Payment plan set up strangely?

strange design, but that could also be due to the type of business. Especially the first and the last installment would bother me. I am also not sure if the 3% final installment is still even allowed under current legal regulations.

We have no idea about that
That's why I'm asking.

Is it also normal to pay a large amount upfront without even having done a trenching work?
Is that normal?

Hard to say. Rather yes.
In 2001, we bought from a developer. The preliminary services were lower then. Now we are building on our own with an architect and local craftsmen. The preliminary services are significantly higher there.

So I think 20% before the base slab is laid is already quite a lot. Definitely withhold 5% from the first installment!

In my eyes an absolutely unacceptable payment plan. 20% of your hard-earned money changes hands as soon as he has put his sign on the construction site...

For comparison: we pay the first installment when the roof is covered.

I find it strange too. After submitting the building application (everything up to that point was already handled by the general contractor), we would theoretically have had to pay the first 10% (or even less... I'm not quite sure right now). But so far, that hasn't even been requested. So until now, we haven't paid the general contractor a single cent, and according to his structural engineer, it starts in March.

I think it’s okay to pay for the planning services upfront, but not at that amount. We have 5% after the building application and the next 20% nachdem the foundation slab is poured – and we will probably renegotiate that now because it is too much for us.