Hello everyone!
We are currently considering three companies as potential builders. One of them is Laux Fertigbau from Saarland. They have offered to design our house according to our wishes (we sent them a list in text form). They have their own draftsmen but also work with architects.
The agreement would be that we pay €1500 (about $1600) for this planning work if we decide NOT to choose the company in the end. However, we would receive the plans and drawings and could have the house built by another company if we wanted to. If we decide in favor of Laux, then this planning is part of the project and costs nothing extra.
Overall, I find this arrangement fair, and I think it’s interesting to see what a local architect comes up with if given free rein. Still, I have some reservations about paying this money upfront because I worry it might create a sort of "pre-selection" for the builder and that we might then feel influenced to go with them, just so we don’t waste the €1500.
The second company (currently ranked third in my mind) is called DHI, and the third one is a very local provider with no website or brochures but has been building houses in the region for over 20 years and relies almost entirely on word-of-mouth recommendations. I had a long phone conversation with them, and it was all very likeable. However, I don’t have a price estimate yet, and their aversion to anything digital (no smartphone, no website) puts me off a bit. On the other hand, their workload despite having no advertising clearly speaks in favor of the builder.
Best regards,
Kati
We are currently considering three companies as potential builders. One of them is Laux Fertigbau from Saarland. They have offered to design our house according to our wishes (we sent them a list in text form). They have their own draftsmen but also work with architects.
The agreement would be that we pay €1500 (about $1600) for this planning work if we decide NOT to choose the company in the end. However, we would receive the plans and drawings and could have the house built by another company if we wanted to. If we decide in favor of Laux, then this planning is part of the project and costs nothing extra.
Overall, I find this arrangement fair, and I think it’s interesting to see what a local architect comes up with if given free rein. Still, I have some reservations about paying this money upfront because I worry it might create a sort of "pre-selection" for the builder and that we might then feel influenced to go with them, just so we don’t waste the €1500.
The second company (currently ranked third in my mind) is called DHI, and the third one is a very local provider with no website or brochures but has been building houses in the region for over 20 years and relies almost entirely on word-of-mouth recommendations. I had a long phone conversation with them, and it was all very likeable. However, I don’t have a price estimate yet, and their aversion to anything digital (no smartphone, no website) puts me off a bit. On the other hand, their workload despite having no advertising clearly speaks in favor of the builder.
Best regards,
Kati
M
motorradsilke6 Mar 2022 08:42Tolentino schrieb:
Exactly, and you can get them online for 85 total price, but that’s without installation, just the dealer’s warranty and service.The 85 was only the price difference between the cheapest toilet included in the offer and the next cheapest one. I just wanted to illustrate how the additional costs compare. It won’t be the same everywhere; this is just where we had clear information.
11ant schrieb:
Where does your view come from, or how does he determine the price then? Well, my point with the statement was about his "you can't just apply a flat rate per square meter" approach. I understand where that comes from after your explanation, but I still think it makes sense when he says, "If your room is 20 square meters (215 square feet) instead of 15, the house won't be 25% more expensive because many elements remain the same. Your utility connections won’t cost more. The electrician will have to do a bit more chasing, use a bit more cable, maybe you need an extra outlet – that’s your extra cost for a larger room. But definitely not a flat 25% increase."
That’s roughly how he explained it to us, and I thought it sounded fair. But you can only properly evaluate it once you’ve actually heard a number for our project. For that, the project needs to be specified in more detail, and without plans, it just won’t move forward.
motorradsilke schrieb:
The 85 was just the price difference between the cheapest toilet included in the offer and the next cheapest option. I just wanted to show how these price differences look. It won’t be like that everywhere; it’s just that we experienced it exactly like that. I only know this directly from the general contractor so far. For another toilet, I think we also paid a 125€ (about $135) surcharge. I’m not exactly sure how that was broken down. But you have to realize that you pay for the luxury of having a general contractor. One single contact person for EVERY issue related to the house, no matter what it is. You pay extra for that “service.”
Regarding the question of how it works without a showroom, here is my report from March 9, 2017:
A bit of leftover vacation in March. We have now had the selection appointment. This morning at nine. Selection with the mid-sized company. We were greeted by Ms. L., the secretary, with a coffee, Mr. K., the lead carpenter, and Mr. R., the head of masonry and roofing. Mr. K. started. In front of him was the building plan of our house, next to him several laundry baskets filled with various stuff. Let’s get started. With the windows. He flips through the construction description. Ah, these are from Poland. He reaches into one laundry basket and pulls out a profile sample. Veka, triple glazing, Roto fittings, Hoppe handles. The handles can also be made lockable; that costs extra. But you will just lose the keys, no one needs that, and if burglars want to get in, they will anyway—they just damage more. My wife examines the profile. Well, you can easily wipe off dirt, right? And colored, she asks? Mr. K. dryly: Yeah, possible. But it’s a waste of money; when you look outside, it’s no different. So it stays white. The same goes on with the interior doors (Jeldwen white). He really gets excited when it comes to the exterior windowsills. Yes, those are aluminum, white or nothing at all. He grins. And inside? Laundry basket. Granite slabs appear on the table. Four pieces. Two quickly go back because they are polished high-gloss. That’s nitpicking; there will be flowers on them anyway, he says. My wife picks one of the remaining slabs. Done, moving on. The roofing expert chimes in. Hey, I have to leave right away; what about the roof tiles? He takes us outside. There lies a package from Braas with sample tiles. He picks three. The ones allowed according to the building plan. We choose the dark red one. Gloss coating against moss? Don’t need that, there aren’t even any trees there. In High German: You don’t need it; where you are building, there are no trees. Ok, convinced. The roof is done. He leaves. Moving inside. Front door, says Mr. K., that’s a special topic. So, here are the panels from Rodenberger; from K1 to K6 is without extra charge. The long handle costs 100 extra. The very long one 250. But that one is no good; it’s wobbly. If then, the 100 one. We flip through the catalog. That one is good, he says. Stable, timeless, with K5 included in the price, has some glass, lets a bit of light into the hallway, but it’s not a department store door. Done… that’s the one. Now for the interior staircase, he decides… Yeah, you go with beech; it’s a hard, quiet wood. It will be coated with parquet lacquer, so it’s also durable. And as a railing, a simple handrail with metal rods. He grins. Done. Can it be done differently? White? Mmm, he shakes his head. It’s possible. But that costs more; you have to paint, sand, and fill more times. And I mostly get them in without scratches; that means rework. You can clearly see what he thinks of white staircases. I give in. Beech, parquet lacquer. Matte. Then he and my wife decide where the towel radiator should go. Here or there! And how and where tiles should be installed… done. Oh yes, the façade… we make it like the garage, right? Everything neat and seamless. Base slightly set off in anthracite, all do it like that. He rummages through some color samples for the base from the basket. Yes, that’ll do.
Selection with the mid-sized company. Two hours, one coffee, and not a penny extra charged.
PS Tiles: He sends us to Tile Harry in Lübeck: Pick something for 25 net per square meter.
A bit of leftover vacation in March. We have now had the selection appointment. This morning at nine. Selection with the mid-sized company. We were greeted by Ms. L., the secretary, with a coffee, Mr. K., the lead carpenter, and Mr. R., the head of masonry and roofing. Mr. K. started. In front of him was the building plan of our house, next to him several laundry baskets filled with various stuff. Let’s get started. With the windows. He flips through the construction description. Ah, these are from Poland. He reaches into one laundry basket and pulls out a profile sample. Veka, triple glazing, Roto fittings, Hoppe handles. The handles can also be made lockable; that costs extra. But you will just lose the keys, no one needs that, and if burglars want to get in, they will anyway—they just damage more. My wife examines the profile. Well, you can easily wipe off dirt, right? And colored, she asks? Mr. K. dryly: Yeah, possible. But it’s a waste of money; when you look outside, it’s no different. So it stays white. The same goes on with the interior doors (Jeldwen white). He really gets excited when it comes to the exterior windowsills. Yes, those are aluminum, white or nothing at all. He grins. And inside? Laundry basket. Granite slabs appear on the table. Four pieces. Two quickly go back because they are polished high-gloss. That’s nitpicking; there will be flowers on them anyway, he says. My wife picks one of the remaining slabs. Done, moving on. The roofing expert chimes in. Hey, I have to leave right away; what about the roof tiles? He takes us outside. There lies a package from Braas with sample tiles. He picks three. The ones allowed according to the building plan. We choose the dark red one. Gloss coating against moss? Don’t need that, there aren’t even any trees there. In High German: You don’t need it; where you are building, there are no trees. Ok, convinced. The roof is done. He leaves. Moving inside. Front door, says Mr. K., that’s a special topic. So, here are the panels from Rodenberger; from K1 to K6 is without extra charge. The long handle costs 100 extra. The very long one 250. But that one is no good; it’s wobbly. If then, the 100 one. We flip through the catalog. That one is good, he says. Stable, timeless, with K5 included in the price, has some glass, lets a bit of light into the hallway, but it’s not a department store door. Done… that’s the one. Now for the interior staircase, he decides… Yeah, you go with beech; it’s a hard, quiet wood. It will be coated with parquet lacquer, so it’s also durable. And as a railing, a simple handrail with metal rods. He grins. Done. Can it be done differently? White? Mmm, he shakes his head. It’s possible. But that costs more; you have to paint, sand, and fill more times. And I mostly get them in without scratches; that means rework. You can clearly see what he thinks of white staircases. I give in. Beech, parquet lacquer. Matte. Then he and my wife decide where the towel radiator should go. Here or there! And how and where tiles should be installed… done. Oh yes, the façade… we make it like the garage, right? Everything neat and seamless. Base slightly set off in anthracite, all do it like that. He rummages through some color samples for the base from the basket. Yes, that’ll do.
Selection with the mid-sized company. Two hours, one coffee, and not a penny extra charged.
PS Tiles: He sends us to Tile Harry in Lübeck: Pick something for 25 net per square meter.
You could do it that way, but apart from the dialect and the fact that the extra cost wasn’t pushed to the limit, I don’t find it very appealing. I believe you shouldn’t pressure the customer (though in the end, you probably wouldn’t have accepted things you didn’t want at all—I know you well enough here for that) and definitely not look down on them. I think customer requests should be taken into account as much as possible and not steered toward your own standard that suits you best.
But well, tastes differ.
But well, tastes differ.
I did exaggerate it a bit, of course. But that was basically the general idea back then. Maybe the unspoken goal was also: Let’s not slow down the construction progress, let’s guide the customer so that we can use what we have or can order on short notice… anyway, in the end, everything turned out well.
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