Turnkey or self-management?

... (remember, you are a dilettante!), the more likely you might be the type for doing it yourself.

Off topic: Or autodidact. ;-)

With all (expensive) special requests and adjustments that are not possible with the general contractor.

Do you have examples of what a building owner might want that a prefab house manufacturer or general contractor could not manage? I don't notice anything in most houses that I wouldn't expect a prefab house manufacturer or general contractor to handle. I am speaking now of "normal" houses of "average" building owners (I certainly do not want to offend anyone with this description, but most houses don't seem particularly special to me), which you usually see.

But: do all GCs/DBs agree to this or do they usually insist on their standard designs? And is the paid planning service of the architect also credited?

Why shouldn't a GC implement your supplied architect's design? Ours does too. What should he credit? You go there, agree with him on what you want, and pay the agreed price. If the planning service is part of his construction service description, he will deduct that and you pay amount x less. However, he will certainly not credit you exactly the amount of your paid architect fees, but surely less.

Ultimately, you could also agree with the GC/DB that, for example, only the shell construction is to be carried out (e.g. up to and including roof covering) and the rest will be done by me through individual contracts.

I don’t understand why you need/want a GC for that. Then you could just go to a construction company with your plan and have them build up the shell construction, the same with the roofer. Or do you want a plan from the GC and then continue alone after the shell is done?

You can do anything. But service phases 1-3 are too little. You should rather take 1-4 (5) and go to the general contractor with a finished product.

Okay, then rather like that. Maybe I’m not 100% confident yet ;)

But then you have to spend at least some thousand euros for a construction manager/construction supervisor/expert who monitors the project.

Doesn’t the GC/BU do that? In my understanding, they then build the house according to the architect’s planning. Similar to what, for example, Town & Country would do. Only without prior own planning.

And if the construction company already does the shell including roof, it’s almost not worth awarding the rest yourself anymore. You usually do that when you do the interior finishing yourself, because you have the electrician or plumber in the family, you install the underfloor heating yourself and can also lay tiles etc. on the floor.

Okay, I suspected as much.

Do you have examples of what a builder might want and a prefab house manufacturer or GC couldn’t manage? I can’t find anything in most houses that I wouldn’t expect a prefab house manufacturer or GC to handle. I’m talking about “normal” houses of “average” builders (I certainly don’t want to offend anyone by that description, but most houses don’t seem particularly special to me) that you see so often.

I definitely don’t consider our approach extraordinary. Sure, we have a few wishes that I neither want to give up nor am willing to pay a lot for. But on the whole, I think we don’t wish for anything out of the ordinary. However, I don’t want to get ripped off (especially financially). We had some preliminary talks recently with Viebrockhaus and I definitely had the feeling that they tried to sell me all sorts of things for a lot of money...

Why shouldn’t a GC implement your brought-in architect’s design? Ours does that too. What should they charge? You go there, agree on what you want with them and pay the agreed price. If the planning service is part of their scope of work, they will delete it and you pay sum x less. But they won’t credit you exactly the amount of your architect’s fee, surely less.

Okay, I was more interested in getting a feeling of where I would end up price-wise compared to an off-the-shelf house (e.g. Viebrockhaus, Town & Country, etc.).

I don’t understand why you need/want a GC for that. Then you could just go with your plan to a construction company and have them build the shell, same with the roofer. Or do you want a plan from the GC and then continue alone after the shell?

That would be roughly my original approach. Ultimately, everyone advises me against it (due to lack of expertise and experience)...

Doesn't the GU/BU do that? In my understanding, he then builds the house according to the architect's plans.

Someone has to check the GU/BU. Is he supposed to approve his own work and confirm to you that there are no defects? One ALWAYS has someone inspect the work, whether architect, construction manager, or expert.

I do not consider our approach at all unusual. Sure, we do have a few wishes that I neither want to be talked out of nor want to pay dearly for. Overall, however, I think we do not desire anything extraordinary.

Then you are predestined for an off-the-shelf house. Building laymen who "just" want their little house.

Someone has to inspect the GU/BU. Should he approve his own work and confirm to you that there are no defects? You ALWAYS have someone check the work, whether it’s an architect, site manager, or expert.

What you say sounds absolutely plausible to me. But: who supervises the construction company for an off-the-shelf house? For example, if I build with Viebrockhaus, Town & Country, etc.?

Then you are predestined for an off-the-shelf house. Laypeople who just want to have their little house "simply."

Can you recommend a suitable partner? Viebrockhaus definitely was not for us. Felt way too expensive and 3-4 hours of preliminary talks were more like a sales event than a real project initiation...

What you say sounds absolutely plausible to me. But: who supervises the construction company when building a cookie-cutter house? For example, if I build with Viebrockhaus, Town & Country, etc.?

Your expert. Even then you hire one. You spend half a million on a house, so you want clean workmanship and no "hidden/undiscovered" defects.

Can you recommend a suitable partner?

No. But I would simply check with your local home builders. Then the craftsmen are also from the region. And then take the wall construction that the company uses. Don’t fixate on one construction method – they are all good and work.