ᐅ Architect / Builder: What is the best approach?

Dear forum members,

After a long and unsuccessful search, we haven’t found a suitable used property yet. Since our apartment is gradually becoming too small with the baby and so on, we are now considering building.

We have also found a plot of land, which is not exactly cheap. Therefore, we would like to know exactly what this project would cost us.

We have a building plot of 512 sqm (5506 sq ft) available for a detached single-family house.

Tomorrow we have an appointment with an architect to put our ideas on paper. Will we receive the floor plan to take home after the meeting, and does the initial consultation usually involve a fee? How does that usually work?

We would also like to get offers from potential builders. Is that possible without a floor plan, or should I bring the one from the architect? Or do construction companies create a separate floor plan? What is the best way to approach this?

As you can see... we have absolutely no idea how to proceed 🙂

Thank you very much for your tips 🙂

Sonny

Hello,

sonny schrieb:

Tomorrow we have an appointment with the architect to put our ideas on paper. Will we receive the floor plan to take home, and does the first meeting cost us anything? How does this usually work?

If you start discussing possible room layouts tomorrow, you are effectively placing an order. I therefore recommend clarifying the process and expected costs with the architect first. Very important: ask whether the initial meeting is free before getting into the details 😉

sonny schrieb:

We would also like to get offers from potential builders. Can this be done without a floor plan, or should I bring the one from the architect? Or do builders create a separate floor plan? What is the best approach?

If you commission the architect to create a design, it belongs to you and you can use it as you wish. It is different if a builder you trust creates a design for you. This design always belongs to them, and you are not allowed to share it with a third party; if you do, you may be liable for damages.

Regards, Bauexperte

Hello Sonny,

I would question whether you actually get to see a floor plan during the first meeting with the architect.

The architects we spoke with initially just asked about our requirements in the first meeting.

Sure, there was usually a quick sketch "on the fly," but you probably won’t receive a proper floor plan during the initial discussion.

It is definitely advisable to ask about the costs right at the start of the conversation to avoid unpleasant surprises.

Depending on what else you discuss, you might end up giving the architect a (chargeable) contract faster than you realize.

Best regards,

Dirk

Thank you for the quick responses.
If we decide to go ahead with the build, we would like to have a design from an architect.
Should I already start calling some construction companies in parallel to ask for a quote?
What exactly should I say?

Well, the usual approach when building with an architect is that the architect creates the design and then, as part of a tender process, obtains bids from the various trades.

A construction company often also has an architect or a draftsman who can create a design for you.

Of course, you could also search the internet for floor plans that you like and use these as inspiration for your planning.

We also obtained some brochures from full-service home builders (Fingerhaus, Weberhaus, Heinz von Heiden, Helma Eigenheimbau, etc.). These catalogs are useful for gathering ideas for floor plans. Additionally, during discussions with representatives from these companies, we incorporated many ideas and made adjustments. In the end, "our" floor plan emerged from numerous conversations.

Which provider we will ultimately build with now depends on the offers we receive. However, it is also possible that we will decide to build with a local builder and an architect.