Contracting individual trades vs. turnkey house provider

If that is realistic in your place of residence. In Berlin, we have had enough trouble with the few jobs we have assigned ourselves. Gala, earthworks, sewer and concrete work, fence, electrician, expert - until one of these ladies and gentlemen deigns to respond to an email, speak on the phone like an adult, or even submit an offer - unbelievable. I still get a headache from that once a week. If we couldn't fall back on the network of the general contractor's sales representative, we would be lost.

Actually, with a more or less standard house, it almost doesn't matter whether you choose an architect or a general contractor; what is more important is that you have and can have trust in your contracting partner and that they are familiar with the type of house you want.

What good is an architect and individual contracting if the subcontractors are no good.

We switched to a completely different provider just before signing the contract because we lacked trust in the provider.

Now we are with a local general contractor who employs their own people and works with companies from the area.

They have been coordinated with each other for years.

how much you really save if you take house construction into your own hands and commission the trades individually?

Above all, you gain the experience that it is unwise. Yes, you can save on the nominal offer sum. But you can also very easily end up paying more than you save, because tendering is not as suited for apprentices as many think.

The plan would be to have the house drawn (input plan etc.) and then start a kind of tender. For example, 3 inquiries to a civil engineering company, 3 inquiries to companies that do the roof truss, etc.

If you literally want to build the "first house for an enemy," then do that. Without detailed planning, you risk that a lot of money will be spent on overhead hours. Get an architect who does detailed planning and construction management for your house and allow them to involve general contractors in the tender. Except if you (and your plot and your development plan!) are uncomplicated: then you can also ask several GCs which construction proposals they have already fully planned.

The plan would be to have the house drawn (input plan etc.) and then start a kind of tender. For example, 3 inquiries to a civil engineering company, 3 inquiries to companies that do the roof structure, etc.

Oh dear, with such an approach a disaster is pre-programmed. I only renovate in this way and would definitely not do it again. It produces so much chaos on the construction site that there are constant delays. I only see the details during the development process. That is too late. put it aptly: You need detailed plans and someone who knows the details beforehand and knows what to pay attention to. Only the architect can do that. Otherwise, your chosen companies will just do whatever during execution, namely whatever is easiest for them. Whether that makes sense or not... doesn’t matter. Only in the end, after facts have been created, do you realize that nothing fits together or essential things are missing. Another example: When the roof and the attic floor were finally done for me, the issue of wastewater ventilation was mentioned once, but somehow forgotten by everyone. Only when it was almost too late did they have to improvise quickly. Of course, after the insulation was already in place, etc. None of the craftsmen (plumber, roofer, drywallers) came up with a single useful solution; they just wanted to lay it somewhere and box it in.

Oh dear, such an approach is a recipe for disaster. I only renovate this way and would definitely not do it like that again. It creates so much chaos on the construction site that there are constant delays. I only see the details during the development process. That is too late.

But then it's rather due to your organizational skills we did it the same way and we didn't have a single day of delay. On the contrary, I sometimes worked late into the night because some people arrived almost too early.