Architect / Contractor: How to best approach the matter?

Dear forum members!

After a long and unsuccessful search, we have not yet found a suitable used property. But since it’s getting tight in the apartment with the baby, etc., we might consider building.

Now we have also found a plot of land, which is not exactly cheap. Therefore, we would like to know exactly what the fun would cost us.

We have a building plot of 512 sqm for a detached single-family house in view.

Tomorrow we have an appointment with the architect to put our ideas on paper. Will we then get the floor plan from him to take home, and will the first meeting cost us anything? How does that work?

We would also like to get offers from potential construction companies. Is that possible without a floor plan, or should I bring the one from the architect? Or does the construction company make a separate floor plan? How should I best approach this matter?

So, as you can see...we have absolutely no idea how to go about it :)

Many thanks for your tips :)

Sonny

Hello,

Tomorrow we have an appointment with the architect to put our ideas on paper. Will we get the floor plan from him to take home and does the first meeting cost us anything? How does that work?

If you start directly with discussions about the possible room layout tomorrow, you have placed an order. Therefore, I recommend clarifying the process and the expected costs with the architect first. Very important: ask if the first meeting is free before you get into the nitty-gritty ;)

We would also like to get offers from potential construction companies. Is that possible without a floor plan, or do I bring the one from the architect? Or does the construction company make a separate floor plan? How should I best approach this matter.

If you commission the architect to create a plan, it belongs to you and you can do with it what you want. It is different, however, if a provider you trust creates a plan for you. This always belongs to them and you may not forward it to a third provider; if you do, you will be liable for damages.

Best regards from the Rhineland

Hello Sonny,

I question whether you will even get to see a floor plan in the first conversation with the architect.

The architects we spoke with initially always just asked about our wishes in the first meeting.

Sure, a quick sketch "off the cuff" was usually included, but you probably won’t get a proper floor plan in the first conversation.

It is definitely advisable to ask the cost question right at the beginning of the conversation to avoid unpleasant surprises.

Depending on what else you discuss, you might have given the architect a (chargeable) order faster than you think.

Regards,

Dirk

Thank you for the quick responses.
If we decide to build, we would like to have a draft from the architect.
Should I already start calling some construction companies in parallel to ask for an offer?
What exactly should I say there?

Well, the usual way of building with an architect is rather that the architect creates the planning and then obtains offers from the individual trades as part of a tender. A construction company usually also has the same architect or a draftsman who can create a design for you. Of course, you could also search the internet for floor plans that you like and use them as inspiration for your planning.

We also obtained a few catalogs from complete providers (Fingerhaus, Weberhaus, Heinz von Heiden, Helma Eigenheimbau, etc.). In the catalogs, you can get some floor plan ideas. Additionally, in the discussions with the representatives of these providers, we incorporated many ideas and made adjustments. Ultimately, "our" floor plan emerged from many conversations.

Which provider we will finally build with now depends on the offers. However, it is also possible that we will build with a local provider with an architect after all.