Hello,
Since April, we have been looking for a construction company to build a single-family house. Our plan was to first gather some quotes or cost estimates. After all, this is a decision that should be well considered. However, many of the companies we contacted either do not provide an offer, stop responding, or do not reply at all. This is starting to make us suspicious. We are not planning anything unusual. A simple single-family house of about 130m² (1400 sq ft), with an air source heat pump, living room, kitchen, toilet, and utility room on the ground floor, as well as a bedroom, children’s room, bathroom, and office on the upper floor.
For example, we had a conversation with a local construction company that ended with the statement that we would receive an offer. We then heard nothing from them for weeks. When we called, we were only told the manager was out of the office, would call back later, or similar excuses. When we finally reached him, he just postponed again until we gave up asking.
Another company wanted to schedule a meeting with us. After I suggested a date by email, we received no further response.
Another said they would call the next day to arrange a meeting, but never called.
Yet another asked us to call at the beginning of the week to set up a meeting, which we did. Suddenly, they became dismissive and said they could not estimate costs without a completed design from an architect hired by us, and that was the end of it.
What are we doing wrong? Isn’t it normal to present your ideas and get a rough idea of the costs or whether it is achievable within the desired budget? We are becoming quite desperate.
Since April, we have been looking for a construction company to build a single-family house. Our plan was to first gather some quotes or cost estimates. After all, this is a decision that should be well considered. However, many of the companies we contacted either do not provide an offer, stop responding, or do not reply at all. This is starting to make us suspicious. We are not planning anything unusual. A simple single-family house of about 130m² (1400 sq ft), with an air source heat pump, living room, kitchen, toilet, and utility room on the ground floor, as well as a bedroom, children’s room, bathroom, and office on the upper floor.
For example, we had a conversation with a local construction company that ended with the statement that we would receive an offer. We then heard nothing from them for weeks. When we called, we were only told the manager was out of the office, would call back later, or similar excuses. When we finally reached him, he just postponed again until we gave up asking.
Another company wanted to schedule a meeting with us. After I suggested a date by email, we received no further response.
Another said they would call the next day to arrange a meeting, but never called.
Yet another asked us to call at the beginning of the week to set up a meeting, which we did. Suddenly, they became dismissive and said they could not estimate costs without a completed design from an architect hired by us, and that was the end of it.
What are we doing wrong? Isn’t it normal to present your ideas and get a rough idea of the costs or whether it is achievable within the desired budget? We are becoming quite desperate.
B
Bauexperte15 Oct 2015 15:24NullVier schrieb:
That’s good. From now on, I will mention it as early as possible. Hello Mr./Ms. 'xyz',I learned about your company through 'abc' and would like to schedule a consultation regarding the development of my plot in 'def' with a single-family home of approximately 130 sqm (1400 sq ft). Besides the site-specific documents, are there any other materials you require for the appointment?
That will work
Best regards, Bauexperte
Bauexperte schrieb:
Hello Mr./Ms. 'xyz',
I came across your company through 'abc' and would like to schedule a consultation regarding the development of my plot in 'def' with a single-family house of approximately 130 sqm (1400 sq ft). Apart from the site-specific documents, are there any other documents you will need for the appointment?
Then everything should go smoothly.
Best regards, BauexperteI would possibly also include "as soon as possible" and, if you want to be absolutely clear, add "fully financed with own equity."
B
Bauexperte15 Oct 2015 15:30MarcWen schrieb:
.... also the addition "completely with own equity" This is not the seller’s business at this stage. The seller will ask certain questions, but there is no need to be overly direct right away.Regards, Bauexperte
T
toxicmolotof15 Oct 2015 15:34Too much equity also increases profit margins, so never overdo it.
Bauexperte schrieb:
Hello Mr./Ms. 'xyz',
I came across your company through 'abc' and would like to arrange a consultation regarding the development of my plot in 'def' with a single-family house of approximately 130 sqm (1400 sq ft). Aside from the site-specific documents, are there any other documents you will need for the appointment?
That will work out fine
Regards, BauexperteOh my, that sounds great. And the plot, just to mention it by the way. THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
FrankH schrieb:
You probably need to be prepared for some challenges. When building a new house, there are various trades involved. I have some recent experiences from family and personally. You ask for a quote, sometimes a tradesperson finally shows up to look at the work, but then sends no quote for weeks. Often only after several reminders, and sometimes not even then. If there is no interest (for whatever reason) in a job, it would be fair to just say so.
In the beginning, I thought if no quote came, there was no interest and I could move on to the next. But eventually, you want to get things done. Often, you have to follow up multiple times. The workload seems to be so high that even after choosing a tradesperson, you face long waiting times. Maybe you should focus on lesser-known companies, but I want good quality and am willing to pay a bit more for it. That’s why I focused on companies well-known in the region, for example, ones that had already done good work for my parents. In my case and my brother’s, it was a renovation, not a new build, which might be less attractive as it’s harder to estimate.
Luckily, for my bathroom renovations, I found a plumbing company that also coordinates the other trades. Of course, you pay for that, but it’s worth it to me. A good, reasonably experienced architect has their contacts and gets their quotes “in time”… The same applies when the tradespeople show up in person. I have talked to many homeowners about this.
In my personal case so far, the companies I included in the tender responded very quickly and their quotes always far exceeded those of the tradespeople recommended by the architect… — however, in the wrong direction.