ᐅ Which home construction company should we choose?

Hello dear home builders.

Over the past few weeks, we have gathered numerous quotes from construction companies and are now facing the question: Whom should we choose?

What criteria would you base your decision on, and what would you pay special attention to when deciding who you want to build with?

We would appreciate your suggestions.

Brief overview of the building project:

- Two-story urban villa or single-family house with knee wall of 1.80m (5 feet 11 inches), starting from 130sqm (1,400 sqft)
- No plot of land yet, as they are scarce in Erfurt and the surrounding area. So we are still searching. (Some construction companies offer assistance with this)

What’s the point of getting quotes if you don’t have a plot of land? First the land, then the builder! The main criteria for me would be value for money (always carefully study the scope of work) and your gut feeling.

Stay away from companies offering land and building packages. This setup is a scam.

Unfortunately, many construction companies are granted plots here in and around Erfurt. This makes it difficult to acquire plots individually.

During the building process, the land and the house are handled separately due to property transfer tax.

erfurter110287 schrieb:

During construction, the land and house are of course handled separately because of the property transfer tax.

LOL – You still believe in fairy tales?

Why would your situation be any different? In the rest of the country, builders attract buyers with so-called plots that they don’t actually own. And in Erfurt, that works?
Those who actually own the land are genuine property developers.

erfurter110287 schrieb:

Construction is planned to start in March next year here in Erfurt.

... that was said back in winter 2013, as I just surprisingly read in your history, and at that time there was apparently a specific plot of land. I initially thought you were completely new to the topic because ...

erfurter110287 schrieb:

- Two-story city villa or single-family house with knee wall 1.80m (5 ft 11 in), starting at 130sqm (1400 sq ft)
- No plot of land yet, as they are scarce in Erfurt and the surrounding area. So still searching. (Some builders also offer assistance)

... a knee wall of 1.80m (5 ft 11 in) is a typical newbie misconception. Were you inactive on the forum during those years, or have you been following along regarding the differences between general contractors and construction firms, and not least my Barthel tips about the plot of land issue and the so-called "short sales" under the appealing but misleading term "plot service"?

erfurter110287 schrieb:

And now we are facing the question: Whom should we choose?
What criteria would you base that on?

Without a plot, you actually don’t face that question:

1. Reputable providers offering only construction services (or “turnkey” houses) politely say: “Hello, come back when you have a plot of land.” Here you have the choice, but not now—only after you have found a plot.

2. Providers offering plots with houses (often not yet built) will, if reputable, not tell the fairy tale of worry-free taxes when buying the plot and house on paper from different cousins. Here you realistically have no choice in the plot because of developer restrictions.

3. Providers mentioning “plot service” usually only tell the truth on February 31st.

If you have a plot and thus complete freedom of choice—as you could have read here dozens of times—the best advice is to pick a local builder (unless you have a preference for certain building materials, in which case avoid those who rarely work with them).

If you still don’t have a plot, your options are usually limited to a narrow selection of developer offers.

And as already mentioned: the plot is the host—you shouldn’t finalize any plans without it, neither in terms of building shape nor the fundamental question of basement or slab foundation.

Has the discussion about your budget range already taken place?

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erfurter110287 schrieb:

Because unfortunately many construction companies are securing plots of land for themselves here in and around Erfurt. And that makes it difficult to get land for yourself.

No, that’s not true. When there are plots available, they usually go into bank marketing. General contractors use available land for sale only as part of their marketing, and private builders have the same rights. You just need to get moving.

erfurter110287 schrieb:

During construction, the land and house are naturally separated because of the property transfer tax.

Nonsense. Exactly what you are planning is a dependency arrangement...

If you do not own land, you are not in a position to firmly plan a type of house, decide on the number of floors, or commit yourself to a general contractor.
Otherwise: choose the one who flatters you the least and makes no promises.