Hello everyone,
we are looking for advice on what the typical process of building or buying a house from prefabricated house manufacturers should look like.
Our story: About 12 weeks ago, we decided to invest in a home for our family with two children. Our initial online research showed that something might be possible within our budget, specifically with a prefabricated house provider. Our next step was to visit a smaller model home park nearby. There, we met a very friendly and, from our layman’s perspective, seemingly competent salesperson from prefabricated house provider O (we’ll just call them that). He asked about our budget (which we had roughly calculated with our bank beforehand) and ran some numbers. He finally told us that with our price expectations (based on internet research and our own ideas of a house) and planned personal contributions, it might just work. BUT: there was a 3.5% price increase coming this month (January 18) — he showed us the calculation to emphasize how much money we would lose if we didn’t act quickly. He then presented a document for us to sign. It was a letter guaranteeing the current price according to the official price list but giving us the right to withdraw if we did not secure the chosen plot of land (which was still up for public tender) or if financing fell through. Regarding financing, he also said he had an ace up his sleeve and wanted to lock us in with an on-site appointment with an (of course) independent financial broker who would work for us free of charge. We felt rushed — this was supposed to be the first conversation. We thought it was unbelievable — provider O was off our list.
What can I say — other providers had a similar approach, as we found out during other model home visits. At provider F’s model home in Fellbach, we found exactly the house we had imagined in terms of layout. The salesperson, also very business-minded, made a good impression, but our enthusiasm quickly vanished when he urged us to sign the construction contract because of the current price increase (February 2018). To top it off, he wanted to print the offer he had just calculated at the computer and backdate it by 14 days — his reasoning: legally, the customer must have at least 14 days to review the offer and possibly revoke it. Since the price increase deadline was already past, we could not wait the full 14 days but only until the next day. WHAT??? Is that even allowed? Candidate number two also dropped off our list of serious providers.
Our last visit to a model home nearby was with provider B, which was our second appointment there. During the first contact, the salesperson took a lot of time, and we talked for two hours about possible house options based on our wishes. He calculated what we could afford based on our current income situation but did not give us a concrete price. He promised to clarify this and present initial plans by the next appointment. To build what he called a “mutual basic trust” (after all, we could tell stories about what the bank said we could afford), he insisted we speak beforehand with an independent mortgage broker to establish the actual financing framework. Overall, we had high expectations of company B, as the first meeting was pressure-free and online research was almost exclusively positive. A recent test comparing fair prefabricated house manufacturers reinforced our positive impression — this seemed like a fair and honest partner. However, at the end of today’s appointment, this provider also wanted us to secure the current prices and save 30,000 euros (around $33,000) by signing a construction contract. Of course, we would sign an addendum in case we did not find a plot or financing fell through. We have not yet seen an offer or house plans. He said he would prepare those only at the next meeting, which was supposedly urgent. He did not keep the promises from the first visit.
We are now honestly wondering if it is common to sign a construction contract even though
A) I have not secured a plot yet (which can significantly affect the actual costs)
B) I do not have concrete financing plans (we definitely do not want to exclude the option of the L-Bank loan — all financial advisers actually advise against it!)
C) Or even have seen an offer with the provider’s prices and service details???
To us, this just feels like a scam. I myself work in sales, and my clients would tell me off if I used such methods. Signing first and then seeing what services you actually receive from me...
How do we find a reputable provider who enables a “normal” house-building process? Are we possibly approaching this the wrong way? Who has had similar experiences, and how did it turn out?
I want to make it clear that I do not generally object to being informed about possible price increases — in fact, I see it as a sign of competence when a salesperson informs customers of major changes. But the way they pressure us into signing is very off-putting.
How can we get offers to compare without ending up at the “contract table” facing binding attempts every time?
We would be very grateful for advice, experiences, or guidance from other homebuilders.
Best regards
we are looking for advice on what the typical process of building or buying a house from prefabricated house manufacturers should look like.
Our story: About 12 weeks ago, we decided to invest in a home for our family with two children. Our initial online research showed that something might be possible within our budget, specifically with a prefabricated house provider. Our next step was to visit a smaller model home park nearby. There, we met a very friendly and, from our layman’s perspective, seemingly competent salesperson from prefabricated house provider O (we’ll just call them that). He asked about our budget (which we had roughly calculated with our bank beforehand) and ran some numbers. He finally told us that with our price expectations (based on internet research and our own ideas of a house) and planned personal contributions, it might just work. BUT: there was a 3.5% price increase coming this month (January 18) — he showed us the calculation to emphasize how much money we would lose if we didn’t act quickly. He then presented a document for us to sign. It was a letter guaranteeing the current price according to the official price list but giving us the right to withdraw if we did not secure the chosen plot of land (which was still up for public tender) or if financing fell through. Regarding financing, he also said he had an ace up his sleeve and wanted to lock us in with an on-site appointment with an (of course) independent financial broker who would work for us free of charge. We felt rushed — this was supposed to be the first conversation. We thought it was unbelievable — provider O was off our list.
What can I say — other providers had a similar approach, as we found out during other model home visits. At provider F’s model home in Fellbach, we found exactly the house we had imagined in terms of layout. The salesperson, also very business-minded, made a good impression, but our enthusiasm quickly vanished when he urged us to sign the construction contract because of the current price increase (February 2018). To top it off, he wanted to print the offer he had just calculated at the computer and backdate it by 14 days — his reasoning: legally, the customer must have at least 14 days to review the offer and possibly revoke it. Since the price increase deadline was already past, we could not wait the full 14 days but only until the next day. WHAT??? Is that even allowed? Candidate number two also dropped off our list of serious providers.
Our last visit to a model home nearby was with provider B, which was our second appointment there. During the first contact, the salesperson took a lot of time, and we talked for two hours about possible house options based on our wishes. He calculated what we could afford based on our current income situation but did not give us a concrete price. He promised to clarify this and present initial plans by the next appointment. To build what he called a “mutual basic trust” (after all, we could tell stories about what the bank said we could afford), he insisted we speak beforehand with an independent mortgage broker to establish the actual financing framework. Overall, we had high expectations of company B, as the first meeting was pressure-free and online research was almost exclusively positive. A recent test comparing fair prefabricated house manufacturers reinforced our positive impression — this seemed like a fair and honest partner. However, at the end of today’s appointment, this provider also wanted us to secure the current prices and save 30,000 euros (around $33,000) by signing a construction contract. Of course, we would sign an addendum in case we did not find a plot or financing fell through. We have not yet seen an offer or house plans. He said he would prepare those only at the next meeting, which was supposedly urgent. He did not keep the promises from the first visit.
We are now honestly wondering if it is common to sign a construction contract even though
A) I have not secured a plot yet (which can significantly affect the actual costs)
B) I do not have concrete financing plans (we definitely do not want to exclude the option of the L-Bank loan — all financial advisers actually advise against it!)
C) Or even have seen an offer with the provider’s prices and service details???
To us, this just feels like a scam. I myself work in sales, and my clients would tell me off if I used such methods. Signing first and then seeing what services you actually receive from me...
How do we find a reputable provider who enables a “normal” house-building process? Are we possibly approaching this the wrong way? Who has had similar experiences, and how did it turn out?
I want to make it clear that I do not generally object to being informed about possible price increases — in fact, I see it as a sign of competence when a salesperson informs customers of major changes. But the way they pressure us into signing is very off-putting.
How can we get offers to compare without ending up at the “contract table” facing binding attempts every time?
We would be very grateful for advice, experiences, or guidance from other homebuilders.
Best regards
Alex85 schrieb:
There used to be a thread about "trends in construction." I’ll see if I can find it and add information about concealed fittings ... Alex, I still don’t quite follow you [emoji51]. What exactly is so trendy about concealed fittings in the shower and/or bathtub with an eccentric inlet? And where did I write anything about surface-mounted or concealed fittings being of lower or higher quality?
It was an EXAMPLE to illustrate how differently (personal) “standards” can be defined – and we came from the "what is standard" perspective because someone apparently took it personally. My post was actually meant to show that there is no reason to feel attacked since this is subjective, and therefore no need to feel compelled to defend oneself... sometimes this forum can be quite amusing... end of story.
ruppsn schrieb:
What’s the hype about a built-in mixer valve in the shower and/or bathtub with flow at the eccentric valve?In my opinion, it’s a hype because it’s currently everywhere.
And I find it awful.
ruppsn schrieb:
And where did I write anything about surface-mounted/built-in being low or high quality?I didn’t take part in that discussion.
Okay, no end after all [emoji51] I thought you asked if I considered surface-mounted high quality. Hence the last question.
The surface-mounted installation is judged differently based on personal taste, okay. But low quality in the sense of cheap stuff?! I don’t understand that, but I don’t have to [emoji4]
The surface-mounted installation is judged differently based on personal taste, okay. But low quality in the sense of cheap stuff?! I don’t understand that, but I don’t have to [emoji4]
M
meister keks25 Mar 2018 23:08ruppsn schrieb:
That's right, we do, which is why my last comment on the off-topic subject included the note that "fools" referred less to the specific post and more to a variety of other posts in this forum showing that tendency. Interestingly, this is often expressed by home builders towards other home builders with larger budgets than their own. My tolerance ends where the intolerance of others begins – and here I simply reached my limit. I'm stepping out of this now... I know everyone is very tolerant, at least until it conflicts with their own opinion.Meister keks schrieb:
I know everyone is very tolerant, at least until it challenges their own opinion General statement or specific reference to a post?
In case it hasn’t become clear yet, I’m actually “on your side.” Maybe it’s just me, but I get the impression that you’re teasing me a bit, isn’t that so?