Waiting time for floor plans and offers

The architect showed us the first draft as agreed approximately 6 weeks after the last preliminary meeting.

Ultimately, with you guys, one can say that everyone else gets kicked out and the one who has gotten in touch so far makes it to the narrower "selection."

Well, that would also be nonsense if I want to get different offers and then take the one who is ready first.

Our "favorite from the start" has our documents, I asked about that on the phone yesterday, has now handed them over to an architect and we are supposed to be patient for another 3 weeks. I hope that we will learn something after that. We also had the best conversation with them of all.

I can do the questionnaire during the day. Does that fit here in the thread?


Individual awarding is not an option for us, we simply lack the time and also the experience for it. And for me personally, especially the decisiveness.

Well, that would be nonsense somewhere if I want to get different offers and then choose the one who is ready first.

Not the one who is FIRST ready. But the one who even responds. In the case of single awarding, currently you have to wait for every trade... that would not be an alternative unless you have a lot of time. It is not without reason that a construction with an architect takes longer than with a general contractor.

We emailed everyone and all responded promptly. So it wasn't the case that we had to beg for a first appointment.

We started contacting 4 well-known and recommended general contractors in January 2020.

Although all responded relatively quickly and there were also discussions, they did not want to go into too much detail since no contract had been signed.

All sent a house proposal including an offer after about 2-4 weeks.

However, only one general contractor looked at the conditions of our plot in advance and quantified the additional costs for the earthworks. They also gave us a lot of information and help before we had even signed.

In the meantime, I wanted to try working with an architect because our plot is quite small and also has a slope.

I couldn’t find an architect with available capacity.

In the end, we signed with our preferred general contractor in November 2020. Changes sometimes take 2-3 weeks to be addressed, but we were informed in advance that the order books are currently full and that supposed minor issues may be delayed a bit. It is annoying, but as long as there is no pressure, it’s okay. The delays caused by the waiting times for updating our building documents were absorbed by the building authority. We received the building permit within 9 working days.

If you have a “simple” plot, I would look at who gives you the most secure feeling and trust. I think both a general contractor and an architect can make you happy there. If you have a plot with obstacles, I would definitely try to hire an architect!

You can arrange the number of service phases with him

I generally advise, as the döner seller says, to take "with everything," meaning service phases 1 through and including 8; service phase 9 is "extra onions" and, in my opinion, a bit too much for a single-family house. Many home builders find it wise to make a cutoff after service phase 4—I don’t: after service phase 2 you know if you have the right one. Therefore, I recommend agreeing on an exit option after service phase 2, but otherwise to make the architect contract from service phase 1 through service phase 8.

Direct awarding is out of the question for us; we simply lack the time and experience for that.

With an architect, I always recommend a tender. That is not the same as direct awarding, but in my opinion still makes the most sense, namely in separate lots but still with the option to offer as a general contractor (GU). With a client-appointed and also site-managing architect, GUs are just as recommendable contractors as they are risk-free.

I can do the questionnaire at some point during the day. Is that okay here in the thread?

Freely after Günter Schabowski: to my knowledge, yes ;-)

If you have a plot with obstacles, I would definitely try to hire an architect!

Obstacle would be too strong a word, but the indecisiveness of the building authority regarding the building line or perhaps just the building boundary and whether or not to build relevantly on it or maybe just touch it with the little toe—that’s not entirely trivial.