Architect search Munich + surrounding area (recommendations?)

Good evening forum community,

we hope that you can help us with your experiences regarding our search for an architect.
We are currently planning, as described in other posts, the construction of a single-family house with the following key data:

[*]Construction site: northern Munich area

[*]Single-family house 1.5 stories (no attic conversion)

[*]Size: 200 sqm + basement

[*]Building style/equipment: modern with large glass surfaces

[*]Probable house price approx. 550-600 k€

In recent months, we have already “designed” our house with desired room layout etc. using various programs and discussed these plans (including 3D views) with the responsible building authority and after long back and forth also reached an informal agreement regarding exemption applications.

Now we still need an experienced architect who will put the finishing touches on the plans, bring in good detailed suggestions, and submit the building application with us (service phases 1 to 4) (optionally including construction supervision up to service phase 8).

We have now contacted several architects, had some conversations, and are somewhat shocked by the offers, since so far everyone only wants to bill according to HOAI and charges us about 25-38 k€ net for service phases 1-4. All service phases up to 8 come to about 100 k€ (net)...

I really have to wonder how some people here in the forum get a building application for around 10 k€ and almost no one bills according to HOAI. Is this a “Munich surcharge” for us now?

We could still somewhat understand it if we were starting completely from scratch and initially planning several house variants. However, we already have a house plan, which has also already been discussed with the building authority, so many steps should be omitted or proceed much faster.

We really hope that you can help us and preferably even recommend an architect with “normal pricing.”

We look forward to your comments.

Regards

Sandra & Thomas

Received building permit application for about €10,000

Or €3,000 net for the application, structural engineering, and energy saving regulations...

How do you approach architects?
Don’t you have someone in your private circle who can recommend someone?

Getting a recommendation through the forum is of course one option, but cheaper alternatives sometimes only work with the right connections.

Do you already have any construction companies in sight, for example? Ask them who they often work with.

We will be building in the western part of Munich, and since we really didn’t like the modern architectural style that most construction companies have as their standard and wanted an individual house, we thought the best solution would be an architect. Unfortunately, we decided on the architect who was highly recommended to us by our real estate agent and was great on a personal level. Unfortunately, professionally he was rather less competent and extremely slow. He also billed according to the official architect regulations and cost us a whopping 18k for service phases 1-4. Now we are in the middle of factory planning with our construction company, and for the detailed planning, another architect has been assigned to us there (already included in the house price), and what can I say, we have made more progress in these 2 weeks than in the previous months, the man is simply great, and we would have saved a lot of money and nerves if we had planned our house with him from the beginning; it would have been significantly cheaper through the construction company in a free planning process. I can therefore only recommend to you: rather look for a construction company that also plans your house freely and get to know the architects there: that way you save a lot of money, especially since the architects already know beforehand how the surcharges at your preferred construction company cost and you don’t get infatuated with details that architects love (huge windows, galleries, dormers with special shapes, etc.) but cost a fortune.

Hello Osnabrücker,

thanks for the quick response. You got application+structural engineer+energy saving ordinance for 3000 €? I can hardly believe that...

Well, we have searched for some architects in the area via Houzz and Google. We had a recommendation, but he is fully booked until the end of 2021.

We don’t want to build with a general contractor etc., but rather tender the trades ourselves later. That’s why we are possibly looking for architectural support up to phase 8.

Regards
Tom

Hello Julia,

thank you for your experience report. Could you tell us the construction company and your architect with whom you had such great experiences?

Thanks and regards
Thomas

Exciting thread - thanks Julia from me as well for the Erfahrungsbericht. I am also interested in a project in the Munich area, so I would be very happy about further exchange of experiences. Unfortunately, I am (also) still without the Forums-Ritterschlag for private messages.