living area, bathroom with floor heating as
return flow heating, otherwise according to construction description,
including architectural services, structural engineering, construction management, construction supervision, soil survey, surveying, insurance"

131,890,-

Additionally, the following extras:
Walk-in shower in bathroom
Controlled ventilation system
Complete underfloor heating ground floor and upper floor
Mechanical PVC roller shutters ground floor & upper floor (with strap pull)
Facing brickwork including roll layers (price 500,- € per 1,000 pieces)
All interior walls aerated concrete 17.5 cm
Kitchen approx. 25 m² (extra cost tiles)
Roof covering clay roof tiles Edelengobe
Trapezoidal dormer approx. 3.50 m wide, 2 windows BH 1.10 m
Front door with fixed glazed side part approx. 50 cm
Additional side entrance door utility room to carport or garage
Windows & French doors with triple glazing according to Energy Saving Ordinance 2009
Subsoil insulation according to Energy Saving Ordinance 2009
Painting work, including materials and workmanship (including roof box)

50,940,-

The house is 10 m² smaller than the other offers, but a dormer and the painting work would be included.

Here too, I would again be interested in your opinion. I hope that with the support of the architects I am then on the better side.

Finally, a crucial question remains for me. If possible, we want to plan four bedrooms on the upper floor. So a total of 5 rooms in the house. Would that be sensibly possible with the house size (130 m² according to DIN 277) and with the trapezoidal dormer?

Regards Matthias

Lastly, one crucial question remains for me. If at all possible, we would like to plan four bedrooms on the upper floor. So a total of 5 rooms in the house. Would that be reasonably feasible with the house size (130m² according to DIN 277) and the trapezoid dormer?

Likely not reasonable... Unless you can live with rooms in the size range of 9-10m²...

Hello Matthias,

1. I had the construction description of the general contractor offering the favorable price reviewed by an architect. The architect’s conclusion was that the description is very detailed. Only a few minor points were criticized

With all due respect, I guess he would like your signature ;)

• Building permit and additional services caused by special regulations (according to development plan noise level area III)
• Changes at the expense of the builder
• Surveying office at own cost
• Free plot and construction road at builder’s expense
• Seepage water from excavations at own cost (rather unlikely due to no basement, but unusual, usually always included)
• Builder to consider house connections
• Roof overhangs: profile boarding and white full plastic profile boards
• Painter trade not included

Except for the item "thermal insulation inaccurate," the above points are not to be criticized but belong to typical ancillary construction costs = TEUR 35 - 40.

2. I sat down with another architect and received an "offer" there. He offers to build the house at a fixed price (so I think with an upper price limit).

He therefore acts as the general contractor and also takes on the warranty.

He stated the following:
"Single-family house, plastered, max. 130 m² living space, without house connection costs, SD, 45° pitch, turnkey including construction and ancillary costs, 1 m knee wall, house according to planning or defined by m² living space, bathroom with underfloor heating as return flow heating, otherwise according to construction description, including architectural services, statics, construction management, construction supervision, soil report, surveying, insurance"
131,890,-

It keeps getting better :confused:

The following extras are added:
Walk-in shower in the bathroom
Controlled ventilation system
Complete underfloor heating on ground and upper floors
Mechanical PVC roller shutters on ground & upper floors (with strap)
Facing brickwork including roll layers (price 500,- € per 1,000 pieces)
All interior walls aerated concrete 17.5 cm
Kitchen approx. 25 m² (additional cost tiles)
Roof covering terracotta roof tiles Edelengobe
Trapezoidal dormer approx. 3.50 m wide, 2 windows BH 1.10 m
Entrance door with fixed glazed side part approx. 50 cm
Additional side entrance door for utility room to carport or garage
Windows & patio doors with triple glazing according to Energy Saving Ordinance 2009
Subfloor insulation according to Energy Saving Ordinance 2009
Painting work, including materials and processing (including roof box)

50,940,-

The house is 10 m² smaller than in the other offers, but it would include a dormer and painting work.

I did a quick calculation and think it will be TEUR 15 more.

Again, I would be interested in your opinion here. I hope that with the support of the architects I am then on the better side.

To be honest - pricing in SH is not my thing; E.Curb surely knows an answer here. But overall, this offer also does not seem very seriously calculated to me. In my opinion, that can only work if the architect cooperates with a low-cost provider. Then the construction description would again be of decisive importance.

Finally, a crucial question remains for me. If possible, we want to plan four bedrooms on the upper floor. So a total of 5 rooms in the house. Would that be reasonably possible with the house size (130 m² according to DIN 277) and the trapezoidal dormer?

It is possible; somehow. I have attached a floor plan for the attic with 4 rooms for you. However, 130 sqm remain 130 sqm and the individual children’s rooms will be small – 10, 11, and 12 sqm.

Best regards

Hello,

I have given up on the topic of five rooms for the house size for now. It just gets too tight in the rooms. We have now received a first draft for a floor plan (from the nationwide provider).

I would be interested in your opinion on this. What would you perhaps do differently?

Thanks and regards
Matthias

The guest toilet next to the entrance door I find too small, moreover it has no door :) The utility room can be too small depending on the house technology, as you have a dead corner here. In the hallway you won't be able to place a coat rack or shoe cabinet. Generally little wall space for shelves in the living area.

Upstairs an absolute standard floor plan... so okay.

It will definitely be tight without a basement. There is not much storage space with a room size upstairs of 15 sqm. But it can work if you are not the "collector type". :)