ᐅ Basement Planning for Prefabricated Homes – Outsourcing? What to Consider?
Created on: 7 Apr 2020 13:15
E
exto1791
Hello,
I am currently planning a construction project for a townhouse built to KfW40+ standards, with about 140m² (1,507 sq ft) plus a basement.
The basement is a topic I have not wanted to focus on so far, but it is definitely necessary and, in my opinion, one of the most important aspects here. I also believe that a significant amount of money can be saved by approaching this correctly.
For my plot, I need a waterproof basement with a “white tank” (watertight concrete construction) suitable for water pressure—essentially, the most expensive and complex type of basement required.
So far, all prefab home suppliers I have contacted have offered turnkey solutions including the basement. However, I have no idea what the cost of a basement might be if contracted through an excavation or civil engineering company, independent of the prefab house supplier. Is that even an option? Should I be looking into this separately, or is it better to have everything done by one provider? Is it possible to save money this way? According to the prefab home suppliers, there is hardly any price difference here (understandably, they need to cover their commission). Still, I think that especially with a basement like this, a considerable amount of money could be saved.
Have you had experience with prefab homes and basements? How did you approach it? What should I pay attention to when building a basement?
I would be grateful for any help!
We are already quite far into the house planning stage and have detailed offers, but the basement still feels like an area I haven’t fully dared to tackle yet. Perhaps without reason?
I look forward to your advice!
Best regards
Simon
I am currently planning a construction project for a townhouse built to KfW40+ standards, with about 140m² (1,507 sq ft) plus a basement.
The basement is a topic I have not wanted to focus on so far, but it is definitely necessary and, in my opinion, one of the most important aspects here. I also believe that a significant amount of money can be saved by approaching this correctly.
For my plot, I need a waterproof basement with a “white tank” (watertight concrete construction) suitable for water pressure—essentially, the most expensive and complex type of basement required.
So far, all prefab home suppliers I have contacted have offered turnkey solutions including the basement. However, I have no idea what the cost of a basement might be if contracted through an excavation or civil engineering company, independent of the prefab house supplier. Is that even an option? Should I be looking into this separately, or is it better to have everything done by one provider? Is it possible to save money this way? According to the prefab home suppliers, there is hardly any price difference here (understandably, they need to cover their commission). Still, I think that especially with a basement like this, a considerable amount of money could be saved.
Have you had experience with prefab homes and basements? How did you approach it? What should I pay attention to when building a basement?
I would be grateful for any help!
We are already quite far into the house planning stage and have detailed offers, but the basement still feels like an area I haven’t fully dared to tackle yet. Perhaps without reason?
I look forward to your advice!
Best regards
Simon
exto1791 schrieb:
I chose a prefabricated house because I don’t want to coordinate multiple trades or wait two years for my house, since the planning process is just too complicated and time-consuming.
I also don’t want to constantly supervise the construction or spend weeks at the building site.
None of that happens with a prefabricated house—and that’s a good thing. If you are leaning toward a prefabricated house based on that misunderstanding, you should reconsider. What you are basically looking for is a general contractor (GC), and there are plenty available in the conventional construction sector as well. A house does not become complicated because of one building method or another, but rather when the client tries to squeeze dozens of details from various show homes or Pinterest designs into a basic plan and keeps changing everything back and forth—like whether the toilet paper holder should be on the right or left. There you can contribute much more to simplifying the process than by just choosing the construction method.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
What I want to say is:
Of course, there are all the subcontractors and trades that need to be scheduled accordingly, but that is the responsibility of the prefab house supplier/project coordinator and site manager! That is not my concern!
Just because I might want to outsource certain tasks doesn’t mean the prefab house supplier is the wrong choice.
I like the floor plans of various houses from the catalog, which I want to modify slightly. Overall, the workflow with the prefab house supplier is great and exactly what I’m looking for.
But as I said... the fact that I’m considering outsourcing some work doesn’t mean a prefab house supplier isn’t a good fit for me!
I don’t want a completely newly designed house… quite the opposite!
Of course, there are all the subcontractors and trades that need to be scheduled accordingly, but that is the responsibility of the prefab house supplier/project coordinator and site manager! That is not my concern!
Just because I might want to outsource certain tasks doesn’t mean the prefab house supplier is the wrong choice.
I like the floor plans of various houses from the catalog, which I want to modify slightly. Overall, the workflow with the prefab house supplier is great and exactly what I’m looking for.
But as I said... the fact that I’m considering outsourcing some work doesn’t mean a prefab house supplier isn’t a good fit for me!
I don’t want a completely newly designed house… quite the opposite!
No, the prefab house provider is not the wrong choice in that case – but it is also not the only possible right one. You can have all of these things with a brick-and-mortar general contractor just as well as with a timber frame panel general contractor.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
I believe you lack some fundamental knowledge.
If you want a turnkey construction, meaning everything from a single source, you don’t necessarily have to build a prefabricated house (timber frame). In that case, you hire a general contractor (GC), who will take care of almost everything.
As for garage, terrace, landscaping, and sun protection, these are your responsibilities in every regard, except when dealing with a developer, who may also include lawn seeding.
Regarding the topic of warranty: it should also be in your interest. I don’t see a problem there.
If you want a turnkey construction, meaning everything from a single source, you don’t necessarily have to build a prefabricated house (timber frame). In that case, you hire a general contractor (GC), who will take care of almost everything.
As for garage, terrace, landscaping, and sun protection, these are your responsibilities in every regard, except when dealing with a developer, who may also include lawn seeding.
Regarding the topic of warranty: it should also be in your interest. I don’t see a problem there.
ypg schrieb:
I think you are missing some basic knowledge.
If you want a turnkey build, meaning everything from one source, you don’t have to choose a prefab house (timber frame). You can hire a general contractor (GC), and they will handle almost everything.
Regarding the garage, terrace, landscaping, and sun protection, those are generally your responsibility, unless you work with a developer who might even include lawn seeding.
About the warranty: this should also be in your interest. I don’t see the problem here. What advantages do I have in terms of the process, flexibility, and self-performed work if I build a solid masonry house ready for painting compared to a prefab timber frame house?
Are there really any differences?
exto1791 schrieb:
Are there any differences at all?Many discussions on this topic can be found here by using the search function.Similar topics