Many construction families are uncertain about the extent to which the dream of owning their own home can be realized in the near future. Those who have the desire to build a house, despite Corona, can intensively study the preparation. With flexibility, personal commitment coupled with good advice, you can efficiently move forward with planning in terms of architecture, equipment and financing.
The latest information about Corona and house building is available in the weekly update.
Find the right building plot
Take the opportunity to look at the offers on the websites of the cities and municipalities at your leisure and inquire about the infrastructure. For many building sites it is necessary to apply actively. Unfortunately, not everyone willing to build survives the Corona crisis financially unscathed and some prospective builders have to postpone their project. Therefore, try your luck despite the waiting list!
Scouring real estate listings for a suitable building site can quickly lead you to the plot of land you want. The location of your future property is usually well described and the detailed information with 3D visualizations will give you a comprehensive impression of the finished home.
Future plans and energy-efficient construction
Use the corona time to talk in depth about your future plans. How many children do you plan to have, should a home office be incorporated into the home? If your desire is to live in the house in old age, it should be handicapped accessible and barrier-free. If you are planning a granny apartment, you will need a separate entrance.Energy-efficient construction is a very hot topic right now.
The Corona crisis has made global dependencies visible and tangible. Those who prepare for construction are sensitized. If you want to optimize your roof area and the orientation of the house for a photovoltaic system, possibly with electricity storage, this will influence the choice of roof or the design of the facade. A tight building envelope keeps the heat inside the house and requires controlled ventilation. Depending on the design and location of the house, you can cover the missing heating energy completely with renewable resources such as wood as well as regenerative energies such as solar power. Familiarizing yourself with basic energy-saving techniques will give you a sense of security during the actual planning phase. You can have a say in technical terms and know what is important to you when building a house.
With the right support program, you can save costs in a very targeted way. We have provided more information for you in our construction funding section.
Construction financing – take advantage of excellent conditions
Due to the crisis, interest rates are currently at a historic low. Depending on the progress of your construction planning, it pays to react quickly. Banks are currently able to raise funds on the capital market at favorable rates. This gives you room to argue with regard to commitment interest for construction loans that have not yet been drawn down. These cost money that you are better off investing in your construction project. Make it a point to agree on a longer interest-free initial period. This will help you compensate for delays in the progress of construction due to the corona virus and protect you from a double burden of rent and loan repayment.
If the budget is tight, some timber and solid house companies offer finishing houses in which even inexperienced construction families can make planned personal contributions. Read here to what extent you can save money if you choose the appropriate expansion stage. In addition, you can, for example, postpone new purchases of furniture and the creation of the garden to save money and take advantage of the favorable credit period.
Can construction delays be expected during the Corona period?
When building offices are closed to the public, building permits are issued rather sparsely. A conversation with the appropriate staff will inform you of exceptions that can be submitted via email. If you have all the documents ready, the issuance after a resumption of the approval process is straightforward and fast. What you need for a building permit, we have summarized here.
Current and future builders are plagued by concerns about whether trades can continue due to the absence of foreign labor. As long as the borders are closed due to the feared spread of the corona virus, there will probably be a shortage of skilled workers in construction, despite a normalization of everyday life. However, some foreign workers have decided to stay in Germany because of the border closures. As a result of the current relaxations, we can probably expect to see an increasing uptake of the usual day-to-day construction activities.
Everyday life on the construction site continues with restrictions
If a contractor is unable to perform services, the owner will be notified in advance by a notice of obstruction. In this, the craftsman must explain why the work is delayed. If completion dates cannot be met, the Contractor shall inform the Owner in good time. In any case, it is worthwhile to check invoices for complete service provision.
If you enter into a construction contract now, Corona, because it is recognized as a pandemic, is no longer considered a force majeure. Therefore, you should insist on contractually stipulating that you will not bear any additional costs for employee absenteeism, delivery bottlenecks or construction delays.
There is no shortage of building materials at present. Be upfront about your fears in conversations with contractors and tradespeople from whom you are soliciting bids. Provided that you leave the planning of your floor plan and individual works in the hands of the construction company, the planners will take care of the timing. While some trades allow for postponements, the execution of other trades is mandatory for the construction progress. For example, rafter insulation with subsequent roofing can not wait, while you can always move into a house with unplastered exterior facade. As with any construction project, make it clear from the start that you place a high value on transparency and open communication with all stakeholders.
Building despite Corona – with a house of wood and stone
Prefabricated house, wooden house and solid house – building a house is about making your personal dream come true. It comes in all shapes and forms: as a multi-storey house and a bungalow, as a terraced house, a semi-detached house and a detached house, with plaster and wooden facades, large window fronts and mullioned windows, gable, monopitch and flat roofs.
Here we have compiled an overview of the house types for you.prefabricated houses are in no way inferior to individual houses in terms of quality, architecture, ecological standards and resale prices. The factory prefabrication of the building elements shortens the construction phase. Those who want to fast-track construction in times of Corona have advantages due to the standardized processes. As a rule, only a few weeks pass between the groundbreaking ceremony and moving in. If there are construction delays, they are easier to get over.
Idea book – well prepared for interior design
House tours, information events and open days at the construction site are cancelled by necessity. On the Internet you can find many floor plans of type houses, which you can study. If you have problems imagining the proportions, compare the room sizes with those of your current apartment. The wealth of design solutions presented online is endless. The pictures don’t replace the real experience, but you can visually judge what you like and what fits your budget frame. Pick out images of your favorite living room solutions and create a digital idea book sorted by room. This helps you in the planning and sampling phase. Your choice of materials and permanently installed fixtures can be called up at any time – from the surface design and light switches to fittings in the wet rooms.
Dream bathroom and dream kitchen – many builders opt for individual solutions in these central rooms, despite standardized offers from many construction companies. Researching the websites of kitchen studios in the vicinity is worthwhile. Sample kitchens of well-known manufacturers on sale are sometimes reduced by more than half and excellently equipped. Some forward-thinking construction families who are planning a custom home pick out their kitchen before you start the house plan.
Look to the future
The view of building families is future-oriented. Building offers you many opportunities despite Corona. Put your energy into planning now, as well as talking to Almondia’s consulting team, tradesmen and banks. Once a suitable vaccine is found, the economy recovers and everyday life returns to normal. Being able to retreat into one’s own home is an invaluable asset in view of future crises.
Sarah Völkl hat Architektur studiert und ist seit Jahren das Gesicht von a better place. Mit ihren Videos ist sie bei YouTube vielen Personen schon länger bekannt. Sarah teilt Ihr Wissen jetzt auch bei den Bautipps von Almondia.
