Building Concrete Houses

[Dylan123]

My wife comes from a hot country and it seems all their buildings go up very quickly and cheaply using concrete and steel poles. Currently in Greece on hols and it seems this is how it’s done here.

Our poured concrete houses in U.K. all got either condemned or rebuilt.

Is it because of harsh frosts? Why can’t we build houses like this in U.K.?

My wife’s family rebuilt their parents house and it’s like a palace - this construction method, and the rebuild cost was £40K. Sure, Labour is cheaper there but still, this concrete method seems a lot quicker and cheaper than laying bricks

 

[hulldiy]

Selling a Concrete House

If you’ve tried selling your concrete construction house through an estate agent, you might have found that sales fall through due to mortgage companies not being prepared to lend on the property. These types of houses are sometimes called Cornish houses. In this article in how to sell a...

www.markkingproperties.co.uk

 

[charliegolf]

The estate I grew up on was built by the council late 50s- 3000 homes. All poured (no-fines?) concrete solid walls. They're all still there, and sell like hot cakes- not seeing the mortgage problem round here.*

*Bit like Japanese Knotweed- if they refused every mortgage because of knotweed being nearby, there would be zero sales in South Wales.

 

[hulldiy]

I wonder why they’re nit the ‘norm’ then?

 

[hulldiy]

Not, sorry

 

[charliegolf]

I wonder why they’re nit the ‘norm’ then?

Damp?

 

[hulldiy]

I’d say. That and many more issues as per above attachment

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Greece isn't a good example as to how a country pays it's way though is it, so whilst labour and construction and whatever else is cheap the whole country is ****ed because of it.

 

[Dylan123]

Greece isn't a good example as to how a country pays it's way though is it, so whilst labour and construction and whatever else is cheap the whole country is ****ed because of it.

My opinion on this is people in the U.K. pay generally extortionate prices for labour. I’ve got a lot of friends who are tradesmen and they are doing pretty well for themselves and don’t answer to anyone. One of my great regrets in life is giving up my training as an electrician.

Im not sure pensioners having to pay thousands upon thousands for basic work so guys can drive around in 4L Mitsi warriors is good for the economy. It’s good for them of course!

Reason for this being that we’ve encouraged kids to be graduates so those who pursued trades are laughing and graduates are scrimping on 20k a year. I’m not a grad but it really has swapped around. Builders, plumbers used to be pretty low paid work 40 years ago. I know because my dad was one and we were always skint but my friends now doing the same work are raking it in.

 

[jeds]

Our poured concrete houses in U.K. all got either condemned or rebuilt.

Not quite correct. Nearly all of the in-situ concrete houses are fine and mortgages are no problem. In fact I can't think of any that are defective, although there must be one or two? Prefab concrete houses is a different story. Many are defective and can't be mortgaged without full renovation, and even then there are problems with party walls.

 

[Dylan123]

Not quite correct. Nearly all of the in-situ concrete houses are fine and mortgages are no problem. In fact I can't think of any that are defective, although there must be one or two? Prefab concrete houses is a different story. Many are defective and can't be mortgaged without full renovation, and even then there are problems with party walls.

All the ones round near me either got rebuilt or the concrete got sprayed. I was going to buy one and there were enormous cracks in the walls

 

[jeds]

All the ones round near me either got rebuilt or the concrete got sprayed. I was going to buy one and there were enormous cracks in the walls

They will be prefab houses, not poured concrete houses.

 

[^woody^]

It's not the frosts or the winter per-se, but the many months of damp, cool, humid air that is the issue.

The UK is in a relatively unique climate.

 

[Dylan123]

They will be prefab houses, not poured concrete houses.

Looked like poured concrete to me.
Do you mean like system built tower blocks?

I was almost certain they were poured concrete.

 

[stuart45]

Greece has a lot of concrete homes because of the amount of earthquakes there.