Process of construction planning & building - Is a preliminary contract with the construction company necessary?

Who provides a cost estimate for the construction project in this case?

You or a good and ambitious home building company.
However, I always, always, always advocate taking care of the numbers yourself and also adding or multiplying yourself (not through Axel).
It is important to develop a sense for costs. Have the itemized costs named to you, in writing. Deal with floor coverings and incidental construction costs.
Deal with prices including installation, adhesive, moldings, tools, etc. for the painting work.
With this, you go to the bank before you sign the house contract.

Can I still include these costs in the financing of the construction at the bank?

You can also generously round up everywhere and thus create a healthy buffer for all sorts of things.
Instead of 8,000, calculate 10,000; instead of 900, 1,500, etc... that worked wonderfully for us. In the end, everything was spent because the buffer was already used for a more stable foundation slab.

You commission the architect. He then first roughly designs with you what the house will look like and estimates what it will approximately cost.

I don't see it as that simple if you want to build a prefabricated house.
If it is a good company, then they have their own architects or you should discuss such a solo approach beforehand.

@TE You want a timber frame house? Which company?

You can also generously round up everywhere and thus create a healthy buffer for all sorts of things.

Alternatively, you can also find many tips here in the forum about how much buffer you should plan in € or in %. We have now planned various construction buffers (sample selection, groundworks, initial connection costs, ...) as well as a separate private buffer, which will not be touched. The car/the washing machine/the smartphone/etc. always break down when you least need them, maybe even all at once!

Everyone told us that all buffers were used up faster than you could blink. So we are warned, but still you want to push your house budget to the limit... it’s a catch-22.

I don’t see it that simply when you want to build a prefabricated house. If it’s a good company, then they have their own architects or you should discuss such a solo approach in advance.

That is also the answer to the question of how it works with an architect during construction.

@TE You want a timber frame house? Which company?

Hello everyone,

I have a question that fits very well thematically here. How early did you approach your construction partners (preferably prefabricated house providers or architects)? Do you think it makes sense to obtain the first offers already about two years before the start of construction?

Thank you very much in advance for your answers

Do you think it makes sense to get the first offers already two years before the start of construction?

No. Too early. Too much can change in two years. Financing, for example, is not even fixed yet, prices change, tastes, etc. But you can already start planning for yourselves and occasionally visit model homes to find out what you want and what you don’t. My opinion