Waiting time for floor plans and offers

I honestly can't really explain it. Just a feeling. Are there even fixed prices with architects? To be honest, I haven't really dealt with that, as it hasn't been an issue for us so far.

Only if the architect is also a general contractor. Why is that not an issue for you? We've gone through a few general contractors and were not at all satisfied with the initial "consultation" service. All half-baked statements like "we'll see when we start," and incomprehensible additional charges, and so on. Everything geared towards quick signatures without much thought. I also find this complete inflexibility terrible – no one knows how much you shell out for the individual trades. If I were you, I would at least look into it.

That's why I wrote that we are starting to think about it, but it simply hasn't been an issue until now because we thought the [GU] would be the right choice for us. But somehow the subconscious says that the architect is definitely more expensive anyway. Maybe a completely wrong assessment, I don't know.

That's why I wrote that we are starting to think about it, but it simply hasn't been an issue so far because we thought the general contractor (GU) would be the right choice for us.

But somehow the subconscious says that the architect is definitely more expensive anyway. Maybe a completely wrong assessment, I don't know.

How do you compare architect and general contractor (GU) ;) Architect costs including construction management about 10% of the house price. That's about what a general contractor (GU/GÜ) wants as margin. Six of one, half a dozen of the other. But: transparency!

we showed up there with a floor plan template that is to be adapted to our needs.

Maybe you should introduce yourself here, preferably by using the questionnaire at the top of the floor plan section, and then (caution: without a link!) name the house model that the floor plan template was, and of course say which points should be adjusted in it.

But somehow the subconscious says that the architect is definitely much more expensive anyway. Maybe a completely wrong assessment, I don’t know.

I think here two fears from false assumptions are mixing: 1a. Architects design design objects; 1b. we have to pay the fee on top; 2a. with an architect you always end up with direct awarding; 2b. direct awarding means price risk and loss of overview. How fortunate that all this is a misconception! 1a. Over ninety percent of architects (in the single-family house sector) in turn make over ninety percent of houses for Müllermeierschulzes, i.e., without wanting to set monuments and for people with normal demands. 1b. The planning service of the general contractor’s draftsman is priced in instead of free, and what the visibly self-paid architect "costs more," he earns back through a more successful house: detailed planning helps to significantly reduce "drywall" entanglements of downpipes & co. 2a. With an architect you should always also do a tender, but the tender is an essential instrument for ACTIVE cost control [sorry for the shouting, but bold formatting does no longer work here, so I resort to CAPS]. A tender is NOT a decision against a general contractor; a good architect always enables the general contractor to participate in the tenders as well. 2b. The tender even minimizes the price risk, and the architect keeps the overview. I am happy to assist in finding the architect, freely according to Jim Rockford: eMail is enough ;-)

We have reserved the plot and researched house providers online. We compared construction service descriptions that were sent to us, inquired about house costs and surcharges by phone, and considered a general contractor since everything matched our (modest) wishes there. The first personal meeting took place in December, and in January we signed the contract with the recorded positions. We developed the floor plan ourselves even for a standard house, partially changed positions, and the building application was submitted in March. Although one should compare, I sometimes wonder what you want to compare? The general contractor offers their construction method. This varies more or less and ultimately determines the price. You can often see for yourself who is not an option. If a general contractor offers you the 150 sqm house for 1900/sqm, they will save something compared to one or more offering 2200/sqm. Reference numbers are available online. Ultimately, with you, you can say that all others are eliminated and the one who has contacted you so far makes it into the shortlist.

The architect has a decisive advantage in this regard. Because you pay him, he implements your wishes in close coordination. You can agree on the number of service phases with him, and if you are communicative and occasionally pick up the phone, you can save a lot through individual awarding. It is also considered individual awarding if you agree with a shell builder and he obtains offers from companies he works well with. If you are unsure, you can book all the service phases, which is admittedly somewhat more expensive but offers you relatively great security because the architect checks all the specifications, acts as an external site manager, coordinates everything, and can accordingly (at least on paper) be held liable if something is overlooked in construction. At first, I was also very uncertain because many house providers want to convince you of the impossibility of this approach, saying that applications are complicated, costs are unpredictable, etc. But honestly: you want to build and spend a lot of money, and if you familiarize yourself a little with the subject matter, you can manage it well. We were very satisfied to have chosen the architect.