ᐅ When is the right time to consult a home designer and start comparing quotes?

Gregor_K schrieb:

The plot/ building area itself is still being developed, and the development will be completed by June 2022 at the latest

That was also what we were told. In September, the development was finished, but the surveyor only received the updated cadastral data by the end of October. So be cautious when it comes to limited price guarantees.

I would recommend starting the planning as early as possible. First, gather all the information you can find about the plot or from people in the area. Boundaries, angles at the borders (our plots somehow have no clean right angles…), elevation profile (estimating by eye is unreliable on slopes), soil quality, drainage, etc. At the same time, note what you want from the house and simply write it down or sketch it out. How big do you want to build, and how much can you afford? Browse catalogs for inspiration. Realistically assess possible DIY work.

You can visit show homes, but be aware that houses under 150sqm (1,615 sq ft) are quite rare there. Also, the manufacturer may not always build what you personally would want. Show homes are okay as a livelier alternative to catalogs but are less suitable for selecting the construction company.

Otherwise, gather as much information as possible. Buy books on construction specifications and understand them. But don’t lose sight of the essentials (floor plan and positioning) in all the details.

WilderSueden schrieb:

Boundaries, angles at the property line (around here, none of the plots seem to have perfect right angles...), elevation profile (estimating by eye is unreliable on slopes),

Right-angled property boundaries are less critical if the plot size is not limited. Elevation profile, yes, the famous Rocky Mountains at the waterfront 🙂

WilderSueden schrieb:

You can visit model home parks, [...] as a livelier alternative to brochures, okay, but they are relatively unsuitable for choosing a construction company.

See "When model homes ‘lie’": model homes do not reflect the current brochure or provide a complete cross-section of it, their features “may include optional extras,” and sometimes the user was not even the builder.

WilderSueden schrieb:

Buy books about construction specifications and understand them. But don’t lose sight of the essentials (floor plan and positioning) due to too many details.

Books on construction specifications are less important if you are working with an architect and actively formulate the specifications together; and when it comes to the essentials, floor plan and positioning do not take the very first priority: attentive @hampshire readers know that self-reflection on the homeowners’ lifestyle should form an even more fundamental basis for planning.

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11ant schrieb:

You mentioned you expect the site development to be completed by next June. Builders’ waiting lists are all longer now, so planning too far ahead is no longer possible—you’d only be able to do that if you hadn’t yet bought the plot.

For now, spend the remaining weekends of the year gathering information. That way, you’ll at least know a) that being open to wood or stone construction is a good approach, and b) that it’s better to choose a local contractor. The big-name companies really only excel in two departments compared to owner-operated mid-sized firms: their marketing and legal departments. When it comes to masonry or carpentry, they’re no different. An architect lends you their expertise on the construction site, just as a lawyer lends their legal expertise in court, and represents your interests just as impartially. The usefulness of an architect isn’t really tied to whether you care about having an iconic design or not. In “A House Building Roadmap for You: The HOAI Phase Model!” it’s explained why the design phases 1 and 2 (which I call “Module A”) are useful on your planning path, even if you just want to shop for pre-designed, qualified house models.

Filling every day with information, got it. 🙂 As far as I can tell, most builders in this area are small companies, between 10 and 50 employees. So far I have shortlisted two based on recommendations.

I have read “Module A.” Thanks for the tips!

WilderSueden schrieb:

That was our experience too. The site development was completed in September, and the surveyor only got the official data from the cadastre by the end of October. So be cautious about commitments regarding limited price guarantees.

I’d recommend starting your planning as early as possible. First, gather all the information available about the plot or from locals: boundaries, angles at the edges (ours didn’t have any clean right angles), elevation profile (estimations by eye are no good on slopes), soil quality, drainage, and so on. At the same time, write down or sketch out what you want in your house. How big do you want to build, and how much can you afford? Browse catalogs for inspiration. Assess realistically how much work you can do yourself.

You can visit model home parks, but be aware that houses under 150 square meters (1,600 square feet) are rare there. Also, manufacturers don’t always build what you would choose yourself. Model home parks are good as an alternative to catalogs but less helpful when selecting a builder.

Otherwise, gather as much information as possible. Buy books on construction specifications and learn to understand them. But don’t lose sight of the essentials (floor plan and placement) in all the detail.

Our contract states that site development must be completed by June. When reserving the plot, March was mentioned, but they allowed some generous buffer. So I expect the deadline to be met. A price guarantee requires a signed construction contract, which I think is still some way off. I’m not going to sign that quickly! My equity is well invested, so I don’t feel pressured by inflation.

I have already spoken with my future neighbor. 😎 I know his floor plan and how he is building.

The rough dimensions and angles can be obtained from the land registry, which I have already done. We have a slight slope, and the road (access to the plot) is on the north side. By the way, the plot is 680 square meters (7,300 square feet).

The plot will be paid for in cash, and there will still be equity left afterwards. We are five people: my wife, me, and three children. Self-build work is hardly possible for us, so it’s better to either spend more money or build smaller, depending on what our income plus equity allows.

I generally value books highly but don’t think they are suitable for acquiring a lot of information quickly. So tomorrow I’ll start with the Bauherren-Schutzbund online course.

For us, the process up to signing the contract went relatively quickly (about 3 months), and looking at today’s prices, I’m really glad we signed so early. Even though our general contractor’s fixed price guarantee expired, they only added €1500 (about $1600) for the carpenter.

Also keep in mind that construction companies have fully booked schedules. If you only sign a contract in June, it’s possible that nothing will happen before winter.

Gregor_K schrieb:

I have already talked to my future neighbor. 😎 I know his floor plan and how he is building.

You can get the rough dimensions and angles from the land registry, which I’ve already done. We have a slight slope, and the street (access to the property) is on the north side. By the way, the plot is 680 sqm (7,300 sq ft).

It’s best to discuss details in a separate planning thread. Quantify the slope (for example, 2 m over 30 m (6.5 ft over 98 ft)), as “slight slope” is subjective and even a gentle slope can affect how far the house projects.

Gregor_K schrieb:

I generally appreciate books, but I don’t think they’re suitable for quickly absorbing a lot of information. That’s why I’m doing an online course with the building owners’ protection association tomorrow.

Books usually offer a higher information density. You can skim through them quickly and return to details later. It’s also easier to highlight interesting sections and add notes in books. The online course is definitely not a bad idea—I did something similar myself to get an overview of the building process.