Our land surveyor arrived at 11:45 am today and made the rough marking-out of the building plot. It was fast and all we need to do is to double check on it.
Unfortunately, when hubby checked later this afternoon (after his work), the marking-out is not correct. The measurement from the street pathway to the house should only be 3.5 meter. Hubby was disappointed about it, so do I.
On the other hand, we are now at the phase that I call --- Paper-stress. We have a lot of paperworks to finish, double-check, fill-up and send out. I hope next week will be a better week (fingers crossed). There were no good news this week.
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Monday, August 26, 2013
House Loan Contract Arrived
We received last Saturday our loan approval. It has a possitive result, ironically, it did not put smiles on our faces. I guess it is because, the conditions that were written were a little bit complicated than expected.
Bank loans are indeed big responsibility. That is why, we need to double-check upto the smallest details of the contract. Signing the loan, receiving the money in order to pay the bills, until the monthy payment without any lapses, involves conditions.
The stress of building a house started from the time when we were asking for fair price. I thought the stress will start when we are going to do the works inside (innenausbau). But my guess was wrong. It all started from the time we decided this dream to come true. Anyway, as they say... NO PAIN NO GAIN. Hard times are always there. I know we will survive and we can make it.
Bank loans are indeed big responsibility. That is why, we need to double-check upto the smallest details of the contract. Signing the loan, receiving the money in order to pay the bills, until the monthy payment without any lapses, involves conditions.
The stress of building a house started from the time when we were asking for fair price. I thought the stress will start when we are going to do the works inside (innenausbau). But my guess was wrong. It all started from the time we decided this dream to come true. Anyway, as they say... NO PAIN NO GAIN. Hard times are always there. I know we will survive and we can make it.
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Basement Plan Arrived (Kellerplan)
Today, we received the basement plan (Kellerplan) from ProHaus. This is the workplan that will be followed by the people who are going to build our basement. Our tentative schedule in building the basement is on the 38th week. But before that, we need to have our Building Permit (Baugenehmigung) first.
Talking about Building Permit, the person-in-charge who is working on our application called today and said that we should have sent a different application (§ 56 HBO), so the process will not be too long (atleast two weeks) and not too expensive (normally it costs around 1,500+€). We received this feedback after a month of our application. So many wasted times and is really frustrating. Now, we need to contact our CAD from ProHaus to ask her assistance regarding this. I hope everything will still be all possible.
Talking about Building Permit, the person-in-charge who is working on our application called today and said that we should have sent a different application (§ 56 HBO), so the process will not be too long (atleast two weeks) and not too expensive (normally it costs around 1,500+€). We received this feedback after a month of our application. So many wasted times and is really frustrating. Now, we need to contact our CAD from ProHaus to ask her assistance regarding this. I hope everything will still be all possible.
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Stressed!
Yesterday, we learned from Gussek and Wolts Kellerbau (the company that will build our basement), that the standard basement windows are not a rotating tilt window. That means, if we want that kind of windows, we need to pay additional costs for it. Tsk tsk tsk.
Today, Mr. N gave us the additional costs per window and it is costing 190€. That means for us, we need to take it out.
I also contacted the companies that is involved with the house connections like electricity, gas, telecom and water. We were thinking of using Mehrspartenhauseinführung, I do not have a clue what is the translation word in english. It is an installation where all the electricity cables, gas tube, telecom cable and water tubes are all put together. It is a round thing that is installed on the basement wall, where the heating room is. But the water company do not agree with using it. So, we are left with the electricity, gas and telecom.
I also contacted the companies that is involved with the house connections like electricity, gas, telecom and water. We were thinking of using Mehrspartenhauseinführung, I do not have a clue what is the translation word in english. It is an installation where all the electricity cables, gas tube, telecom cable and water tubes are all put together. It is a round thing that is installed on the basement wall, where the heating room is. But the water company do not agree with using it. So, we are left with the electricity, gas and telecom.
There are a lot of small things that makes me crazy these days. There are a lot of small and detailed things about building a house that I do not like very much. Specially that I am still learning German language. It is not only that I need to understand the words that is got to do with building... but I need to understand how these words works as well. Brain drain... nose bleed... grrrrr!
I wish and hope that I will have tons and tons of patience for this project.
Oh and by the way, for update: our Financial Consultant sent an e-mail with positive feedback about our bank loan. Let's see how will it be next week.
I called our Land Surveyor today and he gave us the quotation for the next step. We just need to give the go signal and then he will do it already next week.
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Meeting with Gussek and Wolts Kellerbau
Today at 2pm, we met Herr Z. from Gussek und Wolts Kellerbau. He checked the location of the land, double-checked the channel height and then answered our questions regarding basement building. We learned today that as per plan, and if everything goes well with the bank loan, our basement will be build on week 38 (16-22 of September). He also mentioned that the earthworks should be done a week before that. Whew! that is only in five weeks. Everything is getting so fast.
BUT... as mentioned above, only if the bank loan will be approved and if the building permit will arrive. For those two important things, all we can do is WAIT!
For the moment, we are busy fixing the small details about our basement plan (like the basement door, windows, etc.) and our houseplan (type and color of the roof, asking about changing the color of the stairways, and etc). We also need to contact our CAD Ms. K for the basement door and windows actual measurement.
I would say, house building is a stressful project. Not only for preparing the things, putting yourself into big financial obligations, getting into the smallest details, one of the most important thing is... for the work that is waiting for us. But... this is our dream... to have our very own dream house.
BUT... as mentioned above, only if the bank loan will be approved and if the building permit will arrive. For those two important things, all we can do is WAIT!
For the moment, we are busy fixing the small details about our basement plan (like the basement door, windows, etc.) and our houseplan (type and color of the roof, asking about changing the color of the stairways, and etc). We also need to contact our CAD Ms. K for the basement door and windows actual measurement.
I would say, house building is a stressful project. Not only for preparing the things, putting yourself into big financial obligations, getting into the smallest details, one of the most important thing is... for the work that is waiting for us. But... this is our dream... to have our very own dream house.
Friday, August 9, 2013
Final Decisions Met for our Dream House
Today was the last day that we can change anything about our house. It was a very stressful day. We need to have final decisions so everything will come into place.
Early in the morning, we got a call from ProHaus. Since there were some unexpected costs that was not clear to us during our Bemusterungstermin, our decision making was harder than expected. We set a budget to spend in building our dream house. We would like to hold on it. We do not want to build a house and then we are eating dry bread everyday. We would also like to go on vacation. We would like to reach our dream in reality. That means, we do not want to build a house that we cannot afford. That is why, we were trying our very best to stay on budget. If it means, compromising some wants to needs, then, let it be.
Our dream house is simple. It is a place where my husband, I and our two boys, will have a comfortable living. It is not extravagant, but for me, it is elegant ;) I cannot wait to make more memories with my family here.
I have been on the computer and the telephone for most of the time today, to do research, to clear-up things and to update Prohaus of our last changes for our house. We decided to stay on the color of our Klinker - Neo Barock (which has an additional Price), to have our stairs made of wood from basement until the second floor (with partly additional Price), we made the side part of our house door to be wider (additional Price), we made the door of our living room from the hallway to be also wider (this part is of no additional Price), and we changed the type and color of the roof from Braas Rubin 11V to Braas Frankfurter Pfanne Protegon Matt in granit. We also decided to do on our own, the exterior basement insulation. That will help us to minimize the costs.
After giving our last change to ProHaus, I received a call from Gussek & Wolts Kellerbau. They are the sister company of ProHaus who's in-charge of building the basement. They ask for a schedule to visit the property. It will be next week. They mentioned that if we already have an Engineering company who will do the earthworks excavation, it would be best, if we will all meet on the property.
It looks like everything is going good. BUT... we are still waiting for our bank loan approval and building permit. As soon as we received all that, then... it is a green... GO!
Early in the morning, we got a call from ProHaus. Since there were some unexpected costs that was not clear to us during our Bemusterungstermin, our decision making was harder than expected. We set a budget to spend in building our dream house. We would like to hold on it. We do not want to build a house and then we are eating dry bread everyday. We would also like to go on vacation. We would like to reach our dream in reality. That means, we do not want to build a house that we cannot afford. That is why, we were trying our very best to stay on budget. If it means, compromising some wants to needs, then, let it be.
Our dream house is simple. It is a place where my husband, I and our two boys, will have a comfortable living. It is not extravagant, but for me, it is elegant ;) I cannot wait to make more memories with my family here.
I have been on the computer and the telephone for most of the time today, to do research, to clear-up things and to update Prohaus of our last changes for our house. We decided to stay on the color of our Klinker - Neo Barock (which has an additional Price), to have our stairs made of wood from basement until the second floor (with partly additional Price), we made the side part of our house door to be wider (additional Price), we made the door of our living room from the hallway to be also wider (this part is of no additional Price), and we changed the type and color of the roof from Braas Rubin 11V to Braas Frankfurter Pfanne Protegon Matt in granit. We also decided to do on our own, the exterior basement insulation. That will help us to minimize the costs.
After giving our last change to ProHaus, I received a call from Gussek & Wolts Kellerbau. They are the sister company of ProHaus who's in-charge of building the basement. They ask for a schedule to visit the property. It will be next week. They mentioned that if we already have an Engineering company who will do the earthworks excavation, it would be best, if we will all meet on the property.
It looks like everything is going good. BUT... we are still waiting for our bank loan approval and building permit. As soon as we received all that, then... it is a green... GO!
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Meeting Decisions - Almost there and yet still Far
It has been four working days, and still no progress with the result of our Bemusterungstermin. We were trying to contact our Sales Person Mr. K. as well as the person who guided us during Bemusterungstermin Mr. N, but to no avail. No answer, no e-mail reply. It is very frustrating.
I am now losing my patience with issues like this regarding the house. We wish and hope to build our dream house, period. We are not yet even starting, and here are the issues that makes me mentally exhausted. We already calculated the accounting part of it, and we would like to stay on the budget. But without the assistance of the people working in ProHaus, we will not reach our goal.
Patience is a virtue.
If it will happen, it is for us. If not, then it is not meant to be.
I am now losing my patience with issues like this regarding the house. We wish and hope to build our dream house, period. We are not yet even starting, and here are the issues that makes me mentally exhausted. We already calculated the accounting part of it, and we would like to stay on the budget. But without the assistance of the people working in ProHaus, we will not reach our goal.
Patience is a virtue.
If it will happen, it is for us. If not, then it is not meant to be.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Sampling the Materials for our House ~ Bemusterungstermin
Yesterday we had what they call here as Bemusterungstermin. It is the day when we visit the ProHaus Main Office and check, decide or choose the different samples of roofs, types of windows, types of doors, stairways, and all the materials we need to finish and build our house. It do not only mean choosing the colors and design, but.... it is more about the technical part of the house such as the heating system, the type of roof, the insulation panels, conditioning or ventilating units, chimney and many more. And since we are building a house with basement, the list of things is longer.
Building a house in a tropical area, where I grew up, do not need a lot of things that of the house here in Europe. Here, there are a lot of things to consider, as mentioned above, there is heating system, insulation panels, conditioning or ventilating units, chimney, the basement should be properly insulated, you should follow the law regarding house building in your area and many more.
We arrived in the city of Nordhorn the day before our schedule. We had an overnight in a nice hotel. We started at 9am of the next day and ended up at 6pm. I know... it was a long day! We had a lunch break in between though. The conversation started from discussing the things/materials that we need, but is not yet part of our contract. Ouch... meaning more costs :( On the other hand, we made some changes that lessened the costs, but did not help with saving. To make the story short, we ended up having more costs than expected. There are some things that we would like to clear up with our Sales Person, Mr. K. We hope that this will give us a positive result.
It was tough to decide on a lot of things about the house in just few hours... specially that there are a lot of options and choices. But atleast, at this point, I would say, I am contended on how I am picturing our dream house in my mind. We are on the theme, simple is more ;)
Oh and by the way, after lunch, we received the first big bill that we need to pay :((
Building a house in a tropical area, where I grew up, do not need a lot of things that of the house here in Europe. Here, there are a lot of things to consider, as mentioned above, there is heating system, insulation panels, conditioning or ventilating units, chimney, the basement should be properly insulated, you should follow the law regarding house building in your area and many more.
We arrived in the city of Nordhorn the day before our schedule. We had an overnight in a nice hotel. We started at 9am of the next day and ended up at 6pm. I know... it was a long day! We had a lunch break in between though. The conversation started from discussing the things/materials that we need, but is not yet part of our contract. Ouch... meaning more costs :( On the other hand, we made some changes that lessened the costs, but did not help with saving. To make the story short, we ended up having more costs than expected. There are some things that we would like to clear up with our Sales Person, Mr. K. We hope that this will give us a positive result.
It was tough to decide on a lot of things about the house in just few hours... specially that there are a lot of options and choices. But atleast, at this point, I would say, I am contended on how I am picturing our dream house in my mind. We are on the theme, simple is more ;)
Oh and by the way, after lunch, we received the first big bill that we need to pay :((
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