Good evening everyone,
first of all, a quick thank you to all the "experienced home builders" who have shared their knowledge. You have helped me put together some puzzle pieces – but we are still at the very beginning and currently feel a bit "lost."
Some initial information:
- Budget framework is clear
- Plot of land has not yet been purchased (we are on waiting lists; this is made more difficult since we are married but without children and the building plot is in another residential area → fewer points for allocation)
- Have read the HOAI house construction roadmap
- The overall package must be right. This means: We don’t have to build at all costs → will continue renting. The decision would be purely "emotional" to feel at home → high quality and sustainability are requirements, as anything less would be a dealbreaker.
For us, the question is which things we can clarify, research, and consider already today?
1. Planning with or without our own architect?
With an architect, I can plan more individually, of course. He could potentially also take on construction supervision.
On the forum, I have repeatedly read that architects from prefabricated house manufacturers (often referred to here jokingly as “drafting minions” :-)) rarely respond individually to customer wishes and tend to focus heavily on the manufacturer’s financial interests. Is that really true, or are there good experiences as well? Looking at an example from a well-known provider in Erkheim (one of the premium providers), I see very individual designs created there themselves. According to their homepage, you can also bring your own architect’s plans.
Assuming it will be a “normal” plot of land (no slope, extremely narrow, etc.), we have the following requirements for the rooms:
- About 140 sqm (1,506 sq ft) living space (two persons; possibly a child later)
- 90% slab-on-ground → utility/technical room
- Open-plan living-dining area + kitchen
- Small pantry/storage room (near the kitchen, possibly under the stairs to the upper floor)
- Guest WC
- Bedroom
- Walk-in closet (possibly walk-through to bathroom)
- Bathroom with walk-in shower (built-in, no glass), no bathtub
- Children’s room
- Study/office
- Gallery (would be “nice to have” → probably would then need more than 140 sqm)
- Technical features: photovoltaic system (mandatory in Baden-Württemberg), smart home
- Barrier-reduced (e.g., level sliding window – as far as costs allow)
We have seen some floor plans from prefabricated house providers that we find suitable for the plot. I would assume that some thought has been put into these layouts – for example regarding short distances, etc. – or am I wrong?
My feeling is that with my own architect, I am in a better position to compare and negotiate. With a concrete plan, I or the architect approach providers and get quotes.
What worries me somewhat in this context: What if all providers from my “relevant set” drop out? Especially regarding sustainability. Then I have a plan but no matching provider. – Or are these worries unfounded?
On the other hand, I am concerned that I might commit too quickly to one provider or not be able to really compare offers well. Do you see ways to handle this? If so, how would you proceed to ensure comparability?
Is my assumption correct that I can already approach providers once I have performance phases 1-4 completed? The costs at this stage are still manageable (around 2% of the total cost), right?
One concern I still have about a “drafting minion”: Does he really care about things like how the light falls into the house? The house may be perfectly planned, but if the study is in direct sunlight all day, that’s no fun. Would someone like that think about such details, or is that more the role of a dedicated architect?
What is your opinion? Would you, in my situation (if you need more info, please ask), rather go with your own architect or say that this can also be done with a prefabricated house manufacturer? Or would you differentiate between individual providers in this case?
2. What other considerations can we tackle before building on the plot, and which should we better wait for after?
Many thoughts... I also appreciate partial answers. Thanks!
first of all, a quick thank you to all the "experienced home builders" who have shared their knowledge. You have helped me put together some puzzle pieces – but we are still at the very beginning and currently feel a bit "lost."
Some initial information:
- Budget framework is clear
- Plot of land has not yet been purchased (we are on waiting lists; this is made more difficult since we are married but without children and the building plot is in another residential area → fewer points for allocation)
- Have read the HOAI house construction roadmap
- The overall package must be right. This means: We don’t have to build at all costs → will continue renting. The decision would be purely "emotional" to feel at home → high quality and sustainability are requirements, as anything less would be a dealbreaker.
For us, the question is which things we can clarify, research, and consider already today?
1. Planning with or without our own architect?
With an architect, I can plan more individually, of course. He could potentially also take on construction supervision.
On the forum, I have repeatedly read that architects from prefabricated house manufacturers (often referred to here jokingly as “drafting minions” :-)) rarely respond individually to customer wishes and tend to focus heavily on the manufacturer’s financial interests. Is that really true, or are there good experiences as well? Looking at an example from a well-known provider in Erkheim (one of the premium providers), I see very individual designs created there themselves. According to their homepage, you can also bring your own architect’s plans.
Assuming it will be a “normal” plot of land (no slope, extremely narrow, etc.), we have the following requirements for the rooms:
- About 140 sqm (1,506 sq ft) living space (two persons; possibly a child later)
- 90% slab-on-ground → utility/technical room
- Open-plan living-dining area + kitchen
- Small pantry/storage room (near the kitchen, possibly under the stairs to the upper floor)
- Guest WC
- Bedroom
- Walk-in closet (possibly walk-through to bathroom)
- Bathroom with walk-in shower (built-in, no glass), no bathtub
- Children’s room
- Study/office
- Gallery (would be “nice to have” → probably would then need more than 140 sqm)
- Technical features: photovoltaic system (mandatory in Baden-Württemberg), smart home
- Barrier-reduced (e.g., level sliding window – as far as costs allow)
We have seen some floor plans from prefabricated house providers that we find suitable for the plot. I would assume that some thought has been put into these layouts – for example regarding short distances, etc. – or am I wrong?
My feeling is that with my own architect, I am in a better position to compare and negotiate. With a concrete plan, I or the architect approach providers and get quotes.
What worries me somewhat in this context: What if all providers from my “relevant set” drop out? Especially regarding sustainability. Then I have a plan but no matching provider. – Or are these worries unfounded?
On the other hand, I am concerned that I might commit too quickly to one provider or not be able to really compare offers well. Do you see ways to handle this? If so, how would you proceed to ensure comparability?
Is my assumption correct that I can already approach providers once I have performance phases 1-4 completed? The costs at this stage are still manageable (around 2% of the total cost), right?
One concern I still have about a “drafting minion”: Does he really care about things like how the light falls into the house? The house may be perfectly planned, but if the study is in direct sunlight all day, that’s no fun. Would someone like that think about such details, or is that more the role of a dedicated architect?
What is your opinion? Would you, in my situation (if you need more info, please ask), rather go with your own architect or say that this can also be done with a prefabricated house manufacturer? Or would you differentiate between individual providers in this case?
2. What other considerations can we tackle before building on the plot, and which should we better wait for after?
Many thoughts... I also appreciate partial answers. Thanks!
M
myfreakout5 May 2024 21:31Thank you for the feedback so far.
I would like to clarify my question. Maybe I didn’t express it clearly enough. The question about the architect (whether to hire one through a general contractor or independently) arises at the latest once I have the plot of land, and then I want to get started. Therefore, I want to settle the decision in advance. This can be done with or without the plot of land—or do you see it differently?
I would like to clarify my question. Maybe I didn’t express it clearly enough. The question about the architect (whether to hire one through a general contractor or independently) arises at the latest once I have the plot of land, and then I want to get started. Therefore, I want to settle the decision in advance. This can be done with or without the plot of land—or do you see it differently?
M
myfreakout5 May 2024 21:34londoner2004 schrieb:
Hello!
We are building with the company from Erkheim. Not so much because of sustainability (which is a nice bonus for us), but because we feel very well taken care of there and are confident that the quality will be right, and our own time involvement is optimized.
The architect is a partner of theirs, but we hired him ourselves, so he is independent. Everything is great here as well; all our wishes are appropriately considered.
But you do need a plot of land. Once we had one, we only approached this company and that was it; we didn’t contact other companies or anything. Time was an issue for us. How did you find the architect? Was it just a coincidence that he is a partner?
Off-topic: Can anyone tell me why Baufritz or Sonnleitner are not listed among the home builders?
myfreakout schrieb:
OffTonic: Can someone tell me why Baufritz or Sonnleitner cannot be found among the home builders? Why? You can find them after all.
myfreakout schrieb:
You can do that with or without the plot of land. You can consider that beforehand as well.
myfreakout schrieb:
800,000 EUR; including the plot of land (160,000 - 200,000 EUR) With 600,000 including additional building costs and a slope, you might already reach a price limit or barrier with the more expensive options.
myfreakout schrieb:
But if none of the providers from my relevant set remain, then it would be difficult. The concern is simply that I might end up with an architect’s design that can’t actually be realized. There won’t be a problem here, since it will only be a design draft, not a detailed construction plan.
L
londoner20046 May 2024 11:47myfreakout schrieb:
How did you find the architect? Was it a coincidence that he is a partner?Our seller recommended the architect based on our ideas and wishes (for example, our architect had designed a house similar to one we had mentioned as an example of what we like). It helps if the architect is very familiar with the construction method in detail (to avoid later challenges with, for example, structural engineering), so in my opinion it makes sense if the home builder and the architect know each other. I personally didn’t see a conflict of interest, but others here might have a different view. We had decided on the home builder very early on.
If you have very specific sustainability requirements that go beyond the standard, you could already check whether there is a home builder nearby who can actually meet them and provide a written guarantee. If not, your only options are to hire an architect or to compromise on your expectations because they cannot be realized.
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