ᐅ Comparison of Solid (Masonry) Houses and Prefabricated Houses
Created on: 29 Aug 2012 13:32
V
VanTide
Hello everyone,
we are currently planning a 140 m² (1,507 ft²) house on a 500 m² (5,382 ft²) plot of land.
There are only two providers left in the running: one prefab house supplier and one traditional masonry builder.
We want to build with an air-to-water heat pump and underfloor heating, including a 4 kW photovoltaic system to balance out electricity costs in the long term.
The prefab house provider builds to the KfW 55 standard and estimates monthly operating costs for the heat pump at 35 euros.
The masonry builder uses conventional bricks and advises against insulation according to the KfW 70 standard, which would cost 12,000 euros more. Their argument is that heat pump costs would be around 65 euros per month, and with KfW 70 insulation, only about 6 euros per month could be saved. To recover the 12,000 euro investment, it would take 200 months, so it is not worthwhile.
What is your opinion on this topic? Do you have any experience, and how do you assess my approach? Would you plan the house differently?
Thank you very much and good luck,
Andre
we are currently planning a 140 m² (1,507 ft²) house on a 500 m² (5,382 ft²) plot of land.
There are only two providers left in the running: one prefab house supplier and one traditional masonry builder.
We want to build with an air-to-water heat pump and underfloor heating, including a 4 kW photovoltaic system to balance out electricity costs in the long term.
The prefab house provider builds to the KfW 55 standard and estimates monthly operating costs for the heat pump at 35 euros.
The masonry builder uses conventional bricks and advises against insulation according to the KfW 70 standard, which would cost 12,000 euros more. Their argument is that heat pump costs would be around 65 euros per month, and with KfW 70 insulation, only about 6 euros per month could be saved. To recover the 12,000 euro investment, it would take 200 months, so it is not worthwhile.
What is your opinion on this topic? Do you have any experience, and how do you assess my approach? Would you plan the house differently?
Thank you very much and good luck,
Andre
VanTide schrieb:
With a prefab house, you can't go wrong. If only that were true... 😀Have you already finished the construction? Your estimated ancillary building costs seem quite low, especially if the rainwater cistern is included. Or have you done some of the work yourself? Just connecting electricity, water, and possibly gas can cost up to $8,000 or more. This varies greatly depending on the region. For us, it was €5,000.
If I had a recipe for that, I would write a book and then get a good lawyer 😀
You can try searching the internet, and if you’re lucky, you’ll find both bad and good reviews. But usually, big companies tend to have their lawyers remove negative reports.
The most reliable opinions come directly from homeowners. Just visit a new housing development, or maybe contact people here via private message.
When choosing a prefab home manufacturer, as expected, the key factors are the wall construction and the contract terms. But that’s the same for everyone. It might also be important where the houses are produced and how work is generally carried out on the construction sites. There are definitely significant differences. 😀
And of course, the quality of the fixtures and fittings matters. Unfortunately, show homes are not a good reference since they usually feature only the best materials.
You can try searching the internet, and if you’re lucky, you’ll find both bad and good reviews. But usually, big companies tend to have their lawyers remove negative reports.
The most reliable opinions come directly from homeowners. Just visit a new housing development, or maybe contact people here via private message.
When choosing a prefab home manufacturer, as expected, the key factors are the wall construction and the contract terms. But that’s the same for everyone. It might also be important where the houses are produced and how work is generally carried out on the construction sites. There are definitely significant differences. 😀
And of course, the quality of the fixtures and fittings matters. Unfortunately, show homes are not a good reference since they usually feature only the best materials.
We have just built with a prefabricated house manufacturer and are very satisfied – the construction process went smoothly, and we moved in on schedule. We can definitely recommend them.
Most manufacturers can explain the wall structure in detail, and it’s perfectly fine to ask critical questions. You can usually tell quickly whether the staff member is just trying to sell or genuinely wants to advise.
Most manufacturers can explain the wall structure in detail, and it’s perfectly fine to ask critical questions. You can usually tell quickly whether the staff member is just trying to sell or genuinely wants to advise.
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