Total cost of a prefabricated house

Hello,

I am currently looking for a house. I am torn between an existing property and a prefabricated house.

The plot size for the prefabricated house would be 460 sqm.
Costs including notary and property transfer tax: 83,000 euros

The internet now offers a wide variety of prefabricated houses.
Among others, I came across the following offer:

133,000 euros
130 sqm living space
Construction stage "turnkey plus" (including painting, tiles, and flooring)
Additional roller shutters
Heating system with solar water heating
Energy-saving windows with triple-pane insulated glazing
Transport costs

I have now spoken with the gentleman on the phone and inquired about the remaining costs. He told me they would be around 35,000 euros for:

- Foundation slab
- Connections
- Building permit
- Architect
- Surveying
- Electricity / Water
- Waste container
- Insurance
- Earthworks

The whole process should take about 5-6 months (order, production, foundation slab, house construction)

So, in the end, it would amount to about 251,000 euros.

Is that a realistic, market-standard price for a prefabricated house?

For the house without land, yes.

Well, the house price is about €1300 per sqm, so that's not unrealistic, is it!?

Well, the house price is about €1300 per sqm, so it’s not unrealistic, is it!?

With a house price of €133,000, I come to €1023 per sqm for the actual house. What that says about the quality, everyone can calculate for themselves, especially since the price per sqm for small houses is usually higher than for larger ones.

Since labor costs like earthworks and the foundation slab are not included in that price, I also consider the mentioned €35,000 for additional costs to be unrealistic or clearly set too low.

I generally find offers that price a turnkey house without a foundation slab always amusing. How can a house be turnkey if it has nowhere to stand?

First and foremost, a soil survey should be done, and costs such as earthworks, pouring a foundation slab, or building a basement should be clarified, calculated precisely in advance, and incorporated into the fixed price offer for the house. The same applies to costs like surveying, planning, and preparation of building application documents.
A building owner cannot rely on approximate figures for these items, and unclear soil conditions can quickly lead to financial ruin if not enough reserves are available because the estimates were too tight beforehand or an approximate figure was relied upon.

There are still many variables. For example, [Giebel]. These also cost a few thousand extra. What type of heating? Underfloor heating everywhere? Quality of the floor coverings, etc.? Here, the "standard" rarely matches personal taste – this becomes clear during the selection process.
133,000 € for a house of this level of completion seems to me quite... - let's say - cheap. And cheap is not the same as affordable.
Prefabricated houses of comparable size that I know cost that much already in the "shell and core" stage, without heating, floors, painting work, etc. I consider the 35,000 for the other described services to be feasible.

Very clear answer ... never.

Very important: Look at the wall construction (so cheap usually means only drywall panels) and ask for the construction service description....
I bet the provider will resist until you have signed. And google the provider. Many customers will vent their frustration.

5-6 months is also very unrealistic with a good house provider.

And the payment model should be: first build, then acceptance, then pay. Everything else will probably cost you everything, as the provider will then go bankrupt and start again under a new name half a year later.