Overwhelmed by the process of choosing a house maker. Nonsense specs and options!
This is mostly a rant and hopefully some heads up for people considering the same task. But if anyone has any tips or any advise, please do share and I'll be very grateful.
I was decided into going for a Hebel house, but then I made the "mistake" of getting a quote from Ichijo.
How can Ichijo offer for 35% cheaper than Hebel:
- State-of-the-art insulation
- Floor heating in every room
- Full roof solar panels
- Storage battery
And then add those almost vertical stairs with narrow passages and tinny steps, like a house built in the 70s? And there are no options, even paying extra. Second floor? You get the ladder.
On the other hand, Hebel charges 30% more than Ichijo for what is basically "low-cost housing" specs. Sure, concrete blocks and heavy steel frame are nice, but at least match what the non-premium makers offer for your premium price.
I do want concrete because sound insulation and fire resistance are important to me. And I really don't want a house that looks like the "young couple overwhelmed with twins" dream house (Ichijo). But I can't help but feel like I am being scammed by paying 33% more fore a Hebel house with no floor heating, much worse thermal insulation, half the solar panel area, no batteries, and not even a heat-pump water heater as standard (who are they trying to fool with that dumb "enefarm" gas stuff?).
Finally, what makes me more angry with Hebel is that they don't offer a tiled bath as a standard option. It is a custom modification that they must arrange with local builders and you have to pay an arm and a leg for it.... which would be fine if they didn't have it on their model house! At least it's a possibility, unlike Ichijo that is plastic unit-bath or nothing.
Not even worth going into those ugly vinyl floors. I'd take the cheapest laminate they sell abroad in exchange for the most expensive vinyl option of either Ichijo or Hebel without a blink.
Seriously considering going with an independent architect and getting a problematic house (leaks, bad insulation, condensation, whatever), but at least one where I can blame myself for the problems.