Should the land be filled up or not?

Our house construction (knock on wood) is still going great, the expert is satisfied, and so are we!

The screed arrived as scheduled on Monday.

The kitchen is not arriving or even arriving fully at the planned time, the floor layer also has availability much later than requested, the ordered furniture (could work) 15! weeks delivery time..

The surroundings are currently really more annoying than the construction...

Update from my side :)

The screed has dried and the CM measurement was successful.

The walls in the guest WC and bathroom were already tiled, and since yesterday the tiler has been back and has finished the utility room, the HAR, and the guest WC. Currently, he is tiling the shower, and it looks like it will be completed as planned. He was scheduled until Monday inclusive.

The stairs will arrive on Tuesday, and from Wednesday the door frames and doors. Then the advertising front door will also be replaced with the actual front door.

Electricians and plumbers will also come for the final installations.

We are very excited because on 8.4. we have the handover of our very own little dream :)

Floor coverings will be installed on 16.5., directly followed by the furniture. Kitchen by 2.6.. and if everything goes well, we want to use Whit Monday and do most of the move that weekend.

The handover of our current house is planned for 30.6.

How time flies, in more ways than one..

Today, on our wedding day, we are also spending the first night in our new home.

It is incredible that we already feel so extremely comfortable here that we no longer want to go back, but some things still need to be unpacked. Good thing we still have just under 3 weeks for that.

Here in the [ause], there are still some minor finishing touches left, which the general contractor / his subs will complete during this week.

The attached photo was taken today at 8:12 p.m., the evening sun was shining so beautifully and it is such an amazing feeling to finally be able to enjoy it!

All the fears we had are forgotten!

I now wish everyone who is building or will build lots of luck! Everything will be fine

I would also like to provide a preliminary financial report :) maybe some are interested or it helps as an orientation for what can come up.. Federal state: Bremen / border Lower Saxony

Initial situation: Plot with 389 sqm and slope, the wish was a city villa with max. 160 sqm, without basement, no garage, budget expectation on our part for all incl. (so also kitchen, furniture etc.) 470,000 €

Resulted in: City villa with 153 sqm, solid construction, no KFW standard, without basement and without garage

Costs of the whole..

Plot incl. incidentals (2019): 71,690 €

Costs for land works so far in total: 40,865.41 €
Clearing: 1,700 €
additional earthworks: 15,613.97 €
Retaining the plot with L-stones: 18,123.70 €
Removal of excess earth + stones: 2,190 €
Road closure + signs: 3,237.73 €

House incl. samples + fireplace: 304,839.06 € (contract with regional general contractor from Nov. 2020)
House according to the general contractor’s scope of services: 233,800 €
Surcharge extras directly with GC: 35,754.15 € (surcharge from decentralized to central controlled residential ventilation, 3 x lift-and-slide doors, electric shutters and some smaller things)
Subsequent changes from the mason: 1,100 €

Surcharge for upgrades/samples in total: 34,184.91 €
Electrical: 10,704.90 €
Sanitary: 10,050.01 €
Tiles: 550 €
Fireplace incl. flue and installation with drywall: 12,880 €

Costs for permits/surveying in total: 4,297.58 €
Soil report: 800 €
Contaminant report: 700 €
Height site plan: 349.86 €
Rough and fine staking out: 1,960.42 €
Encumbrance inquiry: 13 €
Permit for construction site crossing: 108 €
Contaminated site inquiry: 70 €
Report on tree felling (summer felling ban period..) 202.30 €
Permit for tree felling: 94 €
Building permit: 296 €

Costs for house connections / preliminary connections and their consumption costs in total: 8,341.09 €
Telecom: 799.00 €
Connection costs gas, water, electricity: 3,347.07 €
Wastewater canal: 1,500 €
Construction power connection: 1,047 €
Construction power consumption costs: 516.78
Construction water via hydrants: 262.54 €
Construction dryer: 868.70 €

Fees for land charges, land registry, interest etc. in total: 3,671.03 €
Entry of main loan land charges: 1,017.90 €
Land registry entry: 595 €
Entry of interim financing land charges: 422 €
Land registry entry: 202 €
Interest during construction phase: 994.13 €
Insurance during construction phase: 440 €

Other costs in total: 47,198.43 €
Kitchen planning: 375 €
Kitchen: 21,000 €
Utility room: 4,000 €
Material floor coverings: 4,662.37 €
Costs floor installation: 2,550.79 € (we wanted to do it ourselves, but no chance due to lack of time...)
Costs painter and filler materials: 1,314.77 €
Costs for painting and filling work: 4,500 € (also planned as own work, but no time and a great offer from a friend’s dad :) ..)
few new lamps: 1,125.63 € + light bulbs, however I forgot to note this..
few new furniture: 7,500.87 €
Curtain rods 3 pieces: 169 €

Total project costs all inclusive on our part! estimated: 470,000 €
Actually incurred so far: 480,902.60 €

Further costs estimated approx.: 60,000-70,000 €
Paving of driveway and access to house, entrance platform, terrace and terrace roof incl. awning, wall/fence combo in front of the house, decoration, pleated blinds, insect protection

For us this is okay, as we have enough equity left from the house sale and do not need additional financing or similar, but otherwise applies: plan a decent buffer!

Our financing looks as follows:

Existing financing of the plot, from April 2019: 60,000 (purchase price incl. incidentals 71,690 €)
Loan amount: 60,000 €
Fixed interest period: 10 years (because we originally did not want to build on the plot...)
Interest rate: 1.61 %
Repayment until 01.06.22: 10%
from 30.06.22.: 1.75%
Rate: 168 €
Special repayment: so far annually 3,000 € and also the next years
Current outstanding balance: 31,912.11 €
Outstanding balance at the end of the term on 28.02.2029: 0 €

Financing of the construction project: 293,700 €
Fixed interest period: 10 years
Interest: 0.82%
Repayment from full payout July 2022: 5%
Rate: 1,424.45 €
Special repayment possible: 5%
Outstanding balance at the end of the term: 140,714.99 €

The interim financing of 55,000 € we have already repaid with the equity resulting from our house sale.

Our current household net income is 5,800 € + 1 x child benefit, special payments not included (approx. 12-15,000 € / year)

Despite the low interest rate on the main loan, we will probably use the special repayment options (what is gone is gone), even if some people will shake their heads about it again :D :D