Package House Build Options?

Jjjjjjjbarry

Hello,

If I had a site sorted and just wanted to get a small house built on it including leveling off as it's a hilly field, then putting up / building a house etc.....

what options are there for decent, affordable houses that don't exactly need an architect and long long project build.

For example, you can buy and have installed predesigned eco homes from this site below and they do ground works and whatever else is needed (or so they say)
http://loghouse.ie/products/eco-houses.html
Seems a bit too good to be true? (the houses look amazing?)

Are there any other options for predesigned houses that are of decent quality, price and easy on the stress levels where it's a one stop shop like the place in the above link?

I presume there's no block built type package houses that are quickly erected?

thanks in advance!

Gumbo

Jjjjjjjbarry wrote: »

Hello,

If I had a site sorted and just wanted to get a small house built on it including leveling off as it's a hilly field, then putting up / building a house etc.....

what options are there for decent, affordable houses that don't exactly need an architect and long long project build.

For example, you can buy and have installed predesigned eco homes from this site below and they do ground works and whatever else is needed (or so they say)
http://loghouse.ie/products/eco-houses.html
Seems a bit too good to be true? (the houses look amazing?)

Are there any other options for predesigned houses that are of decent quality, price and easy on the stress levels where it's a one stop shop like the place in the above link?

I presume there's no block built type package houses that are quickly erected?

thanks in advance!

Ask the company how they comply with our Building Regulations Parts A-M.
Who is signing off on the build and will it comply?

Jjjjjjjbarry

Thanks, i'll look for that info if I proceed.

Just really wondering if someone has had experience with that sort of purchase in the past and general thoughts?

Last thing I'd want is to buy a house and have it blow down a few years later :eek:

dori_dormer

I remember huf houses being on grand designs a good while back. Don't know price though. I'd contact a few companies and ask them if they've evr built in Ireland before

Gumbo

Jjjjjjjbarry wrote: »

Thanks, i'll look for that info if I proceed.

Just really wondering if someone has had experience with that sort of purchase in the past and general thoughts?

Last thing I'd want is to buy a house and have it blow down a few years later :eek:

Please post back their response.

I would hazard a guess that they cannot meet current building regulations and the log house supplier will try fob you off onto someone else to certify it

Jjjjjjjbarry

kceire wrote: »

Please post back their response.

I would hazard a guess that they cannot meet current building regulations and the log house supplier will try fob you off onto someone else to certify it

Ahhhh ok. Hmmmm sounds dodgy so!

So are there any properly regulated package house suppliers?
I just don't want the stress of it all and the long build so was hoping for the quick easy solution but I suppose there just isn't one.....

Jjjjjjjbarry

dori_dormer wrote: »

I remember huf houses being on grand designs a good while back. Don't know price though. I'd contact a few companies and ask them if they've evr built in Ireland before

http://www.huf-haus.com/en/ireland/dublin/welcome.html
Hadn't heard of them. Just checking it out now. thanks!

murphaph

We're building with a prefab house builder in Germany. It isn't like they make out on TV. The outside walls and roof fly up but the interior fit out still takes 3 months like any other house. I personally believe however that a house made to the millimetre in a dry factory will be a better end product than one built by hand. Each totgeur own though. We're not building with Huf by the way. We're not millionaires!

Chris_5339762

Jjjjjjjbarry wrote: »

http://www.huf-haus.com/en/ireland/dublin/welcome.html
Hadn't heard of them. Just checking it out now. thanks!

Seen it on one of those Grand Designs-esque programs. Looks very, very well made and built.

meeeeh

I think Huf developed flat pack houses into an art but majority of prefabricated houses sold on the continent will be airtight in a week. You will still need to sort out the roof wiring and plumbing, plastering and so on. It takes time but these houses are now very comfortable to live in and way better heat and noise insulated than your average semi-d. We imported ours ourselves and it is a lot of work. If you want turn key then you will probably have to find someone who has irish representatives. I think that the house costed around 160k for 300sqm but actual cost was about double that. There were some awkward issues on the site and it is stone all around. That was at the height of the boom and the quotations for block built house was around 320k excluding bathrooms, kitchen, flooring and furniture, underfloor heating or walls around, or site preparation.

Another option that I know of is house built with those light bricks that are also insulation and then you pump concrete into walls.

Whatever you do there is no cheap house build and I would think you can buy cheaper atm.

quietsailor

There are crowds that fabricate & supply SIPS, some here in Ireland (Structural Insulated PanelS) A lot of American people buy and errect their own and the idea of SIPS seem to be starting to take root here.


Also if you have friends over on the continent ask them about kit houses - it seems to be more common on the continent (Poland as well) than here in Ireland

Jjjjjjjbarry

kceire wrote: »

Please post back their response.

I would hazard a guess that they cannot meet current building regulations and the log house supplier will try fob you off onto someone else to certify it

Got this response from an Irish loghouse provider.

"Our eco houses are fully compliant with current building regulations, are homebond approved. All mortgage companies do lend to build a timber frame house."

Thoughts?

Gumbo

Jjjjjjjbarry wrote: »

Got this response from an Irish loghouse provider.

"Our eco houses are fully compliant with current building regulations, are homebond approved. All mortgage companies do lend to build a timber frame house."

Thoughts?

That's different alright. Timber frame houses are a valid construction method here and are quite easily compliant with the building regulations. It was more so the log cabin side of their website that I have issues with being classed as "homes".

Ask them who installs the timber frame and who certifies the timber frame.
There are strict tolerances with regards to timber frame construction with alignment and structural support etc but they are relatively tried and tested method of construction.

My own home is timber frame built in 2006 and there are a good few companies providing the service including Kingspan.

AFAIK the timber frame company supply and install the kit, you then have to have a contract to skin the structure, whether that be in brick or block and render is up to you, or the planner if planning is required.

You still need to meet the other regulations with regards to renewables, insulation, fire spread, ventilation, radon, etc etc

meeeeh

The bigger three bedroom house is about 70sqm. The minimum apartment size in Ireland is 55sqm. So this is tiny, it costs around 70k just for the house or about 1000 euro per sqm, then you need all the extras that are listed on the page. The energy rating is good but you will still add for everything you need to pay for bigger house and you will have something that is the size of a holiday home.

Samsquanch

Jjjjjjjbarry wrote: »

http://www.huf-haus.com/en/ireland/dublin/welcome.html
Hadn't heard of them. Just checking it out now. thanks!

Some very nice houses on this. Is there a need to employ an archtiect for the planning application?
Any idea what the total costs would be, including assembling and all the plumbing, electrics... all in ?
Would it work out cheaper than the traditional one off build or similar ?

meeeeh

They're not cheaper. There's an Indo article on them that says 2-2.5k for square meter. Timber frame in general can be cheaper but it depends what you want

Courtesy Flush

2-2.5k per square metre is very expensive

Startagain2010

Well that's encouraging. I suppose the best bet would be to call the relevant dept in the county council to double check ?

The Bishop Basher

We tried to build a log home in 2007 and did a lot of research into log, timber frame and block built at the time.

We also researched a number of build options on the log homes.

There are log home builders here who will import the raw materials and build from scratch but most will just import the home in kit form.

The amount of nonsense we had to put up with from "experts" and planners was unreal.

The planners eventually scuppered our plans as, and I quote, "A Hansel and Gretel" style home would not have been in keeping with the area despite the fact that we have one next door and another 500m away

Anyway, despite all the protestations to the contrary, it appears we don't care about sustainable building in Ireland. We would much rather continue the bungalow blitz mentality as to be honest, it's all we know.

As you will be aware, log homes have been used for centuries in climates far colder then ours. They are robust, sustainable and an excellent choice for a home.

But ignorance and an inability to think out side the box on the part of our planners means if it doesn't have bricks on the outside, it's just not considered to be a real house :rolleyes:

We have a lot to learn.

Best of luck with it whatever you decide

Gumbo

Swanner wrote: »

We tried to build a log home in 2007 and did a lot of research into log, timber frame and block built at the time.

We also researched a number of build options on the log homes.

There are log home builders here who will import the raw materials and build from scratch but most will just import the home in kit form.

The amount of nonsense we had to put up with from "experts" and planners was unreal.

The planners eventually scuppered our plans as, and I quote, "A Hansel and Gretel" style home would not have been in keeping with the area despite the fact that we have one next door and another 500m away

Anyway, despite all the protestations to the contrary, it appears we don't care about sustainable building in Ireland. We would much rather continue the bungalow blitz mentality as to be honest, it's all we know.

As you will be aware, log homes have been used for centuries in climates far colder then ours. They are robust, sustainable and an excellent choice for a home.

But ignorance and an inability to think out side the box on the part of our planners means if it doesn't have bricks on the outside, it's just not considered to be a real house :rolleyes:

We have a lot to learn.

Best of luck with it whatever you decide

Ascetics aside, can the log cabin meet current building regulations?

murphaph

They meet the German regs. Can't imagine the Irish regs are any more stringent.

Angry bird

Personally if they're built to last, it shouldn't matter what materials they are made from. Most Councils have some sort of a policy saying only in wooded areas or some such, considering some of the crap that is permitted and built, I don't see why Councils shouldn't change their policies in this regard. A lot of it is down to personal taste anyway and there's no accounting for that.

The Bishop Basher

kceire wrote: »

Ascetics aside, can the log cabin meet current building regulations?

Yes of course. No reason why they can't.

We had 4 potential builds, all of which met the regs on plan.

We had to opt for conventional block build in the end but given the option, I would take a log home over a celtic tiger era built block home every time.

Gumbo

murphaph wrote: »

They meet the German regs. Can't imagine the Irish regs are any more stringent.

Swanner wrote: »

Yes of course. No reason why they can't.

We had 4 potential builds, all of which met the regs on plan.

We had to opt for conventional block build in the end but given the option, I would take a log home over a celtic tiger era built block home every time.

I'd be genuinely interested in seeing the performance of these homes and how the meet current building regulations especially with regards to air toughness and Part L compliance.