ᐅ Which prefab home provider should I choose? There are four options available.

Good evening.

We want to build!!! Yes, exactly, but who should it be???
One thing we know: it will be a prefabricated house. One problem less 😉!!!

So, my wife, our little one, and I have already visited a large model home exhibition park several times to get a first impression ourselves and receive non-binding advice and offers. This has already been very informative, especially regarding prices and the differences between them.

I also want to briefly share what our house should/could look like!!!

- One-and-a-half-story single-family house on a slab foundation / NO BASEMENT
- Knee wall at least 140cm (55 inches)
- Roof pitch steeper to allow an attic to be used as additional storage
- Total living area at least 140sqm (1507 sqft)
- Heating type: we find the air-to-water heat pump with underfloor heating and automatic ventilation very attractive, especially because we do not want to be dependent on fuel suppliers as is the case with gas or oil.

We have equity available to buy the land plus additional construction-related costs, or at least that is our plan.

So far, we have visited 4 providers.

All the advice so far from the prefabricated house exhibitors sounds very good and positive, but I am hoping for more input from you home builders who have built or are building a prefabricated house and can offer helpful tips.

That’s all for now, and I look forward to your helpful advice.

Best regards

Hello Krautsch,

since we are currently building a prefab house, I would like to share a few tips with you:

1) Nowadays, there are many blogs where homeowners share their construction experiences – this gives you a good impression of the company... Just try googling the company name.
2) When choosing a manufacturer, pay attention to more than just the insulation value of the exterior walls or the KFW rating. The facade insulation is often just expanded polystyrene – this is usually not a significant improvement anymore. Also consider the roof (which should be insulated at least as well as the facade), the windows, the flooring, and so on.
3) Before signing the contract, customize the house as much as possible to your own needs – this helps reduce cost increases later on. For example, adjust the room layout, increase the knee wall height, add extra electrical outlets, select the right fixtures, etc.

Best regards and good luck
Peter

…what I forgot to mention:
Reputable companies provide as much detailed information as possible and allow sample selections before signing the contract.
– Some companies advertise their windows using the impressive U-value. The Uw-value is more important and is often omitted, with only the better Ug-value being stated instead.
– Some manufacturers use vapor-permeable construction methods, meaning no polystyrene insulation. Whether vapor permeability is beneficial probably depends on whether there is a ventilation system in place and is often a matter of opinion. On the other hand, vapor-permeable insulation using wood-based panels offers many additional advantages (sound insulation, thermal phase shift, plaster is less likely to mold, etc.).

Good luck, Peter