The Old Suffering - Turnkey/Individual Contract

To be fair, I would like to point out that there are construction forums where things are much rougher than here

No question, I absolutely agree with you.
That is also the reason why I actually always quite like reading and writing here.

The problem I see in this case is that the original poster and other readers could become even more unsettled about what is best for them. Because the jack of all trades simply doesn't exist. Every approach has its advantages and disadvantages, and it is up to oneself to find out which path one wants to take.

Hello,

The problem I see in this case is that the OP and other readers could become even more uncertain about what is best for them.

You probably don’t need to worry much about that, in my opinion. Any halfway reasonable person will have enough sense/life experience to distinguish factual arguments from emotional posts; usually, every question here receives more than one answer.

And – honestly? If someone can’t do that, in my view they shouldn’t even try building a house; especially not managing individual trades themselves.

Someone once told me: "You can’t save everyone" – admittedly it took me a while, but eventually I understood that too. That’s why my above statement may come across as brutal/cold to you – it’s pure self-protection. The fact is, there are incorrigible people – you find those mostly in forums, by the way, when the proverbial horse has already bolted; BEFORE that it didn’t work. Another fact is that there are people who – regardless of the execution – only look at the price in the bottom right and then – in my view – become the rightful prey of their own stupidity. The result is that anyone with common sense or who recognizes they need to secure external help won’t fall flat on their face during a house building project; can properly classify posts in forums like this. Also recognizes whether an architect or a general contractor/trade contractor is the right choice.

Foolish greetings

Hello building expert,
As you yourselves already write, everyone is the architect of their own fortune. But that does not necessarily mean that one is better than the other.
Yes, we also built with an architect, but that is certainly not a cure-all.

Just as there are good or bad architects, there are good and bad general contractors (GUs). In the end, it is always a gut decision and also depends on the extent to which I want and can get involved during the construction. A turnkey construction can therefore be just as good as a house that was built by awarding individual trades.

That is exactly what I want to convey.
The fact is that with a GU you are "assigned" the craftsmen. That gives a certain degree of security to construction laymen. A client who builds with a freelance architect can fall on their face just as much as a client who builds with a GU. After all, the same craftsmen work for both GUs and architects. Nevertheless, I can imagine that a craftsman, with a "big contract" for an architect, advises his employees to deliver particularly good performances. For that, the work for a GU must basically be carried out satisfactorily, since the client ensures the basic orders of the company.

Hello,
In my opinion, you have to worry least about that. Every halfway reasonable person will have enough sense/life experience to be able to distinguish factual arguments from emotional posts; every question here usually receives more than one answer.

For some, I also think for klblb, the status of architect-built houses applies. I can understand that when a bad GU with an unmotivated architect is compared to a creative freelance architect. Unfortunately, one must also say that this kind of architect is proportionally in the minority. I know (not only from our new housing development) houses from architects that offer less quality of life than standard houses from a GU. Of course, one does not know to what extent the clients' wishes were taken into account.
But I also personally know architects whose own homes did not even come from their ultimate designs.
However, the available capital also plays a big role in that.

By the way, construction troubles with craftsmen occur equally with GUs as with architect builds – from what I gather here in my small new building environment.

A tip for those who build with a GU (and also with a freelance architect): seek contact with the craftsmen on site. Friendliness and respect are better received than patronizing behavior and bossy airs. This way, as a GU builder, you also gain favor for advice and tips, and small extras are naturally carried out.
Those who don’t have the time (after all, that’s also a reason for turnkey GU construction) can still be sure that the house will be built as planned.

And not to forget: a GU also has an architect!

Basically, when exchanging opinions, one should not view a situation only from their own perspective, but rather look from above or outside and view the situation objectively.

Best regards, Yvonne