ᐅ Timber Frame Construction: Well-Known Prefabricated House Providers vs. Local Construction Companies

Hello everyone,

We are complete newcomers to the building process but are about to purchase a plot of land near Buxtehude, close to Hamburg.
We are leaning towards building a prefabricated house. On one hand, because our building plot is quite small at 8 x 10 m (26 x 33 ft) and with a conventional masonry build, we would likely lose a lot of living space due to the wall thickness. On the other hand, clearly due to the faster construction times and the “all-in-one” service packages offered. We already have quite precise ideas about the floor plan, so we don’t really need much advice—more so an architect to draw up the plans for us.
What we are wondering, however, is whether the quality and price-performance ratio of the large, well-known prefabricated house providers nowadays is really that good to compete easily with regional carpentry companies. Or would we even be better off with the local craftsmen? Or do you end up paying a lot extra to the big companies for their name and marketing and get much better quality from the local carpentry business?

Of course, it always depends on the individual company, but I would be interested to hear about your experiences.

One more thing about us as future homeowners: We are not unskilled when it comes to DIY. I even completed a vocational training in a trade once. But today, with our two jobs and our 2-year-old child, we won’t be able to take care of much of the building ourselves. The plot is about 1 hour away from where we currently live, so we are leaning more towards a “worry-free” solution.
We had a meeting with Okal Haus and were very positively surprised. We especially liked the 2.8 m (9 ft) ceiling height. According to the sales representative, the walls are produced in one piece, so later on there won’t be tension cracks. That is apparently quite a unique selling point for Okal Haus. It sounds a bit like sales talk to me at first, but maybe there is some truth to it? Or can local carpentry companies do all that in their workshop as well?

I look forward to your replies.

Best regards
Björn

At first impression, we also liked your preferred provider, but upon closer inspection, not so much. The offer arrived exactly one day after our initial visit, but the drafted design was, in our opinion, extremely unattractive (a matter of taste, of course). More importantly, we reviewed the wall construction with each provider. The salesperson from your mentioned provider promoted various awards and certifications, including, as far as I recall, an organic certification. As a gift, we even received a jar of honey from organic beekeeping.

When we asked why the wall construction should be considered healthy if plastic film is used within it, the salesperson couldn’t provide an answer. He simply said that it must somehow be organic; otherwise, they wouldn’t have all those seals and certifications. You should also take a look at where Okal Haus is manufactured and which other two brands are under this umbrella...

And a side note: in our view, this provider was relatively expensive compared to others, who offer better value for money. It’s also possible to build higher quality without all the plastic and Styrodur (extruded polystyrene) junk and still get a better price. ))

Bjoern Becker schrieb:
and with solid construction alone we would probably lose a lot of living space due to the wall thickness.

You can get a 44 cm (17 inches) timber stud wall or a 30 cm (12 inches) aerated concrete wall. Most prefabricated houses have walls between 29 and 33 cm (11 to 13 inches), and solid constructions are usually 36.5 cm (14 inches) monolithic or 17.5 + 16 = 33.5 cm (7 + 6 inches) with external thermal insulation composite systems (ETICS). In practical terms, the difference is marginal; the 20 cm (8 inches) gap from thirty years ago no longer separates these two “systems.”

Bjoern Becker schrieb:
but also clearly because of the faster construction times,

That’s a myth. The walls can be put up quickly, but finishing the shell to make a house does not go faster. Some prefab manufacturers have longer delivery times than local builders.

Bjoern Becker schrieb:
What we particularly liked about Okal Haus was the 2.8 m ceiling height. According to the salesperson, the walls are manufactured in one piece, so no stress cracks will develop later.

Sales pitch. At that height, the floor panels are not made in parts, and with a house measuring 8 x 10 m (26 x 33 feet), the panels are never segmented lengthwise either.

Look around openly at all providers and choose the one that feels right for you. This is usually a regional company, which can be either a timber frame builder or a masonry builder.

For an 8 x 10 m (26 x 33 feet) house, you need someone who can deliver solid, reliable workmanship.

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https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/

Thank you first of all for your responses. We will take a closer look around the region again.
I look forward to more replies.