During an episode of Channel 4's "Grand Designs", I was mighty impressed when witnessing the perfect machinery of assembling the shell of a prefab house by German house manufacturer Huf Haus. The German builders were efficient, skilled, organized, worked fast, and maintained a high work ethic.

Seen as the Rolls-Royce of kit homes, Huf Haus prices start at about £500,000, before land costs. Once they have planning permission in place, customers are invited to Germany to choose everything from the size and layout of the rooms to light switches and bathroom tiles.

Factory production takes four months, after which the flat-pack home is shipped to the UK along with a team of German builders. Assembly of the shell takes a week or less, with the interiors (including electrics and plumbing) taking a further 12 to 14 weeks.

Watch the full "Grand Designs" episode. The really fun part starts at the 22:00 minute mark: