Hi!
Soon we will be visiting a prefabricated house exhibition for the first time.
Beforehand, we have already looked at some building descriptions and prefabricated house suppliers online and in brochures.
Now we want to see the houses on site and talk to some sales representatives.
We also plan to request some quotes there.
What should we pay attention to, or what general questions should we ask the salespeople?
Do you have any useful tips, possibly from your own experience?
Soon we will be visiting a prefabricated house exhibition for the first time.
Beforehand, we have already looked at some building descriptions and prefabricated house suppliers online and in brochures.
Now we want to see the houses on site and talk to some sales representatives.
We also plan to request some quotes there.
What should we pay attention to, or what general questions should we ask the salespeople?
Do you have any useful tips, possibly from your own experience?
First of all: don’t expect too much. It’s a good idea to research the exhibitors online beforehand. Then take brochures with you and maybe ask for some sales arguments to be prepared for you. Unfortunately, you will be told everything, and often there is pressure to get a signature early on. That shouldn’t happen, right?
Anyway, you should know that almost every show home is usually built larger than standard, often including a conservatory or extra special features, to entice potential customers.
If you are considering prefabricated houses, definitely pay attention to the wall construction. If you want to test the salespeople, ask them either to connect you with a local advisor or to give you (or send you) detailed building specifications. You will notice that some, mostly the cheaper providers, are very reserved here. The prices quoted are often just smoke and mirrors—usually far too low.
If you want to take something away from visiting, look at the rooms, get ideas, and get a feel for what, for example, 16 square meters with a knee wall of 1.0m (3.3 ft) feels like. On paper later, this can be very abstract.
You will see in the show homes that they are hardly furnished with storage space, so they are often not practical... appearance is what counts most.
The show home of our house model had special extras installed with an estimated value of €50,000 (€50,000). The stove in the living room alone had a surcharge of €4,000 (€4,000) at the exhibition center. Often, island kitchens are installed, but usually nobody actually builds those if they have to pay for it themselves 🙂
So my tip is to explore three suppliers beforehand and then visit their houses. Ask specifically what is standard and approximately how much the house as shown costs. Then request information material directly or by mail. This way you will see who replies immediately and who makes you wait weeks.
Anyway, you should know that almost every show home is usually built larger than standard, often including a conservatory or extra special features, to entice potential customers.
If you are considering prefabricated houses, definitely pay attention to the wall construction. If you want to test the salespeople, ask them either to connect you with a local advisor or to give you (or send you) detailed building specifications. You will notice that some, mostly the cheaper providers, are very reserved here. The prices quoted are often just smoke and mirrors—usually far too low.
If you want to take something away from visiting, look at the rooms, get ideas, and get a feel for what, for example, 16 square meters with a knee wall of 1.0m (3.3 ft) feels like. On paper later, this can be very abstract.
You will see in the show homes that they are hardly furnished with storage space, so they are often not practical... appearance is what counts most.
The show home of our house model had special extras installed with an estimated value of €50,000 (€50,000). The stove in the living room alone had a surcharge of €4,000 (€4,000) at the exhibition center. Often, island kitchens are installed, but usually nobody actually builds those if they have to pay for it themselves 🙂
So my tip is to explore three suppliers beforehand and then visit their houses. Ask specifically what is standard and approximately how much the house as shown costs. Then request information material directly or by mail. This way you will see who replies immediately and who makes you wait weeks.
Hello phobos,
I see it a bit differently than Der Da. When you visit a model home park for the first time, use it to gather ideas and impressions. The first time we just walked through and got inspiration for what we wanted to include in our house. Most of it was dictated by the development plan, but features like bay windows, conservatories, balconies, French balconies – you can definitely get a feel for those. My wife could never really imagine floor plans on paper, so we went inside the houses to see the layouts in real life. We found that comparisons between builders only make sense once you have a concrete idea of the house you want. Otherwise, as Der Da said, everyone will give you unrealistic prices. Then there are the individual details that can make a big difference: what kind of heating system, insulation, how many windows, and so on.
The best approach is to choose your dream house and compare prices based on that. If the overall cost is too high, then redesign and compare again. That’s what worked well for us.
Going through the building specifications is obviously important afterward – but I recommend using your first visit to collect ideas.
I see it a bit differently than Der Da. When you visit a model home park for the first time, use it to gather ideas and impressions. The first time we just walked through and got inspiration for what we wanted to include in our house. Most of it was dictated by the development plan, but features like bay windows, conservatories, balconies, French balconies – you can definitely get a feel for those. My wife could never really imagine floor plans on paper, so we went inside the houses to see the layouts in real life. We found that comparisons between builders only make sense once you have a concrete idea of the house you want. Otherwise, as Der Da said, everyone will give you unrealistic prices. Then there are the individual details that can make a big difference: what kind of heating system, insulation, how many windows, and so on.
The best approach is to choose your dream house and compare prices based on that. If the overall cost is too high, then redesign and compare again. That’s what worked well for us.
Going through the building specifications is obviously important afterward – but I recommend using your first visit to collect ideas.
Thanks for the tips.
@der Da
You write
What do you mean by a local consultant?
A few questions on this:
1. So is it important here to find out what is standard in the model home and what is considered an upgrade?
2. Should I ask right away about the cost of the upgrade items? Will they even provide pricing info on site?
3. Does it make sense to ask for a quote right away?
@Wastl
Thanks for your info as well.
@der Da
You write
then please have them connect you with a local consultant
What do you mean by a local consultant?
Then specifically ask what is standard here and approximately how much the house as shown costs.
A few questions on this:
1. So is it important here to find out what is standard in the model home and what is considered an upgrade?
2. Should I ask right away about the cost of the upgrade items? Will they even provide pricing info on site?
3. Does it make sense to ask for a quote right away?
@Wastl
Thanks for your info as well.
Often held off-site... these housing exhibitions are usually well attended, so the consultants often have very little time or are simply not the right contacts. Our house provider, however, has special consultants in many locations who cover their specific "area." They are familiar with local companies and can provide useful advice later on. So far, I have been lucky with my consultant and have always received good prices from subcontractors when I mentioned who referred me.
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