This is by far the most asked question ever.
How much does the house cost?
What is the total cost figure for Trio 100 or another model?
There really can’t be one answer for the total cost of a finished building.
In our Budgeting Guide, we dig deep into this topic and we provide a reliable method and a tool to answer this question for your specific project.
In short, there several factors that play on the price and different factors to consider.
For example:
We can ship practically anywhere - Australia, Canada, The US, and elsewhere.
A-frames are flat back, so they are very compact and convenient to transport. In the past, we have shipped houses to South Korea and Azores Islands.
We have a partner for manufacturing in the US. All other parts of the globe receive their kit from our factory in Estonia, we can ship to almost any location.
Transportation cost is not included in our kit prices.
We made a video about budgeting a while back to give you some pointers on budgeting for a prefab A-frame house. It shows you the tools you need to create your own budget for your build.
Today, we discontinued that budget template as we have built a more comprehensive and helpful resource: the Budgeting Guide
Yes, we can alter floor plans. The only load-bearing element in an A-frame house is the A-frame itself. It doesn't need additional support or any load-bearing interior walls, so we can play around with the floor plans quite a lot.
It is also possible to make changes to any of our model’s interior design.
If
you want a balcony looking down into the living room, we can do that
for you. We can add decks, door mirrors, balconies skylights, and other
design elements as well.
Yes, we can change a lot.
Here are a few ideas of what you can customize.
The exact sum of shipping depends on the house size and distance from the factory to your site.
Generally, shipping is up to 10% of the kit cost.
Shipping smaller kits might be more expensive as they do not fill one entire truck and we end up transporting air (expensive and useless exercise).
For more accurate shipping costs feel free to reach out to our team
A-Frame is a regular timber frame home, so all heating systems are possible. It really depends on the fuel source you have available.
On our YouTube channel, we have a video covering this topic
You can install any kind of ventilation system.
We prefer to use natural ventilation (skylights, window ventilation strips, etc.).
In
some building regulation, mechanic ventilation is mandatory therefore
it is recommended that you check which is the ventilation option you
should go for (we cover this in the 100 Questions Guide)
We get a lot of comments asking for more walk-through videos on our finished houses. We understand that photos don't always help put the actual size into perspective, so we are definitely planning to roll out video walkthroughs of each model soon.
Right now we have walk-through videos for four models:
More videos are uploaded each month. Make sure you subscribe so you don't miss them
Not directly.
Depending on your location we might have a preferred contractor we can put you in touch with.
We will also assist you in finding a local contractor if you require assistance
A-frame is a very simple construction.
It is more like putting together an IKEA furniture than the traditional house building process.
You will get very detailed drawings with step by step instructions to help you on your every step of the build
The most economical (and practical) way to go is the concrete stripe foundation (up to 60% cheaper than the slab and has the same kind of durability and functionality).
You can also do the post foundation.
Please keep in mind that the type of foundation you can actually use depends on the condition of the ground on your location.
Yes, a solution with full basement is easily doable.
A-frames need just 3 support points. They can be supported by a metal beam in the middle and by the stone part on the sides.
We made a video that explains this in detail.
You can find it here.
In
short, several US states have very strict building regulations that
require the use of stronger wood material + steel hardware.
These components increase the overall cost of materials in the kit.
Also, still due to the more strict regulations, the step between the frames of the structure is about half compared to the EU version... which results in about twice the material for the framing of the structure. 1250mm for the EU version compared to 600 mm for The US version.
We sell worldwide and each Country has different regulations for technical installations, therefore we focus on supplying the structural part of the house and all the special parts have to be sourced locally.
Here is a list of the parts you will have to source locally:
We have a video that covers this topic more in detail:
Kit Home Building: THIS you have to source locally
IMPORTANT: this list is not complete nor exhaustive. For more information on what you shall take into account, you should consult our Self-building Guides.
Wooden structures can last for centuries. We have a wooden church here in Estonia on one of our islands standing there for more than 370 years.
If the foundation is solid and raised (min. 30 cm) from ground and roof covering is tight, your home will outlast your grandchildren.
The wooden parts we sell have 2 years warranty.
Ruukki classic c has 50 years of technical warranty and 20 years of aesthetic warranty.
The Velux skylights have 10 years warranty.
The builder has to give its own final warranty for the final build and product (5-10 years usually).
We use only high-quality materials (see this video).
Maintenance is very low.
You have to service the gable walls. Depending on the conditions repainting the cladding once in every 5-10 years.
That is pretty much all you have to do from
the outside.
From inside it is like any other house - the maintenance depends on your choice of materials and usage.
If maintained properly then the house will last for many generations.
Compared to a traditional timber frame buildings a-frames are very well insulated.
The total energy performance of the house depends on the insulation material and heating system.
Avrame houses are designed to perform well in the Nordic climate and it can withstand very harsh winters.
Snow is not an issue: it will simply fall off the roof because of its steep angle.
The houses can also do very well in hot temperatures (rock wool works in both conditions – keeps the house warm in winter and
cold in summer).
The insulation material has to be sourced locally since there is no point of transporting it (high volume and no cost saving).
The thickness of insulation material in the different model is:
Yes, you can.
Indrek (Avrame CEO) has been living off the grid for already many years and he obviously has a job.
To live off-grid successfully you need to prioritize your energy needs and cut everything superfluous.
Living
off-grid will make your life easier and will less financial burdens. It
will grant you more time to enjoy the things you really like to do.
Yes you can do it and here you can find one helpful video -
Insulation materials are not part of the kit and have to be sourced locally because they are bulky and will take a lot of room in cargo. You can use fiberglass, rockwool, or spray foam insulation.
Here you can find a video about this topic -
A video about this topic -
It is mostly used to create the main entrance of the
house or to enlarge the bathroom.
Here you can see a list of our representatives -
