Planning a single-family house with a general contractor or architect or similar

Hello,

It always seems to me as if some people are really jealous that others can build cheaper ...

I have been doing this job for many years now and a lot of things immediately come to mind that I could post about your statements here. I will refrain from doing so, instead I will ask you a very simple question: why haven’t you long ago signed with the praised provider?

The actual question here was whether you can get a simple house without many frills cheaper from an architect than from a general contractor.

"It is unwise to pay too much, but it is worse to pay too little. If you pay too much, you lose a little money—that is all. If you pay too little, sometimes you lose everything, because the thing you bought cannot do what it is supposed to do. The law of economics forbids getting something for nothing."

John Ruskin (1819-1900), English writer, art critic and social philosopher

Rhenish greetings

Hello,


Then you are probably new to our job, otherwise you wouldn’t write down this statement


It’s not new to summarize material and installation price in one sum.


PS: You write here in this thread that you are a house seller; so why is this note not found in your profile?

Rhenish regards

More than 12 years in sales and before that 6 as a mason were not possible due to my age. I can send you several LB’s by mail in which essential constructive points are omitted, but that may be different in your region.

By 35,- I only meant material in this case, for both it would be way too cheap.

I just haven’t filled out my profile yet; it’s no secret. I will do that at some point...

Hello,

More than 12 years in sales and before that 6 as a bricklayer were not possible due to my age. I can send you several LB's by email, in which essential constructive points are omitted, but that can certainly be different in your region.

No, it is neither different in NRW nor anywhere else in the FRG; through my second business field I know enough BB's to be able to judge this.

However, I know what these BB's are lacking and can clarify this; provided it is requested by the interested party. I assume a salesperson with 12 years of experience can do this as well, that they know that what is not explicitly described is considered not purchased. But certainly no statement like: "Even I as a house seller still do not know what you get after reading the service description because it simply is not included!"

I just haven't filled out the profile yet, it’s no secret. I'll catch up on that at some point...

Fine. Thanks!

Rhenish regards

Personally, I of course know what they are building, but it just isn’t stated anywhere.

The most common example would be: "All load-bearing walls are constructed in solid construction."

And the others? Sometimes it is mentioned somewhere else as a side note under drywall, but sometimes it is missing altogether. By the way, I have this in writing and from my point of view, this is not an insignificant point.

To get back to the topic, you can drive a Dacia or a BMW, both have 4 wheels and a steering wheel. According to the OP, the difference here is probably only in profit margins and possibly the trim or other interchangeable parts.

Then good luck with the building...

One can now philosophize about the price.
We do not know whether a personal offer is underlying here with all trades considered.

No construction company has anything to give away. Dumping prices of 120,000, for example, in the above-mentioned house version with "gable not in solid construction, but lightweight construction," then the price offer for the brick cladding on the website only applies to the ground floor, in the gable on the upper floor it would then be wood cladding (not the best wood).
This would be just one example among many.
Another would be the narrowed interior fittings (e.g., the electrical installation is far from sufficient).
Whether the subcontractors or permanently employed craftsmen now show enthusiasm with very low wages or offer prices is questionable if the builder does not care... at least the purchased expertise (experts) will hardly check every screw that a low-paid helper has fastened casually.
As already mentioned above: in northern Germany you can build cheaper, but if you buy various extras for cheap money, it will pinch somewhere else.

You should create a proper calculation. A kitchen does not belong in the ancillary construction costs and is not financed either.
Furthermore, it will also become difficult nowadays to find a bank that finances a house without an outdoor facility. At least the development by paths as well as border strips should contribute to value creation.
Those are costs as well. Your so-called budget of "45000 (with kitchen)" cannot cover everything.
And the money borrowed from Dad could already be spent when it comes to the overdue sockets as well as bathroom fittings, which are not included in the construction service description. Because a bathtub cannot simply be replaced later with a new and larger one.

If your calculation works out – then that is great for you... and I do not believe that this is about envy here (jealousy is not the right word) when people warn you here. You do not even know each other!

Regards, Yvonne

But before a neighbor ends up owning a house like that himself and you regret that he gets away with 500€ less in monthly financing rate, you better talk it up as if it's a tear-down and you'd rather stay renters. Those who build cheaply know that they have to make compromises somewhere. And if it’s because of an especially long construction time, then so be it. Still, you can get reasonable content for cheap money.

Yes, all the house builders in the forum have no clue and unfortunately spent more. But you’ve totally got it and show us how it’s done. Well then, go ahead! No, seriously. I think that’s wishful thinking. In my opinion, the budget is way too tight. If so many builders have built with your favorite — great. Go to those people, ask nicely if they can tell you about their build. Ask about the square meters and what they paid. If you show genuine interest and ask nicely, most people are happy to share their building adventure. You get a good feel for the provider — what went well and what didn’t, and whether it was affordable. We also built with the small company around the corner. The price differences among providers with the same specifications were at most 3%. There were renowned large companies and small two-person businesses among them. That tired phrase that you’d skip all extras and thus make a huge saving — you can forget that. I hope you keep reading up on the topic and stay cautious before signing anything.