Hello,
I hope this forum is not only for people looking to build a house but also for experienced builders.
My wife and I want to build and have been searching for a developer for almost a year now, but somehow we are not making any progress.
That is why we are hoping to benefit from your experiences.
Could you perhaps share recommendations or your experiences regarding which companies we should build with or which companies you would advise us to avoid?
I hope this forum is not only for people looking to build a house but also for experienced builders.
My wife and I want to build and have been searching for a developer for almost a year now, but somehow we are not making any progress.
That is why we are hoping to benefit from your experiences.
Could you perhaps share recommendations or your experiences regarding which companies we should build with or which companies you would advise us to avoid?
T
toxicmolotof25 Sep 2014 23:49So you don’t have a plot of land and are now looking for someone who can provide both from a single source?
D
DerBjoern26 Sep 2014 07:59First, take a look at the differences between a property developer, general contractor, main contractor, prefabricated house provider, and architect. This way, you’ll already have a clear idea of what you’re looking for. And as toxicmolotow already mentioned, the issue of the plot of land is essential in the beginning.
B
Bauexperte26 Sep 2014 11:17Hello,
You are looking for the impossible.
First of all, you need to decide what you want; the simple argument “I just want a house” is a poor guide! Who exactly is your project manager? What qualifications do they have? What is their assignment from you? Are they even a financier?
A developer sells you a plot of land including the construction of a new single-family house all from one source; a general contractor builds on your land (meaning you find the plot yourself, which, by the way, has many advantages); an architect “only” designs your house (this also requires that you have a plot of land). A solid masonry house is built traditionally, brick by brick (or with prefabricated components); with a prefabricated house, the shell structure is assembled within about 3 days depending on the supplier and contract value, but the lead time beforehand is considerably longer. Another option is to purchase an existing property, which requires expert evaluation beforehand and a skilled architect for execution plans and tendering during the remodeling phase. It is also advisable to hire an expert for supervision and site management.
Your budget always comes first and should be established at least approximately in advance. Only when you are clear about all these aspects can you decide what you actually want!
And to sum up briefly is often a good idea, but in a forum like this that can be counterproductive.
Best regards, Bauexperte
Seaman schrieb:
Either our project manager is separating from his company (or vice versa, we don’t know), or suddenly the house can no longer be remodeled according to our needs (6 living or working rooms), and so on and so forth.
You are looking for the impossible.
First of all, you need to decide what you want; the simple argument “I just want a house” is a poor guide! Who exactly is your project manager? What qualifications do they have? What is their assignment from you? Are they even a financier?
A developer sells you a plot of land including the construction of a new single-family house all from one source; a general contractor builds on your land (meaning you find the plot yourself, which, by the way, has many advantages); an architect “only” designs your house (this also requires that you have a plot of land). A solid masonry house is built traditionally, brick by brick (or with prefabricated components); with a prefabricated house, the shell structure is assembled within about 3 days depending on the supplier and contract value, but the lead time beforehand is considerably longer. Another option is to purchase an existing property, which requires expert evaluation beforehand and a skilled architect for execution plans and tendering during the remodeling phase. It is also advisable to hire an expert for supervision and site management.
Your budget always comes first and should be established at least approximately in advance. Only when you are clear about all these aspects can you decide what you actually want!
And to sum up briefly is often a good idea, but in a forum like this that can be counterproductive.
Best regards, Bauexperte
T
toxicmolotof27 Sep 2014 18:14But if you are not familiar with the terminology, that should be the first thing to take care of, because depending on the terms used, people here simply misunderstand and give wrong advice.
To add: A general contractor (GC) offers just the house without the land, while a developer offers the house together with the land.
This is all basic knowledge.
And you talk about "what is financially feasible" and at the same time about "what I want must be offered." Of course, you are right there, but custom requests cost extra money. That is how the market economy works.
To add: A general contractor (GC) offers just the house without the land, while a developer offers the house together with the land.
This is all basic knowledge.
And you talk about "what is financially feasible" and at the same time about "what I want must be offered." Of course, you are right there, but custom requests cost extra money. That is how the market economy works.
In part, I have to agree with you.
We are looking for a general contractor because we already own the plot of land; it just needs to be included in the financing. The discussion was not about what is financially feasible, but rather what is cheaper for us: a lower level of finish plus materials and time, or a higher level of finish right away.
There are no special requests in the sense that we want something extremely extravagant, but just minor modifications, for example:
- converting a 45sqm (484 sq ft) living room into a 15sqm (161 sq ft) office and a 30sqm (323 sq ft) living room (adding an extra door and a drywall partition)
- changing three rooms of about 20-25sqm (215-269 sq ft) each upstairs into four smaller rooms and relocating the bathroom within the upper floor (adding an extra door and drywall partition, and moving electrical, water, and drainage lines for the bathroom)
As a trained bricklayer and electrician, and with a plumber in the family, I can confidently say that none of this is rocket science, it’s all feasible, and it does not involve significant costs!
We are looking for a general contractor because we already own the plot of land; it just needs to be included in the financing. The discussion was not about what is financially feasible, but rather what is cheaper for us: a lower level of finish plus materials and time, or a higher level of finish right away.
There are no special requests in the sense that we want something extremely extravagant, but just minor modifications, for example:
- converting a 45sqm (484 sq ft) living room into a 15sqm (161 sq ft) office and a 30sqm (323 sq ft) living room (adding an extra door and a drywall partition)
- changing three rooms of about 20-25sqm (215-269 sq ft) each upstairs into four smaller rooms and relocating the bathroom within the upper floor (adding an extra door and drywall partition, and moving electrical, water, and drainage lines for the bathroom)
As a trained bricklayer and electrician, and with a plumber in the family, I can confidently say that none of this is rocket science, it’s all feasible, and it does not involve significant costs!
T
toxicmolotof27 Sep 2014 20:11Well, a general contractor (GC) typically offers you a complete house, sometimes only finished up to a certain stage. What comes after that is your responsibility.
It’s difficult to make a general judgment. For example, what do you pay the GC for "heating fully installed including labor," and how much do you pay for "materials only"? Depending on the trade, it might actually be cheaper in the end to handle the installation yourself, despite the extra effort.
And believe me, everyone you mentioned probably works a standard 40-hour week with a regular job. So doing it yourself will likely extend the entire construction process.
In the end, this is simply a calculation you need to make individually.
Regarding your small change requests, standard houses usually follow a predefined template with finalized structural calculations. As soon as you move a wall on the upper floor, a new structural analysis is required. Of course, you will have to pay for this as well as for any related planning changes and their preparation.
It’s difficult to make a general judgment. For example, what do you pay the GC for "heating fully installed including labor," and how much do you pay for "materials only"? Depending on the trade, it might actually be cheaper in the end to handle the installation yourself, despite the extra effort.
And believe me, everyone you mentioned probably works a standard 40-hour week with a regular job. So doing it yourself will likely extend the entire construction process.
In the end, this is simply a calculation you need to make individually.
Regarding your small change requests, standard houses usually follow a predefined template with finalized structural calculations. As soon as you move a wall on the upper floor, a new structural analysis is required. Of course, you will have to pay for this as well as for any related planning changes and their preparation.
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