We received approval for our plot today :-)!
I've been thinking about house types, floor plans, and so on for weeks. I thought it might be helpful to visit a show home village. Simply to get ideas and inspiration, and to find out what we like and don’t like. We don’t want to build a display or prefab house; I just thought visiting could spark some ideas.
Now I’ve looked for show home villages in NRW, and there aren’t many. Is it worth visiting a place with about 20 houses? What benefit does it bring if we’re not specifically interested in the suppliers? Would that just be a waste of time, and would it be better to keep searching online for floor plans and eventually get some nice drawings done by an architect?
How did you gather information and plan your build?
Looking forward to your input!
I've been thinking about house types, floor plans, and so on for weeks. I thought it might be helpful to visit a show home village. Simply to get ideas and inspiration, and to find out what we like and don’t like. We don’t want to build a display or prefab house; I just thought visiting could spark some ideas.
Now I’ve looked for show home villages in NRW, and there aren’t many. Is it worth visiting a place with about 20 houses? What benefit does it bring if we’re not specifically interested in the suppliers? Would that just be a waste of time, and would it be better to keep searching online for floor plans and eventually get some nice drawings done by an architect?
How did you gather information and plan your build?
Looking forward to your input!
W
wadenkneifer27 Feb 2014 18:59I’m not familiar with Poing, but we had a similar experience: At first, we couldn’t see the forest for the trees. A complete overload of information. After visits three to ten at different parks, things gradually started to clear up. 😀
Take your time, allow yourself to be overwhelmed initially, and then slowly refine what you actually want. Eventually, it becomes a real pleasure, and you discover new aspects you like or definitely don’t like. Things to think about or even get a price estimate for, and so on...
Take your time, allow yourself to be overwhelmed initially, and then slowly refine what you actually want. Eventually, it becomes a real pleasure, and you discover new aspects you like or definitely don’t like. Things to think about or even get a price estimate for, and so on...
Phew, I wasn’t really planning on visiting such a park 5-10 times. Plus, there are all the visits to the specialized exhibitions (windows, doors, tiles, flooring, fireplaces, bathrooms, kitchen, furniture...) to consider.
I’m not even sure how we’re supposed to fit all that into our schedule. My husband is self-employed and often works on weekends or travels for business. At the same time, he will also be planning and overseeing the construction of a new company building, so it’s going to be quite stressful.
Let’s see what we think after the first visit :-).
We live in NRW, and Wuppertal is probably the closest option.
I’m not even sure how we’re supposed to fit all that into our schedule. My husband is self-employed and often works on weekends or travels for business. At the same time, he will also be planning and overseeing the construction of a new company building, so it’s going to be quite stressful.
Let’s see what we think after the first visit :-).
We live in NRW, and Wuppertal is probably the closest option.
B
Bauexperte28 Feb 2014 10:50Hello,
Best regards, Bauexperte
One00 schrieb:Quite far for you, I would say. I can hardly imagine that you would see anything different in Frechen (pure prefabricated house exhibition) than in Bad Vilbel or Mannheim as well.
... and once in Frechen ...
Best regards, Bauexperte
B
Bauexperte28 Feb 2014 11:12Hello,
I’m always surprised by the idealized expectations some people have about visiting a show home exhibition...
I used to work for a long time in W’tal, and it’s anything but romantic, because the real purpose of such an event is to quickly excite a potential client about the builder’s offer. Since the old park in W’tal had many competitors (by the way, can someone please tell me if W’tal has now become exclusively a prefab home exhibition or if there are still solid, masonry-built houses?), there was lots of competition to win the contract.
From my point of view—which is based on working only with shell structures or clients’ own homes these days—the biggest problem was having to counter the often bundled and misleading statements from the “fellow exhibitors.” Many examples of such statements can be found right here on the HBF in discussions, including a user who has a fixed idea of a design that simply doesn’t fit their plot.
I see show homes as useful only to get a sense of scale and proportions; especially women often find this challenging. The specific interior design—especially the bathrooms—rarely survives the transition to their own home. Moreover, show homes tend to deviate from the standard; even regarding size, as I noticed myself recently with a well-regarded competitor known as the “red colleague.” By the way, this colleague for this reason has his sample selection showroom directly onsite; too much time between the first visit and further discussions tends to harm his business 😉
What I recommend for every prospective homeowner instead is to visit a new residential development nearby; it’s easier on the wallet considering fuel costs, saves nerves, and works anywhere in Germany. The builders there are usually so enthusiastic and energetic that they are happy to show their home—often at different stages of construction. Additionally, especially if visiting over a weekend, they can provide honest feedback about their experience with their builder; free and usually invaluable. If these statements are later confirmed during a visit to a finished customer home, it’s a strong first step toward finding a reputable builder. Reduced stress during the construction process itself is also a good indicator.
Best regards, Bauexperte
Panama17 schrieb:
I looked into show home parks in NRW and there aren’t many. Is it worth visiting a park with about 20 houses? What would be the benefit if we’re not specifically interested in the builders? Is it just a waste of time, and would it be better to keep searching online for floor plans and eventually have an architect create some custom drawings?
I’m always surprised by the idealized expectations some people have about visiting a show home exhibition...
I used to work for a long time in W’tal, and it’s anything but romantic, because the real purpose of such an event is to quickly excite a potential client about the builder’s offer. Since the old park in W’tal had many competitors (by the way, can someone please tell me if W’tal has now become exclusively a prefab home exhibition or if there are still solid, masonry-built houses?), there was lots of competition to win the contract.
From my point of view—which is based on working only with shell structures or clients’ own homes these days—the biggest problem was having to counter the often bundled and misleading statements from the “fellow exhibitors.” Many examples of such statements can be found right here on the HBF in discussions, including a user who has a fixed idea of a design that simply doesn’t fit their plot.
I see show homes as useful only to get a sense of scale and proportions; especially women often find this challenging. The specific interior design—especially the bathrooms—rarely survives the transition to their own home. Moreover, show homes tend to deviate from the standard; even regarding size, as I noticed myself recently with a well-regarded competitor known as the “red colleague.” By the way, this colleague for this reason has his sample selection showroom directly onsite; too much time between the first visit and further discussions tends to harm his business 😉
What I recommend for every prospective homeowner instead is to visit a new residential development nearby; it’s easier on the wallet considering fuel costs, saves nerves, and works anywhere in Germany. The builders there are usually so enthusiastic and energetic that they are happy to show their home—often at different stages of construction. Additionally, especially if visiting over a weekend, they can provide honest feedback about their experience with their builder; free and usually invaluable. If these statements are later confirmed during a visit to a finished customer home, it’s a strong first step toward finding a reputable builder. Reduced stress during the construction process itself is also a good indicator.
Best regards, Bauexperte