ᐅ Who has built a house with an architect? Any experiences to share?
Created on: 13 Aug 2015 21:29
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xycrazy
Hello everyone,
Until yesterday, we were basically agreed that we wanted to work with a reputable local builder for a turnkey project. However, after receiving the new price update yesterday, we were shocked. It is €30,000 to €40,000 (about $32,000 to $43,000) higher than what was initially quoted to us in the last conversation—even though we are now saving several thousand euros on other costs like excavation, disposal, and the basement due to new circumstances. We are looking at costs of around €1782 per square meter (about $165 per square foot) of heated living space, including the basement and all additional construction costs, but excluding utility connection fees and a double garage for €25,000 (with rooftop terrace). This seems quite high to me. Of course, the builder has an excellent reputation, which we verified, but I’m afraid we are paying a premium for that.
That said, we are now so frustrated that we are considering whether it might be better to work with an architect instead. The advantages in our view would be full cost transparency in the offers, more flexibility, and a better house design tailored to our preferences in terms of appearance. The disadvantages would be the architect’s fee and the lack of price certainty compared to a fixed-price contract. However, there is some hope that it might turn out cheaper—or at least that for the same budget we would get a higher standard, such as a full basement instead of just a partial one, and so on.
I would therefore appreciate hearing about your experiences with architects. Have you worked with them, and if so, how did it go? Did you stay within budget? If not, what was the reason? And if you decided against using an architect, what led to that decision? Perhaps some of you had contact with architects but some aspects put you off? I am open to all feedback.
Thank you!
Best regards
Until yesterday, we were basically agreed that we wanted to work with a reputable local builder for a turnkey project. However, after receiving the new price update yesterday, we were shocked. It is €30,000 to €40,000 (about $32,000 to $43,000) higher than what was initially quoted to us in the last conversation—even though we are now saving several thousand euros on other costs like excavation, disposal, and the basement due to new circumstances. We are looking at costs of around €1782 per square meter (about $165 per square foot) of heated living space, including the basement and all additional construction costs, but excluding utility connection fees and a double garage for €25,000 (with rooftop terrace). This seems quite high to me. Of course, the builder has an excellent reputation, which we verified, but I’m afraid we are paying a premium for that.
That said, we are now so frustrated that we are considering whether it might be better to work with an architect instead. The advantages in our view would be full cost transparency in the offers, more flexibility, and a better house design tailored to our preferences in terms of appearance. The disadvantages would be the architect’s fee and the lack of price certainty compared to a fixed-price contract. However, there is some hope that it might turn out cheaper—or at least that for the same budget we would get a higher standard, such as a full basement instead of just a partial one, and so on.
I would therefore appreciate hearing about your experiences with architects. Have you worked with them, and if so, how did it go? Did you stay within budget? If not, what was the reason? And if you decided against using an architect, what led to that decision? Perhaps some of you had contact with architects but some aspects put you off? I am open to all feedback.
Thank you!
Best regards
I think it also depends a lot on how well you know the subject. We consider ourselves "professionals" because several houses have been built by family members and friends over the past few years. We had plenty of contacts with all kinds of tradespeople and were basically able to manage everything ourselves from the shell construction stage onward. Additionally, my husband works as a purchaser, so when it came to buying materials, he was often able to get prices similar to those companies receive. The salespeople just smiled whenever they saw us at the building supply store. I also kept everything meticulously recorded in an Excel spreadsheet and know exactly how much the house cost.
Häuslebau3r9 Sep 2015 11:07Well, building or supervising the construction of houses is one thing, but building one yourself is another. Of course, you learn a lot of things that current homeowners might now do differently. Nevertheless, in the last three years, four houses have been built, but unfortunately only one was designed by an architect who was a family member.
So unfortunately, there are no comparable projects in relation to my current situation.
So unfortunately, there are no comparable projects in relation to my current situation.
Yes, that’s true. In our circle of friends, it’s common to build with architects... Honestly, I don’t personally know anyone who has worked with a general contractor or built a prefab house or anything like that... But it’s true that prices have increased significantly again in the past few years, and it’s difficult to make the "right" decision.
Häuslebau3r26 Oct 2015 14:59I need to bring this topic up again.
Yesterday we visited some acquaintances who built their house some time ago, but we were not as involved as with other friends. When asked whether they worked with an architect or a general contractor, the term "Planzeichner" came up.
Has anyone had experience with this? In the end, this person was able to calculate the structural engineering as well as carry out further on-site inspections, which apparently saved some money. The homeowners were satisfied.
Yesterday we visited some acquaintances who built their house some time ago, but we were not as involved as with other friends. When asked whether they worked with an architect or a general contractor, the term "Planzeichner" came up.
Has anyone had experience with this? In the end, this person was able to calculate the structural engineering as well as carry out further on-site inspections, which apparently saved some money. The homeowners were satisfied.
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