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RoswithaC22 Nov 2020 20:32First of all: I’m completely new here – so please don’t be too hard on me if I’m doing something wrong 🙂
To the point: My husband and I (66/68) are about to buy a condominium. The property we are interested in is located in a district town in Lower Saxony, in a building with five units that is currently in shell construction. Completion is expected around Q3/2021.
We live about 100 km (60 miles) away, only know the town from earlier times, and have no local contacts. From our previous experience, we know quite a bit about building and buying houses but not about condominiums. And not about a purchase through a developer.
Therefore, we are looking for a construction consultant who can support us throughout the entire process—from signing the contracts to the final handover. Someone who is knowledgeable in both the contractual/legal aspects and the technical/construction side.
Now the problem: How do I find such an expert? I have already read quite a bit here on the forum – including an interesting thread from 2015. So I can imagine that TÜV or DEKRA might be suitable for us. But do they also cover the legal side, such as reviewing the various contracts, the building specifications, the scope of services, etc.? I haven’t seen anything about that on their websites.
Of course, I would prefer to hire a well-educated, experienced, and widely recommended architect or building assessor from the region. But how exactly do I find one? It’s a matter of trust, and besides the required broad expertise, the “chemistry” has to be right as well. I have researched some experts listed by associations like the Bauherren-Schutzbund, read reviews, and so forth. And there are definitely some discouraging points. Of course, you have to form your own opinion, but I can’t exactly hold a casting show here 😎 On the other hand, one of the people recommended by these “advisory networks” is someone I happen to know personally. He is a plumber with additional training as an energy consultant and filed for insolvency with his business three years ago. A very nice and trustworthy person, but I would never entrust him with this work.
What would you advise us to do? How did you approach this yourselves?
The problem is also that we don’t have much time, as contract negotiations will start in about two weeks at the latest.
I am grateful for any kind advice 🙂
To the point: My husband and I (66/68) are about to buy a condominium. The property we are interested in is located in a district town in Lower Saxony, in a building with five units that is currently in shell construction. Completion is expected around Q3/2021.
We live about 100 km (60 miles) away, only know the town from earlier times, and have no local contacts. From our previous experience, we know quite a bit about building and buying houses but not about condominiums. And not about a purchase through a developer.
Therefore, we are looking for a construction consultant who can support us throughout the entire process—from signing the contracts to the final handover. Someone who is knowledgeable in both the contractual/legal aspects and the technical/construction side.
Now the problem: How do I find such an expert? I have already read quite a bit here on the forum – including an interesting thread from 2015. So I can imagine that TÜV or DEKRA might be suitable for us. But do they also cover the legal side, such as reviewing the various contracts, the building specifications, the scope of services, etc.? I haven’t seen anything about that on their websites.
Of course, I would prefer to hire a well-educated, experienced, and widely recommended architect or building assessor from the region. But how exactly do I find one? It’s a matter of trust, and besides the required broad expertise, the “chemistry” has to be right as well. I have researched some experts listed by associations like the Bauherren-Schutzbund, read reviews, and so forth. And there are definitely some discouraging points. Of course, you have to form your own opinion, but I can’t exactly hold a casting show here 😎 On the other hand, one of the people recommended by these “advisory networks” is someone I happen to know personally. He is a plumber with additional training as an energy consultant and filed for insolvency with his business three years ago. A very nice and trustworthy person, but I would never entrust him with this work.
What would you advise us to do? How did you approach this yourselves?
The problem is also that we don’t have much time, as contract negotiations will start in about two weeks at the latest.
I am grateful for any kind advice 🙂
I "fear" that instead of one all-round specialist, you will need two specialists. A lawyer will review the construction specification and the contract – but master craftsmen in building trades rarely retrain as lawyers ;-)
During construction, a building inspector or expert is more useful, who in turn rarely has a background in law.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
During construction, a building inspector or expert is more useful, who in turn rarely has a background in law.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/