ᐅ Is an architect really that expensive?

Bauexperte schrieb:
That is probably also the reason why you have not made a decision yet.

Likely, and also because the site development will not be completed until summer/autumn 2016 at the earliest. If everything goes according to plan. So... if everything goes according to plan.

Then I don’t know why you are worrying about it? In the price range you are looking at, the items mentioned above certainly are not part of the standard specifications.

In the price range I’m in, at least 50 power outlets, externally coated windows, underfloor heating, all surveying costs, LAN/SAT wiring in nearly all rooms, interior window sills made of marble (not that strange wood-based material), warm edge windows, masonry walls on both the ground floor and upper floor, mushroom-head locking systems, triple hook locking on the front door, or a frost-proof outdoor water tap are definitely included. I have also read several other construction specifications where some or many of these items were missing. Of course, that does not mean we will stick to exactly 50 power outlets, but the additional costs here are rather marginal. When I compare these specifications with others, especially from nationwide prefab house companies in Germany, I would say the standard already includes more than with many other companies. Which, as I said, doesn’t prevent us from adding a few things here and there.

No. One might have a 20mm (0.79 inches) concrete slab, another a 180mm (7 inches) insulation layer in the roof. Yet another installs the plumbing rough-ins in the foundation slab as well as in the floor ceilings, while someone else skips a 7-chamber window profile system or does not bother to fill the ceiling joints or paint the roof soffits. I could extend this list with many more points.

What is wrong with a 20mm (0.79 inches) concrete slab if it meets the requirements? This question is serious, I’m not familiar with this!

In the end, what matters is the following: what operating costs does a homeowner have based on their choice of building partner? Nothing more and nothing less; a supposedly higher quality selection of tiles or sanitary fittings is just the smallest extra cost involved.

Operating costs, what exactly do you mean?

@Grym If I were you, I wouldn’t be too certain. At the beginning, we were also at 1295€/m² (120.3 sq ft) with the standard execution according to the scope of work description, BUT as the process went on, several additional customization options were added. Now we are at 1650€/m² (153.3 sq ft). Good thing we included enough buffer, or perhaps it was because of that buffer that some extras were added.

Grym schrieb:
In the price range I am considering, at least 50 power outlets, externally laminated windows, underfloor heating, all surveying costs, LAN/SAT cabling in almost every room, interior window sills made of marble (not that strange wood composite), windows with warm edge spacers, masonry walls on both ground and upper floors, mushroom-head locking pins, triple hook locks on the front door, or a frost-proof outdoor water tap are standard.

Honestly, that’s not really anything special or expensive! You can add a lot more—upgrade the front door to a proper aluminum door with 5- or 7-point locking, add 30 more power outlets, are there still windows sold without warm edge spacers (what kind of profile, how many chambers, which glass, U-values, solar transmittance), different marble than the one offered, and so on.

We really built cheaply with a high standard, at pure construction costs of €1,325 per square meter (sqm) of floor area (= €1,520 per sqm of living space) plus additional costs for architect, surveyor, structural engineer, etc.
The exterior landscaping including driveway is not included in that.

The price quickly reaches the level often discussed in this forum. You get what you pay for. If you pay little, you get “little.” You can live very well with “little,” but you just have to be aware of it.

For us, during the contract finalization and detailed planning stages, the cost increased by another 100 € - 200 € per square meter (approximately 9 - 18 USD per square foot) — and we didn’t opt for many extras, sticking mostly to the "solid standard."

Sorry if I don’t review everything in detail again, but the prices of about 1500€/m² (1600$/ft²) of living space refer to the ground floor and the upper floor. What is usually calculated for a basement room (dumb question)?