ᐅ What are the next steps from here?

Hello everyone,

I think this forum is a must for anyone building a house. It’s really interesting to read through the various topics.

Now to my question:

We have now purchased our plot and secured the financing for our building project. The loan agreement has been signed and approved, and we are finally ready to start construction.

We want to build with a local construction company. After discussing our wishes with them, they provided us with a cost estimate based on the initial designs.

Next, we made some adjustments to the designs with the architect from the construction company (moving walls, roof overhang, basement height, etc.).

How should we ideally proceed from here? I believe that the builder should now prepare a detailed offer for a construction contract, right? Until that is signed, there is no legal relationship yet—is that correct? Will a fixed price be agreed on, or what should we be aware of?

I haven’t yet negotiated the price with the builder. Based on your experience, is the price in the offer usually still negotiable?

I’m looking forward to hearing about your experiences.

You seriously signed a loan agreement without even having a rough idea of the price for your house or having it planned in detail?
Good luck with the commitment fees...

The funds are available to us for 12 months without any commitment fees. We are already aware of the approximate price range.

Rough framework? That was very careless. And why would a bank sign a contract without a specific offer?! I hope your loan is sufficient and that you still have some margin. Even with good providers, 12 months can be tight if the factory contract is not even finalized yet.

Okay. Twelve months from planning to the first invoice from the builder—that should be achievable.

What happens next: well, you should now plan the house as precisely as possible and include all your wishes, so that the builder can calculate a precise price for you, which will then form the basis of the construction contract.
This is probably what you meant by a "fixed price."
However, there will never be a fixed price as such, because during your construction project you will repeatedly encounter additional costs that, according to the construction contract and specification, are not included in the offered price.
It would definitely be advisable to study the builder’s specification document carefully.

What do you mean by "plan as accurately as possible"? Should every single power outlet, etc., already be planned at this stage?