Bavaria: 2 single-family houses or a duplex?

@11ant Thank you very much for the reading tip. So you definitely recommend doing the basic investigation and preliminary design with an architect, even if we find something in the model house park that doesn't require too many changes?

Yes, even if you trust the provider to read the building ground report properly (which many prefab house manufacturers are not interested in at all because they only offer from the top edge of the upper structural floor). Not least, I am also not really convinced how "reliable" your preference for the prefab house builders is – also because of your uncertainty when unfolding the provider field. Where my reading tip is, you will also find the "setting of the course" ;-)

About the providers... do you know the prefab house expert?

I find him quite recommendable; and if you understand Bavarian well, then also Andreas Zink.

Why are there hardly any houses with ground floor + first floor + attic in catalogs? Almost always only ground floor + attic.

Besides "development plans may only allow that," is it probably also often simply cheaper with detached houses in the usual sizes? (Just a guess, but in the end, you are proposing a whole additional floor, which is a lot of living space) Although these houses with two full floors and usually a flatter roof above (not developed) have actually been very popular in recent years and can be seen a lot in catalogs (as "townhouse" or "city villa" or similar). But that's not what you mean right now, is it? Otherwise, with narrower semi-detached or terraced houses, ground floor + first floor + attic are also more common, but often out of necessity, for maximum living space on minimal land. (a quick Google search brings up, for example, Town & Country Mainz 128 or Viebrockhaus Maxime 1000 D, but almost any floor plan from the major mass builders of terraced houses as well)

Besides "the development plan may only allow that," presumably often simply cheaper for detached houses in the usual sizes? (A bit of a guess, but in the end you are actually suggesting a whole extra floor, which is a lot of living space)

The requested 170 sqm as two-and-a-half stories would have a ground area of just over eighty square meters, so a rather typical terraced house dimension. Hardly anyone voluntarily builds up high when detached. It seems to me that has missed the change in thinking here and is still structurally at the stage of the previous idea of a semi-detached house. Detached, the desired size is most popular in the segment of "Anstattvilla" – one-and-a-half stories are already rare in this size because they fit worse into a nationwide catalog. The prefabricated house providers make an effort to offer immediately competitive models, i.e., comparable to Polo/Fiesta/Corsa or Golf/Focus/Astra with each other. Taking into account the circumstance of a non-uniform mixture of federal states regarding the full-story threshold, the "one-and-a-half stories" are offered so that they fit in the two-thirds federal states and also with knee wall height increase for the three-quarters federal states. The Anstattvilla models are then designed "half a notch larger." Therefore, two-and-a-half stories with 170 sqm as detached models are probably hard to find. Customers do not look for the needle in the haystack in the catalogs, but for the bestsellers.

What most customers lack is the ability to put themselves in the position and mindset of the provider. The "prefab" house builders are really good at focusing on the customer market-share oriented mainly so as not to lose him to the competitor. The "solid" house builders (except for a few exceptions, led by Town & Country and Heinz von Heiden) are exactly the opposite: especially the owner-managed regional general contractors let themselves be driven by the wishes of the customers and are in a way to blame themselves for constantly producing individual plans in the smallest quantities. They do not understand the power of series.

Thanks again for all the information! The fog is slowly clearing.

So having an architect definitely makes sense for us, since quite a few things are still open:

[*]2 single-family houses or semi-detached house (although the clear tendency is single-family house)
[*]Number of floors (preference ground floor, first floor, attic because of the view from the 2nd floor / attic)
[*]Construction method (prefabricated house seems to have the best price-performance ratio to me, but I’m open to being proven wrong)
[*]Exact position on the plot

My schedule looks as follows:

[*]Consultation with an independent architect to come up with a preliminary draft (service phase 1 and service phase 2)
Do I need to pay attention to anything specific when choosing an architect? Or just search on Google and look at some reviews? Are there any recommendations for southern Germany? At Danwood the mediation of an architect was offered, who charges €1,200, but he will certainly be biased. Is that price similar for independent architects? Probably more expensive, right?
[*]Submit the preliminary draft to various house builders to get cost estimates
These can be prefabricated builders like DanWood, Hanse Haus and Schwabenhaus, but also others. Hopefully the architect can advise me on the others. Possibly obtain separate cost estimates for the basement.
[*]Review of the offers
Who do I do this with? Also with the architect? Or with a construction consultant like Fertighausexperte, Andreas Zink, you are also a construction consultant, right?
[*]Price negotiation, decision and awarding

And then it really starts, but the steps will surely depend on who the project is awarded to.

Number of floors (preference ground floor, upper floor, attic because of the view from the 2nd floor / attic

If your primary concern is a lookout, a set-back floor with a roof terrace could also be interesting.

Construction method (prefabricated house seems to me to have the best price-performance ratio, but I am open to being corrected)

There is no absolutely cheaper construction method; it must be determined for the specific individual case. That is why I recommend the "setting of the course" (with me or alone) during the resting phase of the dough, see

Submit a preliminary design to various home builders to obtain cost estimates They can be prefabricated builders like DanWood, Hanse Haus and , but also others. The architect will hopefully be able to advise me on the others. For the basement, obtain separate cost estimates if necessary.

You already have three wood builders there, so add two (preferably regional) brick builders. Without a basement, you need basement replacement space, or with a basement you can omit the replacement room. Therefore, a house with or without a basement is not the same above ground either. In this round, request only one version first. With my basement rule, you (or the architect in module A) determine whether it should be a design with a basement. Important: never request the basement separately, but always include it in the contractor’s scope of work! (In this point, I disagree with the "prefab house expert.")

to arrive at a preliminary design [...] Do I have to pay attention to anything specific when choosing an architect? Or just search on Google and check some reviews.

I find this purpose / expectation horizon too short-sighted. I recommend an architect contract initially only for module A for contractual practical reasons. Except if "the chemistry is not quite convincing", one will usually continue working with the same architect. Therefore, develop the preliminary design ideally with an architect who will probably also suit the design phase. The architects best suited for single-family house projects have no reviews and hardly a noteworthy website, if any at all. You still find them quite classically in the analog directory.

Checking the offers Who do I do this with? Also with the architect? Or with a building consultant like prefab house expert, Andreas Zink, @11ant you are also a building consultant, right?

Regularly with the architect at the start of module C, for the "prefab" house as a separate service or better here with one of the specialists mentioned. I myself am also a building consultant (neutral to construction methods). However, I only offer to check offers if they have been obtained in a structured way (by me or yourself). Comparing apples and pears is a task for someone who has killed their mother and father, highly liable for pain and suffering damages and therefore not feasible in terms of fees.

Price negotiation, decision and awarding

Also read what I have written here on the keywords self-award, individual awarding, tendering and hourly rates.

And then it really gets started, but then the steps surely also depend on who the project has been awarded to.

Not only starting here, and not only the steps. That is why I strongly advise clarifying the construction method (or reviewing your own preference, if any) before transitioning from the preliminary design phase to the design phase.

What total costs do we have to expect for 2 single-family houses?

Where is actually the second builder? What is he doing while you are already mentally constructing both houses?
You have to see both houses differently.

I bet every time that discussions about house planning, which are planned here with/about third family members, are 90% unknown to the building partner and 80% are not even built.

You can’t just take out money for two houses, build them and bam, everyone is happy in “their” home. Land registry office, after me the deluge.

Next to the plot there is a green strip that the city wants to turn into a road at some point. Then you would also have a third building plot on the road.

That is not so simple either. You write that you have to build according to Par. 34, which relates to the ground area of the plot and house. You can’t just take away the base area from one and put something new on it.

("That depends" is always the favorite answer you get)

Yes, a Dacia is an excellent car, many Mercedes drivers don’t even know the brand...
Meaning: a Scanhaus Marlow also offers relaxed living under one roof – but it cannot be compared to the Schwörerhaus equipment.

Is there an overview of who counts here among the big companies, known budget providers, etc.?

No, you can use portals like ImmoScout or Fertighaus, but those who do not advertise or pay for listings do not appear there.

Who is known for problems, who for good experiences?

Everyone, and especially at night.

Why do you hardly find houses with ground floor + upper floor + attic in catalogs? Almost always only ground floor + attic.

... 3rd reason: because the largest target group does _not_ look for that. Many have a row or semi-detached as their starter home and want to get away from stairs. The trend is towards bungalows, even with 4 people – but it does not have to be comprehensible to everyone.
... 4th reason: such things tend to fall into solid construction, where you plan the attic self-construction with the general contractor if needed.

At an architect mediation was offered, who then charges 1,200€,

Wow, I was told very different architect costs from DW 10 years ago. What does he take 1200€ for?

Submit a preliminary draft to various house builders to get cost estimates
These can be prefabricated builders like DanWood, and , but also others. Hopefully the architect can advise me about the others.

I don’t think they make the effort to calculate your dream house. They go by their square meters, construction type (2-story or 1 with a pitched roof e.g.) and calculate roughly. After contract signing, you get a detailed itemized bill, which becomes part of the contract.
And it’s up to you or an expert to compare the individual construction descriptions and expose the surcharges.

For the basement, possibly obtain separate cost estimates.

Many prefabricated house builders only build with their trusted partner. For some, it is Glatthaar.
However, the package “budget provider with basement” surprises me – you can do it, but you don’t have to.