Prefabricated house provider selection experiences?

But that is also a generalization. Not every home office requires 2 or 3 monitors. Many do not get more than a laptop provided by the employer.

Then it is no longer a home office. I understand regular work at home by that. And not a mobile workplace for the occasional use. I completely reject home office without proper equipment. At our company, even the occupational physician comes to your home (if you want) to ensure everything is properly equipped. Because it is simply the case that without ergonomic equipment you will eventually get back problems. Even if you like to sprawl in some corner.

"Home office" at the dining table, no thanks! For me, a height-adjustable desk, a good office chair, proper lighting, good technical equipment, and a room separated from the living area belong to it. Nothing is more annoying than when during the video conference the neighbor’s dog is constantly barking in the background, the children are screaming around, and there is traffic noise. Certainly, there are jobs where you can lie down somewhere on the terrace, but the majority will need a proper workplace.

Choose the company where you have the best gut feeling. Probably no one will build you a shoddy place. Everyone has advantages and disadvantages with their construction, and exactly these are highlighted by every company representative. Their own is good, the others are bad! With the price differences, you also have to compare the construction service descriptions. There will be some differences and this is also a point where perhaps more on-site work comes with a cheaper fixed price. The only help is to read and compare. If you can't do it yourself, get a specialist for it.

Regarding fire protection in post 4. You have to distinguish between a single-family house and a semi-detached house. Since the semi-detached house is directly connected to another, there are increased regulations here to prevent the fire from directly spreading to the other house. If a single-family house burns, it is just as bad for the house itself, but since the other house is at least 6 m away, the distance ensures fire protection. That is why there are lower requirements for the wall.

Hello Hitokiri,

I am one of those who replied to you on FB. Although it was only about a day later than many others. At first, I didn’t want to, but no one addressed your question error that the heat INSIDE the house is not caused by the wall insulation, but by the window openings. They only posted their own praise experiences.

I don’t understand why you are afraid of a floor plan discussion. There are a few here who tear things apart without questioning or argument. However, the majority are those who can give you good tips on the floor plan, solar exposure, and how to avoid overheated rooms by, for example, good window positions, so you can quickly put your questions or open issues to rest. I don’t know why you think it should be otherwise because no reasonable design is torn apart.
And/but yes: castles in the air and designs that are not understandable at all, where the builder may have totally tangled themselves, behaving ignorantly toward the questionnaire and the lines between the questions, are torn apart, but in a way you could understand, because experienced people come with arguments that will be explained to you three times if necessary if you don’t understand them.

Specification from the development plan. We have to build with a monopitch roof in this position, and that also results in a bay window with a balcony/loggia.

For example, sentences like this already ring alarm bells for me, since a _resulting_ does not mean that something is _specified_, nor that it _must_ be built that way, but _can_. For example, would it be an option to leave out the balcony? Costs less... but the problem is probably more with the window location than with the balcony? (By the way, a loggia is a covered balcony)

Or here:

I would probably have to explain each room here individually why it is drawn exactly that size and position.

Is it so terrible to leave some personal words about the why and how? To fill out the questionnaire? You communicate, you exchange in order to get to know someone’s needs. By the way, a good design explains itself.

Those who can read have a clear advantage. I only had a more intensive conversation with about 12 providers, but yes... the first was around 2019.

That is already quite a lot. It is warned in the forum not to let yourself be influenced by too many participants. Recently, that is now, they are tearing each other apart and you are stuck in the middle.

Beccaaause, I repeat, we have a soooooouth orientation of terrace/living room/bedroom.

That’s what I meant: aren’t there floor plan alternatives that unite all your wishes but solve the problem of the south window in the bedroom? Without an awning, although I must say personally I find the idea of mass awnings on the house odd.

The fact is, everyone who had 8-10 providers last time called our floor plan static, feasible in planning and production, or well thought out.

Of course. They don’t care where they put the windows and rooms anyway. House sale remains house sale. Seller remains seller. You would have to realize it yourself if they are tearing each other apart.

That I post it here after all to see how people get worked up for no reason :D

_The people_ you are asking right now...

At the moment I have quotes here from you to answer, which are exactly that: senselessly infuriating, partly exaggerated, unobjective, and stubborn. Might be 10 that I’m using here? You can read your answers through...

Annoyed: ......really not!
Snippy: Yes, without offers I can’t buy anything either.
Exaggerated: South orientation
Over the top: Sorry, no.
Biased: how people get worked up for no reason
Cheeky: So that exactly YOU ask this most pointless question,
Impudent: Then I certainly won’t have this fundamental discussion for the 1000th time now, really not!
Without comment: Seriously now... no words.

Regarding awnings and – I assume roof terrace with monopitch roof? – with terraces it is already sensible to plan an awning or terrace cover. But not because of the interior rooms, but because otherwise you probably won’t be able to endure the terrace long.
If you are not there during the day, it makes sense to close the rolling shutter. When you are at home, you can open the east side at midday, and the west side in the morning to have daylight.
With a semi-detached house, you naturally have fewer options because of the terrace, but a small house tree or shrub directly at the terrace and a tree nearby to the south will give you shade and coolness.
And yes: you spend much more time outside than inside. Also gladly a bit away from the house because it’s airier further away.

Everyone simply has to consider for themselves how their life looks and how it fits. I can only give food for thought here.

You don’t “consider” a job yourself? What kind of sentence is that? And if you earn good and gladly working from home, that has little to do with a terrace. Whoever can do it should enjoy it, but not claim that someone “leads a life that looks wrong” if they just can’t enjoy their job on the garden chair.

I just read his post on FB. It seems he has made up his mind. A pity, his project and the discussion around it here could have been (very) beneficial for him. On the other hand, I still remember clearly how, in January 21, we wondered whether we should show our floor plan here or just get unsettled by the criticism, then wrote the first positive comment and the house building forum world was fine. Back to topic: It's true, the tone here can sometimes be rough (right, :)?), but the forum is to a much greater extent beneficial for (almost) every home builder.

I basically have the feeling that the questions of the OP cannot really be answered to his satisfaction. There is so much uncertainty about making wrong decisions on detailed issues that possibly do not even need to be made. It is, if I see it correctly, mainly – besides the price – about the insulation. In this, the type of material in the end, regarding the question of "heating up," is only a fraction of the sum of factors that play a role, among many other criteria. You have researched extensively, so, go for it. Sometimes, with big projects, it is simply necessary to make decisions; otherwise, you eventually get in your own way or the providers get frustrated and drop out. No one can tell you here to take 1 or 3.

So.. thanks for the many contributions. So yes, we have now finally decided on Haas Fertigbau (the digital signature is still not dry ;) ). Please, no comments like "oh was that really clever" or "Haas is notorious, they constantly cheat their customers with bait offers" or "serves you right, should have listened to us, good luck in your overpriced, holey dump, haha!"... :( Thanks, but I don't need any more uncertainty now. The decision has been made.

We already had the offers checked by the famous prefab house experts and also had the purchase contract additionally reviewed by another expert who pointed out certain "problems" and pitfalls. This morning we had a phone call with the seller (Hello Mr. K. if you are reading along ^^), where we worked through our points and will also incorporate them into the contract. If something still goes wrong now, ... my conscience is clear, my wife and I have spent hours upon hours on the preliminary planning, research, talks, more talks, even more talks :/ etc., and racked our brains on how to make the best decision with the fewest wrong decisions. So here are some individual answers to a few points :)

I'm currently sitting in the garden at nearly 30 degrees and the large south-facing window of the living area is open.

Yes, everyone is different, as you could later read on the sides. My wife and I are not particular sun worshippers and when it's really hot, I flee into a dark cool cave, or to a body of water or pool. (Did I hear above-ground pool for the garden? ;)

Now you are being condescending and disrespectful.

Sorry, that was not my intention if you feel that way. It just annoys incredibly when after months (we have been considering since 2019 and since the confirmation for the plot in recent months) what and how we want to build, and just before the final decision some old stories are to be gone over again.

You don't want to install 3..5 awnings on the south side, do you?! That's why I wrote blinds.

Why not? Slowly... For me, blinds are the things INSIDE the room behind glass. Roller shutters/shutters are the things OUTSIDE in front of the window. Venetian blinds again are also outside, but there... my wife has her prejudices/concerns because she had bad experiences with them at the office. (they get stuck, break easily in the wind, etc.) Awnings = stretched dark fabric sloping over a place/window

Anyone who asks whether a 25 cm wall is too thick or too thin has (sorry) no idea about the subject.

Yes, I've been saying that all along! I'm not an expert and on the subject, just cram it in! (like probably most here). Why can't someone just answer "a 25 cm wall is too thin because..."? That's exactly what I mean by these unpleasant high-school-teacher-like lectures :confused:

Another approach would of course be to reduce the window areas so that not so much heat gets in and also to plan the rooms so that you preferably don't stay in the hottest rooms.

Yes, that's the crux. On one hand a lot of light, on the other hand not too much heat getting into the rooms. But we now have a (preliminary) floor plan.

And not everyone works from home (probably very few).

Allegedly during the Corona peak 80% of employees! The number is probably lower now again, but at our place HO (home office) is so widespread even outside Corona that hardly anyone comes to the office anymore.

If a single-family house burns, it's just as bad for your own house, but since the other house is at least 6 m away, the distance ensures fire protection. That's why there are fewer regulations for the wall.

Yes, that was also the explanation from the seller. Thanks.

I don't know where you get the idea that it should be different, because no reasonable design is torn apart.

Yes, depends on what others consider reasonable, right? ;) We didn't just spit out the floor plan in 2 minutes ;) We have thought about it for a very long time.

Would it be possible to omit the balcony, for example?

The 2.5 m deep annex on the south theoretically wouldn't have to be, but the development plan requires "to build conforming to the neighboring building." This applies to the roof (although up to one meter height offset would be allowed) as well as the facades, and so far these were the statements from the municipality for the annex. And since the neighbors (by the way also building with Haas, which influenced the decision, same basement provider etc.) we have found for ourselves in the planning (we also planned the version without annex) that you hardly get any room enlargement compared to the rental flat and we then very quickly decided to plan with the annex.

I am one of those who answered you on FB.

Thanks for that.

You communicate, you exchange to learn about someone's needs.

As I said, I'm a burnt child here and I have also seen how other people got grilled here. I simply have no desire for that. But... I have now posted the floor plan sketches for feedback discussion here. :) So.. go ahead.

Lastly, now it is like this that they tear each other apart and you sit in between.

I already had the idea to invite all four sellers to coffee and cake (without informing the others) for a joint appointment where they can then fight it out argumentatively why the other one's offer is worthless and theirs is the best ;) :D My wife said that would only bring bad karma :D

I personally also find the idea of mass awnings on the house strange.

What is a mass awning as opposed to a "normal awning?"

Annoyed: ......really not!
Snappish: Yes, without offers I can't buy anything either.
Exaggerated: South orientation
Exaggerated: Sorry, no.
Prejudiced: how people get upset for no reason
Cheeky: So that exactly YOU ask this most pointless question,
Impertinent: Then I certainly won't have this fundamental discussion for the 1000th time, really not!
Without comment: Really... no words.

OMG. do you have too much time? :D :D No offense, and yes... sorry if someone felt attacked the other way around. Interesting analysis ^^

About the awnings and - I assume roof terrace with shed roof?

Sort of, not over the full length, only over the window on the balcony.

If you are not there during the day, it makes sense to close the roller shutter.

Of course! Alone also as passive burglary protection/obstacle.

For terraces it definitely makes sense to plan an awning or terrace roof. But not because of the interior, but because otherwise you might not be able to stand it long on the terrace.

That's exactly the plan :)

But a small tree or shrub directly on the terrace and a tree nearby to the south will give you shade and coolness.

Yes, until they give relevant shade will still be years. Yes, something is planned there, but I don't want to move in in 10 years. :)

Back to topic: It's true, the tone here can sometimes be rough (right, @ypg :)?), but the forum is significantly more beneficial for (almost) every builder.

Mhm... the nickname sounds familiar to me :/ Beneficial... well, I'm not trying to sell anything right now :D Cost reduction... more like that.

You researched a lot, so, go for it. Sometimes with big projects you just have to make decisions, otherwise you get in your own way sooner or later.

Exactly and that's why we decided.

In this sense I’m laying down the peace pipe, HUH! :D