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:
Naturally, I also have all the subcontractors and trades coordinated there, which need to be scheduled precisely as well, but this is the responsibility of the prefab house supplier/project coordinator and site manager! This is not my concern! A general contractor (GC) from the local area would probably come closest to your wishes for freedom in planning with minimal organizational effort. However, I strongly advise you to consider everything on the construction site that you pay for as your responsibility, unless your name is Rockefeller.
kaho674 schrieb:
A general contractor (GC) from the local area would probably best match your desire for freedom in planning with minimal organizational effort. Still, I recommend that you consider everything you pay for in the construction as your responsibility, unless your name is Rockefeller. Definitely, that’s not what I meant. Ideally, I would schedule, plan, and handle all the tendering myself. However, that’s impossible due to my job. The time required would simply be too much.
But yes, I do think that a regional construction company is indeed the right point of contact.
exto1791 schrieb:
Is energy efficiency certification, like KfW, also considered in solid construction?Perhaps as an addition: Good results in the energy performance certificate can also be achieved with solid construction: 
General contractors basically operate the same way, whether they call themselves “prefabricated house manufacturers” working with timber frame panel walls, or “building contractors” using traditional masonry construction; a third option would be “solid panel prefabricated house manufacturers” using stone or concrete panels. The building material doesn’t really make a difference, nor does it affect the price: the same standard costs the same amount. Price surcharges don’t vary based on wall construction either; the rule is simply: “the lower the teaser base price, the higher the healthcare-pricing for even the smallest change.”
There is one significant difference between “prefabricated house manufacturers” and general contractors for solid construction: if you want to decide individually by trade which parts you take on as your own work, you can practically only be satisfied with a general contractor for solid construction. Prefabricated house manufacturers usually only offer four to five levels ranging from shell construction to fully finished houses; some even have just two levels: a separate product line for shell houses, and a fully finished house only available with 100% of all trades included. Then you can only outsource what exceeds that 100% (e.g., pergola, garage). You can opt out of included services, but only for symbolic, negligible reimbursements.
It is important to understand that money is made from customers who order the “hunter’s schnitzel” just like it is on the menu—WITHOUT changing the fries to croquettes or other such little tweaks.
By the way, the costs for an independent architect are massively overestimated. My advice: choose a basic design like Franziska 138 or Nadine 141 from a regional provider and get advice here on the forum about how to adapt it with minimal intervention to your needs. Then go to an independent architect and commission them to fit it to your plot of land, combine it with a waterproofed basement, coordinate with the general contractor to apply for permits (building permit / planning permission), instruct the general contractor to handle the “shell plus” phase, and manage the whole process (starting with detailed drawings for the precisely fitting interface OKKD). For all trades delegated to the general contractor, avoid as many standard changes as possible.
KfW40 (energy efficiency standard) is somewhat of a badge for eco-label enthusiasts. You only really “need” it if you care about being part of the ecological avant-garde and don’t mind being overlooked at barbecue invitations as an elite vegan. If it were truly profitable, it would already be a general standard for developers—at least in multi-family residential construction.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
There is one significant difference between “prefabricated house manufacturers” and general contractors for solid construction: if you want to decide individually by trade which parts you take on as your own work, you can practically only be satisfied with a general contractor for solid construction. Prefabricated house manufacturers usually only offer four to five levels ranging from shell construction to fully finished houses; some even have just two levels: a separate product line for shell houses, and a fully finished house only available with 100% of all trades included. Then you can only outsource what exceeds that 100% (e.g., pergola, garage). You can opt out of included services, but only for symbolic, negligible reimbursements.
It is important to understand that money is made from customers who order the “hunter’s schnitzel” just like it is on the menu—WITHOUT changing the fries to croquettes or other such little tweaks.
By the way, the costs for an independent architect are massively overestimated. My advice: choose a basic design like Franziska 138 or Nadine 141 from a regional provider and get advice here on the forum about how to adapt it with minimal intervention to your needs. Then go to an independent architect and commission them to fit it to your plot of land, combine it with a waterproofed basement, coordinate with the general contractor to apply for permits (building permit / planning permission), instruct the general contractor to handle the “shell plus” phase, and manage the whole process (starting with detailed drawings for the precisely fitting interface OKKD). For all trades delegated to the general contractor, avoid as many standard changes as possible.
KfW40 (energy efficiency standard) is somewhat of a badge for eco-label enthusiasts. You only really “need” it if you care about being part of the ecological avant-garde and don’t mind being overlooked at barbecue invitations as an elite vegan. If it were truly profitable, it would already be a general standard for developers—at least in multi-family residential construction.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
If I really don’t want to do much myself and only want the house finished to a painter-ready stage, does the regional solid construction company still have a significant advantage or differ in that regard?
Transparency is very important to me personally. I want to know what’s going on, and I want to be able to say, for example: Your windows are terrible, so I will get them from a specialist store and have them installed myself. Would that count as part of my own work?
It seems to me that prefabricated houses don’t really provide insight into what they are actually offering. I often feel forced to do everything exactly as they tell me. I want the provider to be closely involved, to give me freedom and allow flexibility.
I hope you understand what I mean... I find it hard to trust what they tell me. It feels like I’m just a number, and that in the end only the building itself matters, while everything else and any personal input is excluded. I just walk into the design center, pick out the options, and that’s it.
In short: I can’t build trust here... The close connection to the project simply is missing. The architect doesn’t even visit the site once to see what’s going on. It somehow doesn’t feel like a holistic project. It seems made for people who don’t want to be involved at all and just say: “Do it.” Isn’t that so? I find it very difficult. Everyone tells me some different nonsense and praises the advantages of their product. It’s like buying a car, of course... and that’s completely understandable, but it’s somehow totally different from going to a local builder just around the corner.
I suspect that working with a regional builder is a much more personal experience, with every wish being addressed properly...
Here in Baden-Württemberg, especially in our area, there are really good construction companies that together probably build around 80% of all houses in the surrounding new development areas.
Transparency is very important to me personally. I want to know what’s going on, and I want to be able to say, for example: Your windows are terrible, so I will get them from a specialist store and have them installed myself. Would that count as part of my own work?
It seems to me that prefabricated houses don’t really provide insight into what they are actually offering. I often feel forced to do everything exactly as they tell me. I want the provider to be closely involved, to give me freedom and allow flexibility.
I hope you understand what I mean... I find it hard to trust what they tell me. It feels like I’m just a number, and that in the end only the building itself matters, while everything else and any personal input is excluded. I just walk into the design center, pick out the options, and that’s it.
In short: I can’t build trust here... The close connection to the project simply is missing. The architect doesn’t even visit the site once to see what’s going on. It somehow doesn’t feel like a holistic project. It seems made for people who don’t want to be involved at all and just say: “Do it.” Isn’t that so? I find it very difficult. Everyone tells me some different nonsense and praises the advantages of their product. It’s like buying a car, of course... and that’s completely understandable, but it’s somehow totally different from going to a local builder just around the corner.
I suspect that working with a regional builder is a much more personal experience, with every wish being addressed properly...
Here in Baden-Württemberg, especially in our area, there are really good construction companies that together probably build around 80% of all houses in the surrounding new development areas.
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