What are your opinions or experiences with building a prefab home?

Comments (18)

Huw Buckley
4 years ago
If I was building my own I would go prefab, something like a Huf Haus that was on Grand Designs a few years ago.
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Marina
4 years ago
I would love to see some images please.
Harri
Original Author
4 years ago
I would definitely love to see some images. Did you use your own design or one of theirs? All the reviews and stories I’ve heard from people who have used Dan Wood, have used a design from the catalogue and tweaked it.
Daisy England
4 years ago
For speed and cost I’d definitely do it.
Harri
Original Author
4 years ago
Hi A3005. I’ve just emailed you. Thanks.
Andrew George
2 years ago
Hi Harri we are considering a Dan Wood House as well and came across this thread. Could we see the images too please. Thanks
Harri
Original Author
2 years ago
We didn’t go down the Dan Wood route. We did contact them but we wasn’t that impressed with the person we spoke to. We wanted our own design not something from a catalog and, the feeling we got was, here’s the catalog pick something or combine two designs together. We are still attempting to build our home. Planning has been a nightmare for us. We are now looking at a combination of Timber Frame and Oak instead. Where we are today is where I thought we’d be 3 years ago, which is trying to sort out our house design.
HU-775018420
last year
We had the catalogue Brave 168E house built in 2016. It arrived from Poland on two trucks. The whole frame was up in two days. The internal, including two bathrooms, carpets, and and...... was finished in 5 weeks. The builders worked their socks off. The BER is ridiculously low. I feel that if we didn't have what I call 'the breathing system' that pumps away in the attic, and didn't open doors and windows we would suffocate. Madness. The house is so well built. We have no problems with it. It's incredible, and the company contact people we worked with were amazing. We chose everything, I mean everything, from their catalogue - so no time wasted looking for bathroom tiles etc. The only negative was a lack of mortgage lenders. We are with Ecology Building Society and the interest rates were not competitive. But overall, I would recommend this route to anyone - if you can actually find some land! From start (first contact with company, buying land, foundations) to finish, and I mean finish, was one year. We had rented a house for one year so it was perfect.
Imelda
last year
We have a Danwood Bugalow we moved in this year May 6th. Its wonderful . We had various changes made to a catalogue design. We found you could customise the finishes to our choice. The very best thing was having complete controll of the budget everything agreed upfront before contract; meaning complete peace of mind.
HU-973796193
last year
once the house was built did you have any issues changing lenders to more main stream or are you limited?
HU-365358231
last year
UK Insurers are usually living in the past. They like brick built houses, built by our 'wonderful British builders. Dan-Wood houses are superb, factory built, where the installers are trained. The logistics are first class. The first lorry from Poland is loaded in the factory in the order that the builders require the panels. Nothing touches the ground.

The British way is for the lorry to arrive and be offloaded in the garden. The British workers then spend the morning looking for the first items and scratching their backsides.

Even the hidden bits of a Dan-Wood house are exceptional. The loft and roof trusses are made from substantial Russian spruce, all planed wood of mainly 12" x 3".

Look in any and every British built house and you will see flimsy roof trusses of rough sawn 4" x2" timber.

My Dan-Wood house is internally pressure tested for leakage and is certified as having only 2% leakage to the outside.

Dan-Wood house meet all the European and British Standards so there is no reason for any insurance company to be put off.

My 5 bedroom house was completed and I moved in six weeks and three days from the first lorry and seven constructors arrived. The foundation was completed separately before the build.

If you want any work done on anything, you must go Polish.

Tony Latham
PRO
i-architect
last year
I think that a timber frame building made in a factory setting and assembled quickly on site is a great approach. You can get this AND get a bespoke design.

I've helped one of my clients go this approach for a house extension. It's a bit tricky fixing a factory finished set of timber panels to an uneven existing building, but that aside it definitely can make both extensions as well as standalone new-builds quick and well finished.

If you're struggling to get your home design finalised then you may find my Big Picture Plan helpful. I'm sure you have some designs by this point! But if they're not right for you then doing this package can help you take one step back so you can jump forward! Find out more here: https://www.i-architect.co.uk/bpp.html

My next available date is March 7th.

Jane

chartered architect

www.i-architect.co.uk
PRO
APk.r
last year
Inwould absoluteky go with pre-fab . have worked with manufactureres for clients .
HU-365358231
last year
I would without reservation my Dan-Wood pre-fab house. The DW houses are streets ahead of any British built pre-fab. If you want first class tradesmen you must go Polish.
JAMES WATSON
9 months ago
New to this topic and this forum. Just retired and thinking of buying a plot of land in Scotland and having a Danwood house built . Great to see overwhelmingly positive experiences here but any comments and experience / learning points on getting services connected to the plot before construction starts?
HU-53230671
8 months ago
Hello, this all sounds very encouraging, but still seems too good to be true. Sorry if this is a silly question, but can you just sell one of these houses, as you can a traditional one? Also realistically, what would the lifespan be? Can they have solar panels? Thank you
HU-365358231
8 months ago
I would recommend, without qualification, a Dan-Wood home. I had one built and after completion of the foundation to the Dan -Wood requirements, the first lorry from Poland, plus troops. arrived at 0700 hrs on the Monday.

I moved into the fully completed eco house six weeks and three days later.

All the builders were trained in the factory and worked quietly and consistently. As the build developed the trades changed to the building needs, electrical, plumbing, roofing etc.

The first lorry had the downstairs sections and was loaded in Poland in the order required on site. Nothing touched the ground. The next lorry from Poland arrived within five minutes of the first leaving.

The house was pressure tested on completion and lost only 2% leakage.

I cannot understand why we tolerate building in silly brick sizes glued together with mortar and dependent on the 'training' and 'skill' of the labour.

Everything was delivered and installed in an organised and managed way and I would be happy to discuss further if anyone is interested.

Dan-Wood also took care of the planning for £600 which is remarkable. There is a 20 year structural warranty included as well.

There is a prejudice against timber framed houses in the UK for reasons that escape me but these houses are factory made and everything fits, all rooms are square and exactly as the plan dimensions.

There is no downside.

Alan Latham

Ireland

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What are your opinions or experiences with building a prefab home?

A3005

Comments (18)

Huw Buckley

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What are your opinions or experiences with building a prefab home?

Comments (18)

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