Building with architects - experiences, tips?

2019-06-11 11:25:42

Hello everyone,

I have a general question about the costs of building with architects and with [GÜ], as we are currently looking into how we want to have the house built. There are several options to consider.

1) Architect contracted individually for all service phases
2) Architect takes over the planning and [GU] the execution
3) [GÜ] takes over planning and execution

As far as I have learned and understand, none of the above models should theoretically be more expensive or cheaper with the same quality and performance? I also mean that a [GU] cannot do without planning and construction management, which they must consider in their calculation. Therefore, I would like to ask those of you who have already gained experience in this. Is an architect’s house under the line per se more expensive in practice?

Best regards

2019-06-11 11:33:11

No, it is not.
Exact comparisons, however, are extremely difficult.

Choose the mode that suits you better.

2019-06-11 11:48:42

Ok. The background is that we are now with another architect, where the goal was for him to make us an offer for a preliminary design. For this, he broke down the eligible costs/construction costs with the help of the budget. Now, if the fees for all phases are listed on paper and you mentally have to deduct the fees from the budget, honestly, I find it difficult to make a comparison or evaluation. Because until now, we have never deducted planning and construction management from our calculation (which we obviously couldn’t really do either).

2019-06-11 11:50:00

Hello everyone, I have another general question about the costs of building with architects and with a general contractor (GÜ), since we are currently looking at how we want to have the house built. There are several possibilities to consider. 1) Architect in individual contract over all service phases 2) Architect takes over the planning and the GC the execution 3) GC takes over planning and execution As far as I have learned and understand it, theoretically none of the above models should be per se more expensive or cheaper with the same quality and the same service? I also mean a GC cannot do without planning and site management which he has to consider in his calculation. Therefore, I would like to ask those of you who have already gained experience in this. Is a house built by an architect per se more expensive in practice? Regards

You can’t really say that, it’s less predictable, but you do have more degrees of freedom than with a GC. The problem with an architect is if he cannot access "own/known/favored" trades because perhaps the workload/market situation/intuition doesn’t allow it. Then he has to tender on the "open" market and is just as subject to the prices/standards of the trades. EDIT: You only take variant 2 if the architect is incompetent as a GC. Here you lose, among other things, the cost advantage the GC offers you.

2019-06-11 12:12:02

Do you have a good architect "on hand"?
I am currently experiencing in my environment how nerve-wracking it becomes if you don't get a really good architect... first, during the planning phase, the plans were repeatedly not changed as discussed, even when the changes were mandatory (for example, the pipes of the rain gutter would otherwise have had to lead the water uphill, etc.), then the architect ultimately wanted more money even though he had to make the changes at the last minute (he had been told repeatedly about this for months). Now with the structural engineer for the tendering, it’s starting similarly...
I much prefer our "relaxed," but less flexible building approach with the general contractor.

So if an architect, definitely look for a really good one

2019-06-11 12:32:30

You can definitely compare that, you just need to know what you want.
If you order a catalog house without changes from one of the major homebuilding companies, it will certainly be cheaper than the same house with an architect.
If you want to base yourself on a standard house but change dimensions, room layout, etc., the prices should be roughly the same.
It's better to plan a "special" house with an architect, the homebuilder is not set up for that, it will be more expensive and often goes wrong.

All this regardless of the fact that a 120 sqm house with standard X in town P ultimately cost €231,450 and in the neighboring town the basically same house with the same standard but different project participants €267,544.

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Building with architects - experiences, tips?

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