Advantages and disadvantages of large and small prefabricated or timber builders?

many small jobs with craftsmen around the church tower. The advantage is that if you need something later, the same craftsmen who did the work back then will come. No language barrier the craftsmen rely on their good reputation The craftsmen know each other. You also have this advantage with some big companies that work with their own craftsmen.

The property should generally not be a problem.

At first glance, an inconspicuous little sentence, but it can divide the audience at once like Moses parted the sea: namely into loud laughter over the naive-dry newbie humor on the one hand, and incredulous amazement on the other. So: are we talking about unbridled hope, or do you already have the property "in the bag"?

It’s best to choose a small provider. As others have already said, small providers have a reputation to lose. If with a large provider 1 out of 100 houses per year goes wrong, 99 still say that everything was fine. If with a small provider 1 out of 5 houses per year goes wrong, only 4 remain who can speak positively about them. Accordingly, the one bad opinion carries more weight and the provider will do everything to prevent that from happening. However, it must also be said that there are still bad apples among the small providers. So just walk through new development areas with open eyes and ears and collect reviews.

If with a large provider 1 out of 100 houses a year goes wrong, still 99 say everything was great. If with a small provider 1 out of 5 houses a year goes wrong, only 4 remain who can speak positively about him. Accordingly, the one bad opinion carries more weight and the provider will do everything to prevent it from happening in the first place.

The small ones don’t have a legal department for cease-and-desist declarations but must protect their good reputation solely through good work.

One must of course also say that there are still bad apples among the small providers.

Yes, one has to distinguish between the "small" and the "too small": recommendable are owner-led companies – not recommendable, however, are only consisting of the owner companies (letterbox GCs) that assemble a subcontractor team for every order as if building a house were street soccer. A good general contractor, for example, is a builder with his own masons and concrete workers who cooperates with a fixed carpenter and regularly brings in the same plumbers, tilers, and electricians. Architects can also be good GCs – but not butchers who boldly try to enter the field sideways.

Therefore, just walk through new development areas with open eyes and ears and collect experience reports.

Yes, that is pretty much the best method for beginners, who are typically laypeople, to still achieve respectable hunting successes.

We had our construction coordinated and individually contracted by Schwirten und Klein, a carpentry company in Gummersbach. Most other craftsmen came from Schwirten & Klein's network. The entire process was excellent, personal accessibility was always available, and the construction site was spotless at all times. It could hardly have gone better. No comparison to the developer experience with some misleading stories we encountered during the construction of the previous house. From my side, a clear recommendation for a regional carpenter who masters complete construction. Definitely pay attention to mutual sympathy, but that applies in general.

Thank you very much for the answers. They basically confirm my own argumentation. Large companies certainly have their advantages, and I will definitely get offers from Schwörerhaus and others, but I think I tend to prefer a smaller one that is more specialized in individual buildings.