House brochures - hard to believe

Knowledge about basics retains its value for a while. Knowledge about specific products is different – markets are in flux, some in-house manufacturers have given up, merged, or changed owners. Paradigm shifts – currently "energy saving" is the golden calf of all – are reshuffling the constellations of solid and timber panel builders. In the seventh year, it was time for me to get an overview of the market cross-section for the first time this decade.

In doing so, I did not rely solely on names familiar to me from earlier years, but also included portals promising brochures from several providers at once. Solid and timber panel builders mixed as colorfully as desired. Anyone who embarks on such a journey can experience something. The highlight came today, but more on that later.

I have been latent watching the market out of the corner of my eye, so I knew that I could forget much from "back then" regarding "companies" (brands / names) and what is "typical" for them: names with a "ring" (that is brand value solely as a name) like Bugatti or Grundig have partly changed ownership so fundamentally that except for their recognition, not a stone remains on another, at least among prefabricated house builders. But since the trend suite Passive House / Energy Saving Ordinance / KfW has overhauled the model ranges, I had to create a "full blood count" of the market again.

Most providers manage to send information brochures averaging about 20 pages within four to five working days. Slightly more than a quarter of providers are overtaken by their own back wheels: their info folder shipping logistics takes a few days longer than the pressing of the responsible regional salesperson via email, asking when he may finally deliver his little speeches. The brochures of the solid builders are amusing – for many I feel like at a "Chinese" or "Italian" restaurant: they somehow all have the same offers on their menu, only each with a different number. "Sweet and sour duck" and "pizza salami" are everywhere. The computer drawings with the happy building families all look the same, and behold, the reverse image search proves it: you find their "building proposals" again with one of the well-known aerated concrete manufacturers. Only sometimes not made of aerated concrete (or otherwise monolithic) but built as a "composite system." There are vegan lasagnas too.

Particularly embarrassing: the reference image galleries of the same providers on their websites even show a wider range (of customer houses), all of which would have served much better as building proposals. And typically no one admits to being a licensee of foreign designs, although one should actually know that this does not bother customers in their Sharan / Galaxy / Alhambra at all.

Otherwise, the field mostly differs in three approaches: sending information as a one-part brochure, and two-track once as a picture brochure for all and with technical information as a saturation supplement; and as a third variant, combining pictures and technology but then split into individual brochures by product lines. The majority decided in all three cases on a prompt delivery of their information in a handy format. Many then also offer a thicker brochure additionally, but the initial information packages already reveal quite well from whom one no longer wants anything.

These small brochures have meanwhile become almost part of the family, having their fixed place on the coffee table. The latecomer arrived today, "longed for, hotly implored" (I hear Dalida sing) a full six weeks later. The postman's panting on the last step was soon clarified: two point seven kilos is the weight of the book, 364 pages. What comes now makes me think about whether this is a failed advertisement or simply real satire. Because on two point seven kilos and three hundred sixty-four pages, it says: n.o.t.h.i.n.g ! ! !

Well, not really nothing, although: that would at least have been a nice idea, such a thick notebook for full scribbling of one's own ideas, and on the last page, it would say: arrived – we build it for you!

But here stands another "nothing," the book is content-wise, to put it mildly, low-calorie. Although it is so nicely thick, only its prominent advertising bearer is thicker. Right at the beginning, he raves to me about being a satisfied builder himself. Like so many others too, by now tens of thousands. The company used to be in dire straits, it was close to closing, then the new boss came and since then things have been looking up. And forward, way forward. Mentally, one is already in the 25th century, or at least not far off. So, if I want, I can build a whole village with them, together with other families. Full of houses of the future, mentally ultra-modern. In the back house of my car-sharing electric car charging station, I would then live. Possibly above my own medical practice. Quite discreetly I could sneak there via a separate stairway at the supplier entrance on the side. And for grandma there would also still be room. Well, at least a small consolation.

Unfortunately, leafing through to the last chapter was not worth it, except for a real achievement: the manufacturer actually managed, over two point seven kilos and three hundred sixty-four pages, that I did not come across any information about such pesky details as wall construction, at least excerpts of service descriptions or anything substantial. A dozen floor plans are scattered through the tome, partly with square meter indications and even edge lengths of the outer walls are occasionally included.

I am overwhelmed – but not enthused, and certainly not: informed.

Apparently, no one told the manufacturer's advertising people that there is this great effect in sales psychology that among several approximately equivalent products, the one that gets the "home advantage" is the one that reaches the customer first – and that going last past the finish line (especially when the race has already been waved off, as a six-day race is not meant to give the last in the starting field so much time for their first lap) can no longer be compensated for by transferring the fattest chunk of money to the catalog printing company.

After this textbook example of a towering flop, I simply have to "ask around": how did it go for you in quenching your information hunger, how many (or few) providers managed to "hit" at least roughly a common definition of "useful, decision-supporting information" with you, and in which direction was the furthest miss, making the recipient of information feel that the trip to the mailbox was worth answering questions?

It all started at the end of March 2016 in Lübeck at a so-called Immomeile of the Lübecker Nachrichten. The terraced house had just been sold, land was available, we lived and still live in between renting, but the house planning began with a provider from Rostock who exhibited there. Bungalow Blue Aster, that had caught our eye. There were few brochures, only a kind of four-page leaflet, but a detailed construction description in photocopy and a professional representative who gave us a clean cost calculation for an Aster on our land. He had good cards for a long time. Only, you don’t just spend 200 thousand just like that. That needed to sink in. Then I signed up on such a portal and received tons of brochures from various big players in the industry. Viebrockhaus, Fingerhaus, Schwörerhaus, Heinz von Heiden, Scanhaus Marlow, Bien Zenker, Stollhaus I remember. Accompanied by calls from regional representatives. Most went the usual way, either way too expensive—we already had Rostock as a benchmark—or not meaningful, or both, and in addition annoying reps who badmouthed their competitors. (If you build with this or that one, you will have quite an experience...) I don’t like that. Left on the table were Scanhaus, honest brochure, not much glossy, but clear statements and price list and construction description included. Stollhaus Schleswig, Team Massiv Büdelsdorf, and of course Rostock. Summer was approaching. June. We decided to set brochures aside, that just fixes things, and think for ourselves how it should be. Well, not completely aside... they were still there. Our goals then became clearer with the help of a good friend. The idea to manage everything without any loan, to pay cash, he talked us out of. That would simply be too small, too tight, and at 1.5% interest unnecessary anyway. He was right. At Scanhaus, we then discovered the idea that only they advocated, bungalow with studio truss, more roof pitch and stairs, so instead of crawl space, expansion reserve or basement alternative. Yes, that was it. The Aster got dropped, it only had 25 degrees roof pitch and would, being very square with a steeper roof, look like a dwarf with a pointy hat. We first went on vacation. Let it sink again, nothing runs away. Also, something quite different was still in our minds, at least in one corner, the idea of being able to snag an existing property cheaply that fits us. So you follow Immowelt, listen around, look at obituaries, tell the house bank, if you know something, call us... but nothing moved. In our building area, quite a few houses already stand, with whom are the others building? One with Scanhaus... goes fast, but also simpler stuff, I think we leave that, I said. These walls stuffed with glass wool we don’t want, my wife especially not. She wants Specht in Fehmarn, a local guy, one with whom many build, our children too. Ok. Appointment in July. With him, there is neither brochure nor website, just an initial talk where he tells what he builds, how he builds, and queries what we want. He draws sketches, looks at the Scanhaus Marlow concept with stairs, likes it, and says, I’ll make you a proposal with fixed price in plaster and clinker. Ok? The proposal came, the price was below Scanhaus, below that of the Aster, only the floor plan was rubbish. But from about early August it was clear, we will build with him, only we have to get him to another floor plan. Only... phone calls back and forth, the good idea does not come. One must know what Scanhaus stipulated, it doesn’t work on our land, because of 570 sqm and development factor 0.25. We can’t work with an angled bungalow. And we want four rooms on one level. And no open kitchen. And no bathtub. And a utility room with real storage room size and a guest WC. And all that on max. 135 sqm slab plus terrace. Then we find on the net from a Lübeck general contractor exactly what we look for as floor plan. I call him. May we use it? Even if we don’t build with you? Where are you building, he asks. Here and there. He says ok, it’s too far for me to drive, take it. Is ok! That was it, the draftsman from Specht fiddled some details differently, the plan is set, final talk 9/19/16. Review of construction description, savings here, a bit more there, clean calculation of incidental costs added. We shook hands. Done. There is no signature, only handshake. We went to the bank with it, money was approved, 1.25 fixed. Call to the general contractor, submit building application, with money it is also perfect. Brochures? All gone. Except for that of Scanhaus Marlow, where the idea was inside, one we sought so long. That remains as a keepsake. Karsten

You can also simply find an architect and ask him all the really pressing questions that the prefabricated house providers do not answer. The architect develops, designs + advises, the prefab house provider wants to sell – individual customer requests are rather an obstacle there.

The high-quality models of some prefab house providers, which are also architecturally + energetically interesting, then already move in price ranges that also make realization through an architect attractive.

Wpic, that is just theory. An architect's house will always! be more expensive than a standard one. Why would you do that if it is not about a very special situation? And architects currently have great difficulties finding providers at all for their tenders who want to work with them. The few providers who still participate in such tenders also charge corresponding prices. This is not a myth. We recently had to professionally plan the expansion of an old building by three offices plus storage room plus toilets and pantry kitchen, taking into account the old town statute. Architect 600 thousand. After a serious conversation with him 470. The same concept with a general contractor 305 fixed. Just the fee alone came to 60.

Wpic, that is theory. A custom-designed house will always! be more expensive than an off-the-shelf one. Why would anyone do that if it is not about a very special situation?
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Because price is not the main criterion for everyone when choosing a provider. It is completely okay if that is the case for you, but you don’t need to portray everyone who sets different priorities as irrational or out of touch.

I don't either. Just describe what is. Drive through a new housing development and see who is building with whom and how many architectural buildings there are. For almost everyone, the costs matter. Only a few happy few can regard them as subordinate. They are not aloof, but a minority whose situation is not transferable to others.