Advice for prefab buyers - Capital.de

Tip 1

Choose the provider carefully . The Capital prefabricated house compass gives a good indication of which companies are good or very good addresses. However, it is always worth negotiating (see also tip 4). If you want to go deeper, you should inform yourself in Internet forums. There, as in many places on the Internet, mainly negative experiences are documented. If builders discuss the fact that the tiles broke after moving in, this should make them suspicious. If they complain about color shades on the outside doors, this is more of a sign that the really important points have been met.

Tip 2

Buy the house turnkey if possible. Firstly, you save yourself the tedious search for craftsmen, secondly, in the event of defects, you avoid the discussion of whether the external company has to pay for it or the in-house provider. Exception: You should buy the cellar “at the source”, i.e. from a specialist company. Anyone who takes advantage of this service through the home provider often pays a hefty surcharge.

Tip 3

Do not sign a contract until you are clear about the real costs. As a rule, these can only be determined after sampling with floor coverings, fittings, building services, etc. Depending on the basic equipment and buyer preferences, 20,000 euros can come together for extra requests. Many providers allow "advance sampling" before the contract is signed. Some companies allow you to pay them extra, but offset the sum against the purchase price.

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Tip 4

Make sure that the price fixing period is fair. Most companies grant a price guarantee of twelve months after signing the contract. Good providers often give interested parties an additional three months. Very small and very large companies often find it difficult to meet such requests. Experience has shown that companies that build 30 to 300 houses a year are the most flexible.

Tip 5

Accept critically the construction progress. A specialist should inspect the construction site three times, ideally as soon as the basement is finished, when the shell is in place and when the house is handed over. Some defects, such as crooked drywall, can still be corrected if caught early. An expert speaks to the craftsmen on an equal footing and may be able to resolve conflicts more easily than a layman.

Tobias Beuler, 41, has worked in the prefabricated construction industry for almost 20 years, most recently as branch manager for two sales offices of a well-known manufacturer. He started his own business five years ago and has been advising buyers on the implementation of their construction projects ever since. As a "prefabricated house expert", he runs the blog of the same name together with Florian Schoen, a YouTube channel and a builders' group on Facebook with more than 20,000 members.