What experiences have you had building a new house through a developer? I have bought many cars (not only from private sellers but also from dealerships). You never pay the listed price. Even at large dealerships like BMW, Audi, and Mercedes, where people always say they keep a tight grip on their money and nothing is possible, discounts or perks (warranty extension, set of winter tires) were possible.
I understand that no developer throws around 10% discounts. What is realistically possible? Do developers rather offer free extra services or reduce the purchase price?
I bought my first house as a new build from a developer back then.
The developer said from the beginning that the price of the house was a notarized fixed price and not negotiable.
In fact, he did not change the price by a single cent himself.
Back then, during the final sales meeting, I proceeded as follows:
I had had the price list with the special requests handed out to me and then created a list of things I definitely wanted.
I took this list to the meeting and said that the house would only be perfect for me if the things on the list were included as well.
I gave the list to the developer and asked him to check off what he would allow me without extra charge.
He took the list and checked off 4 out of 7 points. I then negotiated the 5th and 6th and paid for the 7th myself.
Measured against the purchase price, these were extra services worth almost 6%.
But I think it also depends on how high the demand is! At my time, demand was not that high. After we signed the contract, quite a few people came along. Later, after moving in, neighbors told each other what "goodies" they had gotten; it was significantly less for everyone else than for me.