ᐅ Which prefabricated house provider offers the best prices and experience?
Created on: 17 Oct 2019 08:49
S
saralina87
Hello,
we unexpectedly have the opportunity to purchase a plot of land. Since it comes from family, the price would be a real bargain for us, around 200 euros per square meter (about 19 USD per square yard) (Bavaria - Baden-Württemberg border area).
Unfortunately, the plot is not perfectly shaped; it is 13 m (42.7 ft) wide and 23 m (75.5 ft) long, so roughly 300 square meters (3,229 square feet) in size.
This weekend, we visited a large model home park and checked out various builders.
We were especially impressed by Baufritz, Weberhaus, Schwabenhaus, and Gussek Haus.
I wanted to ask for your experiences with these companies—maybe also regarding costs?
Our budget is about 450,000 euros (around 478,000 USD), minus the land cost leaves us with 390,000 euros (about 414,000 USD) for the house and additional building costs (the plot is already serviced). Our idea for the house is about 130 to 140 square meters (1,400 to 1,507 square feet) of living space, with a footprint approximately 7 m (23 ft) by 12 m (39 ft). We plan to do the landscaping ourselves; a garage is not planned for now, and we also do not want a basement.
I would really appreciate any suggestions!
PS: No, we do not want to buy and renovate an existing property. On the one hand, there are hardly any available here, and on the other hand, it is outrageously expensive when something does appear (recent example: semi-detached house, built in 1969, no (!) renovation measures since construction except for windows replaced in 2012, mold in all rooms, 400 square meters (4,306 square feet) of land, not in a city but in a village, sold by bidding for 380,000 euros (about 404,000 USD)).
we unexpectedly have the opportunity to purchase a plot of land. Since it comes from family, the price would be a real bargain for us, around 200 euros per square meter (about 19 USD per square yard) (Bavaria - Baden-Württemberg border area).
Unfortunately, the plot is not perfectly shaped; it is 13 m (42.7 ft) wide and 23 m (75.5 ft) long, so roughly 300 square meters (3,229 square feet) in size.
This weekend, we visited a large model home park and checked out various builders.
We were especially impressed by Baufritz, Weberhaus, Schwabenhaus, and Gussek Haus.
I wanted to ask for your experiences with these companies—maybe also regarding costs?
Our budget is about 450,000 euros (around 478,000 USD), minus the land cost leaves us with 390,000 euros (about 414,000 USD) for the house and additional building costs (the plot is already serviced). Our idea for the house is about 130 to 140 square meters (1,400 to 1,507 square feet) of living space, with a footprint approximately 7 m (23 ft) by 12 m (39 ft). We plan to do the landscaping ourselves; a garage is not planned for now, and we also do not want a basement.
I would really appreciate any suggestions!
PS: No, we do not want to buy and renovate an existing property. On the one hand, there are hardly any available here, and on the other hand, it is outrageously expensive when something does appear (recent example: semi-detached house, built in 1969, no (!) renovation measures since construction except for windows replaced in 2012, mold in all rooms, 400 square meters (4,306 square feet) of land, not in a city but in a village, sold by bidding for 380,000 euros (about 404,000 USD)).
saralina87 schrieb:
Is it possible to build on this, or are there major flaws?
Under the circumstances, I think it’s just acceptable. A guest toilet without a window wouldn’t work for me either, as already mentioned. The entrance area feels a bit cramped, and having to walk through the kitchen to get to the living area is quite inconvenient. What about the space under the stairs? Will there be a door added to use it as a closet for winter coats?
The stairs on the upper floor offer the option to be extended later to the attic. I wouldn’t block that off permanently. Why would you?
In general, the side entrance right by the driveway is more of a makeshift solution, since there’s a risk of being hit by a car when stepping outside. But the plot really has its limits, literally.
S
saralina8717 Nov 2019 10:56kaho674 schrieb:
Under the circumstances, I think it’s just about acceptable. A guest toilet without a window wouldn’t be an option for me either, as already mentioned. The entrance area feels a bit cramped, and having to go through the kitchen to reach the living area is quite inconvenient. What about the space under the stairs? Will it get a door and be used as a closet for winter jackets?
The staircase on the upper floor offers the possibility to be extended later upstairs into the attic. I wouldn’t block it off completely. Why would you?
Basically, the side entrance right by the driveway is more of a makeshift solution, since there is a risk of being hit by a car when stepping out the door. But the lot really has its limits, quite literally. Yes, the space under the stairs is still planned to be used as a closet for coats and such.
I hadn’t actually thought much about accessing the living area through the kitchen—but I don’t really see it as a problem! What concerns do you have about that?
Funny that you mention the side entrance that way! We discussed for a long time whether the entrance should be on the side or the front. I would have preferred it on the front. What convinced me were the following points: the carport acts as a covered area, you can get from the car to the house without getting wet, and the path from the trunk to the front door is also shorter.
I’ll take “just about acceptable” as a compliment, in true Swabian style :P
saralina87 schrieb:
I honestly hadn’t thought much about the access to the living area through the kitchen – but I don’t actually find it a problem now! What concerns do you have about that? I’m not really sure how to explain it. It just feels a bit awkward when you have guests – let’s say the boss comes with their partner – to lead them through the kitchen first. It always gives the impression that the guest is supposed to help with cooking or washing up.
saralina87 schrieb:
The carport serves as a covered area; you can get from the car to the house without getting your feet wet, and the route from the trunk to the front door is also shorter. Those aren’t high-priority decision factors for me. On your property, there aren’t really any long distances from the car to the front door – no matter how you build.
saralina87 schrieb:
“Just about okay” – I’ll take that as a compliment in true Swabian fashion. Not really.
I think it’s still too early to fixate on one option. Stay open to alternatives and consider everything. Especially when only two stories are planned, there’s a lot you can do with the staircase and think about what else might work.
S
saralina8717 Nov 2019 11:15kaho674 schrieb:
I’m not really sure how to explain it. It just feels a bit awkward when you have guests—let’s say the boss comes with a partner for a visit—and you have to take them through the kitchen first. It always gives the impression that the guest is expected to help with cooking or cleaning up.
For me, these aren’t high-priority decision factors. There’s no long walk from the car to the front door on your lot—no matter how you build.
Probably not.
I think it’s still too early to get fixed on any one idea. Stay open to alternatives and look at everything. Especially if you’re planning just two floors, there’s a lot you can do with the staircase and consider what other options there are.We probably have different perceptions when it comes to the kitchen. For me, it’s less of a work space and more of a cozy living area. But I think I understand what you mean.
Okay, probably not. Would you mind sharing your concerns with me? Which rooms do you find problematic, and which routes (besides the one to the living area) do you think aren’t good? The floor plan is already a compilation of many plans and impressions from show homes; at some point, you have to agree on a basic concept to keep working, right?
If you want to get more specific, I would first mention the exact dimensions of the plot (especially the width). Is it 7.20 m (7 feet 6 inches) or only 7 m (23 feet)? The wall thicknesses are also quite important here (as already mentioned). A builder offering 45 cm (18 inches) thick walls would be out of the question for me, no matter how charming the seller might be.
Regarding the floor plan:
The space in front of the staircase is a traffic area that is used disproportionately often. Everyone constantly passes through there, and it is extremely narrow. Anyone who tries to rummage through the closet there would block all traffic. With four residents, that becomes a real problem. The kitchen seems small to me – true spaciousness looks different. For a rental apartment, this might be acceptable, but for a house, it’s too little for my taste.
You write that you have already looked at many floor plans. Of course, it is not very appealing now to show the usual designs for narrow plots if you have rejected all of those. What are the external dimensions of this design, and what are the wall thicknesses?
Regarding the floor plan:
The space in front of the staircase is a traffic area that is used disproportionately often. Everyone constantly passes through there, and it is extremely narrow. Anyone who tries to rummage through the closet there would block all traffic. With four residents, that becomes a real problem. The kitchen seems small to me – true spaciousness looks different. For a rental apartment, this might be acceptable, but for a house, it’s too little for my taste.
You write that you have already looked at many floor plans. Of course, it is not very appealing now to show the usual designs for narrow plots if you have rejected all of those. What are the external dimensions of this design, and what are the wall thicknesses?
S
saralina8717 Nov 2019 12:40saralina87 schrieb:
The exterior dimensions are 7.20 x 12.79 meters (23.6 x 42.0 feet), and the staircase is 2.42 meters (7 ft 11 in) wide. The plot is 13.30 meters (43.6 feet) wide.
I planned the wall thickness at 43 cm (17 inches) because that’s what the preferred supplier uses. Anything else would be misleading.
Sure, the kitchen doesn’t offer much freedom in terms of space, but realistically, we can’t find a satisfactory solution to make it larger. Just under 10 square meters (108 square feet) seems perfectly fine to me—provided there’s still some room in the utility/pantry area for drinks, recycling bags, and a shelf for miscellaneous items.
More important than subjective discussions about “too small” would actually be whether the overall layout of the rooms basically makes sense, or if the floor plan is a complete mess.
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