House Construction 2015 - Regional Craftsmen or Mass-Produced Goods

The price was fixed from the beginning, upgrades were listed as individual items. Therefore, excellent cost control. For us, everything initially went through one salesperson, but without any trouble. We trusted and were not disappointed. And yes, we would choose this option again and build with this construction company, which is run by two architects (father and son) and has the trades carried out by local, reliable subs (almost all old family businesses). They all at least care about their reputation.

....which is run by two architects (father and son) and has the trades carried out by stable local subs in the region (almost all old family businesses). They all at least pay attention to their reputation... Exactly that is what absolutely convinces me right now! In addition, there are "Meisterhaft" awards, which from my point of view give the whole thing a certain quality certificate or stamp. So, fits! Then I have probably chosen my way of building. I have almost finished my floor plan as well, but my L-shape for kitchen/living/dining is still driving me crazy.... Kitchen too narrow, then everything looks like a tube, the patio is not that sensible,....HEILAND ))

The costs for planning etc. will be charged to this GmbH upon simultaneous awarding/commissioning ---> problematic or good?

Well, to clarify the issue: When registering with the Chamber of Architects (specific to the federal state!), a distinction can be made between freelance and construction-related activities. This must also be made clear to a client, but usually, clients do not understand the difference at first.

In the case of freelance activity, the architect is the trustee of the client, i.e., free and independent, whereby he does not stand between the contracting parties but represents the interests of the client in every phase of the construction regarding execution and the companies involved.

In construction-related activity, the architect has an economic interest (e.g., profit maximization) in the entire or partial construction process and may be exempted from his trustee role in this area. Sounds positive, but it means that, for example, it may not be necessary to point out that there is another, better solution for an execution or that someone else could provide the same service more cheaply. The exact distinction between commissioning architectural services and construction activity is always difficult.

Otherwise, search for the terms on the websites of the Chamber of Architects of the relevant federal state or call them. Then also inquire directly about the application of the HOAI.

Hello,

after a short forced break, I’m back and will share my experience... NOT MASS-PRODUCED GOODS

What does the term "mass-produced goods" mean?

I have now chosen the path via an architect who at the same time runs a construction company (GmbH) and offers turnkey construction among other things.

I) Together we roughly estimated the costs per m² of enclosed space at approx. €320 ---> realistic?

How are we supposed to know if it is not clear what is included in the €320? Aerated concrete, calcium silicate, porous concrete, perforated bricks, medium equipment or, or....

II) The costs for planning etc. will be charged if simultaneously assigned to/commissioned to this GmbH ---> problematic or good?

No, normal.

For me, this way of building sounds very trustworthy and I now hope to have finally chosen the correct approach.

There he is again, the white coat....

However, from the beginning I speak directly with the architect (Dipl. Ing.) himself. Until now I always had to deal with salespeople, study countless brochures

And you really believe that the architect (who are usually always holders of diplomas, by the way) is not a salesperson?

and then somehow show and explain everything to my wife, who unfortunately understands even less about building than I do

And why didn’t your wife participate in the previous meetings?

Added to this are "Masterful" awards, which in my view give the whole thing a certain quality proof or stamp.

Have you ever considered that the "Masterful" award system might "only" be an additional marketing gimmick? These 3 to 5 stars designate nothing other than what serious providers must also consistently deliver to establish a company permanently in the market: quality management. Continued education in construction technology is actually already evaluated by this system based on commitment.

The only one who actually noticeably benefits from the stars is the inventor; regarding the quality of the building itself, these pretty heavenly bodies say nothing at all

Rhineland greetings

: Yes, the architect is not freelance but commercially registered, this is also indicated. I found the contact through the Handwerkskammer website, listed as


[B]publicly appointed and sworn expert[/B]
Publicly appointed and sworn by the Handwerkskammer xxx:

[*]Masonry and concrete construction trade

[B]Areas of expertise[/B]

[*]Single and two-family houses
[*]Terraced housing developments
[*]Multi-family houses
[*]Low-energy houses
[*]Building using ecological/biological building materials
[*]Energy certificate/residential buildings
[*]Energy certificate/non-residential buildings
[*]Barrier-free housing
[*]Business and workshops
[*]Agricultural farm buildings
[*]Community centers/civic centers
[*]Medical practices
[*]Local/village development planning

[B]Additional information[/B]
Conducting airtightness tests (BlowerDoorTest), energy consultant

That all sounded reasonable.



Maybe I expressed myself a bit incorrectly. By standard models I meant finding a show home that we like. Usually, it was the case that whatever we liked was rendered unattainable at the latest during the cost calculation (plus cellar, double garage, etc.). And I do need a cellar. However, it is not really easy to find a show home with a cellar, as most are built without cellars, and then mostly nicely big..... but I have to calculate the 300-350 m³ cellar volume anyway. I agree with you on the €320, that was my mistake, or rather too unspecific. I will detail that soon.

The white coat, yes, I know. But for us, who have zero idea about building and all that goes with it, who wade through all these questions in forums and so on.... they all eventually reach a point where you need help, real help!

The architect in my case naturally acts in the interest of his GmbH, that is, he would of course like to build the planned house, clear.
In the show home parks, we have so far almost always only spoken with pure salespeople/designers. From our point of view, detailed questions were not satisfactorily answered, but essentially always only "we are the best, build with us." That is simply confusing.

I don’t want to overvalue the asterisks "Masterful" either, but as you said, it somewhat separates the serious from the unserious.



Oh dear, not easy at all, but we have to manage somehow with a budget of €350,000, for 1.5 stories with cellar and double garage (excluding land), living in the attic, life on the ground floor for a 4-person household including all additional costs.

Hello,

Oh dear, nothing is simple, but we have to manage with a budget of €350,000 for 1.5 floors with a basement and a double garage (excluding land), living in the attic, life on the ground floor for a household of 4 including all ancillary costs somehow.

You surely mean TEUR 300? A "little" additional construction cost also applies. It will be tight one way or another; after all, all costs including moving in are supposed to be contained within TEUR 300. You should, in your own interest, already start thinking about looking for an alternative to the basement; then the disappointment in the end won't be quite so big. A good start would be to honestly list what you want to put in the basement....

Rheinland greetings