Differences between prefabricated houses and alternatives?!

So you don’t need to worry about the storm safety of a prefab house or whether the walls can hold your TV. We have full kitchen cabinets on the walls, washbasins, and also our TV – and I promise you, our walls are still intact and so is the content of our cabinets.

Nevertheless, we are now building a solid house for the 2nd time. The most important criteria for us were price and quality. And as mentioned above, the solid houses were always priced below the (good) prefab houses. Additionally, it was important to us that, if possible, there is actually no Styrofoam in the walls anymore. That is why we are building our new house without insulation (exception: the floor slab is insulated).

First, think about WHAT you want. Do you want to build with as natural materials as possible or do you want to wrap yourself in Styrofoam? Both options are possible in solid construction as well as in the prefab house sector. Then think about the size and features and simply ask for a non-binding estimate of the costs. However, you should also be aware that with a solid house you simply have more possibilities to change this or that thing even after construction has started. You can decide the power outlets on site and you don’t have to think weeks before the house is manufactured about where you want which sockets, etc. This is very often – not always – the case with prefab houses. The bathroom planning, everything is determined before you have even stood in the room for the first time.

Prefab house or solid house

There is no convincing answer/will never be one.

Still, some advice: there are countless similar discussions about this question here in the forum, best to take a look and read.

Have fun with it wishes Yvonne

I would claim that with prefabricated houses you tend to have somewhat less stress but also somewhat fewer design options. The lifespan of a solid house is estimated at 80 years, and for prefabricated houses at 50 years (if I remember correctly) - but that does not mean you live in a "worse" house for 50 years. Regardless of whether solid or prefabricated, you should pay attention to the materials and workmanship in both.

First of all, many thanks for the numerous responses in such a short time!!!

I actually already have fairly precise ideas about how my little house should look. About 180m² and a shallow hipped roof (about 20-23°). So roughly like a city villa from Kampa (with some adjustments).

Price-wise that would not be a problem, so the question for me is more about
- quality (no damp walls, etc., and if I feel like I want to hang my sofa from the ceiling, I want to be able to do that – and exactly where I want to. The same applies for exterior walls...)
- durability (after all, my children should still benefit from it when they grow up)
- sound insulation (I like to watch a BluRay with corresponding sound – and I love bass =) but this shouldn’t necessarily disturb my wife while sleeping...)

We also have such a "prefabricated house oasis" here and I have already been there twice. But as I said, every representative tells you that their own houses are the best… Each uses different raw materials and some are even so great that they are patented.
But how am I supposed to evaluate the quality of the raw materials?!

Are there any raw materials that are absolutely unsuitable (like Styrofoam as I have gathered now) and others that are more expensive but good? Are there any recommendations?

I wouldn’t have thought that such fundamental questions are already so difficult to answer. That there are two or three differences, that is clear to me, but then I was rather thinking of questions like size, roof, floor height, equipment, service, etc.)

Kind regards!

- Soundproofing (I like to watch a Blu-ray with corresponding sound. - and I love bass =) But that shouldn't necessarily disturb my wife while sleeping...

Then you should avoid houses built with prefabricated wood construction: solid construction offers more sound insulation and less noise transmission.

But how am I supposed to assess the quality of the raw materials?!

Are there any raw materials that are completely unacceptable (like, as I have now understood, for example, Styrofoam) and others that are more expensive but good? Are there any recommendations?

The quality of all raw materials can be good. You can also use Styrofoam (ETICS). Or clinker. Or monolithic and plastered. Or...
It is all a matter of belief and every house is recommendable in its own way.