Timber Frame Construction: Well-Known Prefabricated House Providers vs. Regional Construction Company

Hello everyone,

we are still complete newcomers to the building area, but we are about to purchase a plot of land near Buxtehude, near Hamburg. We tend to build a prefabricated house. On the one hand because our building area of 8x10m is quite small and with solid construction alone, due to the wall thickness, we would probably lose a lot of living space. On the other hand, clearly because of the faster construction times and the "everything from a single source" offers. We already have quite precise ideas about the floor plan, so we don’t need much more advice. Rather, we just need an architect to draw up the plans. What we do wonder, however, is whether the quality or the price-performance ratio of the big and well-known prefabricated house providers nowadays is really so good that they can easily keep up with regional carpentry businesses? Or is it even better? Or do you really pay a lot of money for the name and marketing with the big companies and, in contrast, get everything from the regional carpenter company in much better quality?

Of course, it always depends on the respective company, but I would be interested in what experiences you have had there?

One thing should perhaps still be said about us as building owners: we are not unskilled in terms of craftsmanship. I even once completed a craft-related apprenticeship. However, today our two jobs and our 2-year-old child do not allow us to take care of the construction ourselves much. The plot is about 1 hour away from our current place of residence, so we tend rather towards a "worry-free all-round" solution. We had a conversation at Okal Haus and were very positively surprised. We especially liked the 2.8m ceiling height at Okal Haus. According to the salesperson, the walls are fabricated in one piece so that no stress cracks occur later. That is apparently quite a unique selling point for Okal Haus. To me, that initially sounds a bit like sales talk, but maybe there is something to it? Or can the regional carpentry business also manage all that in its workshop?

I look forward to your answers.

Best regards

Björn

We also liked your preferred provider at first glance, but upon closer inspection, no longer. The offer did arrive exactly one day after our first visit, but the drawn design was, to our eyes, profoundly ugly (a matter of taste, of course). More importantly: we considered the wall construction with every provider. The salesperson from your above-mentioned provider advertised various awards and seals, including, in my opinion, an organic seal. As a gift, there was also a jar of honey with organic beekeeping honey. When asked why the wall construction should be healthy when plastic foil is used in it, the salesperson could not answer us. He just said casually that they must be somehow organic, otherwise they wouldn't have all the many seals and certificates.... One should also take a look at where Okal Haus is produced and which other two brands are under that roof....................
And PS: In our eyes, the provider was also relatively expensive; others offer a better price-performance ratio. You can also build with higher quality without all the plastic and Styrodur junk and achieve a better price ))

and we in solid construction alone would probably lose a lot of living space due to the wall thickness.

You can get a 44 cm wooden stud wall or a 30 cm aerated concrete wall. Most prefabricated houses are in the range of 29 to 33 cm, and solid constructions are at 36.5 cm monolithic or 17.5 + 16 = 33.5 cm with ETICS. The difference is marginal in practice; the 20 cm difference from thirty years ago no longer separates the two "systems."

but also clearly because of the faster construction times,

Those are a myth. The walls can indeed be erected quickly, but turning the shell into a house does not go any faster. Some prefab builders have longer delivery times than the local contractor.

What we especially liked about Okal Haus was the 2.8 m ceiling height. According to the seller, the walls are manufactured in one piece, so there are no tension cracks later on.

Seller talk. In that height, the floor panels are not multipart, and in length never for an 8x10 m house.

Take an unbiased look at all providers and choose the one where the chemistry fits best. This is usually a regional provider, which can certainly also be found among carpentry construction companies, not just among masonry construction companies.

For an 8x10 m house, you need someone who can deliver solid, reliable workmanship.

Thanks first of all for your answers. We will take a closer look in the region again. Looking forward to further answers