Hello everyone,
We would like to build a detached single-family house (urban villa style) of about 160 to 180 square meters (1,722 to 1,937 square feet), including a full basement and a double garage, in Schwalmtal (near Mönchengladbach). The construction will be done using solid building methods.
We learned from the neighbors that they handled most of the building work themselves or managed the contracts directly. Only the shell construction was completed by a general contractor. According to one neighbor, this approach saved him around 80,000 euros compared to a prefabricated house provider.
What is the best way to approach this, and does it really save that much money?
Looking forward to your ideas and experiences.
Best regards,
Tobias
We would like to build a detached single-family house (urban villa style) of about 160 to 180 square meters (1,722 to 1,937 square feet), including a full basement and a double garage, in Schwalmtal (near Mönchengladbach). The construction will be done using solid building methods.
We learned from the neighbors that they handled most of the building work themselves or managed the contracts directly. Only the shell construction was completed by a general contractor. According to one neighbor, this approach saved him around 80,000 euros compared to a prefabricated house provider.
What is the best way to approach this, and does it really save that much money?
Looking forward to your ideas and experiences.
Best regards,
Tobias
I always find it very courageous when someone without professional experience takes on such a task.
Personally, I don’t think I could manage it (I leave for work around 6:45 am and don’t get back until after 7:30 pm – when would I negotiate?). Besides, I would be worried that
1. I might miscalculate the timeline for the individual trades, either in the wrong order or estimating the duration too short or too long,
2. I might forget a necessary service,
3. the quotes I receive might be incomplete or not up to professional standards (required building regulations),
4. because of my inexperience, I might be overcharged.
I am not a professional and often feel overwhelmed even in the current planning phase when the question arises: What would be better? People often tell me that I actually have a decent amount of knowledge (partly thanks to the forum :cool – just yesterday again during the police safety consultation).
I think that besides the potential for cost savings, two important things should be decisive (and prerequisites):
a) Having the necessary time for negotiations and to sufficiently familiarize yourself with the relevant topics.
b) Having the necessary expertise (or someone with appropriate knowledge in your corner), so you’re not suddenly left out in the cold.
Unfortunately, I lack both of these points.
Personally, I don’t think I could manage it (I leave for work around 6:45 am and don’t get back until after 7:30 pm – when would I negotiate?). Besides, I would be worried that
1. I might miscalculate the timeline for the individual trades, either in the wrong order or estimating the duration too short or too long,
2. I might forget a necessary service,
3. the quotes I receive might be incomplete or not up to professional standards (required building regulations),
4. because of my inexperience, I might be overcharged.
I am not a professional and often feel overwhelmed even in the current planning phase when the question arises: What would be better? People often tell me that I actually have a decent amount of knowledge (partly thanks to the forum :cool – just yesterday again during the police safety consultation).
I think that besides the potential for cost savings, two important things should be decisive (and prerequisites):
a) Having the necessary time for negotiations and to sufficiently familiarize yourself with the relevant topics.
b) Having the necessary expertise (or someone with appropriate knowledge in your corner), so you’re not suddenly left out in the cold.
Unfortunately, I lack both of these points.
B
Bauexperte22 Nov 2013 11:50Hello,
In my experience, it is currently not necessarily cheaper overall to manage everything by individual contracts. But what is equally true is that the quality of materials and fittings is usually higher compared to a general contractor’s or design-build offer. And for years, it gives you the feeling that you personally and responsibly participated in the construction.
Best regards, Bauexperte
nordanney schrieb:That is because you – in my view – also awarded the most expensive trade yourself. BUT – you have managed it professionally and are still doing so. An amateur working alone is bound to fail; that’s all I always say. A certain level of understanding about new construction and its requirements, as well as plenty of time alongside your job, is also important.
We are also building with complete individual trade contracts, and I can confirm the savings in our case.
nordanney schrieb:That is the next topic. And honestly, I am curious about what you will write… if you even share it publicly once you have a final total on paper; both in terms of time invested and costs.
The effort and stress should not be underestimated! We now have the shell almost finished, and it has been a very stressful time, even with professional support.
In my experience, it is currently not necessarily cheaper overall to manage everything by individual contracts. But what is equally true is that the quality of materials and fittings is usually higher compared to a general contractor’s or design-build offer. And for years, it gives you the feeling that you personally and responsibly participated in the construction.
Best regards, Bauexperte
N
nordanney22 Nov 2013 13:12Bauexperte schrieb:
Hello,
This is because you personally managed what I consider to be the most costly trade. BUT – you did it professionally and are still doing so. A layperson working completely alone is bound to fail; that’s what I always say. A certain level of understanding about new construction and its requirements, as well as plenty of time outside of one’s regular job, is also essential.
That brings us to the next topic. And honestly, I’m curious what you will write … if you even share publicly what the final total cost is on paper; both in terms of time spent and money.
From my experience, overall it is not currently cheaper to handle everything through individual contracts. However, the quality of finishes is generally higher than what is offered by a general contractor or construction management contract. And for years it gives you the feeling that you have personally and responsibly participated in the new build.
Best regards, BauexperteThat’s true; without professional help (and a wife who checks on the construction site at least once a day) we couldn’t afford it either. By the way, the overall sum is almost fixed since we awarded 80% of the trades, including all special requests, right at the start of construction. Maybe a few more Euros will come in (but not tens of thousands), but we already KNOW it is significantly cheaper for us. All the general contractors had all our wishes and bids for costly items like geothermal heating, structured wiring, recessed lighting, floor-to-ceiling windows only, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, etc., yet they could not compete on price (or we would have had to scale back our requests).
I’ll say nothing about the stress factor now, so as not to discourage other families.
BUT: This approach is not for laypeople or families with limited time. I cannot emphasize that enough.
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