Decision aid for choosing the construction company

I honestly believe that it is simply the truth. If the general contractor offers these services in conjunction with the house construction contract, then they have the coordination effort and especially the warranty. They have to price that in and of course do not do it without their usual surcharge for overhead costs and margin. These are also the trades where the builders, who are usually laymen, can most obviously see defects. The likelihood of complaints arising is therefore relatively high here.

On the other hand, coordination effort is not exactly free either. For us, it is three quarters of an hour to the new house and the craftsmen rarely start at 6 p.m. in the evening. Coordination of the last trades is a factor that can easily eat up half of the annual vacation and that is not exactly cheap. Accordingly, we first calculate turnkey and only at the very end, when we know what is going into the house, do we talk again about things like painting. It makes little sense to count on big savings through painting work if in the end you have a 1mm plaster applied that is somewhat more demanding for laymen than wallpapering with woodchip. Furthermore, with partial self-assignment there are some nasty traps where trades overlap, e.g. who fills ceiling joints, who smooths the floor enough for large tiles, etc. You then have to make sure that all work is planned. Otherwise, the self-ordered craftsmen will come on the first day with an additional bill.

if Rensch-Haus is still in the region, I'll throw Wir Leben Haus into the mix. In Nidderau, a development area was built with quite high energy requirements, where you could find construction companies that build KFW40+ etc.

Okay... first of all, thank you very much for the many posts and the discussion, which has already moved far away from the original question, but somehow was still very helpful. I can't address all the points, there are simply too many topics that have been discussed by now. I think the problem is that there are simply a lot of people here with very different ideas, opinions, financial means, and expertise. Just like in forums usually. I have nothing to do professionally with craftsmanship or anything related to house construction. Does that put me in "great danger"? I don't know. But it could very well be that in the end I get "ripped off" and pay 50k more. That hurts, no question, but if I don't notice it, it hurts less. I know that of course forums like this tend to attract people who want to do the construction work themselves, who want to have influence, and so on. A large part of homebuilders, and by the way that's about 80% of those I know, let everything be done. Maybe it's due to my environment, I don't know. But there most of them have planned at most the kitchen with a different trade. That's it. Of course, one can do it differently, pay more money, or or or... I just want to say that your tips are very helpful, but as Exto already wrote, everyone can handle it differently. To change the subject briefly: Currently, I am concerned with the question of HOW to orient/place the house on the plot. I think one can really use help here and also get very good help. I will soon show a picture of the plot and sketch my ideas. Focus here: The photovoltaic system should be well oriented. Regards

Many people build with a general contractor (GU) here. The problem is – everyone has the best and only wants your best –. Be clear about what you want and then look for the GU with the greatest overlap. If KFW40+ is important to you, then choose one for whom that is standard, and so on. The more precisely the description of the building services matches your wishes, the better it fits you and the more satisfied you will be. It doesn’t matter whether Müller or Mayer is on the heat pump. You must not force a GU with a gas heating system, who doesn’t believe in heat pumps, to install a heat pump.

Recommendations are tricky. The recommended GU might suit your counterpart, your counterpart is happy with it, but you have different ideas, a different approach, and then it doesn’t fit. Friends of ours built at the same time as us. Different GU, partly the same companies as we used, but a completely different assessment of the craftsmen. We are both satisfied.

that in a forum like this naturally more people hang out who also want to get hands-on with construction themselves

No. Most here have it built. 95% of the active ones, probably.

But there most have at most planned the kitchen with another trade.

Kitchen is furniture. You order that from retail. Painting and flooring are mostly not included either. For that you get a painter or do it yourself if the buffer is already spent.

To change the subject: Currently I am occupied with the question of HOW to orient/place the house on the plot. I think you can really use help there and also get really good help. I will soon show a picture of the plot

But not here. There are special subforums for that.

I have nothing to do professionally with crafts or anything related to house construction. So am I now in "great danger" because of that? I don't know. But it is quite possible that in the end I might be "ripped off" and pay 50k more.

You are in absolutely no "great danger" (like on a sawed-off roller coaster) – not even in the sense of paying fifty grand more. Rather, with regard to heating technology – if you continue to remain passive and understand nothing about it – you are in the (relatively) greatest danger (relatively many times more than the risk of someone not selling you the absolute very best setup for a certain wall), getting a little extra here, a little extra there, so that in the end, for example, you pay around eight thousand euros more than the best technology for you would have cost, instead receiving the one that gives your provider a better piece quantity bonus.