Weberhaus vs Gruber Holzhaus: Offer Questions

.. but Weberhaus offers various expansion stages. It may be that they are among the only ones who take turnkey literally, but this expansion stage is, like with others, rarely chosen because in the end, you can easily save a good five-figure sum with the final one. So it is only an option.

I have not heard that before (and from my point of view, they are not doing themselves any favors with it – many competitors do this, but then deliberately with other brands established specifically for that). In my projects, Weberhaus only comes up as a classic Audi, never as a Skoda or Seat, not even as a VW.

I have actually read several times that the plaster is applied later.

From my point of view, this forfeits a significant advantage of the "finished" house (that no facade scaffold needs to be used for setting – depending on the provider, including the roof). With unfinished plaster, such a scaffold is required after all, as with a construction-site-built ("stone on stone") house.

Your questions, in my opinion, show that there is still a lot of hidden potential and that you are quite inexperienced. In other words: the perfect customers for the general contractor.

Exactly: the OPs perceive themselves as "let us remain laymen, set up the house for us without involving us significantly," making them the perfect customers for a general contractor. From my point of view, for the very same reason, they are the perfect customers for an architect or the perfect victims for a general contractor.

Addendum: Your room program does not require 200 m2 of living space. Just so you know.

That's right. Let's assume I am wrong, and the OPs have created not 20%, but only 10% unnoticeable unused square meters in their self-planning. Then an architect’s design (with undiminished living value size!) can be 20 sqm smaller (times 3k/sqm equals 60k less from the house price). That is significantly more than his full fee; hiring the architect would therefore have more than paid for itself! – anyone who still "saves" by self-planning there has too much money.

Thank you for the explanations! What do you mean by perfect clients for an architect? We have an architect and we would like the 180-200m2 even though the room requirements could also be realized in 160 (if the larger area fits the budget). Or do you mean architect, tendering all trades separately and moving away from the general contractor?!

Addendum: Your room program does not require 200m2 of living space. Just so you know.

We have an architect and we would like 180-200m2 even though the room requirements could also be realized with 160 (if the larger area fits into the budget).

Actually, I would start here first. "We want 180-200sqm" is too undifferentiated for me. I have requirements for rooms, living feel and size, plus a very specific plot of land and a more or less skillful architect. Ultimately, you can get a built box with 220sqm and a cleverly designed, stylish house with 160sqm. In some cases, too much area can even be a disadvantage.
The smarter planning will certainly save you more money and bring more living enjoyment.
Maybe you bring the project known so far here and approach it from this side?

Collected my two cents on this:

- Prefabricated house (timber frame) and solid construction are on the same plot. +/- similarly priced, since both only boil with water. Customer wishes often make the difference (simply with ETICS is noticeably cheaper than elaborate brick facade - just as an example)
- 200 sqm is solely due to your desire for a lot of space, not the room program (which is the plot's. not bad, if you keep in mind that wishes cost money
- Subs are the most natural thing in the world, almost no one builds without them anymore. But it doesn't matter on which payroll the craftsman is
- Completion dates or rather a binding construction period have been a legal requirement for all construction law contracts for several years
- Wishful thinking with construction contracts. Usually, these are standard contracts that have developed over years or decades. Especially larger companies don't feel like drafting an individual contract for every construction project, which also has to be legally clean and where the lawyer (whether internal or external) has to be paid by the company

Did you have a fixed date in the Weberhaus contract or just this "expansion stage x is regularly reached after xx weeks"?

How often did you see your site manager / were you satisfied with them? The seller said there are 15 Weberhaus site managers in Germany and 3 for Bavaria and they would manage it well - that seems very few to me (also nationwide 700 houses in the current year).

What do you mean by perfect clients for an architect? We have an architect and we would like the 180-200m2 even though the room wishes could also be realized on 160 (if the larger area fits the budget).

That you have an architect, I have not noticed yet – or do you mean an "architect"? Twenty indulgence square meters and twenty amateur planning surcharge square meters are a world of difference but cost the same – namely: more than professional planning compared to (the self-planning not clarified by the drafting assistant). We think that as laypersons who do not want to be professionally overwhelmed, you should make an architect the trustee of your construction project. Mind you, a freelance, self-mandated architect. In court, one does not just "settle" with the opponent’s lawyer either.

Or do you mean architect, tender all trades individually and move away from the general contractor?!

Even with a GC, a tender in all individual lots should be conducted. One goes to a GC – regardless of construction method – only after, and not instead of tendering. You do not exclude the GC in this process but you do not limit the tender only to it.

The seller said there are 15 in Germany and 3 in Bavaria Weberhaus site managers and they would manage well – that seems very little to me given (even in the current year) 700 houses nationwide in Germany.

These are also "site managers" and not site managers, that’s the simple explanation for the difference. They do not replace your architect site manager or construction-accompanying expert, and their tasks are different, with minimal overlap (and even those they perform according to the requirements of the other party).