Good morning dear colleagues,
I am in the fortunate situation of having found our personal dream plot for our first own house. However, I only decided to start building four weeks ago and began searching two weeks ago – and now I need to act quickly, or the plot will be gone! I’m a bit overwhelmed because everything is moving so fast; I’ve already made one mistake and would therefore be extremely grateful for professional help and experience.
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1. Question about the builder:
We would like to build with TAFF-Haus, or rather have to, because the broker involved was until two weeks ago still part of the management team and since February has been an independent broker (during the viewing we were told he only works for the owner… which was true at that time but already feels a bit questionable). Now, there is no information or reviews about TAFF-Haus or the other companies in the parent group "Uwe Köhn Unternehmensgruppe," such as ALLEGRO-Haus (only two negative reports about ALLEGRO here in the forum). This is perhaps not surprising, considering the following from the commercial register regarding the entire company structure:
So, there is practically no experience in housebuilding! Or am I mistaken?
Fortunately (?), TAFF does not handle the construction itself but hires a large number of local subcontractors for the individual trades. You could almost say that they only organize. But I’m not certain about that; the walls are patented (prefabricated house/timber frame construction).
That doesn’t worry me too much yet, although I would prefer a company with many years of experience. But I probably just have to make sure that every tiny detail is documented in writing from the start – as it should be for contracts involving such sums.
-> What do you think? Can TAFF-Haus be trusted?
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2. About my mistake:
I, a naive fool, of course told the seller my budget. Quite surprisingly, our desired house now fits exactly into that budget – what a wonderful coincidence!
To partly fix this and to create a basis for negotiation, I’m considering, as mentioned above, asking for a detailed breakdown of every single item and comparing them online. It would be best to also get reference projects with addresses/contact details and compare prices with those. It can’t be too long since they built those...
-> What should I absolutely pay attention to now?
Is there a checklist or something similar in this forum? I will definitely read the section "Buyer assistance before signing the contract" here in the housebuilding guide, but maybe there is more or something that fits my situation.
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3. Alternative for the brave:
The plot is a dream, and we really want to have it. I have managed to find the owner and am seriously considering making him an offer. In the worst case, I’d pay the “hidden” broker’s commission but would then own the plot and no longer be tied to TAFF. We would also like to change some things about the house, which TAFF with their fixed floor plans cannot offer us.
-> Would you consider this option in my situation? Are there risks?
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Normally I’m someone who research many things extensively myself, but in this case I simply don’t have the time. I am grateful for any answer because the next meeting with TAFF is still this week, when the house is supposed to be planned. Feel free to bombard me with helpful links (as far as allowed) or similar topics, as I simply don’t have time to search and sort – mea culpa!
I am in the fortunate situation of having found our personal dream plot for our first own house. However, I only decided to start building four weeks ago and began searching two weeks ago – and now I need to act quickly, or the plot will be gone! I’m a bit overwhelmed because everything is moving so fast; I’ve already made one mistake and would therefore be extremely grateful for professional help and experience.
-----
1. Question about the builder:
We would like to build with TAFF-Haus, or rather have to, because the broker involved was until two weeks ago still part of the management team and since February has been an independent broker (during the viewing we were told he only works for the owner… which was true at that time but already feels a bit questionable). Now, there is no information or reviews about TAFF-Haus or the other companies in the parent group "Uwe Köhn Unternehmensgruppe," such as ALLEGRO-Haus (only two negative reports about ALLEGRO here in the forum). This is perhaps not surprising, considering the following from the commercial register regarding the entire company structure:
- VSC Vertriebs Service Consult GmbH has existed since January 2006.
- Meißner Bau Management GmbH, like Allegro-Haus GmbH, was founded in December 2012.
- TAFF-Haus GmbH has only existed for two years, since May 2015.
So, there is practically no experience in housebuilding! Or am I mistaken?
Fortunately (?), TAFF does not handle the construction itself but hires a large number of local subcontractors for the individual trades. You could almost say that they only organize. But I’m not certain about that; the walls are patented (prefabricated house/timber frame construction).
That doesn’t worry me too much yet, although I would prefer a company with many years of experience. But I probably just have to make sure that every tiny detail is documented in writing from the start – as it should be for contracts involving such sums.
-> What do you think? Can TAFF-Haus be trusted?
-----
2. About my mistake:
I, a naive fool, of course told the seller my budget. Quite surprisingly, our desired house now fits exactly into that budget – what a wonderful coincidence!
To partly fix this and to create a basis for negotiation, I’m considering, as mentioned above, asking for a detailed breakdown of every single item and comparing them online. It would be best to also get reference projects with addresses/contact details and compare prices with those. It can’t be too long since they built those...
-> What should I absolutely pay attention to now?
Is there a checklist or something similar in this forum? I will definitely read the section "Buyer assistance before signing the contract" here in the housebuilding guide, but maybe there is more or something that fits my situation.
-----
3. Alternative for the brave:
The plot is a dream, and we really want to have it. I have managed to find the owner and am seriously considering making him an offer. In the worst case, I’d pay the “hidden” broker’s commission but would then own the plot and no longer be tied to TAFF. We would also like to change some things about the house, which TAFF with their fixed floor plans cannot offer us.
-> Would you consider this option in my situation? Are there risks?
-----
Normally I’m someone who research many things extensively myself, but in this case I simply don’t have the time. I am grateful for any answer because the next meeting with TAFF is still this week, when the house is supposed to be planned. Feel free to bombard me with helpful links (as far as allowed) or similar topics, as I simply don’t have time to search and sort – mea culpa!
B
Bieber081517 May 2017 23:08Otus11 schrieb:
By signing the "assignment declaration," you effectively give up all warranty and fulfillment rights... without receiving adequate compensation for this disadvantage (therefore it is ineffective).
The bank essentially becomes a self-service point for contractors.The bank only pays out if the equivalent value is actually present. The property owner then gets trapped in the interest payment cycle because they can’t start reducing the principal if the house isn’t completed without defects, the bank refuses to pay, the contractor refuses to acknowledge the defect, and insists on payment.It’s unfortunate—we experienced this too (apparently no one noticed)—but the damage was relatively minor (<< 1000 Euro) in our case. And since we bought from the developer, the transfer of ownership was also stuck in limbo when disputing the last few euros.
P
PowerBauer18 May 2017 09:35Bieber0815 schrieb:
The bank only pays out when the equivalent value is available. Are you sure? Wouldn’t this have to be handled through a notary, like a simultaneous exchange transaction?
I was just looking over a contract from an acquaintance. There aren’t just 5 simple installments, which effectively act as advance payments, but nearly 20 detailed points are specified. And the final payment isn’t due “after completion of services,” but “after building acceptance and transfer of possession”! In connection with the assignment, TAFF could then decide, regardless of any defects, that the services have been fulfilled and still collect the last 5%.
And without a construction timeframe in the contract, this could drag on indefinitely. Have I mentioned that the fixed price guarantee only lasts 12 months?
I’m afraid if TAFF takes a hard line with these terms and conditions, we’ll have to walk away from the project— even though it really pains me because of the land. As a builder, you basically have no security or guarantees.
Would it possibly help me to get legal expenses insurance for home builders? Specifically, I’m considering ARAG. There is a 6-month waiting period, but I can probably manage that long.
C
Caspar202018 May 2017 10:08PowerBauer schrieb:
Would it possibly help me to get a builder’s legal protection insurance? Specifically, I’m considering ARAG. It includes a waiting period of 6 months, but I can probably manage to wait that long.Can you really wait another 6 months to secure the plot or finalize the contract with the company???
And from the general terms and conditions:
Builder’s legal protection insurance per contract duration – €10,000Save your money. In practice, legal protection insurance is not reasonably insurable during construction.
Better hire a professional construction supervisor; no matter who you build with. It’s a much better investment.
P
PowerBauer18 May 2017 10:14No, I cannot wait 6 months. But according to ARAG, I can start disputing after 6 months, even if the construction contract, for example, is signed next month. How watertight that exactly is, I don't know. There will surely be a clause that excludes this, and unfortunately the employee was mistaken.
I also found the €10,000 (about $11,000), but better than nothing.
I am a member of the Private Homeowners Association and would definitely use a construction supervisor from there.
I also found the €10,000 (about $11,000), but better than nothing.
I am a member of the Private Homeowners Association and would definitely use a construction supervisor from there.
B
Bieber081518 May 2017 14:13PowerBauer schrieb:
Are you sure? Wouldn’t that have to go through a notary, like a simultaneous exchange of contracts? I can only speak from our case. A simultaneous exchange can also happen without a notary. The construction is completed, you pay the agreed installment and receive the keys "simultaneously" (meaning on the next but one banking day).
PowerBauer schrieb:
And the final installment is not "upon completion of services," but "after final inspection and handover"! In connection with the assignment, TAFF could then decide regardless of all defects that the service has been fulfilled and still claim the last 5%. Sort of. With any payment plan, you always have a right of retention concerning defects. Even with the assignment, the bank will only pay if you instruct the payment. If you don’t do that, no payment will be made. However, due to the assignment, the bank will not disburse the remaining loan amount to your account. It only pays the developer or general contractor. Then you are stuck in a loop: either pay everything so you can start repaying the loan, or go to court to enforce that you don’t have to pay everything (which takes at least a year). Or reach an amicable agreement with the developer/general contractor (you have a much weaker position here, so expect an uneven settlement).
As I already said, I would put the whole TAFF issue aside. The assignment itself is unfortunate but manageable if everything else is fine. In my opinion, nothing here is right.