ᐅ No groundbreaking yet, but already problems with the construction company
Created on: 4 Oct 2016 09:59
J
Jazz089Hello dear forum community,
I just need to vent a little. As mentioned in the headline, we haven't even broken ground yet, but I'm already frustrated with the construction company. We are building with Town & Country and originally didn’t want to build with them, but because of the plot of land, we were tied to this company. Maybe this is all normal, but I just feel like I’m being taken for a ride...
We’re all probably aware that building a house is expensive. We also know that Town & Country doesn’t represent the luxury segment of homebuilding (and they’re not exactly cheap either). So why am I upset right now? First of all, we have absolutely no cost transparency. We want a decentralized ventilation system instead of a central one. During the sales meeting, they said that a decentralized system is not an option for our house type or that they had bad experiences with it. Since this was very important to us, the salesperson said he would call the heating contractor again to see if there might be another possibility. Well, we then received an email stating that we would have to pay an additional 3,000€ (about 3,300 USD) and would get a decentralized ventilation system. After the planning meeting with the managing director, this statement was revoked and he said he would send us an offer. Well, that 3,000€ then turned into 10,000€. We complained, and then suddenly it was 6,000€ plus 2,000€ for the basement. What am I even supposed to believe at this point?
Then there was the issue with ordering extra windows. During the sales meeting, I wanted to include all additional windows we planned to have. But I was told to sort that out with the architect later, and that the surcharge for windows would only be the material cost… Now we are being asked to pay 950€ (about 1,050 USD) for upgrading from standard to floor-to-ceiling windows and 1,750€ (about 1,940 USD) for an additional floor-to-ceiling window. The prices seem extremely expensive to me, and I’m just not willing to be taken advantage of like this. In the construction contract, we already included 4 additional windows, but these were never accounted for in the pricing… I’m just so frustrated and we haven’t even properly started yet.
How do you see the window costs? Are these normal prices? Maybe I’m not yet fully in the building mindset and haven’t gotten used to additional costs, but it just seems very expensive to me.
Thanks for listening.
I just need to vent a little. As mentioned in the headline, we haven't even broken ground yet, but I'm already frustrated with the construction company. We are building with Town & Country and originally didn’t want to build with them, but because of the plot of land, we were tied to this company. Maybe this is all normal, but I just feel like I’m being taken for a ride...
We’re all probably aware that building a house is expensive. We also know that Town & Country doesn’t represent the luxury segment of homebuilding (and they’re not exactly cheap either). So why am I upset right now? First of all, we have absolutely no cost transparency. We want a decentralized ventilation system instead of a central one. During the sales meeting, they said that a decentralized system is not an option for our house type or that they had bad experiences with it. Since this was very important to us, the salesperson said he would call the heating contractor again to see if there might be another possibility. Well, we then received an email stating that we would have to pay an additional 3,000€ (about 3,300 USD) and would get a decentralized ventilation system. After the planning meeting with the managing director, this statement was revoked and he said he would send us an offer. Well, that 3,000€ then turned into 10,000€. We complained, and then suddenly it was 6,000€ plus 2,000€ for the basement. What am I even supposed to believe at this point?
Then there was the issue with ordering extra windows. During the sales meeting, I wanted to include all additional windows we planned to have. But I was told to sort that out with the architect later, and that the surcharge for windows would only be the material cost… Now we are being asked to pay 950€ (about 1,050 USD) for upgrading from standard to floor-to-ceiling windows and 1,750€ (about 1,940 USD) for an additional floor-to-ceiling window. The prices seem extremely expensive to me, and I’m just not willing to be taken advantage of like this. In the construction contract, we already included 4 additional windows, but these were never accounted for in the pricing… I’m just so frustrated and we haven’t even properly started yet.
How do you see the window costs? Are these normal prices? Maybe I’m not yet fully in the building mindset and haven’t gotten used to additional costs, but it just seems very expensive to me.
Thanks for listening.
Nobody needs to understand the ventilation issue—if a central system is included, why would you take a step back? The additional cost is probably due to KfW standards or an energy-saving regulation calculation, maybe even structural changes, etc.
Regarding the windows, this is a completely normal process. An extra 980 euros for how many windows? For 10 units, that’s very reasonable; for one window, it would be expensive.
If your contract includes 4 additional windows, why do you have to pay for them? If you can't handle this on your own, get some help—especially since you’re already at a point where you feel overwhelmed. And you haven’t even started yet! Has your material selection appointment already taken place?
Regarding the windows, this is a completely normal process. An extra 980 euros for how many windows? For 10 units, that’s very reasonable; for one window, it would be expensive.
If your contract includes 4 additional windows, why do you have to pay for them? If you can't handle this on your own, get some help—especially since you’re already at a point where you feel overwhelmed. And you haven’t even started yet! Has your material selection appointment already taken place?
Hello,
Usually, a decentralized ventilation system is less expensive than a centralized ventilation system. We will be paying an additional cost of nearly 8,000 euros (around $8,700) to switch from a Lunos decentralized system to a Zehnder centralized system.
We have already carefully planned the windows and the entire floor plan before signing the contract, so no extra costs will arise now. With another construction company we consulted a few months ago, we were told that window planning is only done after the contract is signed, and that an additional charge of about 500 euros (approximately $545) per square meter of window area is to be expected. That was too uncertain for us; we wanted to know the exact costs in advance. If no precise prices are contractually agreed upon beforehand, the builder can demand any prices later, which you either pay or forgo everything.
Best regards
Sabine
Usually, a decentralized ventilation system is less expensive than a centralized ventilation system. We will be paying an additional cost of nearly 8,000 euros (around $8,700) to switch from a Lunos decentralized system to a Zehnder centralized system.
We have already carefully planned the windows and the entire floor plan before signing the contract, so no extra costs will arise now. With another construction company we consulted a few months ago, we were told that window planning is only done after the contract is signed, and that an additional charge of about 500 euros (approximately $545) per square meter of window area is to be expected. That was too uncertain for us; we wanted to know the exact costs in advance. If no precise prices are contractually agreed upon beforehand, the builder can demand any prices later, which you either pay or forgo everything.
Best regards
Sabine
tomtom79 schrieb:
Well, no one needs to understand the ventilation if central ventilation is included, so why take a step back? The additional cost is probably related to KfW or energy saving regulation calculations, maybe even structural changes, etc.
Regarding the windows, this is a completely normal process, and 980 euros extra is quite cheap if that’s for several windows; for just one window, it would be expensive.
If your contract includes 4 additional windows, why do you have to pay? If you can't enforce that by yourself, get some help. Especially since you already seem overwhelmed at this point.
And you haven't even started yet! Has your selection appointment happened?We have talked with some friends who have recently built their own homes and gathered information and discussed different ventilation systems. We want a decentralized system because it offers us more advantages.
Regarding the window prices, I might not have expressed myself clearly: 950€ per window... (upgrade to floor-to-ceiling)
No, I don’t feel overwhelmed, just frustrated. We have not completed the selection appointment yet, but we have planned a large buffer for it. This is not our first time— we’ve already gone through buying a new-build condominium, so I’m familiar with the upgrades...
tomtom79 schrieb:
Nobody needs to understand the ventilation situation here; if a central system is already included, why would one take a step back? The extra cost is probably due to KfW or an energy saving regulation calculation, possibly even structural changes, etc.You are right, of course we want to switch from a decentralized to a central system... and definitely not the other way around!