How are you dealing with the current construction situation?

Does a construction supervision by the energy expert, who is a building surveyor, also count or should the external construction supervisor be considered differently?

No, that is someone else. The external construction supervisor is usually from an association like the Bauherren-Schutzbund or Bauherrenverein. We have a couple (female architect, male civil engineer). The package includes 13 on-site inspections + documentation. Also advice via telephone or WhatsApp. You have to say that this makes you sleep much more peacefully. Besides, you don’t run to the tradespeople yourself without having any knowledge, but have both of them as contacts. Some things that you, as a layperson, perceive as wrong may actually be exactly right. That’s why I can only recommend something like that. For us, the two cost €2,900 gross. I think that is a bargain.

We are in the reassuring situation of having a signature under financing and also having the contractual framework for the construction in the mail, to be signed soon. Therefore, the sleepless nights have been limited for a few days now. Of course, a little residual fear always remains.

Wow, you were really fast. Are you now building the design with the huge corridors or something else?

We haven't been given prices for months, information takes months and only comes after inquiry. Every construction company has its own regional connections and therefore its own preference to work with a certain architect. What to do...

I didn’t quite understand that: have you found someone willing to execute, who just hasn't fixed their price yet, or is the search still "up in the air"?

It means that if you have a building expert accompany you, they put your interests first.

But please as a moderate pragmatist, not a nitpicker with a constantly smoking gun who spoils it for the builder with everyone involved.

Some things that a layperson considers wrong can be exactly right.

Yes, here every year we have someone who measures incorrectly; and just a few days ago someone who, at every necessary drip edge, potentially thinks of small creatures that could find shelter there...

Otherwise we are now going full steam ahead. There is nothing good except one does it.

You can always hesitate longer – and you will also find a pessimist who encourages you to do so ;-)

Are you now building the design with the huge corridors or something else?

If I were you, I wouldn’t answer anymore until the roof is on. Otherwise everyone will find one small spot – just one each – for one last little improvement, and in the end there will be three hundred and fifty-six of them ;-)

I wouldn’t respond anymore in their place until the roof is on. Otherwise, everyone will find one little spot—just one each—for one last small improvement, and in the end, there will be three hundred and fifty-six of them ;-)

Yes, I can absolutely understand that. When it comes to posting plans in the forum, I am always a bit conflicted. On the one hand, I have received many helpful tips where things were actually amiss. But on the other hand, everyone seems to mainly project their wishes onto the posted houses. And then, in my floor plan thread, there was a lengthy discussion about whether it is still acceptable nowadays to build without a bathtub…

I didn't quite understand that: have you found someone willing to execute, who just hasn't finalized their price yet, or is the search still "pending"?

No. We are currently experiencing pressure that prices are eagerly being adjusted upwards. We have not yet found someone willing to execute. We have someone willing to execute with nervous fingers for weekly price increases, and the rest are unfortunately not very forthcoming. At the moment, it looks like no one wants to offer more than a shell construction because it is currently not calculable. It is simply infuriating! This will probably end up in individual awards. It's no fun. May construction companies slowly start to miss the builders!

Wow, you were really fast. Are you building the draft with the huge hallways now or something else?

Something like that. Overall, it's still the Casa-de-Flur, but we have scrapped the huge garage structure. Accordingly, the WC and technical room now have space where the hallway used to be. Instead of the garage, there is a carport, and since you can't just hang that in the air, it will also be two stories. Down below, at garden level, there will be utility and storage space. That way, our lawnmower can stay dry, but it won't have a KFW-compliant thermal envelope around it. ;)