Unfortunately, professionalism is not always a matter of course. Choosing the construction company you trust starts with extensive research and it is important to compare several offers. However, this is often difficult because the materials, elements and scope of services offered are never exactly the same.

For example, the quality of the bricks can vary, as can the choice of sanitary ceramics or the insulating materials used – so beware of overly cheap offers. After all, it is not uncommon for there to be defects to complain about that builders only discover afterwards.

Among the most common are:

• Missing features
• Leaks in the building envelope
• Improper installation of insulation

Therefore, in addition to price comparison, there are several other factors to consider when choosing a construction company.

A personal conversation with the contractor can often be very informative. It usually becomes clear at first glance whether you are really dealing with a competent partner or whether you are facing a chatterbox. Good construction companies will respond professionally to objections and even address them themselves, rather than agreeing to everything. If every question is immediately reduced to a trifle, the contractor is probably lacking in expertise.

So with a proper contractor, you should expect competent answers to your questions and concerns. In any case, it is important to have a detailed discussion about the individual points of the construction project, in which specific areas are competently addressed. Alternative solutions are always best clarified immediately in person.

Beautiful model houses as in a brochure, unfortunately, do not guarantee their real implementation. Therefore, it is advantageous to inquire about reference examples beforehand and also to visit them. Normally, a reputable construction company has already compiled a selection of projects on its website. And, of course, there are also a large number of still young companies on the market. Here you can compensate a lot of risk in a close cooperation and with payment according to construction progress. And everyone must be aware that quality is very subjective. So it makes sense to include a young company in the selection.

It is also advisable to obtain experiences from other former customers. Builders are best placed to give first-hand accounts of their impressions. Inquiring about current evaluations and references is certainly not a mistake. Here, of course, you must always have in mind how far you push the whole thing to a decision.

It must be clear that there is probably no construction company where something has not gone so right. Therefore, it makes more sense to get involved personally and to be directly involved in the creation of your own house. So problems can be solved immediately or ideas can be brought in directly.

If you don’t get any answers this way, you can also get information from a so-called builders’ association. There are associations in almost every country in the world that advise builders and, if necessary, also offer legal advice. However, these consultations are subject to a fee.

The conclusion of a contract is, of course, one of the most important components of building a house. Unfortunately, however, very few people know exactly what this contract should look like. Because most construction companies rely on model contracts – and that’s where the problem lies! Approximately 50% of the questions in these contracts are not clearly covered. In the event of a dispute, it can be very difficult to enforce your rights against the construction company.

The most common points which are often missing are certain agreements, such as:

• the scope of services (here should be described exactly in what scope the house will be handed over in the end)
• a specific start and completion date
• the type and quality of the building materials (the building materials should be specified here)
• the standard of equipment of the house
• the performance guarantee of the bank

Since reality provides individual specifications for each construction project, an individual adjustment for the construction contract is also important. A trustworthy company will have no problems with such written fixings. On the contrary, it will even go through and confirm the contract together with you. With a transparent, detailed construction contract, both parties, client and construction company, are on the safer side.

A good company should agree to a performance bond. This guarantees that the bank will return the customer’s money if the contract is not fulfilled.

You should not sign larger construction projects without handing over the performance bond. Because it is quite justified and should also be approved by the construction company.

However, if your construction project is a smaller one and you, for example, help on the construction site yourself and pay according to the progress of the construction, you can reach your goal even without a performance bond.

It is also important to know one’s rights to the building inspection. If doubts ever arise, you can always have the property and the various construction phases inspected by an expert.

It is even possible that individual construction phases are basically controlled by an expert.

This way, both parties can calmly concentrate on the next construction phase.

Because if defects or damages are discovered in time, some consequential damages can be prevented. Quality controls are legitimate and definitely a sensible prevention for any construction project. In principle, a noticeable delay in the construction project indicates a possible financial bottleneck for the company. In any case, it is worthwhile to address this point quickly. One way out is the purchase of building materials by the builder himself. This circumstance creates air for the construction company and it can continue on the construction site.