ᐅ How long does the initial planning phase take? Expectations when working with construction companies
Created on: 14 Dec 2015 14:24
H
herann
Hello everyone,
We have been planning to build for about a year now. In May/June, we started researching prefabricated house companies and visited several model home exhibitions. We also had initial discussions with some companies.
Due to an unfortunate event in the family, we paused the process for a while and resumed at the end of September. Since then, we have been trying to find someone willing to build with us or whom we want to build with.
And that’s the tricky part. I’m slowly starting to think that no one wants to build with us. We don’t have extreme demands (single-family home, 150m² (1,615 sq ft)), the plot of land is ready, and the budget of 400,000 (including additional building costs and other expenses) in my opinion isn’t too small. We have a clear idea of what we want, only small details remain undecided, and as soon as we feel confident with a company, we would like to start building immediately.
However, sometimes we have to chase the consultants just to finally get an offer. When asking about a preliminary selection of materials, the common answer is that there won’t be any opportunity for the next 2–3 months. And these are all reputable companies we would actually like to build with. Aside from those ignoring our wishes completely or those we just don’t get along with. So basically only 2.5 companies (the half only with a lot of goodwill) are still in the running, and we are still waiting for more detailed numbers from some of them.
Are our expectations for consultation quality too high? I’m simply not willing to sign a contract after the second meeting without, for example, a preliminary material selection. Or to sign anything before most of the plan and representation matches what we envision. How many meetings did you have with your builder before committing?
I’m even at the point where I think, “It doesn’t matter if I don’t like them personally, as long as the house fits,” although that really goes against my gut feeling. How important is the personal rapport with the salesperson?
How long did your decision-making phase take? I am already a bit frustrated at times and sometimes wonder if we will ever find someone to build with or who wants to build with us.
Looking forward to hearing about your experiences.
We have been planning to build for about a year now. In May/June, we started researching prefabricated house companies and visited several model home exhibitions. We also had initial discussions with some companies.
Due to an unfortunate event in the family, we paused the process for a while and resumed at the end of September. Since then, we have been trying to find someone willing to build with us or whom we want to build with.
And that’s the tricky part. I’m slowly starting to think that no one wants to build with us. We don’t have extreme demands (single-family home, 150m² (1,615 sq ft)), the plot of land is ready, and the budget of 400,000 (including additional building costs and other expenses) in my opinion isn’t too small. We have a clear idea of what we want, only small details remain undecided, and as soon as we feel confident with a company, we would like to start building immediately.
However, sometimes we have to chase the consultants just to finally get an offer. When asking about a preliminary selection of materials, the common answer is that there won’t be any opportunity for the next 2–3 months. And these are all reputable companies we would actually like to build with. Aside from those ignoring our wishes completely or those we just don’t get along with. So basically only 2.5 companies (the half only with a lot of goodwill) are still in the running, and we are still waiting for more detailed numbers from some of them.
Are our expectations for consultation quality too high? I’m simply not willing to sign a contract after the second meeting without, for example, a preliminary material selection. Or to sign anything before most of the plan and representation matches what we envision. How many meetings did you have with your builder before committing?
I’m even at the point where I think, “It doesn’t matter if I don’t like them personally, as long as the house fits,” although that really goes against my gut feeling. How important is the personal rapport with the salesperson?
How long did your decision-making phase take? I am already a bit frustrated at times and sometimes wonder if we will ever find someone to build with or who wants to build with us.
Looking forward to hearing about your experiences.
I just realized that we are practically neighbors – we currently live about 4 km (2.5 miles) from Renningen.
We plan to build near PF and have therefore been active in this building forum. Unfortunately, we were even recommended a Weberhaus consultant with whom we would have liked to arrange a meeting, but due to a bit of bad luck, we were assigned to someone else.
We have a pretty good feeling about Weiss. Only the very long delivery time and a few other minor issues are still holding us back.
Could I perhaps get the link to the mentioned blogs (feel free to send it via private message if it’s not preferred to share here)?
But this just shows again how much the individual commitment of each consultant matters.
Maybe we will get lucky someday and find someone whose company and dedication fit well...
We plan to build near PF and have therefore been active in this building forum. Unfortunately, we were even recommended a Weberhaus consultant with whom we would have liked to arrange a meeting, but due to a bit of bad luck, we were assigned to someone else.
We have a pretty good feeling about Weiss. Only the very long delivery time and a few other minor issues are still holding us back.
Could I perhaps get the link to the mentioned blogs (feel free to send it via private message if it’s not preferred to share here)?
But this just shows again how much the individual commitment of each consultant matters.
Maybe we will get lucky someday and find someone whose company and dedication fit well...
D
Doc.Schnaggls14 Dec 2015 16:28Ok, now I am really losing my faith.
We were also on the building forum PF and, as I already said, more than satisfied.
I will send you the link to our blog shortly via private message.
Regards,
Dirk
We were also on the building forum PF and, as I already said, more than satisfied.
I will send you the link to our blog shortly via private message.
Regards,
Dirk
Hello herann,
the order books seem to be full for all prefabricated house manufacturers. Waiting times are therefore inevitable everywhere.
And time... even preparing a less detailed quote requires working hours.
Maybe you could also send plans indicating that you do not intend to build with those?
Regarding the salesperson: as far as I know, once the factory contract is signed, they are out of the process. It's nice to have the occasional phone chat, but their job is to sell, not to manage the project. At least that’s what I know from solid construction: there, site management plays the more important role.
I could have lengthy conversations with our salesperson, but not with the rest of the staff – though that is not necessary. What matters is the correct execution and trust in the company’s performance.
the order books seem to be full for all prefabricated house manufacturers. Waiting times are therefore inevitable everywhere.
And time... even preparing a less detailed quote requires working hours.
Maybe you could also send plans indicating that you do not intend to build with those?
Regarding the salesperson: as far as I know, once the factory contract is signed, they are out of the process. It's nice to have the occasional phone chat, but their job is to sell, not to manage the project. At least that’s what I know from solid construction: there, site management plays the more important role.
I could have lengthy conversations with our salesperson, but not with the rest of the staff – though that is not necessary. What matters is the correct execution and trust in the company’s performance.
We had similar experiences. At times, I was really surprised by how little expertise or effort was shown. Of course, you don’t want to be called and bothered every day, but a certain level of interest should be evident.
Sometimes I felt that you get better advice in a department store when buying a $100 pair of pants. After an hour, you’re happy to leave with the right shirt as well.
Here, you invest a fortune and end up with so much frustration. It may be that they are very busy and only focus on the most lucrative clients. But if that’s the case, it should be communicated fairly, especially since as a future homeowner, you also invest a lot of time during the decision-making phase.
Sometimes I felt that you get better advice in a department store when buying a $100 pair of pants. After an hour, you’re happy to leave with the right shirt as well.
Here, you invest a fortune and end up with so much frustration. It may be that they are very busy and only focus on the most lucrative clients. But if that’s the case, it should be communicated fairly, especially since as a future homeowner, you also invest a lot of time during the decision-making phase.
H
HB-NH201514 Dec 2015 20:11According to the consultant, factory tours at Fingerhaus are possible at any time.
However, we visited during a building information day, which just happened to fit our schedule.
I didn’t hear anything about a preliminary selection appointment, but you could walk through the selection center.
Although prices or surcharges aren’t displayed, it is clearly marked what is included in the base price and what involves additional costs.
I don’t think people take the time to go through a full selection process before signing the contract, since such a selection appointment usually takes 1-2 days.
There is a forum for former and prospective Fingerhaus homeowners where people share information about extra costs during the selection process, from additional power outlets to canopies and so on.
This gives a good sense of what financial expenses to expect during the selections.
The consultation meetings were long and thorough, but there were only two of them.
I’m not counting the first visit with small talk at the show home.
One consultation lasted about 6 hours (covering our building project, the house, additional construction costs, our finances, etc.), followed by about 3 hours to work through the preliminary contract (the land was not yet secured) with a lot of small talk and project-related information.
Price information after the first visit to the show home came within one week, sometimes via late-evening emails — so they seem to be working late into the night given the current building boom.
However, the quality of the sales advice and its evaluation should always be taken with caution since every consultant, as well as every client, is different.
However, we visited during a building information day, which just happened to fit our schedule.
I didn’t hear anything about a preliminary selection appointment, but you could walk through the selection center.
Although prices or surcharges aren’t displayed, it is clearly marked what is included in the base price and what involves additional costs.
I don’t think people take the time to go through a full selection process before signing the contract, since such a selection appointment usually takes 1-2 days.
There is a forum for former and prospective Fingerhaus homeowners where people share information about extra costs during the selection process, from additional power outlets to canopies and so on.
This gives a good sense of what financial expenses to expect during the selections.
The consultation meetings were long and thorough, but there were only two of them.
I’m not counting the first visit with small talk at the show home.
One consultation lasted about 6 hours (covering our building project, the house, additional construction costs, our finances, etc.), followed by about 3 hours to work through the preliminary contract (the land was not yet secured) with a lot of small talk and project-related information.
Price information after the first visit to the show home came within one week, sometimes via late-evening emails — so they seem to be working late into the night given the current building boom.
However, the quality of the sales advice and its evaluation should always be taken with caution since every consultant, as well as every client, is different.
B
Bauexperte14 Dec 2015 22:14Good evening,
The downside: many detailed consultation meetings and involving experts often means clients become well-informed and then take this knowledge to a supposedly cheaper competitor. I can understand my fellow sales professionals when they screen clients or sometimes lose motivation; it’s pure frustration when it happens frequently.
Best regards, Bauexperte
herann schrieb:It has always been that way.
I
But this clearly shows that the commitment of individual consultants really matters.
The downside: many detailed consultation meetings and involving experts often means clients become well-informed and then take this knowledge to a supposedly cheaper competitor. I can understand my fellow sales professionals when they screen clients or sometimes lose motivation; it’s pure frustration when it happens frequently.
Best regards, Bauexperte
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