ᐅ Home Construction – Process Overview

Hello
We want to build a house in a rural area (in my hometown). The plot is already available, and there is an old house on it that we are allowed to demolish. Now, I would like to ask how to generally approach this process.

We have some ideas about how the house should look in terms of the floor plan (about 150 m² (1,615 sq ft) over 2 full floors). We have looked at various prefabricated house providers, and we liked their floor plans and layouts, so we saved some for reference.
I prefer a solid (masonry) house over a timber frame or wood construction.
We can handle some trades ourselves, such as electrical and plumbing work. Roofing is also possible since my uncle runs a carpentry business. However, other trades are not our strong suit—for example, laying tiles or heating would be left to professionals (air-source heat pump with photovoltaics since there is no gas connection available—or possibly trench collectors for geothermal energy if feasible).

My approach now, since we want to build with solid construction, would be to consult one or several architects with references in the area instead of building a prefabricated house. We feel more flexible with an architect regarding the selection of work we want to do ourselves versus what needs to be contracted out (as well as the choice of equipment in heating, cooling, and ventilation systems).
For the construction phase, we still want to involve an independent expert (from a home builder protection association or similar) who can occasionally check that everything is on track, since it’s impossible to have knowledge of everything.
We also plan to have the construction contract reviewed before signing to ensure everything is legally sound.

Is this a good approach to minimize mistakes during house construction?
We are completely at the beginning, apart from having a serviced plot with water and electricity available.

Thank you for your feedback.

Is there no local development plan? Then at least Section 34, requirement to fit into the surroundings, applies. This means the building should match the existing neighborhood. If there are mostly bungalows, constructing a two-story building will be difficult...

It’s best to find an architect whose style you like (based on reference projects) and with whom you get along well personally. Of course, many general contractors and design-build firms offer in-house architects, but based on my experience, I would no longer choose that and would first look for an independent architect. They can also help clarify what you are allowed to build there and what must be considered.

Then you decide to what extent the architect should or can support you during construction. There are independent architects who also take on site supervision. In that case, an external expert is not necessary. However, having an architect involved throughout is expensive. An architect who supports you from design through planning permission to construction usually charges about 15% of the construction cost.

Usually, such an architect also knows enough tradespeople. Doing work yourself is great but don’t underestimate the time involved! I wouldn’t expect to do all the electrical, plumbing, and carpentry work yourself, unless it doesn’t matter if moving in takes one or two years longer. Even self-performed work is added to the total construction cost and serves as a benchmark for the architect’s fee (my brother does a lot of work himself but keeps a very detailed construction diary for that).

Thank you very much.
The street is a dead end. Next door is my parents' house, and the neighbor’s house also has three floors as a two-family home. So we believe that it fits well there. As architects, we would choose an independent one rather than someone from a building company. We feel confident handling the electrical work ourselves since we have three electricians in the family. It’s not going to be a smart home, just simple things like electric roller shutters. No home automation system. But we are not at that stage yet. I hope the architect will also guide us a bit and tell us what is feasible and what is not.

If you plan to complete entire trades yourselves, it would make sense to start with a schedule. Who can work on the construction site, and for how many hours/days/weeks? If anyone besides you is supposed to contribute to the self-performed work, have you already received firm, serious commitments from these helpers?

Good point. We are nowhere near that stage yet... As I said, we are still at the very beginning. There is already a lot to consider—I can definitely tell.

The approach of combining an architect, subcontractors, self-performed trades, and construction supervision (possibly by the architect) initially seems reasonable. You will likely face significant challenges with prefabricated house providers regarding self-performance, proper interfaces, warranties, and so on.