Prefab Houses -- question about Sweden

[Flubber]

Originally posted by DanS
Probably a lot more expensive per ft^2, however. Not so sure I prefer the houses I posted either. CO's pic looks nice, though it would need to be modified to fit the American taste (change car port to 2 - 3 car garage for big ass SUVs, more square footage, bigger lawn contemplated, etc.). Compare to Flubber's house, which seems pretty typical for a biggish, but not quite McMansion-type house.

We have a garage instead of a carport since it gets to minus 40 Celcius here in winter.

My house is pretty typical for my neighborhood and is bigger than average for the city nowhere near a mansion. We wanted a house we could stay in and not desire to "move up"-- On current schedule we will own the whole thing in 12 years.

Some of the prefabs look very nice. We don't see them much around here though. It seems that most new developments are organized such that there are always "approved builders" and none of them seem to be in the prefab game

[Wezil]

Originally posted by Flubber


PLus as an investment, basement renovations apparently don't make a lot of sense. My reading has indicated you frequently don't get a price bump as big as what you put into the home.

Our family's experience was the exact opposite.

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Wezil


Our family's experience was the exact opposite.

I'm not suprised since my thinking would have been that a finished basement would be a huge plus BUT all my reading has been that finishing a basement is usually not a big winner for a quick flip.

The best investment is almost always a new coat of paint on everything apparently

[Wezil]

My parents always bought homes in new subdivisions and set to work on the unfinished basement. A couple years work and we'd be off to another new home (bigger and better) and do it all again.

No doubt much would depend upon the housing market you are in.

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Wezil
My parents always bought homes in new subdivisions and set to work on the unfinished basement. A couple years work and we'd be off to another new home (bigger and better) and do it all again.

No doubt much would depend upon the housing market you are in.

Also depends on who does the work. If they did a lot of the work themselves, that could pay off.

I'm in the Calgary market and the real esate information indicates our neighborhood is appreciating at somehing like 8-10% annually.

[Wezil]

yeah, dad did the majority of the work. Hiring contractors would certainly cut into any profits.

Calgary's housing market should continue to do well for the foreseeable future. Politics the way they are in this country Weezie will need a western home before much longer.

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Wezil
Politics the way they are in this country Weezie will need a western home before much longer.

Not quite sure what you mean by this-- Are the Liberals going to export you to the west??

[Wezil]

I'm convinced the clock is running on this country.

When it does break I refuse to be left behind in Ontario.

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Wezil
I'm convinced the clock is running on this country.

Hmm I just don't buy it. Outside the nationalistic fervor in Quebec there is no overiding reason for any part to leave. Alberta ?? the only reasons would be that it would be to our economic advantage to leave and I just don't think that that would happen UNLESS there was some great offense that inflamed the population.


Quebec?? The history has been that the nationalist fervor will remain but the reality is that when Quebecers look at the reconomics of their new nation, they don't always like what they see. Quebec is by far the biggest historic recipient of transfer payments from the rest of Canada. I think it suits them to be the disgruntled partner that always needs to be appeased

[Wezil]

Originally posted by Flubber
...I just don't think that that would happen UNLESS there was some great offense that inflamed the population.

How will the Libs attempt to meet Kyoto? With no/few seats out west they have little to lose. Never underestimate the Liberals ability to pander to the east while disparaging the west.

I agree with you completely on Quebec. They are posers.

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Wezil


How will the Libs attempt to meet Kyoto? With no/few seats out west they have little to lose. Never underestimate the Liberals ability to pander to the east while disparaging the west.

That type of thing could do it. But IMHO it would have to be the type of thing that caused general outrage or would impact people to the point that they saw their economic wellbeing hurt greatly by remaining within the federation

Originally posted by Wezil


I agree with you completely on Quebec. They are posers.

Not all. There are some staunch sovereigntists that want their own country regardless of the consequences. BUt they have always been a minority.


Oh and apologies to the OP-- we have jacked his swedish prefab house thread into a CanPol one-- we have a separate thread for that so poster know how to avoid-- err how to find it

[Spiffor]

AFAIK, over here, prefabs suffer a stigma. Most buildings are custom and made of concrete.

[DanS]

In the US, most mid-rises and high-rise facades are built of prefab concrete pieces that are trucked in. But detached single-family housing is not built of concrete, since that is too expensive.

[Spiffor]

This is the base material to most French individual houses. I forgot how it's called in English:

[DanS]

Cinder block or concrete block, which is used sometimes to construct parts of houses here.