Building a Prefab Houses

[Cancertomnpdx]

I would like to discuss with anyone who has built either a wood or concrete prefab house about their experience. I am working on a project to build a house of 80 square meters in the next year or so. If you have had any experience with a prefab company called INPREFA, near Cartago, I would also appreciate hearing from you.

Thanks,
Tom on a budget in Portland.

[crhomebuilder]

Over the years I have been hired by several foreigners to inspect the construction of pre-fab home systems because the purchasers were not satisfied with the finishing of the walls. The initial cost and time to assemble the packages is attractive. Unless you’ve worked with a lot of concrete finish construction you could not anticipate the challenges to finish the plastering of the interior and exterior walls. Unfortunately, for the owners, the costs to finish these thin wall panel, pre-fab designs has always been more costly and time consuming than they anticipated because the purchaser was envisioning smooth finished walls like they have been accustomed to living in for most of their lives.

Additionally, the electrical conduits are pre-installed in the columns so the location of your electric plugs is limited by where you position the columns. The finished panels and posts have a difference of 1″ to 2″, that needs to be compensated for with plaster in the rooms that you would like to be smooth finished. Perhaps in your garage it would not be important to have normal looking smooth plastered walls but most folks want to live in finished rooms.

Take a look at the photos at; http://www.escosacr.com/galeria-vivienda-e.htm. If you can envision yourself being comfortable in a home like this then go for it. Just like with anything else anywhere you go, you get what you pay for.

Visit following threads to read more about pre-fab construction.

https://www.welovecostarica.com/members/forum/openthread.cfm?forum=1&ThreadID=1598

https://www.welovecostarica.com/members/610.cfm

https://www.welovecostarica.com/members/405.cfm

If you have a home interior design with a lot of decorative interior columns and have been able to incorporate the pre-fab system into the supporting columns for the ceiling and roof structure then the pre-fab system could work well for you.

Don’t forget the pre-cast wall panels are only 4″ thick versus block wall of at least 8″ thickness.

[*Lotus]

I have seen better examples of prefabs than the one in the clip you posted CR. I think for a basic box/shelter the price is very very attractive, I am going to look at several companies when I get down there in August maybe I’ll submit my report to Scott..lol.

[Cancertomnpdx]

Dear Lotus:

Please do post your report after you August visit. I am very interested in the prefab technology and what you learn since I am on a very strict budget. I plan to visit a few prefab companies when I visit again in March.

Thanks,
Tom on a budget in Portland

[*Lotus]

Will do.

Keith on a budget

[chorizo]

I too am interetsed in you results, I’ll be down in Oct contacting and comparing procees and cost. the following artice on this site has some good leads.

https://www.welovecostarica.com/members/405.cfm

Also, I have found microhabitad.com with a schedule of prices.
The question is how fancy do you want your house. the fancier you wish it the less pre-fab works for you. Meaning Arches, floor to ceiling windows, nooks, etc, etc.. the harder it is to realize on a prefab level. To several I have asked if 2 storys is posible and many say yes and have models inwhich they have built. And finally.. transportaion to the construction site [ie hillside vs, flat beach area, vs. 1 hr diameter from SJO.]
Please post your finding .. with pic if possible.
regards..

[Raven]

I think there are probably a lot of us who want to build on a budget, especially with home prices they way they are now in Costa Rica. My husband (a Tico) and I have been looking at prefab construction, Facoli in particular. I believe they have an office in San Pedro. Since we’re not planning on building until next year, we haven’t delved too deeply into it, but at some point I’d like to go over to the office and see what types of finishes they have available, more details on the construction process, etc. They did send me some information (a few different plans, and I believe construction prices and specs, all in Spanish); if anyone is interested, I’d be more than happy to e-mail them to you.

We’ve lived in Costa Rica for 8 years (well, my husband most of his life!), so we’re used to Tico-style construction. The price of pre-fab is definitely attractive. If someone else can build me a finished 1100 square foot home for less than $60,000, I’m all ears! And I will say that we are a little picky about finishes, so we’re thinking that if we don’t care for what they have to offer, we will go with the unfinished version (gray construction? not sure what it’s called) and finish the walls and floors, etc. ourselves.

[Author]

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