ᐅ Architect / Builder: What is the best approach?

Created on: 25 Aug 2014 14:13
S
sonny
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
T
toxicmolotof
25 Aug 2014 23:27
How can the financing be settled if you don’t even know the construction costs yet? You’ll have to show me how that’s possible, or do you know what the bank is willing to lend you? That would at least be a starting point.

I believe you are still very early in the planning process.

For under 20 euros, there is a book available at the consumer advice center titled: Building Right – Planning

It’s not the ultimate solution for building a house, but it answers about 95% of your roadmap questions for the coming weeks.
Y
ypg
25 Aug 2014 23:31
An architect does not deliver a turnkey project.
With an architect, you need to make constant decisions.

In a forum (including this one), you can read and browse extensively so you don’t have to ask the most basic questions 🙂
Just take a look around the forums; your fundamental questions will most likely be answered.
If something remains unclear, feel free to ask. But for now, let’s try to focus a bit on “what is being asked, what does she know, and how to answer without writing a novel 😉”

Basically, I would also recommend that anyone planning to build buy a technical book or browse at the public library to get familiar with the basic terminology 😀
S
sonny
25 Aug 2014 23:43
Okay, thanks anyway.
Regarding the financing, we have already been to the bank and inquired about buying a house. We have a fairly good amount of equity available.

Do you perhaps know of a company that builds solid houses and offers turnkey solutions?