Property development - basement yes or no?

Thanks - that is very interesting to read. For the general contractor, the fixed price period probably starts earlier – namely with the signature – but even with the architect you are not completely at the mercy of price increases. Are all trades tendered simultaneously by the architect? Or does it happen gradually as needed?

There is only one tender for a project; all lots are included at once (otherwise no one could say they want to bid on all as a general contractor). There is already an overview of the intended construction schedule – so the parquet floor installer knows that their work starts long after the excavation work (otherwise a craftsman couldn’t know in February that they won’t have free time in October).

It was less about that it’s not always that simple and more about the fact that with all providers who only offer catalog houses, you can be lucky if one of the houses fits well on the plot. But if not, it becomes disproportionately expensive with these providers. At least that’s our experience/our feeling.

Then read the post and your feeling will get wiser; Google will lead you (external links are not allowed here, you must include the quotation marks in the search phrase). The way to the author is also there.

we absolutely do not want the staircase at the entrance under any circumstances

Although this is somewhat off-topic, just briefly: Why? What disadvantages?

It's a bit off-topic, but just briefly: Why? What disadvantages?

I thought this would be in our thread, but somehow it's actually nowhere clearly stated. We currently live in a single-family house where the staircase to the bedrooms runs right by the front door. Due to family (children) and hobbies (dog, running), there's always dirt in the entrance area – and that won’t change in the future. As a result, the dirt is immediately carried everywhere (that's why there is almost always a vacuum cleaner in the hallway outside :| ). Moreover, we find the staircase at the entrance extremely 'uncozy' in its flow. Every trip to the bedrooms feels like we're just going outside for a moment. For this reason, we also don't want a bathroom entrance directly at the house entrance. We now have a toilet right by the front door. It is the quickest to reach from the kitchen and the living room. We don’t use it and prefer to walk 3 meters and through one more door.

Good morning,

I have another question about the architect. Assuming that two architects plan/build exactly the same house with the same craftsmen, cost differences can only arise from different architect fees, right? The fee calculation is based on the HOAI. Some architects stay below HOAI in their calculation. Is there a guideline for how many % below HOAI a fair value is?

Assuming that two architects design/build exactly the same house with the same craftsmen, cost differences can only arise from different architect fees, right?

I would expect a GOOD architect to find the most cost-effective solutions to fulfill MY "specifications"?

--> how is it supposed to happen that two different architects design EXACTLY THE SAME house?

Further cost differences can also arise if one of the two architects overlooks some poor workmanship during the later "construction supervision"... and you end up with expensive repairs in 5 or 15 years... (which could have been avoided by immediate complaint)

I have another question about the architect. Assuming that two architects plan/build exactly the same house with the same craftsmen, can cost differences only arise from different architect fees or not?

Are you a philosophy student or a client? – it hardly gets more hypothetical. In practice, the same house planned by the same architect often becomes more expensive because the client tries to manage the tender themselves. And yes, of course, the sum from A+x can differ from the sum from A+y.

The fee calculation is based on HOAI. Some architects calculate below HOAI. Is there a guideline for how many % below HOAI a fair value would be?

You either apply HOAI or not. I would find a fee setting that advertises staying n,xy % below the value from the fee table "questionably serious." Besides, the HOAI values are already fair in themselves; no discounts are needed. Only that the owner-builder, although the project actually has more of an investment character, still thinks like a consumer and is used to some electronics store giving them “the VAT for free” at the beginning of the year as a special offer. And of course, HOAI cannot be case-appropriate in every single instance. Therefore, I consider freely agreed fees a suitable instrument to remedy this “deficiency.” But I cannot share the view that the fee table is consistently oversized by a certain factor and misses the right measure. The fees cover not only services and qualifications but also a mandatory professional liability insurance. An experienced architect with many “claim-free years” naturally pays lower premiums. But why should he pass those on to you, considering you also gain experience that lets him build you a better house? Moreover: who, conversely, would want to pay a beginner architect more for that reason? Either way: I hope you are not looking for a “discount architect” to piece together the cheapest possible ruin for you based on stupid BWL (business administration) logic.