Hello everyone,
We have decided to build a house using a timber frame construction method. The plot of land will be purchased from the municipality in January. Most of the house will be built by a company that is connected to our family (possibly resulting in special discounts). The floor plan is finalized, as is a cost breakdown. However, it is not yet final whether we will go with 70 sqm (750 sq ft) of carpet instead of 40 sqm (430 sq ft), increasing the tiled area accordingly. The breakdown is partly intended for the bank so that a) the financing process can continue and b) we have a rough idea of the total cost (around 230,000 without considering any personal labor or discounts).
Note: We wanted a breakdown that includes all costs, including site setup and related expenses. Unfortunately, this is not entirely clear even though the breakdown is about 60 pages long. I will inquire about this again.
We have already been to the bank once. A loan of about 250,000 euros (around 270,000 USD) is not a problem (the plot of land is fully considered as equity).
My questions:
1. The builder responsible for the timber frame and roofing work has obtained quotes from subcontractors (e.g., tilers and electricians). Does this make them a developer or a general contractor?
2. Is it advisable to schedule individual trades separately? The groundwork and brick laying have been subcontracted to companies known to the builder, and since it is a timber frame construction, we would prefer not to bring in other companies, as these firms often collaborate and therefore know what to pay attention to.
3. Is it still advisable to hire a building surveyor or to consult consumer protection services such as the Verbraucherzentrale Niedersachsen for construction supervision? What are the differences, and what are the advantages and disadvantages of each?
These are the first questions. More will follow ;-) Thank you in advance,
Best regards
We have decided to build a house using a timber frame construction method. The plot of land will be purchased from the municipality in January. Most of the house will be built by a company that is connected to our family (possibly resulting in special discounts). The floor plan is finalized, as is a cost breakdown. However, it is not yet final whether we will go with 70 sqm (750 sq ft) of carpet instead of 40 sqm (430 sq ft), increasing the tiled area accordingly. The breakdown is partly intended for the bank so that a) the financing process can continue and b) we have a rough idea of the total cost (around 230,000 without considering any personal labor or discounts).
Note: We wanted a breakdown that includes all costs, including site setup and related expenses. Unfortunately, this is not entirely clear even though the breakdown is about 60 pages long. I will inquire about this again.
We have already been to the bank once. A loan of about 250,000 euros (around 270,000 USD) is not a problem (the plot of land is fully considered as equity).
My questions:
1. The builder responsible for the timber frame and roofing work has obtained quotes from subcontractors (e.g., tilers and electricians). Does this make them a developer or a general contractor?
2. Is it advisable to schedule individual trades separately? The groundwork and brick laying have been subcontracted to companies known to the builder, and since it is a timber frame construction, we would prefer not to bring in other companies, as these firms often collaborate and therefore know what to pay attention to.
3. Is it still advisable to hire a building surveyor or to consult consumer protection services such as the Verbraucherzentrale Niedersachsen for construction supervision? What are the differences, and what are the advantages and disadvantages of each?
These are the first questions. More will follow ;-) Thank you in advance,
Best regards
I think you need to organize your thoughts and considerations a bit more, as your post comes across as somewhat confused and unstructured...
But regarding your questions:
1. This depends on the contractual relationships. Who is the contracting party responsible for what?
2. This, in turn, depends on point 1.
3. Having a building surveyor or expert is always a good idea. I wouldn’t trust a consumer advice center to have the specialized knowledge required for construction.
By the way, if I were building with a family-related company, I would make sure to have a very thorough contract—covering everything in detail—and would not rely on verbal agreements alone.
But regarding your questions:
1. This depends on the contractual relationships. Who is the contracting party responsible for what?
2. This, in turn, depends on point 1.
3. Having a building surveyor or expert is always a good idea. I wouldn’t trust a consumer advice center to have the specialized knowledge required for construction.
By the way, if I were building with a family-related company, I would make sure to have a very thorough contract—covering everything in detail—and would not rely on verbal agreements alone.
1. Did he do that for you? Then it could also be an architect or a real estate agent. Make sure you don’t end up signing a contract with every contractor.
2. Brick-faced timber framing has already been strongly criticized in the green forum – but I’ve also seen it here in the village. Just make sure to do some more research. Otherwise, you sometimes have to chase after contractors, and regarding warranties, it is usually better if everything is covered by a single contract partner.
3. Building experts are generally a good idea – although you should carefully assess the individual (being argumentative, for example, is not a good trait in my opinion). Much in construction is a gray area – it’s best to involve them already during contract drafting so they can also influence execution details in the contract.
2. Brick-faced timber framing has already been strongly criticized in the green forum – but I’ve also seen it here in the village. Just make sure to do some more research. Otherwise, you sometimes have to chase after contractors, and regarding warranties, it is usually better if everything is covered by a single contract partner.
3. Building experts are generally a good idea – although you should carefully assess the individual (being argumentative, for example, is not a good trait in my opinion). Much in construction is a gray area – it’s best to involve them already during contract drafting so they can also influence execution details in the contract.
B
Bauexperte27 Dec 2015 12:23Hello,
Best regards, Bauexperte
Hankovic schrieb:Main contractor / general contractor (GC) – since you are providing the land yourself.
1. The builder responsible for the timber frame construction and roofing has obtained several quotes (e.g., tiler and electrician). Does that make them the developer or the main contractor?
Hankovic schrieb:Your GC will coordinate that automatically—if you entrust them with managing the trades; after all, they also need scheduling certainty.
2. Is it advisable to schedule individual trades? Background: earthworks and bricklaying are subcontracted to companies known to him, and because it’s timber frame construction, we didn’t really want to hire any other companies, as they often work together and therefore know what to pay attention to.
Hankovic schrieb:Trust is good, but verification is better—or as the saying goes, “four eyes see more than two.” So: yes 😉
3. Is it still advisable to hire a building inspector or use consumer advice services (e.g., for construction supervision)?
Hankovic schrieb:There are plenty of threads on this topic here; just take your time to read up.
What exactly is the difference, and what are the advantages and disadvantages of each?
Best regards, Bauexperte