ᐅ Prefabricated House or Traditional Solid Construction Companies – Budget
Created on: 13 May 2020 12:56
C
Cary2020
Hello everyone. As you can see, I am new here and looking for advice. We are 25 and 27 years old, both employed, and our monthly net income is 3100 € (approximately $3,400). We have no equity saved up (we are already aware of the risks). Now, by coincidence, we have found a plot of land. It’s the only one in the area that meets our expectations (small, no more than 500 m² (6000 sq ft)). It was more or less a “random find.” Although we had agreed that we wanted to build a house someday, we hadn’t expected it to happen so soon. We want to build at the edge of the Harz mountains, in Lower Saxony. That’s the basic info.
Over the past few days, we have spent a lot of time researching the topic but have not reached any concrete conclusions yet. We have had initial phone appointments with banks; even without equity, it’s not impossible, and some very reputable, well-known banks were involved. We have further appointments with first companies and additional banks planned for next week. However, I would also like to connect with “regular” homeowners to get realistic assessments because we probably belong to this group ourselves.
Does anyone have experience with building a house at our income level? Is it feasible not only on paper but also in reality?
Then the big question arises: do we want a traditional solid house (brick and mortar) or a prefab house? Twenty years ago, when my parents built their home, prefab houses had a bad reputation. Nowadays, that seems to have improved significantly. Basically, we are still undecided. We see major advantages with prefab houses in the absence of moisture problems, clearly the price (is that really the case?), and according to experience reports, there is less shoddy workmanship. I’m hoping to learn from your experiences here.
The last point, of course, will be contacting companies. I am a bit hesitant about regional developers and would prefer to get in touch with larger firms like Viebrockhaus (probably quite expensive), Massa Haus, Arge, etc. Here too, I hope to have an initial exchange with you.
As you can see, we are just starting out and would like to bring some orientation to our confusion of thoughts. Thanks in advance for your help.
Over the past few days, we have spent a lot of time researching the topic but have not reached any concrete conclusions yet. We have had initial phone appointments with banks; even without equity, it’s not impossible, and some very reputable, well-known banks were involved. We have further appointments with first companies and additional banks planned for next week. However, I would also like to connect with “regular” homeowners to get realistic assessments because we probably belong to this group ourselves.
Does anyone have experience with building a house at our income level? Is it feasible not only on paper but also in reality?
Then the big question arises: do we want a traditional solid house (brick and mortar) or a prefab house? Twenty years ago, when my parents built their home, prefab houses had a bad reputation. Nowadays, that seems to have improved significantly. Basically, we are still undecided. We see major advantages with prefab houses in the absence of moisture problems, clearly the price (is that really the case?), and according to experience reports, there is less shoddy workmanship. I’m hoping to learn from your experiences here.
The last point, of course, will be contacting companies. I am a bit hesitant about regional developers and would prefer to get in touch with larger firms like Viebrockhaus (probably quite expensive), Massa Haus, Arge, etc. Here too, I hope to have an initial exchange with you.
As you can see, we are just starting out and would like to bring some orientation to our confusion of thoughts. Thanks in advance for your help.
phil12345 schrieb:
Sorry for shortening your quote like this, but I see this number mentioned frequently.
My question: is it gross or net?
Best regards and thanksGross.@phil12345
Gross measurements. Net measurements don’t make sense for private homeowners.
@K1300S
Maybe 10 cm (5 inches) more costs disproportionately more.
I don’t have a concrete ceiling in the house, and the one over the garage was poured.
The ceiling panels were prefabricated, and I accepted it as it was.
I was just surprised that it wasn’t built larger and more impressive.
Gross measurements. Net measurements don’t make sense for private homeowners.
@K1300S
Maybe 10 cm (5 inches) more costs disproportionately more.
I don’t have a concrete ceiling in the house, and the one over the garage was poured.
The ceiling panels were prefabricated, and I accepted it as it was.
I was just surprised that it wasn’t built larger and more impressive.
Yes, the ceiling elements were completed (prefabricated concrete panels from a precast plant) but not in any standard size—they were custom ordered to fit your garage. I’m not sure how the final calculation is done (by square meters, cubic meters of concrete/steel, etc.), but there is definitely a linear relationship between size and price.
E
Einradbrot27 May 2020 22:26It depends on what you want. In general, avoid prefab houses at all costs. They are far too expensive for what they offer. The cheapest offer from Schwörerhaus was €350,000 (about $375,000). We initially wanted a city villa but then realized that bungalows are a much better option. Avoid small construction companies, as they often go bankrupt quickly. Also, do not pay any money in advance; only pay after a construction phase has been fully completed.
My recommendation is Town & Country or, even better, Heinz von Heiden. Both companies offer solid 36cm (14 inches) Ytong masonry. This is better than 17cm (7 inches) bricks with lots of external insulation systems using polystyrene on top. Both act as general contractors and are your main contact for all trades. Both are very affordable, at least as long as the purchase contract has not been signed and the 4-week cancellation period has not expired.
My advice is to plan everything completely before signing. Any changes afterward are very expensive. Unexpected and costly surprises often come up with the ground as well. It is best to have a soil analysis done before buying the house and even better before purchasing the land.
Also, the building process takes a long time. A good two years should be expected. The building permit alone from the planning authority usually takes at least six months. This allows enough time to save more money.
We chose Heinz von Heiden because they offer a fixed price for their houses without any ifs or buts. Town & Country offers a fixed-price guarantee for only one year, after which you can expect a reasonable price increase, as one year is never enough time to complete the construction.
My recommendation is Town & Country or, even better, Heinz von Heiden. Both companies offer solid 36cm (14 inches) Ytong masonry. This is better than 17cm (7 inches) bricks with lots of external insulation systems using polystyrene on top. Both act as general contractors and are your main contact for all trades. Both are very affordable, at least as long as the purchase contract has not been signed and the 4-week cancellation period has not expired.
My advice is to plan everything completely before signing. Any changes afterward are very expensive. Unexpected and costly surprises often come up with the ground as well. It is best to have a soil analysis done before buying the house and even better before purchasing the land.
Also, the building process takes a long time. A good two years should be expected. The building permit alone from the planning authority usually takes at least six months. This allows enough time to save more money.
We chose Heinz von Heiden because they offer a fixed price for their houses without any ifs or buts. Town & Country offers a fixed-price guarantee for only one year, after which you can expect a reasonable price increase, as one year is never enough time to complete the construction.
Maybe you shouldn’t present your statements as the absolute truth, as uninformed people might take them at face value.
That Town & Country and Heinz von Heiden are particularly great would be news to me. They are affordable, yes, but you get what you pay for. There are guarantees and insurance against insolvency or financial weakness of small providers. It’s not ideal, but it prevents financial losses. I will refrain from correcting the rest of the claims.
That Town & Country and Heinz von Heiden are particularly great would be news to me. They are affordable, yes, but you get what you pay for. There are guarantees and insurance against insolvency or financial weakness of small providers. It’s not ideal, but it prevents financial losses. I will refrain from correcting the rest of the claims.