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Hello everyone,

We (my husband and I) have been looking for a plot of land / house for some time. Since the market here - Cologne - is quite tight and we would like to move to a specific area, it will most likely be an existing property. In our preferred neighborhood, the buildings are mostly from 1960-1970.

When buying, we also want to involve an expert, preferably with experience in renovations, including planning the renovation / refurbishment (heating, electrical, sanitary, water pipes, etc.). I am currently thinking about where to best find one. The Yellow Pages are always an option, of course, but I would feel uncomfortable with that, as there is much less quality available. When a house comes on the market here, you often have to act quickly. So I would like to start searching in advance.

I have also looked into the Bauherren-Schutzbund; does anyone have experience with them?

Or can you get a recommendation from the financing bank?

We do not want to renovate energetically, so KfW advisors are out.

Does anyone have tips for us?

You are welcome to get in touch with me. I will then send you information about my real estate purchase consultation by email. An on-site appointment for the inspection (usually lasting 3 hours) is generally possible with 1-2 days' notice. In which district of Cologne are you searching? Or are you interested in a specific property?

Hello,
please contact the Regional Office of the Verband Privater Bauherren in Cologne, they can surely arrange someone.

As you can see from the first replies under your post, your question inevitably leads to self-promotion (if the responding user is a professional), which is exactly not desired here!

Regarding your questions:

There are many ways to Rome ;-) There is the Bauherren-Schutzbund (Bauherren-Schutzbund), the Verband privater Bauherren (Verband Privater Bauherren), and there are independent experts, for example found through the Bundesverband freier Sachverständiger e.V. As I recently noted with surprise, a well-known coffee roaster wanted to offer this service :-(

Choosing an expert involves not only proven reputation but also trust. That means your gut feeling must also agree!

We renovate existing buildings ourselves, so I know that the financing bank often insists on a construction supervising expert. So asking who the financing bank has trusted so far is not wrong!

Otherwise – our gut is a good indicator; especially when we have little experience. So have conversations with 2 or 3 experts and listen to what they tell you about their approach/references. Don’t be dazzled by things like "x inspections are a must" or similar, but trust yourself!

I think it’s very good that you are already thinking about an expert at this early stage!

Construction expert on the go

Since not only consulting services but also planning services are required in connection with the renovation of a building, the contact person for purchase advice, which primarily involves assessing the condition of preservation, any building damage – often moisture damage – and the scope of the renovation, is an architect experienced with older buildings or a structural engineer. Renovating an existing building is fundamentally different from construction supervision by an expert during the prefabricated house construction process. Qualified site management – which is, by the way, also fundamentally different from "construction supervision" – is not exhausted by "x inspections for a flat rate of € ...". In the case of existing building renovations, things are somewhat more complex again.

The renovation of an existing building is something fundamentally different,

No question Will - that’s not what I meant; I just wanted to point out to the OP the "possible" objections from their financing bank.

Renovations of existing buildings are then somewhat more complex.

Yep - that’s why you need - besides an experienced expert - also an engineer - sometimes even more specialized personnel - ... but that wasn’t the question :D

Rhenish greetings