Building with an architect - really cheaper?

Hello, an architect told us that building according to HOAI is at least as cost-effective as building with Dieter Viehbrockhaus or Heinz von Heiden. This would be because construction companies already factor in their costs for model houses, etc., whereas he as an architect hires craftsmen directly, etc. Can you say that? Or is it rather an unverifiable advertising gimmick from him? Thank you very much for your experiences and assessments.

It is not a marketing gimmick. It is also not guaranteed that it is cheaper, but it can certainly be. With the architect, you can also agree on a fixed price that is based on the HOAI.

Billing is always done at the end. If affordability is the priority and not building individually, then I would rather advise against the architect.

Architect is the most expensive option for building, but also the most individual. Anyone who says otherwise is already lying in the new year

I consider that generally not correct. There are small to medium-sized GUs in Lower Saxony without model houses. As far as I know, the mentioned companies are not cheaper than building locally with GUs. In southern Germany, it may be different.

The GUs have catalogs where prices are also listed.

Apart from saving money: with an architect, you have a significantly higher risk that the price will not hold after all. Don’t make the mistake of trying to build somehow cheaper than others. If something is obviously cheaper, there is a reason for it and you pay for it in some other form.

I built in/near "hb" with a relatively inexpensive architect – regarding his fee – I do not consider the GUs here to be more expensive, on the contrary, at least if you want to build a normal house. My experience is from 2017-2018.

Do you already have a plot of land?

Architect is the most expensive option for building,

This is due to the wishes of the builders, not the architect. The architect designs your house individually according to your wishes – the wishes and special requests drive the price up. Regarding the plot, architect-built houses have a comparable price to an off-the-shelf house like Heinz von Heiden or Town & Country, as mentioned by the TE. You can also have the individual planning done by the architect and then go to the local general contractor or timber house builder, who will give you a price for a piece of the house. It is not necessarily required to do individual trade contracts.