IT’S one of the great mysteries of consumer economics that buyers will show unquestioning brand loyalty to the make of car they drive – forming clubs for MGs, Morris Minors, Ford Capris and just about every other jalopy that moves – yet they seldom even know the name of the company that has built their home.

That may be about to change. Huf Haus, the makers of top-end, factory-constructed homes from Germany, now has an “owners club” – a circle of like-minded enthusiasts who swap information on the internet. Estate agents claim the homes are attracting waiting lists wherever they are built. Huf Haus claims that its homes resell at 25 per cent above the price of similar sized homes in the same location.

So what’s so special about a Huf Haus? “They have a certain ‘X’ factor that makes them quite unlike any other modern homes,” says John Watling, a businessman who has just bought off-plan one of the four Huf Hauses being built outside the National Trust village of Lacock in Wiltshire. “As they are completely open-plan you can look across from one part of the house to another and the walls seem to merge into the scenery outside.” This effect is a feature of the Huf Haus post-and-beam architecture. The concept frees the designer from the constraints of load bearing, dividing walls, allowing for floor-to-ceiling glazing that unifies the outside with the inside. It’s all about straight, clean lines and a light living environment. Very Bauhaus.

Watling’s new home has been built by Bowmore Estates. It chose to build Huf Hauses, rather than any other style of house, at Lacock largely because one of the directors, Jon Brand, is a devotee of the German company. “Huf Hauses are great for financial planning,” he says. “You are certain of the price of construction from the outset, so you don’t have that horrible uncertainty that comes when you are dealing with contractors and subcontractors. Also, a Huf Haus is quality guaranteed, whereas the standard of workmanship among UK contractors can vary alarmingly.”

At present most Huf Hauses are built by private owners as self-build projects. Deborah Ferguson, 55, and her partner, Gordon Arch, built theirs outside the village of Aunsby, Lincolnshire in 2004. It is a 3,000 sq ft home for which they paid £575,000, fully fitted, and they are delighted with it. “When we first approached our planning officer he said we’d build it over his dead body,” says Ferguson. “But our Huf Haus planning consultant helped us to solve our differences and it all went through smoothly from there.” There is a set order of events when you build a Huf Haus. The buyer provides the land and if there are any problems acquiring planning permission Huf Haus will do a feasibility study and help to liaise with the council. “The size of the structure is usually the main bone of contention,” says Afra Bindewald, the company’s marketing executive. “But we can make adjustments to meet regulations.” Then the buyers go to Germany for three days of “the fit-out protocol” – choosing every interior detail from the kitchen design to the light fittings.

On average it takes about six months to build a house from start to finish. The price of each Huf Haus varies a good deal. The most modest size house of 1,800 sq ft will cost you about £350,000 while one of 11,000 sq ft with oodles of hi-tech extras inside will cost about £2 million.

Will the price of a Huf Haus fall as they become more popular? “That’s unlikely,” says Bindewald. “We are a family business and we intend to stay that way: to expand would mean losing control of the quality of our product.”

www.huf-haus.com www.huf-haus-owners-group.co.uk The Lacock houses will be for sale for about £1.5 million each via Jackson-Stops & Staff , 01635 45501, and Hamptons International, 01672 516256

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