Hello everyone,
We have decided to build a house; we already own a plot of land on a slope. Next week, we will visit a model home park in Bad Vilbel for the first time. The floor plan is roughly planned in my mind, so initially, we will focus on the builders whose designs come close to our concept.
What tips do you have for me? What questions should I ask the sales representatives, and so on? I don’t want to enter the world of homebuilding completely unprepared 🙂
We have decided to build a house; we already own a plot of land on a slope. Next week, we will visit a model home park in Bad Vilbel for the first time. The floor plan is roughly planned in my mind, so initially, we will focus on the builders whose designs come close to our concept.
What tips do you have for me? What questions should I ask the sales representatives, and so on? I don’t want to enter the world of homebuilding completely unprepared 🙂
Depending on the slope of the site, a prefab house supplier may not necessarily be the right choice.
Anyway, this is just your initial exploration... you’re not going straight into planning, are you?
It depends on what you are really interested in... wall constructions, installed brands, the general process and earliest possible dates, building services...
Anyway, this is just your initial exploration... you’re not going straight into planning, are you?
It depends on what you are really interested in... wall constructions, installed brands, the general process and earliest possible dates, building services...
At the beginning, you first choose the type of house, the room sizes (usually the floor area in square meters is indicated somewhere on the door in show homes), the desired extras, and so on. You look at the quality of construction in the model home parks, the components used, and pick up initial brochures. You can have long conversations with the salespeople, but it’s not necessary right away.
Once you know which house type you want (basement?), and you have a rough idea of the floor area you want to build, you can slowly start getting initial quotes. It’s best if these are itemized with prices for the extras, which is usually possible. This way, you get a feel for the additional costs and can decide whether you want them.
We visited the model home park three times without speaking to any salesperson even once. We used the visits for inspiration regarding stair colors, window sizes, bathroom layouts, and so on.
Have you already been to the bank to clarify your budget? Do you already have a plot of land? That’s the first question all salespeople ask. It’s best to bring a cadastral map or something similar, so that during discussions you can check whether your house type fits on your plot.
There is only one very important tip for your first model home visit: DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING!
Once you know which house type you want (basement?), and you have a rough idea of the floor area you want to build, you can slowly start getting initial quotes. It’s best if these are itemized with prices for the extras, which is usually possible. This way, you get a feel for the additional costs and can decide whether you want them.
We visited the model home park three times without speaking to any salesperson even once. We used the visits for inspiration regarding stair colors, window sizes, bathroom layouts, and so on.
Have you already been to the bank to clarify your budget? Do you already have a plot of land? That’s the first question all salespeople ask. It’s best to bring a cadastral map or something similar, so that during discussions you can check whether your house type fits on your plot.
There is only one very important tip for your first model home visit: DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING!
T
Traumfaenger3 Sep 2016 23:04Since most prefabricated house manufacturers now offer fully customizable homes, it doesn’t really matter what the model homes look like. They use the model homes to appeal to the general public because some visitors assume that if a manufacturer displays, for example, a flat-roof house, they only build flat-roof houses... (which is also why you rarely see bungalows there, as their market share is too small and the manufacturers worry that most customers might think they only build bungalows...). In short, the architectural style of the homes in the model home park can be of little concern to you. Even if a provider presents a red Swedish-style cottage and you want a modern townhouse, you can still be a good match.
Much more important are the details that you might not notice at first. First and foremost, this includes the wall construction. There are significant differences here: whether the walls are vapor-permeable or not, which materials are used for insulation, and whether the interior is lined with drywall or cement boards (installation of fixtures? Acoustic properties?). What kind of building systems are used for heating, mechanical ventilation, etc.? Is the screed a floating floor or a dry system? Then, of course, it is essential to carefully study the building specifications—what qualities are included as standard, how healthy are the materials used for indoor living, and: What is not included??? For example, site setup, temporary toilets, waste disposal, earthworks, and so on. You will also find that some providers have a notoriously bad reputation and it’s better to steer well clear of them.
In summary: The model homes in the park are nice to look at, but like in a car dealership, they usually feature lots of optional extras that cost extra (so not what you get as standard according to the building specifications), but in the end, model homes are not really the benchmark. Instead, collect the building specifications and try to form an opinion with the help of the forum or a construction expert. As mentioned at the beginning, most manufacturers can offer you any imaginable house in terms of architecture and interior design; the difference lies in the execution and the price-performance ratio.
One more tip: Providers only take you seriously if you tell them you already have a plot of land ;-) Otherwise, they tend to think you’re just weekend visitors or people looking for ideas for renovation or interior decoration, etc.
Much more important are the details that you might not notice at first. First and foremost, this includes the wall construction. There are significant differences here: whether the walls are vapor-permeable or not, which materials are used for insulation, and whether the interior is lined with drywall or cement boards (installation of fixtures? Acoustic properties?). What kind of building systems are used for heating, mechanical ventilation, etc.? Is the screed a floating floor or a dry system? Then, of course, it is essential to carefully study the building specifications—what qualities are included as standard, how healthy are the materials used for indoor living, and: What is not included??? For example, site setup, temporary toilets, waste disposal, earthworks, and so on. You will also find that some providers have a notoriously bad reputation and it’s better to steer well clear of them.
In summary: The model homes in the park are nice to look at, but like in a car dealership, they usually feature lots of optional extras that cost extra (so not what you get as standard according to the building specifications), but in the end, model homes are not really the benchmark. Instead, collect the building specifications and try to form an opinion with the help of the forum or a construction expert. As mentioned at the beginning, most manufacturers can offer you any imaginable house in terms of architecture and interior design; the difference lies in the execution and the price-performance ratio.
One more tip: Providers only take you seriously if you tell them you already have a plot of land ;-) Otherwise, they tend to think you’re just weekend visitors or people looking for ideas for renovation or interior decoration, etc.
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