ᐅ Is it still possible to negotiate the price with the general contractor?

A fair offer is no longer fair if one party pays less than the value of what they receive.
I am not giving advice, as while reading I thought: once again a thread where you can find opinions ranging from pros to cons. This does not help the original poster at all.

Personally, I would not try to cut costs but rather aim to get one or two upgrades included for free.

hanse987 schrieb:

Personally, I wouldn’t try to cut costs but rather aim to get one or two upgrades included for free.

Correct, whether it’s something in the bathroom or elsewhere. If you push for savings now and then want to make changes later, the general contractor will be in control.

We received a 4% discount from the seller, but it was conditional on not making any structural or energy regulation-related changes to our "standard house model." We are happy with the house, but there were moments when we regretted committing so firmly: for example, I would have liked to raise the attic floor or install the heat pump differently.

It is definitely true that you don’t get money for free; you make certain compromises. In our case, it meant having only one day for selections instead of two, and not being able to change the external house volume anymore.

4% is already a significant amount, €12,000 (about $13,000) on €300,000 (about $325,000).

But…

bauenmk2020 schrieb:

For us, it was: 1 day of selection instead of 2.

What does a discount have to do with the selection process? 🙄

Bauen2022 schrieb:

Should we finalize the offer as soon as possible given the current situation, or did you still ask for a discount? How did you proceed if you wanted to negotiate the price?

Providing a crash course on successful negotiation in a forum is hardly possible. Of course, two parties can come closer together in a price negotiation. That is much more than simply asking for or demanding a discount. Since you are apparently inexperienced, the recommendation from @hanse987 to try to get upgrades or add-ons is probably the most effective way for you to gain added value.

To explain: A discount always means a reduction in profit. An upgrade or add-on has a retail value for the customer and a production cost for the provider. If the builder gives you an upgrade worth €1000, it does not reduce their profit by that full amount, but only by their production costs. If you are somewhat familiar with the topic, you can especially benefit from upgrades or add-ons that usually have a very high margin for the builder – these are relatively cheap for them to provide, and you receive good value in return. This creates a win-win situation.