Building a house: What the new prefabricated houses can do | kurier.at

Austria's prefabricated house industry cannot complain. The pandemic and lockdown have led to a noticeable increase in the desire to be able to drive quickly from the city to a (weekend) house in the countryside. In addition, according to the current "Industry radar prefabricated houses", a lack of workers from abroad has ensured that prefabricated houses have become more attractive than builder houses. 2020 was therefore a good year for the industry - 2021 could be even better. "Because the prices in the construction industry are rising," says Peter Litschauer, sales manager at Hartl Haus. Many buyers therefore decide to conclude a contract with a fixed price guarantee now. "The industry is experiencing a real upswing," says Elk Managing Director Thomas Scheriau. The result: "We have full order books," says Peter Litschauer.

Prefabricated houses are becoming increasingly popular

Nevertheless, the competition between providers for market share and customers is fierce. Interested parties will be sweetened the purchase with various offers, be it the heat pump or the photovoltaic system, which is free of charge with the house.

Individuality

The market leader in Austria is the Lower Austrian company Elk, which produces the finished parts with 1200 employees. Elk owns the brands Zenker and Hanlo. Other major manufacturers include Haas, Hartl, Wolf, Variohaus, Glorit and Griffner, just to name a few. According to industry radar, around 2792 prefabricated houses are built in Austria every year. In total, every third single or two-family house is already made of prefabricated parts. Prefabricated houses used to be called “off the shelf” houses, but a lot has changed since then. "There are only a few companies that only sell with the catalogue," says Peter Litschauer. Because today individuality is the order of the day, after all, your own house should meet your personal requirements. "Today, no two houses are alike," emphasizes Peter Litschauer.

Energy efficiency

What the prefabricated house should be able to do today cannot be summed up in one sentence. Good values ​​for energy efficiency are required, after all, almost all prefabricated houses already have a low energy standard. The quality of the materials is just as important as good contract terms with regard to guarantees and warranties. A room for the home office, which is also used as a guest room, is already planned in most houses.

Affordable homes

Customers want "two full floors," says the Elk CEO. On the other hand, bungalows are on the rise again, as can be seen from many show homes. "Even customers who are not even 30 want to make provisions," says Peter Litschauer, sales manager at Hartl Haus. The barrier-free living space on one level for the time when the residents are older is playing an increasingly important role. Looking for houses "with 130 to 160 square meters of living space" that "cost between 260,000 and 300,000 euros," says Robert Frischer, Managing Director of Haas Fertigbau. Bay windows, designer front doors, a covered terrace, spacious bathrooms and closets that can be accessed from two sides are also popular, says Thomas Scheriau and summarizes. "A design-oriented house, but also an affordable product that is stylishly implemented."

Standard equipment

In general, prefabricated houses are offered in three stages of completion: In the case of a prefabricated house, the shell is available, the buyer completes the entire interior design himself. The ready-to-cover house has heating, screed, electrical and sanitary installations, only the floor coverings and sanitary facilities are done by the buyer himself. In the turnkey expansion stage, the floor coverings are included, the walls are painted, the sanitary facilities are in place - the buyer only needs to set up the rooms. The turnkey variant is increasingly in demand. Experts recommend taking a detailed look at what is included in the standard equipment and what extras increase the purchase price. For example, plastic windows may be included as standard, but if you want wooden windows, you have to pay extra.

Basement or floor slab

Before you can start building your dream house, however, the question of the basement must be resolved. Because you have the choice between a basement and a floor slab, i.e. a pure foundation. Prefabricated houses are sold "OK", i.e. from the upper edge of the basement ceiling or floor slab. This means that the buyer has to take care of hiring a company to do the excavation, concrete the floor slab or build the basement - although the basement is of course more expensive than the foundation itself. "The prefabricated house manufacturers offer partner companies and coordinate with them," says Peter Litschauer. If you opt for a basement, there is enough space for the technical room - in the variant with the floor slab, this must be accommodated on the ground floor.

Ready to move into quickly

But how quickly will the house be there if I order it today? Due to the industrial prefabrication, prefabricated houses are ready for occupancy faster than a master builder's house. "Depending on the building authority, it will take around a year to move in," estimates the Managing Director of Haas Fertigbau, Robert Frischer. The sales manager at Hartl Haus also confirms this: "The first day of assembly takes place within a year." After all, it takes a while before you receive a building permit - in some communities it is only weeks, in others several months. In addition, you have to allow for a lead time of around four weeks for the basement or the floor slab.

Wooden frame construction

90 percent of Austrian prefabricated houses are built using a timber frame construction method, the rest are prefabricated solid houses made of bricks.

Virtual house sale

Digitalization is progressing among prefabricated house manufacturers, in the form of virtual customer meetings and 360-degree tours of model houses. For Elk, the long-term goal is selling a virtual home. But the decision to buy is an acquisition that most people only make once in their lives - and therefore an emotional one. A visit to the prefabricated house parks, for example in the Blue Lagoon in Vösendorf, is therefore still decisive for many purchases. After all, you can experience the house of your dreams up close.

To build a prefabricated house you need a basement or a floor slab as a foundation

"Elegance" bungalow by Hartl Haus with wind-protected terrace, 136 square meters of living space, extended equipment, turnkey € 323,090.00

Bungalow "S141 Large" from the company Variobau with 141 square meters of living space and four rooms, turnkey for € 303,000.00

Haas house "Grande" with 160 square meters of living space with covered terrace, timber frame construction, turnkey for € 315,500.-

"Condo" by Wolf Haus with 143 m² of living space in a wooden frame construction with air heat pump and hipped roof, € 294,730.-

Griffner house "double desk" with photovoltaic system, pellet stove, ventilation system, building biology materials. Price only on request

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( kurier.at, ugru ) | Status: 04/24/2021, 05:00