Hello dear forum community,
I am new here and wanted to ask (or read about) your experiences with building a prefabricated house.
I am currently starting to get frustrated. I am building a 143 sqm (1539 sq ft) house with Bien-Zenker (actually the somewhat cheaper option through their subsidiary Living Haus).
My planning is already quite advanced, but the prices they charge for features (which aren’t really features) are astronomical.
Here is a small example to give you an idea whether this is just rip-off or if it’s realistic.
I plan to have about 12 windows in my house (triple-glazed, energy standard KfW 55). Since I would like anthracite-colored windows, the builder wants to charge a surcharge of €3,500 (about $3,700) for that, which is around €300 ($320) per window. From my research and discussions with window suppliers, they usually ask for about €50–100 ($55–110) extra for this. Also, I would like to have reed switches (for smart home integration) installed in the windows. These are not really expensive, so I would accept a surcharge of around €50 ($55) per window sash. However, apparently none of the builder’s suppliers (I believe they have 4-5 listed) offer reed switches, so the builder himself would install the reed switch but wants a whopping €150 ($160) per window sash for it. Isn’t that just price gouging? Adding both these "extras" results in an additional cost of about €450 ($480) per window.
Have you had similar experiences?
What would you advise me?
Thank you very much for any tips.
Best regards
I am new here and wanted to ask (or read about) your experiences with building a prefabricated house.
I am currently starting to get frustrated. I am building a 143 sqm (1539 sq ft) house with Bien-Zenker (actually the somewhat cheaper option through their subsidiary Living Haus).
My planning is already quite advanced, but the prices they charge for features (which aren’t really features) are astronomical.
Here is a small example to give you an idea whether this is just rip-off or if it’s realistic.
I plan to have about 12 windows in my house (triple-glazed, energy standard KfW 55). Since I would like anthracite-colored windows, the builder wants to charge a surcharge of €3,500 (about $3,700) for that, which is around €300 ($320) per window. From my research and discussions with window suppliers, they usually ask for about €50–100 ($55–110) extra for this. Also, I would like to have reed switches (for smart home integration) installed in the windows. These are not really expensive, so I would accept a surcharge of around €50 ($55) per window sash. However, apparently none of the builder’s suppliers (I believe they have 4-5 listed) offer reed switches, so the builder himself would install the reed switch but wants a whopping €150 ($160) per window sash for it. Isn’t that just price gouging? Adding both these "extras" results in an additional cost of about €450 ($480) per window.
Have you had similar experiences?
What would you advise me?
Thank you very much for any tips.
Best regards
We have already included such details in the contract before and paid an additional 1400 euros for the film on our 21 windows. I think it makes sense to specify as many extras as possible at the time of signing the contract, so you don’t end up paying an excessive price later.
Best regards
Sabine
Best regards
Sabine
smartbuilder schrieb:
@Steffen80
We probably approached this a bit naively. As laypeople, we don’t think about every little detail. Today, I would handle things very differently.
@Caspar2020
That’s true, I didn’t question it, but I strongly assume it is laminated. Accordingly, I could have it laminated in the future. I wonder how much something like that might cost? Prices are usually between 3,000 and 8,000 euros. Professionals in window construction advise against it. Ultimately, I decided not to proceed either. Keep in mind the following: window seals would need to be replaced, shutter tracks also require lamination, which is hardly feasible. Laminators tend to avoid providing references. The laminate will show visible color changes after 5 years. You will need scaffolding to carry out the lamination work.
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