The proven construction method of prefabricated houses offers builders significant opportunities and advantages – but is not entirely free from disadvantages. But this much in advance: The main criticism of prefabricated houses, that they are “one size fits all”, is no longer up to date – because even with such homes, the individuality of the future residents and owners is not secondary – quite the opposite.
Differentiation between solid and prefabricated houses
Prefabricated houses are trending, but how do they compare to solid houses? When looking at the advantages and disadvantages, the alternative, the solid house built stone on stone, must inevitably be used as a comparison.
Prefabricated houses usually use insulated and treated wooden structures, which are later assembled on site like a kit.
This is another difference: With a solid house, the entire construction takes place on site, with a prefabricated house only the composition – the construct itself is manufactured in production halls far away from the property. This also results in the standardized planning and implementation for which prefabricated houses are known – and for which they were disreputable for a while. But this is now nothing more than a prejudice: Even a prefabricated town villa with a square shape can still be flexibly individualized with regard to the floor plan.
Advantages of prefabricated houses
If you wanted to build two identical houses on the same property, the prefabricated house would most likely be cheaper than a solid house built stone on stone and certainly cheaper than an individual architect-designed house. Standardized components are used in prefabricated houses, which is why the resulting mass production results in, among other things, lower prices for individuals. Likewise, prefabricated houses are usually built by well-rehearsed service providers who know exactly how the individual constructs can be brought together quickly and efficiently – the time saved by the service provider in turn reduces the costs for builders.
Due to the prefabricated construction method, a shorter construction time can be expected. This also has advantages for future residents: They can move into their new home earlier and thus save on the rent that they may currently be paying. The information from the Federal Association of German Prefabricated Buildings, which recently announced a new record figure, should therefore come as no surprise – almost a quarter of all single- and two-family houses were recently built using prefabricated construction.
Prefabricated houses are usually built in accordance with the current energy standards for new buildings, meaning they can score points with high energy efficiency and at the same time reduce the ongoing energy costs in your home in the future.
Providers of prefabricated houses usually sell them at a fixed price. This results in improved planning security for builders, especially in view of the recent sharp rise in raw material and building material prices. Builders also don’t have to buy a pig in a poke: renowned prefabricated house providers hold show house exhibitions all year round, where future owners can see the quality for themselves.
What are the disadvantages of prefabricated houses?
Prefabricated houses often achieve a lower sales price than solid houses built stone on stone. Furthermore, builders should check the service contract of the prefabricated house provider very carefully, where, among other things, expansion stages are clearly and transparently stated.
Subsequent additions and extensions to prefabricated houses are often a little more difficult to implement, although it depends on how it was built and what the addition should look like.
Prefabricated houses can pave the way to a comparatively cheap and quickly built home
Economic and time-related aspects are the biggest advantages of prefabricated houses – which cannot be weighed heavily enough in times of weak new housing construction in Germany. For prospective homeowners who want to fulfill the dream of truly owning their own four walls, prefabricated houses should definitely be considered as a valid option.
2024-02-13 01:07:53