HomeblyComparisons: SIP, brick, timber, A-frame or barnhouse
All our comparisons in one place, with the same figures as the price pages: choose the technology and the format first, then the design.
The comparison guides
SIP or brick
Speed, cost, insulation, durability — and when brick remains the right choice.
Timber frame or SIP panels
The same timber skeleton, a different place of construction: price, thermal bridges, dependence on the crew.
A-frame or barnhouse
Silhouette and photos versus usable square metres — with the 19 designs in the catalogue.
Kit or turnkey
What each formula includes and why turnkey costs roughly double the kit.
The technology matrix
A summary of the two guides; every row is detailed in its article.
| Criterion | SIP panels | Brick | Classic timber frame |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where the wall is built | In the factory, cut to the design; only assembly on site | On site, layer by layer, with drying times | On site, by hand, from five or six layers |
| The structure of the house | 2–4 weeks | Months; wet processes stop in winter | Weeks of skilled work |
| Price of the closed structure | ~€500/m², fixed by the factory before work starts | More labour and a costlier foundation at equal quality | Same price range as SIP, but crew-dependent |
| Insulation and thermal bridges | A 150 mm wall comparable to brick over 2 m thick; no studs in the wall | Good thermal mass, but needs an extra insulation layer | Every stud is a thermal bridge; compensated with one more layer |
| Foundation | Light: strip included, piles or slab by plot | Heavier and costlier — the structure is heavy | Light, timber-skeleton structure |
| Dependence on the crew | Quality is decided in the factory; the producer's team assembles | Depends on good tradesmen at every stage | The result is proportional to the hands that make it |
| When it is the right choice | New house with a rational design, fixed price, short timeline | Thermal mass a priority, heavy finishes required locally, tradition | Non-standard architecture, extensions and loft conversions, your own crew |
A-frame or barnhouse
Same factory, same price formula — the shape and who the house is for differ.
| A-frame | Barnhouse | |
|---|---|---|
| Designs in the catalogue | 6, from 45.8 to 147 m² | 13, from 39.6 to 151.4 m² |
| Shape | Two roof slopes almost to the ground; the walls are also the roof | Rectangular volume, gable roof, vertical walls |
| Interior space | High ceiling at the centre; on small designs, a sleeping loft | Furniture against the wall and normal rooms upstairs |
| For whom | Rental cabins, glamping, weekend houses, sloped plots | A family house lived in all year, with an office and storage |
| Price | Kit ~€500/m², turnkey ~€1,000/m² | Same formula |
Frequently asked questions
Which technology is the cheapest?
At equal quality SIP is not more expensive — it is often cheaper than brick or timber frame: lighter foundation, fewer stages, cheaper heating year after year. The insulated kit starts at ~€500/m², the turnkey house at ~€1,000/m².
Which builds fastest?
SIP: the structure in 2–4 weeks, the turnkey house in at most 3 months from deposit and permits. Masonry often stretches to a year, and a classic timber frame needs weeks of skilled work on site.
A-frame or barnhouse for a family?
Barnhouse: vertical walls give normal rooms and furniture against the wall. The A-frame wins on silhouette and photos, hence on rental cabins and glamping.
Undecided between the options?
Tell us the plot and how you will use the house — we recommend the technology and the design, with a fixed price after the consultation.