The Old Suffering - Turnkey/Individual Contract

If the budget with the [GU] only allows for laminate and in the individual contract at the same price there is parquet, then I would rather choose parquet than be "only" satisfied with laminate. It's not more expensive than what has perhaps been discussed in talks with [GUs]. This is just one example of many. "Upgrading" windows (color, material, U-values), interior plaster Q3/Q4 instead of Q2, different electrical installation (more switches/outlets, LAN, automation), larger shower and maybe with rainshower instead of the classic shower bar with showerhead, etc. There is some truth to the fact that one tends to consume more (and build to a higher quality) rather than save.

If the budget with the general contractor only allows for laminate, but in the individual award at the same price there is parquet, then I would rather take parquet than be "just" satisfied with laminate. It’s not more expensive than what might have been discussed in talks with general contractors. This is just one example of many. Upgrading windows (color, material, U-values), interior plaster Q3/Q4 instead of Q2, different electrical installation (more switches/outlets, LAN, automation), larger shower and maybe with rainshower instead of classic shower rail with showerhead, etc. There is certainly some truth to the fact that people tend to consume (and build higher quality) rather than save.

I can only agree with that!

If the budget with the general contractor (GU) only allows for laminate, but with individual contracts parquet is included at the same price, then I would rather choose parquet than be "just" satisfied with laminate. It's not more expensive than what might have been discussed in talks with the GUs.
This is just one example among many. Upgrading windows (color, material, U-values), interior plaster Q3/Q4 instead of Q2, different electrical installation (more switches/sockets, LAN, automation), larger shower and maybe with rainshower instead of a classic shower rod with showerhead, etc.
There is some truth to the fact that people tend to consume more (and build higher quality) rather than save.

Please explain that to me (I, who built with a GU)
because I simply cannot agree with it.

If the construction specifications state: "Laminate valued at 20 €," but I want parquet with an additional cost of 50 €, then I can have the GU (or GU sub) install that.
Just because you build freely with an architect doesn't mean you get the parquet for 20 €; you also have to see where you get "your" parquet from. It's the same with the GU: I go to the stores and have "my" parquet delivered, which is then installed instead of the laminate.
Also, a GU provides everything that is possible as special equipment: colored, foiled windows, extra windows, special front door, Q4 instead of Q3, cement plaster instead of gypsum plaster... all with an additional cost.

Okay, I admit, some things like Velux windows, etc., may cost certain GUs an extremely higher price, so you no longer want to pay for them... but in that case, you can always arrange special orders with individual trades.

That's how it went at least with our GU! Our upgrades for the electrical, sanitary, and tiling were done exclusively through the trade companies.

Regards, Yvonne

This is how it went with our general contractor anyway! Our upgrades of the electrical system, plumbing, and tiles were handled exclusively through the trade companies.

But that is exactly the problem one often has with general contractors. They negotiate the subs down so much that nothing remains on the actual contract. Only through the special orders, where the client usually has no choice in which craftsmen to use (e.g., for the electrical work), do the trade companies make their profit. Then the socket costs 40 or 50€ instead of 30€ in an open tender. For the trade companies, it doesn’t matter as long as the average profit is right. If you sourced everything directly through the general contractor, it would get even more expensive. Example: Our snow guard cost twice as much per running meter through the GC as from the craftsman.

It works exactly the same with the general contractor: I go through the stores and have "my" parquet delivered, which is then installed instead of the laminate.

We thought the same with the tiles. However, our tiler received bigger discounts due to his purchase volumes at one tile retailer, but not at the other. So, indirectly, we were bound again, and we carried out a second sampling.

Hello Yvonne,
it's actually quite simple. From the beginning, we planned the house with our architect/site manager and specified a particular set of features.
With these plans and tenders, we initially approached GCs to get a sense of whether a) the budget fits and b) we would have built with a GC if we had received suitable offers.
After the offers (even after discussions and negotiations) were not really attractive to us, although probably market-appropriate for GC bids, we went into individual subcontracting. Then the calculation suddenly worked out much better for us, and we could afford features that we otherwise would not have chosen.
In the end, we were cheaper than building with a GC would have been, although more expensive than it would have been with the same features (in relation to the original plan).

It is true that you do get special requests with the GC, of course. However, from the outset there is a fixed price for the house on paper, which does not decrease during construction. Of course, I also see the risk that an architect might estimate too low and the house then becomes more expensive, but based on my current building experience (and that of our almost 40 neighbors who have also recently finished or will move in over the next few weeks), it is true that the features tend to be higher with individual subcontracting at a comparable price to a GC.

The response from exemplifies what the general contractor/contractor uses to keep their customers on their toes: with, quite literally, "superficial things." They prefer to settle the truly important matters for the durability and functionality of the house among themselves. But I prefer to discuss topics like these with my architect and the craftsmen:
- Details of the window lintels to avoid thermal bridges
- Thickness of the "black" insulation in the base area
- Exact installation of the underlay membrane on the rafters and how and where it interacts with the insulation. This determines whether your roof lasts forever or rots away in 5 years.
- Installation technique of the roof waterproofing (glued, nailed, welded, or a specific combination of all), type of roof waterproofing, details of the plumbing work in the roof area
- Ventilation of our 3° shed roof (which is still incorrectly stated in the standards, but recent findings have emerged in recent years that will eventually be incorporated into the standards)

I could write another 2 pages and still wouldn't be finished.
You have influence on all of this during the construction phase or in preliminary discussions beforehand and can positively affect it if you build with a clever architect and individual contracting.

The general contractor/contractor just builds as always, and the expert looks at it afterwards. Much of it can no longer be changed then or only with a major dispute.