Huf Haus have been used in other countries for decades, but Britain has just clicked on the Huf Haus trend. Hauf Haus is a family business now in its third generation and they have been building houses since the 1970s. The houses they create are striking and contemporary with exteriors made of glass and wood, while the interior is a modern open plan design. However, ever since Grand Designs on Channel 4 featured building a Huf House in 2004, the British have taken notice of the concept.
A company spokesperson confirmed that they had built very few Huf Hauses in the UK so far, sometimes just a few a year. Even at the time the show was airing, host Kevin McCloud was skeptical of the project. However, this program created a lot of business for the Huf team by confirming that their server crashed within ten minutes of ending the program. They even had to move to a larger office simply to cope with the influx of inquiries about their homes, an influx they describe as phenomenal. By 2009, over 180 Huf Haus had been completed, and many more were built in 2010. So has Huf Haus tempted traditional Brits from their love of Tudor and Georgian houses to something more modern?
They believe that the British now realize that there is more to house building than conventional designs. Once they’ve seen the model homes of Huf’s designs, they’ll fall in love with his concept. However, this is not to say that you will see a Huf Haus on every corner of Britain. The company only builds 200 homes worldwide, but admits they could have easily been expanded. They refused to do this because they want to remain a niche market.
So what is the appeal? The Huf is simply a team house, but each is individually designed with the owner and a Huf architect. The house is then prefabricated to the customer’s exact specifications in Huf’s factories in Bonn, Germany. What makes them special is the Huf signature post and beam design, or the absence of load-bearing walls, therefore there is no room division allowing owners to create a home that suits their needs, but which can also be changed in many years if they wish. Homes come in a variety of sizes, from 2,000 square feet to 6,000 square feet.
Hus haus are also energy efficient; they are virtually zero carbon emissions, something the British government strives to achieve in every home in this country. The houses have triple glazing, electricity is generated through solar voltaic panels on the roof and they also have geothermal pumps for heating. All of this equates to extremely low gas and electric bills.
However, the ones at Huf Haus are not for self-builders who like to get caught up in the project. They provide everything from the architects to the builders to the finances, all you have to do is find the ideal plot where you want your Huf to be built, and they do the rest. The houses are airtight in a week and then in 12 to 14 weeks the interior is complete. Fast work compared to the usual layovers for conventional builders which range from six months to a year. Obviously, before the house is built, it will have to be designed by architect Huf, which could take six months and then planning permission needs to be obtained. It takes six months for production and on-site assembly, but the final product is pretty amazing.
The cost of a Huf Haus is around £200 per square foot, but this could change if the euro falls. A conventional build costs between £150 and £170 per square foot. However, Huf Haus costs include planners, architects and surveyors and you are given the cost of your house up front, this does not change. They also offer standard accessories or luxury accessories and this may tempt some on a tighter budget. Some say it’s easy to get carried away, then you get the quote and have to start fitting all over again and make changes. So the houses are not for people on a really strict budget, but the final product is amazing and you will never have high energy bills again.
