ᐅ Architect’s Responsibilities Regarding KfW Funding Interest and Additional Matters
Created on: 13 Jul 2018 11:44
R
Ruhrgebiet23
Hello everyone,
We purchased a house in February this year. It’s a semi-detached house from the 1950s, generally in good, old condition. It quickly became clear to us that we wanted and were able to invest a significant amount of money (up to around 300,000,000 Euros) to have everything done “properly.” We found an architect through a distant acquaintance who accompanied us for the inspection in December.
The purchase was completed in February, and we hoped for a quick submission of the building permit / planning permission application — we intended to renovate everything (new heating system, pipes, insulation, windows, etc.) and extend the back. We already had a draft design, which was roughly adopted and, of course, detailed further. The architect informed us at the second meeting that he had a new employee who would be responsible for our project. We were a bit surprised but accepted it. Some mistakes have been made by him (e.g., compass directions on the building permit incorrectly shown — my husband noticed this before submission; errors concerning the development boundaries, which, however, were never acknowledged), but that is not the main point here.
The original architect quickly made it clear that he was rather skeptical about insulation. As a result, we also assumed that achieving low-energy house standards or similar would not be possible. However, we stated early on that we were very interested in a photovoltaic system for hot water.
The building permit / planning permission was submitted three months ago, and since then we have been waiting — no one is responsible for the delay (at least not the architect). Meanwhile, we have been constantly trying to discuss KfW (government) funding programs with the architects. Both say that adapting the house to be age-appropriate is easier to implement than energy-efficient renovation. Because we persistently asked, they have now admitted that funding measures for energy-efficient renovation are also possible. Regarding further information, they consistently refer us to a financial advisor, who can only tell us that loan terms there are generally better than at our regular bank. We have now brought in an energy consultant to assess what really makes sense for our property. She believes that insulation according to the Energy Saving Ordinance is quite reasonable and not much more expensive. She met with the architects earlier this week.
We have already asked the architects several times to prepare a detailed cost breakdown — so far, we only have a rough estimate from 02/2018. But in order to decide what kind of funding might be suitable FOR US, we need comparable figures. Is that really too much to ask? What can we reasonably expect from the architect? He is contracted for all phases of the project.
We feel that the architects simply want to keep the planning effort as low as possible. We have to raise many issues multiple times before they are considered. For example, we asked for a drywall partition wall to the neighbor to be planned. At the last meeting, we were asked to finalize the kitchen plan as soon as possible. When we finally got the dimensions, we asked again if the drywall partition had been included. It had not. This has been repeated with many things so far, where we as laypeople have to remind them constantly. We certainly will not be able to think of everything... The new architect independently handles the exterior design of the entrance area — when we point out efflorescence in the basement, he replies that he can look into it during construction. We are laypeople, but their priorities don’t seem very logical to us...
Maybe I’m mistaken, so I would appreciate your assessments.
Best regards!
We purchased a house in February this year. It’s a semi-detached house from the 1950s, generally in good, old condition. It quickly became clear to us that we wanted and were able to invest a significant amount of money (up to around 300,000,000 Euros) to have everything done “properly.” We found an architect through a distant acquaintance who accompanied us for the inspection in December.
The purchase was completed in February, and we hoped for a quick submission of the building permit / planning permission application — we intended to renovate everything (new heating system, pipes, insulation, windows, etc.) and extend the back. We already had a draft design, which was roughly adopted and, of course, detailed further. The architect informed us at the second meeting that he had a new employee who would be responsible for our project. We were a bit surprised but accepted it. Some mistakes have been made by him (e.g., compass directions on the building permit incorrectly shown — my husband noticed this before submission; errors concerning the development boundaries, which, however, were never acknowledged), but that is not the main point here.
The original architect quickly made it clear that he was rather skeptical about insulation. As a result, we also assumed that achieving low-energy house standards or similar would not be possible. However, we stated early on that we were very interested in a photovoltaic system for hot water.
The building permit / planning permission was submitted three months ago, and since then we have been waiting — no one is responsible for the delay (at least not the architect). Meanwhile, we have been constantly trying to discuss KfW (government) funding programs with the architects. Both say that adapting the house to be age-appropriate is easier to implement than energy-efficient renovation. Because we persistently asked, they have now admitted that funding measures for energy-efficient renovation are also possible. Regarding further information, they consistently refer us to a financial advisor, who can only tell us that loan terms there are generally better than at our regular bank. We have now brought in an energy consultant to assess what really makes sense for our property. She believes that insulation according to the Energy Saving Ordinance is quite reasonable and not much more expensive. She met with the architects earlier this week.
We have already asked the architects several times to prepare a detailed cost breakdown — so far, we only have a rough estimate from 02/2018. But in order to decide what kind of funding might be suitable FOR US, we need comparable figures. Is that really too much to ask? What can we reasonably expect from the architect? He is contracted for all phases of the project.
We feel that the architects simply want to keep the planning effort as low as possible. We have to raise many issues multiple times before they are considered. For example, we asked for a drywall partition wall to the neighbor to be planned. At the last meeting, we were asked to finalize the kitchen plan as soon as possible. When we finally got the dimensions, we asked again if the drywall partition had been included. It had not. This has been repeated with many things so far, where we as laypeople have to remind them constantly. We certainly will not be able to think of everything... The new architect independently handles the exterior design of the entrance area — when we point out efflorescence in the basement, he replies that he can look into it during construction. We are laypeople, but their priorities don’t seem very logical to us...
Maybe I’m mistaken, so I would appreciate your assessments.
Best regards!
Ruhrgebiet23 schrieb:
Recommended literature? Technical literature would probably include "Construction Costs for New Builds and Renovations" by Siemon or "Construction Costs" by Schach and Sperling. The former provides a relatively recent, comprehensive overview of the subject. It also references fairly recent court rulings related to planning and construction costs.
The former is almost 20 years old and no longer entirely up to date in terms of standards. However, it is still useful as a reference work and well suited for those who want to explore the topic in depth.
Ruhrgebiet23 schrieb:
How could we have requested a recalculation when we were at the construction site every day, but were not informed about it?This has nothing to do with any kind of information, but simply with the fact that certain costs remain fixed regardless of the quantity. For example, if the excavator costs 680€/day and the structural contractor distributes this cost over the volume, then for 34m³ (44 cubic yards) the cost would be 20€/m³ (about 15 USD per cubic yard). But if they excavate 68m³ (89 cubic yards), the excavator cost per unit is effectively only 10€/m³ (about 7.5 USD per cubic yard). The same applies to the excavator operator, travel to and from the site, and so on.
You must demand this recalculation, as mentioned before. According to VOB (German construction contract procedures), you have the right to do so. The fact that you have already paid the invoice does not matter; there will simply be a credit note that will be offset against the next partial payment.
Ruhrgebiet23 schrieb:
He cannot provide information about how the volumes were determined – he simply worked from start to finish.However, he must have given instructions to his excavator operator like “Please excavate an area X meters wide and Y meters long to a depth of Z meters.” If the operator then just digs 2 meters deeper than ordered, simply for fun, the contractor can’t just charge you for that. Especially since that will become interesting later when it comes to backfilling – that will cost you extra as well.
Ruhrgebiet23 schrieb:
He can’t do much about the prices. The 150 euros per cubic meter presumably already include the excavator, labor, etc. He wouldn’t have much profit margin there.An excavator hour should cost somewhere between 40 and 120 euros, depending on the size. Our landscaping contractor charged 35 euros net for a 6-ton excavator, and the excavator operator’s hourly rate is probably no higher than 70 euros. You figured out the container costs yourself (and he probably gets better deals than you). Also, he charged generously extra for the site setup (the fence and portable toilets are even billed separately!). Now you can roughly estimate how much to believe that statement.
Edit: I am not a lawyer, but I would say he failed to fulfill his obligation to inform the architect/site manager about the additional quantities incurred. You are his contracting party, so that information must be provided to you!
Direct hit @Dr Hix
You and I can reasonably assess such calculations. The original poster is just learning this, unfortunately the hard way. By the way, I learned it similarly, although the prices weren't that exorbitant...
I would also bring this calculation to the architect and ask if they would be willing to share in the costs. The original poster is paying them specifically to recognize exactly these issues and handle them in the client’s best interest. We’re not dealing with some general contractor who says, "I set the prices however I want."
You and I can reasonably assess such calculations. The original poster is just learning this, unfortunately the hard way. By the way, I learned it similarly, although the prices weren't that exorbitant...
I would also bring this calculation to the architect and ask if they would be willing to share in the costs. The original poster is paying them specifically to recognize exactly these issues and handle them in the client’s best interest. We’re not dealing with some general contractor who says, "I set the prices however I want."
Regarding "literature," I agree with @Zaba12: technical literature is useful when you have a specific problem (for example, I got myself the RAL guideline for window installation), but for beginners, it’s way too much information that you can’t really use without any background knowledge.
Building is demanding—stay strong!
Building is demanding—stay strong!