ᐅ Precast concrete construction company, or hire individual contractors?
Created on: 4 Oct 2013 19:43
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verbagdonas
Hello everyone,
I’m new here, and we are planning to build within the next 1–2 years. We’ve already visited several model home exhibitions and have become less convinced about prefabricated houses due to some negative aspects like sound insulation and long-term value. We definitely want a solid construction method, and I already have a few offers, but I find them too expensive based on my expectations. Now my question, which nobody has been able to answer so far: Is it cheaper to hire a prefab solid construction company, or to work with an architect and then hire individual local contractors?
Details about the house: 170 sqm (1,830 sq ft), double garage, dormer, and floor-to-ceiling windows on the terrace side, knee wall about 1.2 m (4 ft) with a gable roof at approximately 30 degrees... budget for the house is around 220,000 without the land.
Furthermore, I would like to know whether it’s better to have the heating and electrical work done by the prefab company (because of standardized solutions) or if it would be cheaper to rely on local firms.
I hope you understand what I mean!
Regards,
Alex
I’m new here, and we are planning to build within the next 1–2 years. We’ve already visited several model home exhibitions and have become less convinced about prefabricated houses due to some negative aspects like sound insulation and long-term value. We definitely want a solid construction method, and I already have a few offers, but I find them too expensive based on my expectations. Now my question, which nobody has been able to answer so far: Is it cheaper to hire a prefab solid construction company, or to work with an architect and then hire individual local contractors?
Details about the house: 170 sqm (1,830 sq ft), double garage, dormer, and floor-to-ceiling windows on the terrace side, knee wall about 1.2 m (4 ft) with a gable roof at approximately 30 degrees... budget for the house is around 220,000 without the land.
Furthermore, I would like to know whether it’s better to have the heating and electrical work done by the prefab company (because of standardized solutions) or if it would be cheaper to rely on local firms.
I hope you understand what I mean!
Regards,
Alex
How do you arrive at the total budget of €220,000? Is that an estimate, or have you already consulted with an advisor?
I hope you understand that it is not possible to fulfill your wishes in any way with that amount of money.
Why do you want to buy the plot so far in advance? Do you have equity available for it?
I hope you understand that it is not possible to fulfill your wishes in any way with that amount of money.
Why do you want to buy the plot so far in advance? Do you have equity available for it?
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verbagdonas8 Oct 2013 11:27I have saved about half the amount needed for the plot of land, and there are only three plots left in our new housing development...
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Bauexperte8 Oct 2013 11:53Hello,
I know that attitude – "That’s how we always did it... It has always been that way... That’s correct." No offense, but I have had my share of experiences with “experienced” fathers. Often, it feels like running into a wall. 🙁
That’s great for you. But the question is, are these friends willing to sacrifice their free time for you just for a heartfelt thank you? Are they prepared to work after hours and on weekends to help you get into your house as cost-effectively as possible? And—this is, in my view, even more important than anything else—will these friendships hold up under the pressure of a possible warranty issue?
That’s already a good start!
Why should it? Hiring an architect does not have to be more expensive; usually, it only becomes costly if self-discipline falls by the wayside. However, a common issue is the so-called cost estimates provided by some architects. Therefore, it’s important to find an architect who is not only creative but also good with numbers. This can usually be determined based on recommendations or experiences within your network.
Otherwise—if the architecture is simple—you could also ask a trusted provider to deliver the basic shell of the house (shell and core / basic construction) and then hire the finishing trades independently. But even in that case, someone should oversee the process, prepare tender documents, evaluate bids, assess the completed work, and adjust offers accordingly, etc. This should be done by a professional, not the experienced father-in-law 😉
Regards, Bauexperte
verbagdonas schrieb:
Regarding expertise, my parents completely renovated their house two years ago, and I was involved in almost every step (learned a lot). Besides that, my father-in-law has built two houses and is knowledgeable in many areas.
I know that attitude – "That’s how we always did it... It has always been that way... That’s correct." No offense, but I have had my share of experiences with “experienced” fathers. Often, it feels like running into a wall. 🙁
verbagdonas schrieb:
I have several electricians, carpenters, etc. in my circle of friends.
That’s great for you. But the question is, are these friends willing to sacrifice their free time for you just for a heartfelt thank you? Are they prepared to work after hours and on weekends to help you get into your house as cost-effectively as possible? And—this is, in my view, even more important than anything else—will these friendships hold up under the pressure of a possible warranty issue?
verbagdonas schrieb:
To be honest, I was surprised by the offer, especially since the garage is included as well 😕
That’s already a good start!
verbagdonas schrieb:
That’s why I would prefer to go to an architect and commission individual local companies. But I think that besides more detailed planning, this would also increase the costs.
Why should it? Hiring an architect does not have to be more expensive; usually, it only becomes costly if self-discipline falls by the wayside. However, a common issue is the so-called cost estimates provided by some architects. Therefore, it’s important to find an architect who is not only creative but also good with numbers. This can usually be determined based on recommendations or experiences within your network.
Otherwise—if the architecture is simple—you could also ask a trusted provider to deliver the basic shell of the house (shell and core / basic construction) and then hire the finishing trades independently. But even in that case, someone should oversee the process, prepare tender documents, evaluate bids, assess the completed work, and adjust offers accordingly, etc. This should be done by a professional, not the experienced father-in-law 😉
Regards, Bauexperte
My neighbor built his house with his own hands. According to him, he and some helpers from the village did everything themselves. Now he is considering selling the house because he and his wife are too unwell to maintain it. He had an energy performance certificate prepared and then asked me if I could help him interpret it. It shows an energy demand of 350 kWh/m²/year.
What I mean is, it may be that your father-in-law knows how to lay bricks and how to build a roof, but is he familiar with the current regulations? Can he work with modern insulation materials, for example?
My stepfather is also a skilled craftsman. He looks at a piece of furniture and builds it again. Wallpapering, floor installation, and so on are easy for him, and he has already built a house himself. But he was very impressed by our prefabricated house because technically it is on a completely different level.
If you want to do a lot yourself and have enough helpers, definitely get someone from outside to take over the construction management and supervise your work. In the end, that will be money well spent.
As the building expert already said: talk about warranties. What happens in case of damage... a pipe not properly sealed and you’ve got a water leak. Your colleagues probably aren’t insured for that.
We had everything done that might become very expensive, and did the rest ourselves. We already have some small imperfections in the floor because maybe we didn’t install it like a professional, but I can live with that because I know those who helped me did it gladly and to the best of their knowledge and conscience. As a layperson, you just don’t think of some things. But a lot of money was saved that way.
What I mean is, it may be that your father-in-law knows how to lay bricks and how to build a roof, but is he familiar with the current regulations? Can he work with modern insulation materials, for example?
My stepfather is also a skilled craftsman. He looks at a piece of furniture and builds it again. Wallpapering, floor installation, and so on are easy for him, and he has already built a house himself. But he was very impressed by our prefabricated house because technically it is on a completely different level.
If you want to do a lot yourself and have enough helpers, definitely get someone from outside to take over the construction management and supervise your work. In the end, that will be money well spent.
As the building expert already said: talk about warranties. What happens in case of damage... a pipe not properly sealed and you’ve got a water leak. Your colleagues probably aren’t insured for that.
We had everything done that might become very expensive, and did the rest ourselves. We already have some small imperfections in the floor because maybe we didn’t install it like a professional, but I can live with that because I know those who helped me did it gladly and to the best of their knowledge and conscience. As a layperson, you just don’t think of some things. But a lot of money was saved that way.
H
HilfeHilfe8 Oct 2013 13:01Hello
Conversely, my best friend wanted to do something good for his father, who owns a long-established window manufacturing company, so he took over the windows and doors trade and gave it to him.
He also used very high-quality materials. What had to happen, happened. The windows upstairs were crooked after installation. The father saw it differently and blamed the masons as well. It escalated. Since then, the father only speaks to his son when necessary, and the son hired a second company to get the project back on track.
This was not about saving money, but about keeping the work within the family. Still, it went wrong. With such a large investment, a warranty would be important to me. We never had and will never have a “muscle mortgage.” Some trades can be done with friends, others cannot.
Conversely, my best friend wanted to do something good for his father, who owns a long-established window manufacturing company, so he took over the windows and doors trade and gave it to him.
He also used very high-quality materials. What had to happen, happened. The windows upstairs were crooked after installation. The father saw it differently and blamed the masons as well. It escalated. Since then, the father only speaks to his son when necessary, and the son hired a second company to get the project back on track.
This was not about saving money, but about keeping the work within the family. Still, it went wrong. With such a large investment, a warranty would be important to me. We never had and will never have a “muscle mortgage.” Some trades can be done with friends, others cannot.
There have been recurring issues when installing the Vigour rimless deep-flush toilet. Water splashes over the edge during flushing or leaks underneath the closed lid. According to customers and my own experience, this is very unhygienic. Rimless toilets from Vigour are not recommended. After consulting with Vigour, they claimed it was a problem with the cistern, but this was not confirmed. The rimless toilet is not suitable. Warning.
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