ᐅ Building a house from a distance. New construction located 300 km away.
Created on: 26 Jan 2019 21:46
3
37308Hausbau3
37308Hausbau26 Jan 2019 21:46Hello,
to all homeowners. I hope you can help me with your experience. My girlfriend and I have already had several consultation meetings with different companies. We already have a plot of land, and once we have sorted out the financing, we could actually start with our preferred general contractor. However, there is a significant problem. Our current place of residence is about 300 km (186 miles) away from the new build.
Advisors from some companies say it is not a problem at all to build from a distance. However, I have my doubts. Therefore, my question to you is: to what extent is the homeowner involved in the construction of a single-family house (appointments/tasks/etc.)?
to all homeowners. I hope you can help me with your experience. My girlfriend and I have already had several consultation meetings with different companies. We already have a plot of land, and once we have sorted out the financing, we could actually start with our preferred general contractor. However, there is a significant problem. Our current place of residence is about 300 km (186 miles) away from the new build.
Advisors from some companies say it is not a problem at all to build from a distance. However, I have my doubts. Therefore, my question to you is: to what extent is the homeowner involved in the construction of a single-family house (appointments/tasks/etc.)?
Well, we had about 2-3 on-site appointments with the general contractor (GC) on short notice.
With the individual interior trades, short-notice meetings were also necessary. For example, choosing grout color, deciding whether to install the tiles one row higher, or whether the recessed lights should align with the row, etc.
The ventilation situation was intense: the GC assumed we would handle ventilation ourselves, so we had to be there twice a day. Make sure to clarify this with the GC. Everything else can be handled by phone, messages, sending pictures, and so on.
Otherwise, things with the GC are running quite independently.
However, I believe the more time you take to chat with the craftsmen, occasionally bringing cake and coffee, the more they will be willing to go the extra mile for you.
So, I would recommend setting aside some vacation days for the construction period.
With the individual interior trades, short-notice meetings were also necessary. For example, choosing grout color, deciding whether to install the tiles one row higher, or whether the recessed lights should align with the row, etc.
The ventilation situation was intense: the GC assumed we would handle ventilation ourselves, so we had to be there twice a day. Make sure to clarify this with the GC. Everything else can be handled by phone, messages, sending pictures, and so on.
Otherwise, things with the GC are running quite independently.
However, I believe the more time you take to chat with the craftsmen, occasionally bringing cake and coffee, the more they will be willing to go the extra mile for you.
So, I would recommend setting aside some vacation days for the construction period.
I have to admit, I would also feel uneasy about that. My husband was on the construction site almost every day since his commute passed by there. Today, I might not be quite as concerned, but I would definitely keep an eye on certain trades. Tilers and electricians would be at the top of my list. But I guess that varies from person to person.
Maybe you could hire someone locally to document and oversee the work for you?
Maybe you could hire someone locally to document and oversee the work for you?
You have to be able to trust. Our neighbor diagonally across built a house on the Baltic Sea, living in RAV—I believe that refers to Ravensburg near Lake Constance. He is a calm, almost stoic person. He has the money and hired a very reliable small general contractor here, not the cheapest, but he said the chemistry with the boss was right. The result is a nice, practically defect-free house. According to him, any issues were resolved over the phone and with photos; occasionally, he flew up there to check. He never ran around upset—in case of problems, he addressed them calmly but clearly. So, if you can do that, that’s good. I personally couldn’t stay that calm—I’d be more anxious—but it is possible. K.
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