ᐅ Approach for Initial Contact with Developers and Prefabricated Home Providers
Created on: 26 Mar 2021 16:33
B
Baumeister86
Hello everyone,
I have been browsing this forum on and off for several weeks now, but I haven’t really found what I’m looking for yet.
Specifically, we are two people (soon three in autumn) searching for our own property in the Berlin metropolitan area. Stable net income, equity available for the plot...
Existing properties are not so easy to find, as there seems to be hardly anything suitable on the market (neither too old nor with a garden so small you can hardly turn around – after all, we want to move “out” of Berlin partly for this reason).
So the topic of building a house (single-family home) came up.
We are already looking for a plot in the east of Berlin (Erkner, Rüdersdorf, etc.) or the north (Oranienburg, Bernau), as well as around Potsdam/Falkensee. Good public transport connection to the center of Berlin is very important, and nothing close to BER Airport (we already notice aircraft noise even though we officially are not even in a flight path).
My gut feeling tells me that for someone inexperienced in construction, a building project with an architect who takes responsibility is better than working with a large company. Or in other words, as a first-time home builder, you basically have to rely on them blindly, don’t you?
Now we come to the “core of the problem”: almost all plots are sold through turnkey home providers.
Posts here on the forum and elsewhere on the internet warn about “binding contracts” that only allow changes against disproportionately high surcharges, and offers where the fine print is crucial.
If I understand correctly, with these comprehensive providers, it is always recommended to have an independent surveyor/construction supervisor involved before signing a contract.
However, we are still one step before that: How do you recognize the bad actors during the first meetings? What are important questions to ask in an initial conversation?
These companies are probably all good at selling themselves, but what questions can help separate the wheat from the chaff?
And of course, also very welcome: What experiences have you had with general contractors in Berlin? Who would you recommend? Who does their job well even without a constant additional external construction supervisor?
Thank you very much and best regards,
Stephan
I have been browsing this forum on and off for several weeks now, but I haven’t really found what I’m looking for yet.
Specifically, we are two people (soon three in autumn) searching for our own property in the Berlin metropolitan area. Stable net income, equity available for the plot...
Existing properties are not so easy to find, as there seems to be hardly anything suitable on the market (neither too old nor with a garden so small you can hardly turn around – after all, we want to move “out” of Berlin partly for this reason).
So the topic of building a house (single-family home) came up.
We are already looking for a plot in the east of Berlin (Erkner, Rüdersdorf, etc.) or the north (Oranienburg, Bernau), as well as around Potsdam/Falkensee. Good public transport connection to the center of Berlin is very important, and nothing close to BER Airport (we already notice aircraft noise even though we officially are not even in a flight path).
My gut feeling tells me that for someone inexperienced in construction, a building project with an architect who takes responsibility is better than working with a large company. Or in other words, as a first-time home builder, you basically have to rely on them blindly, don’t you?
Now we come to the “core of the problem”: almost all plots are sold through turnkey home providers.
Posts here on the forum and elsewhere on the internet warn about “binding contracts” that only allow changes against disproportionately high surcharges, and offers where the fine print is crucial.
If I understand correctly, with these comprehensive providers, it is always recommended to have an independent surveyor/construction supervisor involved before signing a contract.
However, we are still one step before that: How do you recognize the bad actors during the first meetings? What are important questions to ask in an initial conversation?
These companies are probably all good at selling themselves, but what questions can help separate the wheat from the chaff?
And of course, also very welcome: What experiences have you had with general contractors in Berlin? Who would you recommend? Who does their job well even without a constant additional external construction supervisor?
Thank you very much and best regards,
Stephan
Schimi1791 schrieb:
In Malvenweg, it seems the "townhouse" group has become established, and in Rapsweg, houses were built completely symmetrically.
Well, if that’s the dream of owning a home... We already discussed the topic of housing developments looking like baking trays or houses assembled like circuit boards three years ago: https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/aktuelle-baukultur-und-die-Energieeinsparverordnung-konformen-neubaugebiete.27173/
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
Holzhäuschen1 Apr 2021 13:30If you can’t find anything directly in Berlin, there are still plots available in our new development area in Brandenburg, south of Berlin, I believe at around 250€/m² (23 USD/sq ft). You can find the zoning plan and other details under Wünsdorf Sonnengärten.
Unless you want to build with the major concrete house providers, then there are problems.
RE 5 and 7 are about a 12-minute walk away. From there, it’s just under an hour to Berlin Alexanderplatz.
With a lot of home office work, that was still manageable.
For Berlin itself, the budget here was not sufficient 😉
Unless you want to build with the major concrete house providers, then there are problems.
RE 5 and 7 are about a 12-minute walk away. From there, it’s just under an hour to Berlin Alexanderplatz.
With a lot of home office work, that was still manageable.
For Berlin itself, the budget here was not sufficient 😉
@Baumeister86 Currently, a plot of land is being offered in Fichtenwalde. Quite "affordable" at 245 € / sqm (245 € / sq ft). Approximately 1875 sqm (20,182 sq ft) and divisible. In Beelitz-Heilstätten, about 5 km (3 miles) away, you have a direct train connection to Berlin (Alexanderplatz/Main Station, approximately 45 minutes).
Hello,
We are looking in the same area. We noticed that the plots offered by the developers are often also listed by smaller real estate agents. Potential buyers are told that they will sign the contract with the developer and then, the next day, finalize the purchase agreement for the plot, where the developer is not involved. This is said to save the buyer from paying the property transfer tax. Whether this actually works, I don’t know...
Of course, you can also buy plots through these smaller agents and then you are not tied to the developer. But it is definitely tough, and plots are rare.
We are looking in the same area. We noticed that the plots offered by the developers are often also listed by smaller real estate agents. Potential buyers are told that they will sign the contract with the developer and then, the next day, finalize the purchase agreement for the plot, where the developer is not involved. This is said to save the buyer from paying the property transfer tax. Whether this actually works, I don’t know...
Of course, you can also buy plots through these smaller agents and then you are not tied to the developer. But it is definitely tough, and plots are rare.
Goldelse schrieb:
Hello,
We are looking in the same area. We noticed that the plots offered by the developers are often also listed by smaller real estate agents. Prospective buyers are told to sign the contract with the developer and then the next day complete the purchase contract for the plot, where the developer is not involved. This way, the buyer supposedly saves on the property transfer tax. I don’t know if this actually works...
Of course, you can also buy land through these smaller agents and then you’re not tied to a developer.
But it’s tough and plots are scarce. Personally, I find real estate agents as useful as the credit agency. They get paid for almost no service and significantly increase the price of the land.
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