Hello!
The idea of building is still just an idea, nothing concrete yet.
It would be a prefabricated bungalow, but I don’t know much more than that. I don’t have a plot of land yet either.
I am very uncertain if I can manage such a project because I have absolutely no knowledge about it, I am not particularly articulate or assertive, I am not good at organizing, not very stress-resistant, and I am doing this alone. I also don’t have a circle of friends who have built before that I could ask.
Is there still a way to carry out such a project without it going wrong or completely overwhelming me?
I thought if I hire a construction company with a lot of experience, like for example Huf-Haus or Schwörerhaus or similar, things shouldn’t go too wrong because these companies have built countless houses, so there usually wouldn’t be any major mistakes, right?
If I also hire a building supervisor or construction consultant, I would have extra security.
At the moment, I have no idea what kind of organization is involved. Will the builder guide the client step by step through the process, including things like utility connections or other matters not directly related to the house? Or does one have to find out everything on their own about what needs to be done?
Seriously, do you think anyone can build a house, or is it really impossible for some people and they should rather leave it alone?
The idea of building is still just an idea, nothing concrete yet.
It would be a prefabricated bungalow, but I don’t know much more than that. I don’t have a plot of land yet either.
I am very uncertain if I can manage such a project because I have absolutely no knowledge about it, I am not particularly articulate or assertive, I am not good at organizing, not very stress-resistant, and I am doing this alone. I also don’t have a circle of friends who have built before that I could ask.
Is there still a way to carry out such a project without it going wrong or completely overwhelming me?
I thought if I hire a construction company with a lot of experience, like for example Huf-Haus or Schwörerhaus or similar, things shouldn’t go too wrong because these companies have built countless houses, so there usually wouldn’t be any major mistakes, right?
If I also hire a building supervisor or construction consultant, I would have extra security.
At the moment, I have no idea what kind of organization is involved. Will the builder guide the client step by step through the process, including things like utility connections or other matters not directly related to the house? Or does one have to find out everything on their own about what needs to be done?
Seriously, do you think anyone can build a house, or is it really impossible for some people and they should rather leave it alone?
An experienced company is one thing, but if the consultant assigned to you isn’t good, things can still go wrong. So if I find a consultant unsympathetic right from the start, I wouldn’t take any further steps with them.
I would always bring in an independent building expert (someone you find and hire yourself), especially to review the contract and the scope of work before signing.
Then there’s the question of how much time you have alongside your job. I’m a fan of Viebrockhaus and am building with them for the second time, but they build so quickly that there are days when I have to drop everything at work because the installer NEEDS to know exactly where I want the shower rail installed. Or where the tiles should go. Even during the shell construction phase, we were on site every day checking their work with the plans and tape measure.
I would also upload the initial plans here in this forum because you can easily become blind to certain details on your own. Friends and family can get tedious when explaining the plans and why you’re making specific choices and arrangements — but that’s when you often realize that another solution might be cheaper or better suited to your personal preferences.
So yes, I would build on my own, but I would have had to allow for a significantly larger financial buffer to feel confident doing so. And definitely hire a building expert and trust your gut feeling when choosing a company, in addition to thorough internet research.
I would always bring in an independent building expert (someone you find and hire yourself), especially to review the contract and the scope of work before signing.
Then there’s the question of how much time you have alongside your job. I’m a fan of Viebrockhaus and am building with them for the second time, but they build so quickly that there are days when I have to drop everything at work because the installer NEEDS to know exactly where I want the shower rail installed. Or where the tiles should go. Even during the shell construction phase, we were on site every day checking their work with the plans and tape measure.
I would also upload the initial plans here in this forum because you can easily become blind to certain details on your own. Friends and family can get tedious when explaining the plans and why you’re making specific choices and arrangements — but that’s when you often realize that another solution might be cheaper or better suited to your personal preferences.
So yes, I would build on my own, but I would have had to allow for a significantly larger financial buffer to feel confident doing so. And definitely hire a building expert and trust your gut feeling when choosing a company, in addition to thorough internet research.
D
Doc.Schnaggls7 Mar 2016 09:58Hello,
if you want a “worry-free all-in-one package,” it’s probably best to buy a house from a developer.
They take care of purchasing the land, site development, insurance, and construction. However, in this case, you also pay the property transfer tax on the entire price, not just the land price, and the developer naturally charges for their services as well.
If you buy the land yourself and then hire a builder for the house construction, you are more or less responsible, depending on the building company.
Possible tasks you might need to handle yourself include:
- Surveying
- Soil analysis
- Utility connections
- Provision of construction electricity and/or water
- Required insurance
- ...
We built a turnkey (ready-to-move-in) house and were somewhat surprised at times by how much we still had to organize ourselves. However, you grow with your responsibilities — in hindsight, the planning and building phase was a very exciting and interesting time, and we are very proud that we managed to complete everything relatively smoothly and with the desired result.
By the way, where in Baden-Württemberg do you plan to build?
If you’re interested, I can gladly share the link to our building blog so you can see how things went for us.
Regards,
Dirk
if you want a “worry-free all-in-one package,” it’s probably best to buy a house from a developer.
They take care of purchasing the land, site development, insurance, and construction. However, in this case, you also pay the property transfer tax on the entire price, not just the land price, and the developer naturally charges for their services as well.
If you buy the land yourself and then hire a builder for the house construction, you are more or less responsible, depending on the building company.
Possible tasks you might need to handle yourself include:
- Surveying
- Soil analysis
- Utility connections
- Provision of construction electricity and/or water
- Required insurance
- ...
We built a turnkey (ready-to-move-in) house and were somewhat surprised at times by how much we still had to organize ourselves. However, you grow with your responsibilities — in hindsight, the planning and building phase was a very exciting and interesting time, and we are very proud that we managed to complete everything relatively smoothly and with the desired result.
By the way, where in Baden-Württemberg do you plan to build?
If you’re interested, I can gladly share the link to our building blog so you can see how things went for us.
Regards,
Dirk
B
Bieber08157 Mar 2016 10:37enkidu schrieb:
Is there still a way to carry out such a project without it going wrong or completely exhausting me? Either honest and reliable people to whom you can delegate your tasks (you can delegate tasks, but unfortunately not responsibility). Or you buy something ready-made.New finished houses are available from a developer (it is only a true developer if the house and land are sold together in one transaction). When buying from a developer, you need legal advice (specialist construction law attorney) and technical advice (architect, building expert, etc.). Then not much can go wrong, provided the financing is secure.
Doc.Schnaggls schrieb:
If you want an all-inclusive package, it’s probably best to buy a house from a developer. Are those the ones sometimes listed as "planned" houses on ImmobilienScout?
Doc.Schnaggls schrieb:
We built a turnkey (ready-to-move-in) house and were still surprised by how much we had to arrange ourselves. Do they at least explain everything clearly about what you need to do and who to contact? For example, I wouldn’t have a clue how to organize surveying or the provision of construction electricity.
Doc.Schnaggls schrieb:
Where in Baden-Württemberg are you planning to build? I work in Böblingen and have so far lived in Stuttgart. Ideally, I would have liked the Filder area, but it’s too expensive. Everything around Stuttgart and Böblingen is costly. It will probably end up being in the Calw or Tübingen district, although I’m not really keen on living there. But what can I do.
I have now found out that Huf-Haus is too expensive. My budget would only cover the house itself, not everything else. It’s intense, but now I understand why they don’t publish prices online.
B
Bauexperte9 Mar 2016 11:46Hello,
The first important step is to decide exactly which system you want to build: a prefabricated house or a solid (masonry) house. Once you have made this decision, visit the model home parks in your area to get a feel for what is possible and what is not. Of course, this requires that you know your budget!
Even as a layperson, you will be able to tell who only wants your money and who also aims to build a good reference. For example, the classic low-cost builders – even though I recognize their justification – primarily offer you what seems to be an unbeatable offer. But if you add up all the features that are important to you – starting with your preferred energy efficiency standard and ending with, for example, a walk-in (floor-to-ceiling) shower – you will quickly realize that they are essentially offering the same price as other providers who already include these items in their initial offer. This means you gradually move closer to your goal through a process of elimination.
You should also talk to an architect – that might be the right choice for you. If not, your gut feeling will tell you during the first consultation. Just make sure you explicitly ask for a non-binding consultation and inquire about any costs. Otherwise, an unconsidered word from you could trigger a contract!
At the same time, you should look for a plot of land online or via real estate agents; of course, there is also the option to purchase a building plot through a general contractor (GC). You just need to keep in mind that real estate transfer tax applies to both the land and the house if there is an economic connection.
Once you have explored all these options, you should know what you want and be able to make your first decision: how you want to build your house – with an architect managing separate contracts, through a GC, or having an architect design it and building through a GC. If you choose the GC route, select a maximum of three comparable providers and ask them to price the exact same design for you. It has to be the same design so you can compare the offers. If you want an architect to design your home, this step must obviously come first.
After you have made your final decision – assuming you have a building-ready plot and have found your temporary construction partner – you should seek external expertise to review all the documents before signing any contracts. This can be a lawyer, the Association of Private Homeowners, the VBZ, the energy agency, or an independent expert. You can also ask them about the potential costs of external construction supervision or hire organizations such as TÜV® or DEKRA® as examples for managing the construction project.
Taken together, this process will not completely prevent mistakes – there are many people involved in construction, and people naturally make errors. However, it will help reduce the error rate to an acceptable minimum.
Good luck!
Best regards, Bauexperte
enkidu schrieb:
Hello!
I’m very unsure if I can manage such a project, as I have absolutely no knowledge about it, I’m not very articulate or assertive, I have no talent for organization, I’m not very stress-resistant, and I’m on my own.
Is there still a way to carry out such a project without it going wrong or exhausting me completely?
The first important step is to decide exactly which system you want to build: a prefabricated house or a solid (masonry) house. Once you have made this decision, visit the model home parks in your area to get a feel for what is possible and what is not. Of course, this requires that you know your budget!
Even as a layperson, you will be able to tell who only wants your money and who also aims to build a good reference. For example, the classic low-cost builders – even though I recognize their justification – primarily offer you what seems to be an unbeatable offer. But if you add up all the features that are important to you – starting with your preferred energy efficiency standard and ending with, for example, a walk-in (floor-to-ceiling) shower – you will quickly realize that they are essentially offering the same price as other providers who already include these items in their initial offer. This means you gradually move closer to your goal through a process of elimination.
You should also talk to an architect – that might be the right choice for you. If not, your gut feeling will tell you during the first consultation. Just make sure you explicitly ask for a non-binding consultation and inquire about any costs. Otherwise, an unconsidered word from you could trigger a contract!
At the same time, you should look for a plot of land online or via real estate agents; of course, there is also the option to purchase a building plot through a general contractor (GC). You just need to keep in mind that real estate transfer tax applies to both the land and the house if there is an economic connection.
Once you have explored all these options, you should know what you want and be able to make your first decision: how you want to build your house – with an architect managing separate contracts, through a GC, or having an architect design it and building through a GC. If you choose the GC route, select a maximum of three comparable providers and ask them to price the exact same design for you. It has to be the same design so you can compare the offers. If you want an architect to design your home, this step must obviously come first.
After you have made your final decision – assuming you have a building-ready plot and have found your temporary construction partner – you should seek external expertise to review all the documents before signing any contracts. This can be a lawyer, the Association of Private Homeowners, the VBZ, the energy agency, or an independent expert. You can also ask them about the potential costs of external construction supervision or hire organizations such as TÜV® or DEKRA® as examples for managing the construction project.
Taken together, this process will not completely prevent mistakes – there are many people involved in construction, and people naturally make errors. However, it will help reduce the error rate to an acceptable minimum.
Good luck!
Best regards, Bauexperte
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