Cost of a single-family house, where is the market heading?

We are building with an architect and feel very good about it. Even though I still don't know where we will end up in the end. I am sure... it fits.

Why do all prospective building ladies and gentlemen actually assume that the general contractor / construction manager / prefabricated house provider builds cheaper than the individually commissioned architect?

Who furthermore represents the interests of the client in all matters, which cannot be expected from the former. At a price of gross €1,800-1,900/m2 net floor area including incidental construction costs, an architect should be able to create a simple + good = normal single-family house, if the plot situation is also straightforward: no hillside location, no complex existing conditions..

As a bonus, the dedicated architect also delivers something like "design" or "architecture" or "esprit," something that most general contractor / construction manager houses completely lack.

PS. Construction costs rose by about 36% between 2000-2015, not least due to the steadily increasing requirements from the Energy Saving Ordinance.

How is that supposed to work? The architect only obtains the quotes later... how should he know in detail whether the roofer has not increased prices by 10% since the last construction, or if he has to switch to an alternative?

But how am I supposed to arrange my financing if I don't have clear numbers beforehand?

There will be a cost estimate from the architect. But it’s "only" an estimate. Add a decent buffer on top and take that to the bank. It doesn’t work any other way with an architect. If you want certainty, then find a construction company that builds your maybe only run-of-the-mill house at a fixed price (where the buffer you might need with the architect is certainly already included at your expense)