The ex-works price is the number people compare. It is also the number that explains the least. Delivery, foundation, connections, unloading, planning, fees and insurance routinely add a substantial share on top — and the share is largest exactly where the plot is cheapest.
The four blocks of a real budget
First, the unit ex works: MD 7 starts lowest in our range, MD 6 highest, and the specification line moves the number more than the length does. Second, delivery to the destination — from around 6,800 € to Germany up to 10,500 € on the Scandinavia tariff. Third, the site: foundation, access, unloading, and the distance from the house to power, water and sewer. Fourth, the paperwork: local planning work, application fees, and insurance. A budget that contains only the first block will move after the order is placed.
Distance to the network is the hidden variable
Two identical houses on two plots twenty kilometres apart can differ by a five-figure sum, and none of that difference is in the house. It is in how far the sewer is. Before you commit to a plot, ask the utility how far the nearest connection point is and what the connection costs — that single question moves budgets more than any specification choice you will make later.
Comparing offers that are not comparable
A low headline price usually means a shorter list. Compare like for like: which insulation build-up, which glazing, which heating system, whether ventilation with heat recovery is included, what the chassis is rated for, whether the kitchen and bathroom are fitted, and what the delivery term actually covers. Ask each supplier for the same list. The offer that looks expensive on the first page is often the cheaper one on the last.
Return, if you are letting
Revenue is the easy half. The costs that decide the return are cleaning between stays, laundry, platform fees, wear on hardware and surfaces, and a replacement reserve. Energy is rarely the driver. A unit that looks finished — the reason MD 8 exists — earns better reviews and needs fewer interventions, which is a financial argument as much as an aesthetic one.