Within the EU you can buy a prefab home from a manufacturer in another member state and have it delivered to your plot. Your own country's rules decide the permit, the building standards and the site work; the contract decides the price, delivery and warranty. BioBuilds builds in Romania, delivers DAP with all-risks cargo insurance, confirms the VAT for your delivery country in the offer and gives a 5-year structural guarantee in addition to your statutory rights.
The EU single market lets a family in Germany, Austria, Ireland or elsewhere buy a house built in a factory several countries away, as easily as any other large purchase of goods. A few things work differently from buying locally: who applies for the permit, how VAT is charged, how the house travels and what happens if something needs fixing later. This guide walks through each, using BioBuilds' terms as the example.
What stays local when you buy abroad?
The house comes from the factory; everything about the plot stays where you build:
- The building permit, through a local architect who adapts the plans to your plot and national rules.
- Compliance with your country's building, energy and fire regulations, shown in the permit documents.
- The foundation, utility connections and site works, by local licensed contractors.
- The crane on delivery day, and any road permits the route needs.
- Your energy certificate, from an assessor qualified in your country.
BioBuilds supplies the technical documentation the local architect works from: plans, structural calculations, the Passivhaus certificate of the building system and the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) of the wall assembly.
How does VAT work on a prefab home bought abroad?
VAT on a house bought from another EU country depends on the delivery country and on how the supply is structured, so it is set per project. BioBuilds' English-language website shows prices with an illustrative 19% German VAT for comparison; the final VAT rate and total depend on the delivery country and tax treatment, and the personalized offer confirms them before you sign. Our Irish prices include 23% Irish VAT. Ask your tax adviser if your situation is unusual, for example if you buy through a company.
How is the house delivered?
BioBuilds delivers on DAP terms (Delivered at Place, Incoterms 2020), with all-risks cargo insurance during transport. The modules travel on low-loader trucks, typically 1 to 5 business days from the factory depending on distance. The home is inspected on the trailer before unloading, and the final 10% of the price falls due when it is available at your destination. Transport is quoted separately for your destination, except in Ireland, where it is included in the price. You arrange on-site assembly with BioBuilds' local partners at no extra cost; the crane and other site works are separate site costs. Our guide to delivery day covers the access and crane checks.
Buying across borders changes where the house is built, not where it is approved. Start with your local architect and the plot; the factory part is the most predictable piece of the project.
How do payments work?
BioBuilds' payment schedule is 10% to reserve your offer, 40% for materials, 40% for production and 10% at delivery, in euros. The material and production payments complete your production reservation, subject to readiness and available slots. If you finance the house, agree with your bank before signing how it will pay these milestones; our guide to financing a modular home explains how.
What warranty and consumer rights apply?
EU consumer law gives you a legal guarantee for defects in goods bought from a business, for at least two years from delivery under Directive (EU) 2019/771, and national laws may give more. BioBuilds gives a 5-year structural guarantee in addition to those statutory rights, and the makers of components such as windows, the heat pump and the ventilation unit give their own warranties.
If you sign a distance contract as a consumer, you generally have a 14-day right of withdrawal, with a legal exception for goods made to your specifications or clearly personalized. Whether that exception applies is confirmed in the individual contract, based on the personalization. Read the terms for your offer before you sign; they set out the details.
How do you start?
Configure your home to see the model, finish and price. Prices start from €78,000 for Wanderlust 48 in Exterior Finished, including an illustrative 19% German VAT. The personalized offer then confirms the scope, transport, VAT and final price for your destination.
