ᐅ Solid Construction or Prefabricated House? Semi-Detached Home, Approx. 160 sqm, Pros and Cons
Created on: 3 Jan 2023 16:13
G
GDWE2023
Hello everyone,
Sometimes you find a needle in a haystack, and just before Christmas we signed for a plot of land (334 sqm [3598 sq ft]) near Frankfurt.
Beforehand, we researched what could be built and the approximate price range to avoid later realizing we had taken on too much.
Here is what we are allowed or want to build:
- Semi-detached house
- Building envelope 8.5 x 12 m (28 x 39 ft)
- Up to 2 full stories plus attic conversion
- Maximum 120 sqm (1292 sq ft) of built-up area on the plot
The main question now is whether to build with solid construction or timber frame. At first, I strongly lean toward solid for its long-term value retention, but we have also visited some prefab house manufacturers who sounded interesting. Of course, everyone wants to recommend their own product and criticize the other, so I’m asking the community: what influenced your choice? Did you experience any problems? What should you pay attention to? How does the actual value retention of the different house types fare at resale? What factors should be considered in the decision-making process?
In terms of price, there is not much difference anymore. We have now received ballpark figures for turnkey solid construction (excluding foundation and walls) at 2500-3000 euros per sqm (232-279 USD per sq ft) and prefab houses at 2500-3500 euros per sqm (232-325 USD per sq ft). Of course, these prices come with the caveat that not all include the same features, and you can’t really compare “all-in” offers with more basic ones.
Thank you for sharing your collective knowledge! 🙂
Sometimes you find a needle in a haystack, and just before Christmas we signed for a plot of land (334 sqm [3598 sq ft]) near Frankfurt.
Beforehand, we researched what could be built and the approximate price range to avoid later realizing we had taken on too much.
Here is what we are allowed or want to build:
- Semi-detached house
- Building envelope 8.5 x 12 m (28 x 39 ft)
- Up to 2 full stories plus attic conversion
- Maximum 120 sqm (1292 sq ft) of built-up area on the plot
The main question now is whether to build with solid construction or timber frame. At first, I strongly lean toward solid for its long-term value retention, but we have also visited some prefab house manufacturers who sounded interesting. Of course, everyone wants to recommend their own product and criticize the other, so I’m asking the community: what influenced your choice? Did you experience any problems? What should you pay attention to? How does the actual value retention of the different house types fare at resale? What factors should be considered in the decision-making process?
In terms of price, there is not much difference anymore. We have now received ballpark figures for turnkey solid construction (excluding foundation and walls) at 2500-3000 euros per sqm (232-279 USD per sq ft) and prefab houses at 2500-3500 euros per sqm (232-325 USD per sq ft). Of course, these prices come with the caveat that not all include the same features, and you can’t really compare “all-in” offers with more basic ones.
Thank you for sharing your collective knowledge! 🙂
W
WilderSueden4 Jan 2023 17:2811ant schrieb:
For example, 29 versus 36.5 cm (11.4 versus 14.4 inches) is hardly significant. Whether it’s a 10 cm (4 inch) gypsum board, 12.5 cm (5 inch) lightweight construction, or 11.5 cm (4.5 inch) calcium silicate brick, it doesn’t make much difference. Drywall or gypsum board doesn’t save wall floor area, but rather time. I’m not really familiar with drywall since we only have solid walls. So, I quickly looked it up and found drywall starting at 5 cm (2 inches) thickness. That’s obviously a saving compared to 11.5 cm (4.5 inch) walls plus plaster, if you have several interior walls like that. But sound insulation and load-bearing capacity are probably rather limited in that case?
Crixton schrieb:
- Weberhaus builds more ecologically, meaning wood fiber instead of polystyrene insulation, but with a lower insulation value. Danwood achieves a KfW 40 wall with just under 35 cm (14 inches) thickness. (Plaster included) These were just the examples we specifically looked at. With 17.5 cm (7 inch) calcium silicate bricks and external thermal insulation composite system (ETICS / external wall insulation), you end up with a similar thickness depending on the materials used. Monolithic construction is of course a different matter, requiring a few centimeters more. But comparing monolithic walls with a polystyrene-insulated wall isn’t really fair either.
My main point was about the claim that prefabricated houses are much thinner. That might have been true in the past; we spent Christmas at my parents’ place, and the walls there (Okal house from the 1980s) seemed really peculiar to me. Very thin, in a negative sense 😉 Today, this has largely evened out, and wall thickness is unlikely to be a significant factor for most homeowners.
WilderSueden schrieb:
Drywall partitions starting from 5cm (2 inches) found.The narrowest stud is 50mm (2 inches). But then you still need drywall on both sides. That adds up to at least 75mm (3 inches). I wouldn’t go for anything less than a 100mm (4 inches) wall with two layers of 12.5mm (1/2 inch) drywall.W
WilderSueden4 Jan 2023 17:45Then I take back the statement that you can save anything on interior walls 😉
What would you say about the living atmosphere?
In solid construction houses, I always get a feeling of stale air. Even when the terrace door is open all day, I tend to feel more comfortable in a timber frame house.
Is it just my imagination? Could it ultimately be due to the mechanical ventilation system?
What are your experiences?
In solid construction houses, I always get a feeling of stale air. Even when the terrace door is open all day, I tend to feel more comfortable in a timber frame house.
Is it just my imagination? Could it ultimately be due to the mechanical ventilation system?
What are your experiences?
Kalibri schrieb:
In solid masonry houses, I always feel like the air is heavy. Even when the patio door is open all day, I get the impression that I feel more comfortable in a timber frame house.
Is this just my imagination? Could it ultimately be due to the mechanical ventilation system?
What are your experiences?In my experience, nonsense like this will probably never disappear 🙂https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
I can only share my own experience, and based on that, I can confirm the feeling mentioned above. Objectively, it is certainly a comparison of apples and oranges. But subjectively, it is noticeable. A newly built (rental) apartment in a solid construction (without any ventilation systems other than windows, built quickly and cheaply): about 2.5 out of 3 years it felt musty, damp, and stale.
In my family, almost all the houses are wooden constructions (timber frame, solid wood, log houses, some with masonry basements, some without). In all these houses, the air feels more pleasant (subjectively). Even the difference between the basement (solid construction) and the ground floor is noticeable. The old houses have no ventilation systems, while the new ones all have controlled ventilation—either centralized or decentralized.
The fact is that, apart from the screed, much less moisture is introduced in wooden constructions compared to solid constructions. That moisture has to go somewhere. If moisture management in solid buildings is done well (which is possible), I suspect there would be much less "unpleasant air" than in the rental apartment I lived in for three years.
In my family, almost all the houses are wooden constructions (timber frame, solid wood, log houses, some with masonry basements, some without). In all these houses, the air feels more pleasant (subjectively). Even the difference between the basement (solid construction) and the ground floor is noticeable. The old houses have no ventilation systems, while the new ones all have controlled ventilation—either centralized or decentralized.
The fact is that, apart from the screed, much less moisture is introduced in wooden constructions compared to solid constructions. That moisture has to go somewhere. If moisture management in solid buildings is done well (which is possible), I suspect there would be much less "unpleasant air" than in the rental apartment I lived in for three years.
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