Assessment of Existing Timber Frame Building

Good morning dear forum,

Last week we came across an existing property, (semi-detached house) which we like very much in terms of size and location. It is a building with a timber frame construction. We received a construction description from the real estate agent which states the following:

External walls:

12.5mm DWD special facade board (diffusion-open wall board), 60x200mm KVH solid wood studs, 200mm mineral wool insulation, 040, 12.5mm OSB-3 boards, (OSB-Oriented Strand Boards) 12.5mm Fermacell boards

Internal walls:

The load-bearing interior walls are built as drywall and plastered. Construction: 12.5mm Fermacell board, 60x100mm KVH solid wood studs, 100mm insulation, 12.5mm Fermacell board. Light partition walls (non-load-bearing) in metal system stud framework, insulated and clad with gypsum plasterboards.

Party wall: The wall is constructed for each semi-detached house. A gap is created between the two walls. 12.5mm Fermacell board, 100mm KVH wooden stud, 100mm insulation (40kg/m³), 2x15mm Fermacell board.

Since we unfortunately have no experience with such a type of construction, we would like to have an assessment of this construction method regarding durability, insulation, mold formation/pesticides (wood), and other aspects.

As we have already asked the neighbor about possible problems with insulation, sound transmission, and fixtures on the walls, we no longer have concerns regarding these factors. Our main concern is the durability of this construction method because we plan to live there for many years.

Here are some further details about the house:

Year of construction: 2003
Living area: 106m²
Plot area: 330m²
Energy consumption value: kWh/(m²*a): 65.50
Energy class: B
District heating

Thank you very much for your help!

If the construction was carried out professionally, there is nothing against it. The structures are simple and functional.

That reads like a completely ordinary prefab house. In 2003, there were no providers in the industry left who still needed to practice. None of them built crap. You forgot to mention the brand – that still matters somewhat for the value image when reselling. And there are still the occasional [Sparkässler] for whom financing/mortgaging a prefab house still has a taint of second-class (because not "massive"). In reality, these are high-quality products.