Frequently asked questions
Where does Meisterstueck-HAUS build its houses?
In its modern factory in Hamlin/Germany, just south of Hanover. This is an ideal environment where traditional master-craftsmanship and state-of-the-art precision machinery are combined to build houses of the highest quality - under the permanent and rigorous Third-Party-Quality-Control system QDF.
All houses are built from bio-positive, absolutely dry, wooden materials in a climate-controlled environment. A factory-built house is far superior to a conventional build, as all building mistakes can easily be recognised and eliminated during the permanent repetition of the same CAD-aided manufacturing process.
What type of houses does Meisterstueck HAUS build?
Meisterstueck-HAUS can build the full range of its existing designs for the UK market, but is not limited to that.
Especially in UK, where a lot of houses are individually planned or plots are sold with existing planning permission, we are happy to take any design from your own architect, and check whether it is suitable to be built off-site in a factory, with sustainable materials and modern methods of construction. If this is the case, we are happy to discuss with you how to proceed.
What services does the UK sales office provide?
Helmut Gross of Meisterstueck-HAUS UK is the sole UK commercial agent for Meisterstueck HAUS Verkaufs GmbH in Hamlin in Germany. He targets the UK self-builder and small developer market for Meisterstueck-HAUS products manufactured in Germany.
He and his team provide on a bi-lingual basis the following services:
- general and detailed information on our houses
- site visits, brainstorming, sketches, and support for planning permission
- (outsourced) architectural planning and design services
- sales and building services from shell house to full completion
- individual support from initial enquiry to moving-in day.
- Representation of the commercial building programme of Meisterstueck Haus, i.e. schools, kindergardens, hotel + retail premises from sustainable materials and state-of-the-art technology.
Can I reduce the building costs by doing some things myself?
Yes; in principle you can choose between 4 stages of completion:
- Shell house scheme
- Shell house + house technology
- Fully finished house, undecorated
- Fully finished house, decorated.
In certain cases Meisterstueck HAUS in Germany will only supply the shell houses whereas the contracted state of completion is coordinated and executed by the UK sales office, thus allowing for UK taste and requirements.
As you can see, we can provide considerable flexibility; contact us to discuss exactly what you expect from us, and what you can or want to do yourself.
What are your payment conditions?
Unfortunately we can at present only invoice in Euros, so that any fluctuation between the Pound and Euro has to be covered by you.
Before we confirm a contract, and the manufacturing and assembly dates, clients must provide verified confirmation that the funding is fully in place for the full purchase price via an ESCROW or Trustees account.
But once Meisterstueck HAUS in Germany confirms your contract we provide you with a 12-month fixed price, and a fixed assembly date. So from then on there will be no time or cost overrun.
Our payment plan consists of stage payments in relation to the building progress ,with 5 - 10 % on signing the contract.
Do I have to pay VAT?
Meisterstueck HAUS and Meisterstueck HAUS UK Agency comply with the British regulations concerning zero-rating VAT for self-builders. So there is no difference to buying from a UK developer.
What type of building warranty do you provide?
Meisterstueck-HAUS itself gives a 30-year warranty on the structural elements of the house. In addition, we have system approval for a 10-year structural warranty from BUILD-ZONE. Please phone us for details.
How long is the lead time between ordering and manufacturing a house?
This will depend on the size and design specification of your chosen house.
The lead time between ordering and manufacturing your house is - assuming the house is fully specified and the design is signed off by yourself - approx. 6 - 10 weeks. This time very much depends on the factory capacity and the specific parts and building elements we have to order for your individual house before we manufacture it..
How long is the manufacturing time for a house?
Again it depends on the size and specification, but the manufacturing process itself is very fast and streamlined, due to the meticulous CAD-aided design and planning and the fully automated precision machinery we use.
For the post&beam houses of 2,500 sqf of the Aesthetic and Modern Wohnen range we need approx. two weeks manufacturing time. All similar sized houses of the other ranges built from wood panel construction take between 2 to 3 days.
Individual architectural designs depend on the complexity of the house, but would be within a similar time frame when all material needed for manufacturing like windows and doors etc. are available in the factory.
How long does it take to assemble the house on site?
Usually not longer than 2 to max. 5 working days, irrespective of weather conditions, in summer or winter. Then our German assembly team and our site manager have provided you with a closed quality house shell, fully watertight and lockable with all windows and doors in, roof on, outside rendered or finished to the agreed state of specification. As this shell is built in a dry factory environment from dry materials the interior outfit can start without delay or drying-out time.
This is also a brilliant argument for building with us if either you or your neighbourhood is worried by long and unpredictable building times, dirt, noise and disruption.
How long does it take to fully complete the house?
Once your shell is up the house completion to a turnkey finish will take another 10 - 12 weeks - if subcontracted to us. The longest period is needed for the screed to dry, which usually takes 4 weeks. You will be given a schedule indicating exactly what stage will be completed when - and we stick to it!
Can I change the layout and appearance of a house design?
Generally speaking, we can customise the interior layout to suit your needs. You will be able to discuss this when our representative and architect visit you at your site, to discuss exactly what you want your house to look like. The exterior of our closed wood panel designs can be rendered, or clad with wood, brick or stone to suit planning or local requirements. The timber on our post & beam houses can be any colour you choose, for instance the traditional black, or our most popular Meisterstueck grey.
Do you have any show homes in the UK or Ireland?
Although there are several Meisterstueck-HAUS houses in the UK, we do not have a show home. So for the moment, we suggest that you visit one of our show homes in Germany; just contact us, and we will help you plan your visit. One of the most easily accessible is our beautiful Aesthetic post & beam house at the show home village just 5 minutes from Hanover airport , only a single day trip from Stansted with Air Berlin. In addition, we regularly issue invitations to interested clients to watch the assembly of a Meisterstueck-HAUS in the UK, and can organise open days.
Can I build a Meisterstueck-HAUS on every plot?
The two main restrictions are planning permission, and access. We have to be able to access your plot with heavy lorries, and a heavy crane. If you are concerned that this may be an issue, just give us a ring and we will be able to advise.
Gaining planning permission is a question of finding out what the planners want or will accept, and working with their demands. We will give you every support we can, including detailed plans, an energy performance report , and a design and access statement. As we offer such a wide variety of designs, all of which can be adapted to suit requirements, there is every chance that we can find a way through.
If you are at the stage of considering buying a plot, it is often a good idea to take a sketch of the Meisterstueck-HAUS you hope to build, to discuss informally with the planners.
What environmentally responsible technology can you offer?
The most important pre-requisite for the efficiency of any low-energy house technology is an airtight house shell. To quote the Code for Sustainable Housing: "Although innovative systems for provision of services to the building may reduce the energy consumption, it is the building envelope that can have the most significant long-term effect, as the envelope is unlikely to be radically altered during its life.."
Meisterstueck-HAUS can build you that airtight building envelope. Then we can install underfloor heating with a ground source or air/water heat pump, controlled ventilation system with heat exchange, solar or photovoltaic panels, rainwater and/or grey-water recycling, central vacuum-cleaning system - all the bells and whistles.
At present, given the exchange rate, Meisterstueck-HAUS will build the house shell, and you may consider doing the rest yourself. But the UK office also offers all services for full completion, mostly subcontracted to German craftsmen and subcontractors, who work efficiently and quickly and only want to finish one job - yours.
How often does the external wood need to be treated?
This will depend on the location of your house. Wood is a natural material, and should be looked after - but think of all the medieval timber-framed houses still standing strong and firm after hundreds of years! Generally speaking, we recommend treatment of exterior wood areas about every 5 years.
How about all that glass - how will I keep it clean?
The design of our post & beam houses, with wide overhanging eaves, protects the large expanses of glass from the elements to a large extent. There are also external blinds which protect from the sun and weather. Nevertheless, a window cleaner twice a year is recommended. As all German windows open to the inside, they are much easier to clean.
Can you give me the hard technical facts, please?
Our external "Energy Plus" walls are 27.5cm thick, and diffusion-permeable. They have a very high thermal efficiency, with a U-value of 0.16 W/m2K, by far exceeding any present UK building requirements. Inside they are double clad with 2 x 12.5 mm extremely hard-wearing Fermacell. External walls for post & beam houses have a slightly different construction.
Internal walls (both sides clad with single 12.5 mm Fermacell) and inner external walls can carry a load of up to 50 kilos at any one place on one rawl plug.
The large roof segments are usually calculated for a snow load of 150 kg per sqm and a U-Value of 0.147 W/m2K. They are, dependent on structural requirements, up to 30 cm thick. As are the ceilings between the floors, which are specially soundproofed with insulation matting. With our manufacturing know-how we avoid any cold and sound bridges right from the start.
Against a surcharge we can even offer better insulation properties down to U-values of 0.09.
Our standard windows are triple-glazed with a U-Value of Ug = 0.7 W/m2K. All windows have a protective aluminium strip on the outside lower edge where the window is most exposed to rain and moisture.
Do you build extensions?
Our houses are manufactured to exact measurements and design tolerances in our factory in Germany. Because any points of connection to an already existing house cannot be accurately enough accounted for to pass our strict quality control standards, we have chosen to concentrate on building complete houses rather than extensions.
But if your extension is a house in itself, connected in some way to an existing building, please talk to us as we would probably be able to build that .
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
As you will appreciate, with such bespoke designs, quoting ballpark figures is very difficult. If you are interested in one of our designs, just give us a ring, and we will be able to give you a guideline price for a shell house or a fully completed home.
DO YOU BUILD FLOOR SLABS OR BASEMENTS?
Yes and no. Yes, because we can put you in touch with one of our German partner companies who builds to our specifications. No, because we do it not ourselves, but rely on experienced partners who only focus on floor slabs and basements and nothing else and are very good at it, as shown in a recent Grand Designs TV feature.
Can I build or subcontract my own floor slab or basement?
Yes. You can build your own basement or floor slab, but only to our specifications, structural requirements and plans.
If you do it yourself we will not start to manufacture your house before our site manager has tested and checked it for compliance with our specifications. That has the advantage that if your slab is 3 cm out we can adjust your house length as required already in the factory.
If one of our subcontractors or partners builds the basement we rely on his expertise and can start to manufacture 2 weeks earlier.
TELL ME MORE ABOUT THE STAGES OF COMPLETION
The first stage is the shell house, the building envelope: this includes all walls, interior and exterior; all windows; front door(s); external render finished or otherwise specified; pulley wires and/or conduits for the electric cables as well as the holes for the socket boxes pre-drilled as electrical pre-installation; plumbing pre-installed in walls; interior walls finished in Fermacell; staircase; architectural and statistical calculations and plans.
The second stage is the house technology: heating, all eco-technologies, plumbing finished, screeding, electrical first fix and first plastering/skimming.
The third stage is the interior finish; tiling, floor covers, sanitary ware installed, interior doors, interior windowsills,
The fourth stage is the final decoration and wood floors, tiling or carpets : ready to move in.
WHAT DON'T YOU DO?
In the planning stage we usually support your planning application as best as we can but take over no responsibility for that, the outcome and the costs. Here we often rely on local support.
In the building stage we focus in principle on the house itself, but do not do anything under or outside it.
That means we don't do site preparation, excavations, backfill etc. We do not connect the house to the utilities ; they must be brought to the nearest point of transfer in/under the house where we connect them.
We do not supply kitchen furniture and appliances; and we do not do the landscaping, outside entrances, terraces (if not contracted separately) etc. But we can put you in touch with companies that can do that for you.
What else do I need to know?
Additional to the contracted costs for the house and floor slab/basements there are some other costs you have to budget for or have to know of, for instance:
- We bring the house to the site, and all costs for building it including transport, crane, usual travel and accommodation costs and/or finishing it out to the agreed state of completion are covered in the contracted house price or additional agreements.
- You have to supply water, power, a portaloo and a secure lockaway on site during the assembly phase at your own costs or discuss suitable solutions with our site manager.
- You will have to insure the building site at your costs for the value of the house against fire, theft and usual building risks for the building period, whereas we cover the transport risk, our own third party liability and outsource the health and safety responsibility at our costs.
- You will have to carry additional costs for scaffolding if the site is not back- filled to higher than 50 cm below basement/floor slab ceiling and additional crane costs if our normal crane is not sufficient or additional logistic costs if the site access is not sufficient.
But as we openly address all these items beforehand, either in our contractual agreements or in the pre-site meeting with our representatives or site manager there will be no surprises or hidden costs.