ᐅ Initial Consultation Appointment with the Prefabricated House Manufacturer
Created on: 19 Jun 2017 18:38
I
Illexchubby
Hello everyone,
My girlfriend and I have decided to fulfill our dream of owning a home. We chose to build a prefabricated house and have already provisionally reserved a plot of land that meets our location and price expectations.
Our plan was (and is) to sit down with prefab house manufacturers, show them our development plan and regulations, and then work together on possible floor plans that meet our individual wishes. We also hoped to get some initial quotes to help us plan and estimate the financing of the whole project.
It’s quite a rough approach for the beginning, I know, but this was primarily meant to help us decide for or against the reserved plot and, of course, to better estimate whether we can afford it.
Over the last few months, we have visited many model home parks and have narrowed down to 3-4 preferred manufacturers.
We recently scheduled our first appointment for a consultation. By the way, it was with a “top” manufacturer, at least according to recent reviews from sources like FocusMoney.
At the start of the meeting, the representative neither introduced herself nor her company in any way. It quickly became clear that the main purpose of the meeting was just to present us with an initial offer. We had sent our plot plan in advance, requesting a review and feedback regarding the location and orientation, but we received no response on that. When I asked about it, she just said she showed it to an architect, who did not see any issues. We flipped through some catalogs, and when I pointed out a floor plan that roughly matched our ideas, it was immediately noted for inclusion in the offer. Then she asked me which heating system I wanted. But who would know that at the first meeting? She then mentioned that for this size, about 160m² (1720 square feet) over two floors, it basically only makes sense to build to KfW55 standards and use an air-source heat pump. When I asked how flexible the floor plans could be, she said we would handle that with the architect later, when the time comes. However, it turned out that I can only see the architect if I sign a preliminary contract because, according to her, the planning involves high costs and the company needs a certain level of security. I also learned that this manufacturer does not have in-house architects but commissions them externally.
Is this the usual process? I feel like I can't buy a plot without at least a floor plan or rough draft, right? At the kitchen showroom, they design my kitchen for the space before I sign anything! I always thought you first look at the building site with the architect in person…
Am I mistaken? Is this just wishful thinking on my part? What can I realistically expect?
Thanks a lot for your answers.
Best regards,
Dennis
My girlfriend and I have decided to fulfill our dream of owning a home. We chose to build a prefabricated house and have already provisionally reserved a plot of land that meets our location and price expectations.
Our plan was (and is) to sit down with prefab house manufacturers, show them our development plan and regulations, and then work together on possible floor plans that meet our individual wishes. We also hoped to get some initial quotes to help us plan and estimate the financing of the whole project.
It’s quite a rough approach for the beginning, I know, but this was primarily meant to help us decide for or against the reserved plot and, of course, to better estimate whether we can afford it.
Over the last few months, we have visited many model home parks and have narrowed down to 3-4 preferred manufacturers.
We recently scheduled our first appointment for a consultation. By the way, it was with a “top” manufacturer, at least according to recent reviews from sources like FocusMoney.
At the start of the meeting, the representative neither introduced herself nor her company in any way. It quickly became clear that the main purpose of the meeting was just to present us with an initial offer. We had sent our plot plan in advance, requesting a review and feedback regarding the location and orientation, but we received no response on that. When I asked about it, she just said she showed it to an architect, who did not see any issues. We flipped through some catalogs, and when I pointed out a floor plan that roughly matched our ideas, it was immediately noted for inclusion in the offer. Then she asked me which heating system I wanted. But who would know that at the first meeting? She then mentioned that for this size, about 160m² (1720 square feet) over two floors, it basically only makes sense to build to KfW55 standards and use an air-source heat pump. When I asked how flexible the floor plans could be, she said we would handle that with the architect later, when the time comes. However, it turned out that I can only see the architect if I sign a preliminary contract because, according to her, the planning involves high costs and the company needs a certain level of security. I also learned that this manufacturer does not have in-house architects but commissions them externally.
Is this the usual process? I feel like I can't buy a plot without at least a floor plan or rough draft, right? At the kitchen showroom, they design my kitchen for the space before I sign anything! I always thought you first look at the building site with the architect in person…
Am I mistaken? Is this just wishful thinking on my part? What can I realistically expect?
Thanks a lot for your answers.
Best regards,
Dennis
Are there any other plots available to choose from? I know few people who can pick between two or three plots. And if there are, is it not your ideal land—no matter how much soil excavation might be needed? In our case, we saw the land and immediately said yes, this is it! We had to fully develop the site and paid a significant amount for that. But I wouldn’t want to trade places with anyone.
If the municipality is selling the land as a building plot (also known as planning permission land), major mistakes are unlikely, especially since a soil survey has already been done. In your position, I would actually be quite relaxed about it.
If the municipality is selling the land as a building plot (also known as planning permission land), major mistakes are unlikely, especially since a soil survey has already been done. In your position, I would actually be quite relaxed about it.
I
Illexchubby26 Jun 2017 20:2811ant schrieb:
Imagine your building plot as a swimming pool, and the different soil types as liquids (or modeling clay balls) with varying viscosity. Communicating vessels—see physics book. The idea that you can precisely cut out an area right under the house to improve the ground, and that all forces will “stay” neatly in place and “not interact” with the surrounding soil particles, is, in my opinion, very naive. Even replacing soil in a funnel shape with 75° or even 60° slopes only works to a limited extent. If the soil isn’t suitable, it’s not suitable on a larger scale. Yes, we also have concerns about this, which is why there’s such a fuss. But on the other hand, we think that if a geological company comes and confirms that we can build with the measures (once decided on)… Do you think we still can’t trust that?
ypg schrieb:
They don’t need the floor plan, but approximately the dimensions of the house and, of course, roughly where the house will be located. Usually, there is a building envelope (also called a building boundary) that leaves little room for flexibility. But of course, if you try moving paper templates of the parking spaces/garage and the house back and forth, you can roughly determine the position of the house, which the geologist can then work with. One or two meters (yards) here or there don’t matter. Okay, thank you very much, Yvonne. We will follow up on that. Since our driveway and therefore the garage are already pre-defined by the road, we should be able to rule out quite a bit.
kaho674 schrieb:
Are there any other plots to choose from? I know few people who get to choose between two or three plots. And if so, isn’t it your dream area—no matter how much soil has to be dug out? For us, it was like this—we saw the land and immediately said YES, this is it! We had to fully develop it and paid quite a bit for that. But I wouldn’t want to trade places with anyone.
If the municipality sells the land as building land (or building plot), you shouldn’t expect any major oversights, especially since a soil report is already available. I would actually be quite relaxed if I were you. No, there are no other plots left in this development. And this is simply our absolute dream neighborhood. New developments won’t start for about five years, which is too long for us. Yes, this would definitely be the place we imagine. It would also be fully serviced (utilities). It is in a building zone where three other houses are currently being built nearby. So it is definitely feasible. We will now also ask the potential neighbors how they handled everything.
Best regards
Illexchubby schrieb:
If a geological company comes and confirms that we can build with the measures (that will then be decided)... Do you think we still can’t trust that? The specialist engineers are definitely not untrained.
I just meant that you shouldn’t imagine it to be as “simple” as just digging out some poor soil under the house with a few small carts and filling in good soil. The ground beneath the house is not an island; it is connected to the surrounding property.
The specialist engineers could even calculate for you which pile foundations would be needed to build on sand.
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Illexchubby schrieb:
Yes, we still have our concerns, which is why all the fuss. But on the other hand, we think that if a geological company comes and confirms that we can build with the measures (that will then be decided) ...The geologists conduct their investigations in the area and provide foundation recommendations. These should be followed during construction.
If you already know that excavation will be necessary, you should include appropriate reserves in your budget now—even if the seller will cover soil replacement costs.
You should start your budget calculations now—even if an architect will handle it later.
That means: inform yourself about the total costs you will potentially face.
It’s not rocket science, but it can be tedious. I recommend every future homeowner gather the numbers themselves. Google, forums, other users, and the search function can all help.
Construction costs per square meter (sqm)
Earthworks
Additional construction costs
Outdoor areas
Painting/floor coverings possibly included in finishing costs
Miscellaneous
I hope your heart fills with joy as you approach the residential area. I hope your heart expands when you see and… step onto your plot of land.
I hope you already picture yourself having breakfast in one corner and relaxing on the sofa in another.
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