Searching for GU in the East Berlin area - are the requirements realistic?

Did they also mediate your general contractor?

Nope. I "inherited" mine from the neighbor. The neighbor got it through the property with a building obligation. I didn't have any obligation for my half and already paid more for the property. I then thought about synergy effects etc. and was also put under pressure by the real estate agent. If everything had gone more smoothly, I probably would have chosen a different provider from the start, but I felt pressured.

Well, you did get advice and a house design. So you’re probably stuck with it.

Ooh, well, it’s not that simple: a service offer including floor plan was already available after the first sales meeting. We only signed the document later to get the plot of land. So far, he has at most done what any seller does during acquisition.

It’s starting to dawn on me what is meant here by the mysterious “project consultant”: namely apparently a building contract commission intermediary, who attaches himself to a realtor’s plot offer, inserts himself, and “sells” the prospective builder to a general contractor/house manufacturer. He helps a little with the design process and charges extra as a consulting service for this value-added sales representation. So he bundles the plot, the mediated building contract, and a bit of additionally remunerated hand-holding of the plot buyers. With a good criminal defense lawyer or an overburdened public prosecutor, this goes through as a gray area or results only in a fine or suspension under conditions. A reputable approach is different—I can assure you that free construction consulting can also be done honorably, as not only I but also numerous competitors demonstrate.

No, that’s not quite right. We have an independent project consultant. We had already brought him along before. (We only signed his contract once we had something more concrete in mind; we had a discussion about our financial feasibility, amounts, etc. beforehand with him, which he counted as “acquisition without extra charge.”) The seller is from a construction company, and according to the realtor, she likes to work with him because people want to visualize houses on the plots. So project consultant, seller, and realtor are three different people/entities. We have a contract with the project consultant for the general project; we only pay extra if we should change the plot or similar. The project consultant also handles financing. The seller has a house design and advertises the plot but made it clear from the start that the plot is available through the realtor (but it was quite clear he handles the mediation). We signed this “reservation” aka “consulting contract” (an A4 sheet) with the seller “because otherwise it wouldn’t be possible due to the tax office regarding real estate transfer tax, etc.” And here I agree with you, and others have told me this as well: 1. The price is usury, and 2. this construct could even generally be illegal. Long story short: In the financing, I have conservatively planned 10k€, but if necessary, I would activate legal protection insurance.

So the plot was bought, and you don’t have to get out of a building contract because none was concluded. But he would have mediated one, the conditions of which you find excessive. I can only repeat that it is generally too early to talk about building contract contents before independent planning. If you engaged his “consulting services,” you will at least have to compare with him about remuneration. For me—and I can probably speak for my competitors as well—there would be a 10k consulting fee on the invoice only if it were a multi-family house with a gilded garbage bin box. I urgently need to raise my prices, thanks for the reminder!

The first sentence is correct. And of course, now after the plot purchase contract signing, he wants us to sign his work contract for the company he works for. According to the contract, we wouldn’t have to pay anything anyway. So far, he has even spent less time with us than we had with 2-3 other sellers :D And that’s all acquisition, nothing about independent advice. Pure sales talk. After signing this A4 sheet, there was not much or any “consulting.” So as I said, if necessary, I’ll pull the legal protection card. And so far, everyone says this is very unprofessional.

And what I’ve also noticed by now: The construction company S&K quotes Viebrockhaus prices without probably delivering Viebrockhaus service. I also had a quote made there, and it’s really a joke what I get from S&K for sum X compared to Viebrockhaus.

We will now gradually compare the service offers piece by piece in a table and maybe eventually hire prefab house experts for a detailed comparison. And also have the work contract thoroughly reviewed somewhere before finalizing.

Best regards

Oh God. You can hardly imagine more parties, contracts, and "wipes."

Reads like "we couldn't mess up and bind ourselves any more than this."

Oh God. You can hardly imagine even more parties, contracts, and "wipes." Reads like "we couldn't mess up any more and let ourselves get tied down."

Hmm, I definitely don't see it that way. Having our advisor helps us enormously. And honestly, for the time he spends with us, he charges really little. He mainly advises us on financing including payout plans and he has also been on top of making sure we calculate very conservatively for the financing and that we also include items like building surveyors etc. He has a feel for prices in the real estate market. In my opinion, he’s not a 100% construction expert, but at least has a good overview. Whether existing property or new build, the contract with him would have been the same. The project is basically a "homeowner's own home." We can hardly avoid a broker for the land. And unfortunately, the female broker got a bit (business-wise) involved with the seller. In my eyes, the price of the land was and is worth the stress.

With the project consultant, we have a contract for the general project, we only pay extra if we should change the plot of land or something like that. The project consultant also handles financing. The seller has a house design and has listed the plot, but stated from the outset that the plot is through the realtor (but it was quite clear that he takes care of the brokerage). With the seller, we signed this "reservation" aka "consultation contract" (an A4 sheet), "because it wouldn’t work otherwise due to the tax office regarding real estate transfer tax, etc."

I'll start from the end: the tax office may notice a delay but still before the statute of limitations that the name of the land inserter has already been scribbled multiple times in their personal file, and at the latest then the connected deal will come to light. From my point of view, he is at least walking a fine line between symbiont and parasite (from the realtor’s side probably the former, but from your side rather the latter). And he is the source of the house design you used for inquiries? (Otherwise, I still could not unravel this point).

In the coming days, we will also compare the service offers piece by piece in a table, and maybe at the end engage the prefabricated house experts for a precise comparison. And have the construction contract also examined somewhere in detail then finally.

Oh, how many times will I still be talking to a wall that these table comparison attempts only lead astray?
Having a construction contract (e.g. from the "prefab house expert" or from "Bauglück") examined is always recommended. However, the examination is only an addition, and not a substitute for an actively created building specification.

And what I’ve noticed by now: The construction company S&K charges prices, probably without delivering Viebrockhaus service. I also got an offer there, and what I get from S&K for amount X is really a joke compared to Viebrockhaus.

Viebrockhaus must have good marketing if so many house-building interested parties benchmark on a negotiation basis. I hear much more often from Tönjes & Meichsner that they are worthy of standards (which doesn't help you for reasons of regionality in/near Berlin. How far KB Brandis extends, I don’t know right now). I haven’t dealt intensively enough with Sander & Knispel to answer the rather philosophical question in my opinion "how Viebrockhaus are they?" However, I can only imagine that they would be more expensive in connection with what I’d call building specification-distant special requests. Would they be the general contractor proposed by the broker?

I'll start from the end: at the tax office it might be noticed with some delay but still before the statute of limitations that the name of the land tenant has already been scribbled several times in his personal file; at the latest then the connected transaction will be uncovered. From my point of view, he is at least walking a tightrope between symbiont and parasite (from the broker's side probably the former, but from your side more the latter). And he is the one who created the house design that you used for the inquiries? (otherwise, I still haven't been able to unravel this point).

Since it is a piece of land that is being divided, and the others are also involved with this construct with S&K, according to my advisor the risk is even higher that there might be problems in the future.

Would he be the general contractor proposed by the intermediary?

The "intermediary" is their (only?) seller in Berlin. So, as far as I know, he is employed directly by S&K and has an office in Berlin.