ᐅ Solid prefabricated house or developer-built home – experiences?
Created on: 26 Dec 2016 11:53
A
AnNaHF79
Hello,
we are still at the very beginning of our building project, but since such an investment needs careful consideration, we want to gather information early on and exchange ideas with experts. We have already researched a lot online, especially here in this forum, and have ordered some of the literature recommended here and elsewhere.
One basic question we are currently considering regarding solid prefabricated houses:
a) Prefabricated house
b) Prefabricated house in solid construction
c) Solid construction (through a developer)
We do not want to build cheaply, but well.
Sustainability is important to us; what we build should last a long time and still be standing in 100 years (in my opinion, a point against a traditional prefabricated house).
Living comfort is equally important; that means good indoor air quality, good sound insulation, etc. (also, in my opinion, a point against a traditional prefabricated house). Energy efficiency matters to us as well.
Healthy living conditions are also a priority.
Above all, we want low risks and minimal effort.
What discourages us about solid construction through a developer is:
The effort involved; we don’t have much desire and especially no time to constantly argue with the developer and the contractors.
We want to award a project and hope that everything then simply runs smoothly – of course, it probably will not be that simple, certain efforts will inevitably arise, but we want to keep these to a minimum. A manageable construction period without major risks would be very welcome.
The fact that prefabricated houses are "tested," having been built multiple times, reduces the risks in our opinion that something fundamental will go wrong.
Based on the above, we wonder if a prefabricated house in solid construction might be the right choice for us, as it combines the best of both worlds?
- Fast construction time
- Low risks due to proven building method (including coordination of building services such as the heating system, etc.)
- Still sustainable if the right materials and construction methods are chosen
- Good insulation
- House can be viewed as a show home beforehand
- Often available with insurances/warranties for maximum security
- etc.
What is your view on this?
If this could be a viable path, the question arises what the right materials and construction methods would be, and which providers might be suitable...
Materials:
- Clay (expanded clay)
- Brick (Unipor/Poroton)
- Aerated concrete (Ytong)
- Clay bricks
- Sand-lime bricks
- “Special stuff” like Duotherm (reinforced concrete?), Klimapor, Ökodomo, etc.
Clay bricks and sand-lime bricks seem to have rather poor thermal insulation.
Clay bricks also tend to absorb water.
Therefore, I would rather exclude these options.
Construction method:
We favor a traditional “brick-on-brick” construction on site, which apparently is also available for prefabricated houses (Hartl?), or at least a construction method based on this that promises sustainability.
Any experiences or tips?
Thank you.
we are still at the very beginning of our building project, but since such an investment needs careful consideration, we want to gather information early on and exchange ideas with experts. We have already researched a lot online, especially here in this forum, and have ordered some of the literature recommended here and elsewhere.
One basic question we are currently considering regarding solid prefabricated houses:
a) Prefabricated house
b) Prefabricated house in solid construction
c) Solid construction (through a developer)
We do not want to build cheaply, but well.
Sustainability is important to us; what we build should last a long time and still be standing in 100 years (in my opinion, a point against a traditional prefabricated house).
Living comfort is equally important; that means good indoor air quality, good sound insulation, etc. (also, in my opinion, a point against a traditional prefabricated house). Energy efficiency matters to us as well.
Healthy living conditions are also a priority.
Above all, we want low risks and minimal effort.
What discourages us about solid construction through a developer is:
The effort involved; we don’t have much desire and especially no time to constantly argue with the developer and the contractors.
We want to award a project and hope that everything then simply runs smoothly – of course, it probably will not be that simple, certain efforts will inevitably arise, but we want to keep these to a minimum. A manageable construction period without major risks would be very welcome.
The fact that prefabricated houses are "tested," having been built multiple times, reduces the risks in our opinion that something fundamental will go wrong.
Based on the above, we wonder if a prefabricated house in solid construction might be the right choice for us, as it combines the best of both worlds?
- Fast construction time
- Low risks due to proven building method (including coordination of building services such as the heating system, etc.)
- Still sustainable if the right materials and construction methods are chosen
- Good insulation
- House can be viewed as a show home beforehand
- Often available with insurances/warranties for maximum security
- etc.
What is your view on this?
If this could be a viable path, the question arises what the right materials and construction methods would be, and which providers might be suitable...
Materials:
- Clay (expanded clay)
- Brick (Unipor/Poroton)
- Aerated concrete (Ytong)
- Clay bricks
- Sand-lime bricks
- “Special stuff” like Duotherm (reinforced concrete?), Klimapor, Ökodomo, etc.
Clay bricks and sand-lime bricks seem to have rather poor thermal insulation.
Clay bricks also tend to absorb water.
Therefore, I would rather exclude these options.
Construction method:
We favor a traditional “brick-on-brick” construction on site, which apparently is also available for prefabricated houses (Hartl?), or at least a construction method based on this that promises sustainability.
Any experiences or tips?
Thank you.
kaho674 schrieb:
You can also ask the developer directly for references and visit them.Yes, that is a similar approach to what we are planning.
We will check who the partners of the mentioned providers are and see what can be found out through online or direct references...
AnNaHF79 schrieb:
Let’s see who the partners of the above-mentioned providers are and what can be found out through online or direct references... What specific fundamental advantage do you expect from the "big names" compared to your local expert?
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
But you are also paying for all the overhead costs related to sales, advertising, trade shows, etc. These big names are expensive because of that.
My experience with a traditional medium-sized company has been positive. No website, no advertising except word of mouth, good quality, reasonable prices, on schedule, personal support, professional expertise, and sometimes a clear "this way only, otherwise I won’t do it," which I have to stand behind.
There must be companies like that in the southwest as well, right?
My experience with a traditional medium-sized company has been positive. No website, no advertising except word of mouth, good quality, reasonable prices, on schedule, personal support, professional expertise, and sometimes a clear "this way only, otherwise I won’t do it," which I have to stand behind.
There must be companies like that in the southwest as well, right?
It is clear that this costs more, but you also get a better idea of what you are getting; being able to inspect a house beforehand as a show home and having a clearer vision of how it will turn out is just one aspect that is quite important to us.
The warranties (for example, 10 years with Viebrockhaus) as well as other services are certainly also of interest.
The warranties (for example, 10 years with Viebrockhaus) as well as other services are certainly also of interest.
