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Concrepal does not have the columns inside the house.
Remember one thing: having a home built by Concrepal or some other prefab system is going to take a lot less time to “put together” than a concrete block home and LABOR and CONCRETE are the 2 most expensive things in building a home according to a recent article I read.So you save both on materials and labor with prefab.
Is it “worth it” to build with full concrete blocks instead of prefab?
I’d say yes, IF you can afford the time and money and have extra money to cover overages. But IF you’re on a tight budget the prefab done by a copmany that has done hundreds of homes with their own system is going to definitely get done quicker and with less chance of overages and less expensive overages. IMHO.
Also, it sounds like Inprefa is charging a LOT more for labor/building than Concrepal. Might be worth looking at Concrepal. Just sayin’. (I have NO interest in promoting them, I’m just looking at them for our own home and have so far decided they’re our best bet, based on feedback from people who have used them and/or known people who’ve used them.)
A friends neighbor lives in one and I [i]think[/i] it is a ‘Concrepal’ prefab, since there is one of their building plants, near her.
She has columns on a large wall expanse, while none visible on a short wall. She did mention that the large sliding windows cannot be removed for cleaning since the weight of the roof on these very narrow walls, has jammed them in place…making it very difficult to clean them, since they are screened, and secured behind the security bars.Like most building projects, expect overrun costs to a budget, especially on these buildings, to bring them ‘up to par’.
That’s good info re the windows.
I will bring that up to them when I talk to them. Maybe this is something they’ve fixed since then.Bringing them “Up to par” meaning what, more specifically?
Paying more for a decent kitchen, additional electrical switches & outlets, inside and out, plumbing actually in the wall, wider overhang, laundry area and even small closets would be nice. Make sure there is some storage.
[i]According to my friend,[/i] the house was expensive to build and they previously were unable to sell it, for half what it cost them. It is now a rental.[quote=”costaricafinca”]Paying more for a decent kitchen, additional electrical switches & outlets, inside and out, plumbing actually in the wall, wider overhang, laundry area and even small closets would be nice. Make sure there is some storage.
[i]According to my friend,[/i] the house was expensive to build and they previously were unable to sell it, for half what it cost them. It is now a rental.[/quote]
Not having built prefab yet I don’t know for sure… but I suspect this may be like many things: one needs to do one’s due diligence and take reasonable precautions to make sure things are done right.If one builds the home totally “stock” the way they normally do things, one may end up with less than good plumbing, electrical, storage space, overhang, etc.; a typical Tico style home. I know some Ticos hate it when we say “American style” but all I really mean by American style vs. Tico style is larger water pipes, better drainage, more electrical outlets, a more finished interior (no pipes or wires showing), more storage space, etc.
I do not intend to build Tico style, prefab or not, so now the question becomes: when customizing the prefab home to include “American style” electrical, plumbing, and storage space, kitchen, bathroom, etc… does it suddenly become a LOT more expensive? And if so, will it be so expensive as to make it just as reasonable not to build [i]prefab [/i]at all?
I doubt that is true but it is something that I will be looking at very closely!
By the way, in spite of many people warning against pre-fab wood in this and other forums (without, apparently, any [i]experience [/i]with it at all!) a knowledgeable builder friend of mine says MaderasKodiak pre-fab treated MicroPro wood is just fine, that if you build it with overhang and keep it painted it will last. I’ll be looking for homes to look at that were built with this, years ago, to see how they are holding up.
Also I [i]think [/i]that prefab has come a ways since, say, 10 years ago, and is now of better quality and has more closet space and outlets etc in the plan, than it did years ago.
Within a few months I will be visiting some of these prefab companies and looking at their homes closely and getting prices for a customized floor plan with “American style” features, and I will report back here what I find out. Then, if I do build with one, I will also report back re the finished product.
Fit and finish to the standards and requirements of what most Gringos seek will add considerably to construction costs. Kitchens and bathroom upgrades add up quickly as does basic infrastructure (plumbing, electric, etc) improvements. Floor plans and room size are also a big issue for many folks.
Like it or not no matter what construction technique you use, if you want quality, function, and comfort you will pay for it. That’s just a fact of life. While there may be some ways of saving money in construction of your dream home, you get what you pay for in the end. So if budgeting becomes an issue at some point, be prepared for trade offs.
All said, have you checked on container homes? You can buy several and combine them many ways, then roof over the assembly. Three 8×20 containers male a nice sq footage. Cost about $3,000 each, plus delivery (cost depends on location).Finish it out to your tastes.
[quote=”Jerry”]All said, have you checked on container homes? You can buy several and combine them many ways, then roof over the assembly. Three 8×20 containers male a nice sq footage. Cost about $3,000 each, plus delivery (cost depends on location).Finish it out to your tastes.[/quote]
Yes I’ve seen many pictures of them.
To each his own and all that, but to me they are not something I would want.
First of all I don’t like the look of any I’ve ever seen.
Secondly if concrete houses are “pizza ovens” as they say (and I think they are ONLY if you don’t allow for proper ventilation and insulation), then a storage container home would REALLY be a “pizza oven”.
Also in the rain, the sound would be deafening!
No thanks. But thanks for the suggestion.[quote=”Imxploring”]Fit and finish to the standards and requirements of what most Gringos seek will add considerably to construction costs. Kitchens and bathroom upgrades add up quickly as does basic infrastructure (plumbing, electric, etc) improvements. Floor plans and room size are also a big issue for many folks.
Like it or not no matter what construction technique you use, if you want quality, function, and comfort you will pay for it. That’s just a fact of life. While there may be some ways of saving money in construction of your dream home, you get what you pay for in the end. So if budgeting becomes an issue at some point, be prepared for trade offs.[/quote]
I do think that the new pre-fab home companies cover most of this stuff without extra cost. I could be wrong but it seems to me they are fairly sophisticated nowadays.Anyway I do appreciate the warning – it’s definitely stuff I will ask about before committing to a price; and yes I’ll get it in writing!
Thanks.
No doubt they’ve improved. I can remember seeing them when they first started popping up in CR. Little cookie cutter boxes that looked like Monopoly houses!
Be SURE to go with larger septic drains and piping as well as heavier gauge electrical wiring and more outlets. Running additional phone and cable lines during construction is also a good idea. Some things can be added or improved later at minimal cost when funding allows…. basic infrastructure in much easier and cheaper during construction!
It’s often the things YOU Can’t SEE where builders cut corners and save themselves money. Unfortunately those are also the areas that wind up costing you a lot of money and heartache down the road.
Good luck on your adventure! Enjoy the experience and be sure to share it with us!
[quote=”Imxploring”]No doubt they’ve improved. I can remember seeing them when they first started popping up in CR. Little cookie cutter boxes that looked like Monopoly houses!
Be SURE to go with larger septic drains and piping as well as heavier gauge electrical wiring and more outlets. Running additional phone and cable lines during construction is also a good idea. Some things can be added or improved later at minimal cost when funding allows…. basic infrastructure in much easier and cheaper during construction!
It’s often the things YOU Can’t SEE where builders cut corners and save themselves money. Unfortunately those are also the areas that wind up costing you a lot of money and heartache down the road.
Good luck on your adventure! Enjoy the experience and be sure to share it with us![/quote]
Thanks for the advice. I’ll be composing a checklist of all this kind of stuff that I am gathering on forums and from friends and will go over it all with the construction supervisor/company before I sign a contract. I fortunately have a couple friends who used to be in the construction business who can help me as to what questions to ask and what the prices should be for the “extras” in order to help me not get ripped off.
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