Experiences with GU in Saarland and surroundings

Maybe from the Southwest Palatinate might put in a good word for you with her gem of a general contractor (?)

Unfortunately, that is actually off the table. He has wanted to slow down for a long time and will apparently completely stop construction activities next year for health reasons.

Maybe from the Southwest Palatinate will put in a good word for you with her gem of a general contractor (?)

Unfortunately, that is really off the table. He wanted to scale back for a long time anyway and will apparently stop construction activities completely next year for health reasons.

I had already feared that and therefore didn’t dare to ask ...

If you know my (currently being expanded) house-building schedule, I’m glad to hear that (and thank you for the mention). But I’m also surprised how you still come to the wrong assessment of having your own architect as someone only needed by those searching for original floor plans. Although this is not a standard phase model service of an architect (which is why there are the new "Reloaded" episodes), even adapting a catalog design is potentially done much better by an architect than by the sales consultants of the general contractors. I will probably soon be driven by customer requests to include this in my service catalog as well. Introductory talks really only get a real value boost when they take place in the course of the dough rest/positioning phase (see recent episode). Choosing a general contractor on the sly (without a free architect or any other independent advice and without tendering) is basically always a "There’s a smarter way" idea. You don’t save anything that way – especially not the architect’s fee – except for safety and efficiency.

Hmm, we had actually hoped that our adjustments are really so minimal that an architect wouldn’t be needed for them... For example, there is a Spektral catalog floor plan that appeals to us a lot, which we would potentially only enlarge a bit (or raise the knee wall, maybe that’s enough to make the rooms on the upper floor, which are a bit too small for our taste, more usable). And for that, the architect’s fee would really be a bit too much, wouldn’t it?

What about the catalog houses from Wabau is less suitable, if you basically trust the suitability of standard models?

None of them really fits – uneven children’s rooms or closed kitchens, each one somehow had a catch ...

Superficial "cold contact" is practically always "the key to underperforming results." Take a look at the five-point list from my post with the prison window under the keyword house company search. Without a preliminary draft (or reference to a specific building proposal from the provider’s catalog), a salesperson sees you as an "unqualified lead." You can’t get more than unsatisfactory answers that way, the phenomenon is called "causal connection" ;-)

Yes, we haven’t given up yet either, they are welcome to still convince us :)

Hm, we had actually hoped that our adjustments would be so minimal that no architect would be needed... For example, there is a spectral catalog floor plan that appeals to us a lot, which we would potentially only enlarge a little (or raise the knee wall; maybe that’s enough to make the rooms upstairs, which are a bit too small for our taste, more usable). And for that, the architect’s fee really seems a bit excessive?

Try to get the thought "architect = fee cannon for a sparing demand" out of your head; it only gets in your own way. Enlarging – I’ve said it several times – good in the wheelbase, not in the track width. Raising the knee wall is tricky in two ways: on the one hand, many catalog designs are optimized according to building regulations. This means in this context: where the attic can be used as a full floor, you can do it. Where not, the models are mostly designed for two-thirds of the federal states, and then a knee wall increase is possible in a three-quarter federal state. The second point is that providers differ with regard to the knee wall, as quite a few (similarly to the increase of floor height in straight-walled floors) place their favorite surcharge position there.

None really fit properly – unevenly sized children’s rooms or a closed kitchen, there was somehow a catch with every one...

I already said it, the catch is the third child (or second home office), as catalog designs regularly target the normal family (2 adults, 2 kids; total number of bedrooms/guest rooms/offices at least: 3). Unevenly sized children’s rooms are rather in the minority (and I find them rather positive because most families also have children of different ages – twins are rarer). However, the delusion apparently won’t die in parents’ minds that unevenly sized children’s rooms would be interpreted by the children as unevenly distributed parental love. In practice, the opposite is more common: that equal treatment with the younger sibling is perceived as ignoring the status of the older (and thus relatively "unfair").

We are also planning to build in Saarland this year. I have already searched through the entire forum. So far, only the big GCs have been mentioned. Has anyone already had more experience or can specifically recommend a GC? Maybe there is someone who is also planning to build a house this year. I would be happy if we could exchange ideas.

We are also planning to build in Saarland this year. I have already searched through the entire forum. So far, only the big general contractors have been mentioned.

If you have already searched through the entire forum, you should also have come across my advice not to approach general contractors too early and without consultation. Depending on where in Saarland you want to build, construction companies from the Trier area or even the Vulkaneifel are not far away. Tell me about yourselves, your needs, and your plot of land, then it will be easier to see which routes and companies are best recommended.

If you have already browsed through the entire forum, you should have also come across my advice not to approach GUs too early and without consultation. Depending on where in Saarland you want to build, construction companies from the Trier area or even the Vulkaneifel are not too far away. Tell me about yourselves, your needs, and your plot, then it will be possible to more precisely determine which routes and companies are best recommended.

Hello Ant,
thanks for the information.
We are planning a single-family house in Saarlouis with 140m2. We are open to both options, whether timber frame or solid construction.