Timber frame house facade options: showing buyers their house before it is built
6 min read
On a timber frame house, the facade takes longest to decide. How to show cladding, render, fibre cement and charred timber with the roof and windows before the build.
"What will my timber frame house look like in render, and what with timber cladding?" "Will charred timber be too dark?" "Which colour goes with an anthracite roof?" "Can I have a big window facing south?" Timber frame house facade options are one of the hardest choices for a buyer. They search for "timber frame house" and "timber frame house cladding", scroll through photos, and still do not know what their own house will look like.
This article covers facade, roof and windows: how to show them in 3D before construction, so the buyer decides early rather than halfway through the build.
Short answer
Show the buyer their own timber frame house in 3D with each facade option, roof shape and window layout before construction starts. The buyer switches between timber cladding, render, fibre cement and charred timber, and sees their house rather than someone else's photo. Decisions are made before production, so there are fewer changes later.
Why the facade is worth showing early
On a timber frame house, the facade is rarely chosen at the same time as everything else. The plan is approved, production starts, and the cladding and colour are still under discussion. Then come the calls, the photos sent back and forth, and the changes that hold up the work.
The reason is simple: it is hard to picture. A sample in your hand looks different from a whole facade. A photo from another project shows another house, in other light, in other surroundings. The buyer is afraid of getting it wrong, so they put the decision off.
When the buyer sees their own house with different finishes, the decision gets easier. They compare options on the same shape, with the same roof and windows. The facade is chosen with the plan, not after it.
Timber frame house facade options: what the buyer wants to see
Each facade material raises different questions. The table below shows what the buyer wants to see before choosing.
| Facade option | What the buyer wants to see |
|---|---|
| Timber cladding | Horizontal or vertical, board width, painted or natural, how it looks once weathered |
| Render | Colour, surface texture, plinth height and colour, corner and sill details |
| Fibre cement | Panel size and joints, colour range, how it works with the window frames |
| Charred timber | Tone and sheen in sun and shade, whether the house will look too dark on the plot |
| Mixed materials | Where one material stops and the next begins, how the entrance and terrace look |
These questions tell you what the 3D model has to show. Colour alone is not enough: texture, board direction and joints matter just as much to the buyer.
Roof shape and windows: same house, different look
A facade is never chosen on its own. The same render looks completely different on a pitched roof and on a flat one. So roof and windows belong in the same view as the facade.
- Roof shape. Pitched, mono-pitch or flat. The buyer sees how the silhouette changes and which facade options suit each shape.
- Roof covering and colour. Metal, tiles or membrane, in anthracite, black or brown.
- Window layout. Where the large windows go, where the narrow ones go, and whether there is a floor-to-ceiling window to the terrace. Window sizes in millimetres, for example 2400 x 2200 mm.
- Window frame colour. Usually chosen together with the facade and roof colour, so all three should change in one view.
Below is an example garden house configurator built by Trimata. A timber frame facade works the same way: finishes and colours change in the 3D view at once.
How to order the facade choices
Too many choices stall a buyer just as much as too few. This order works for most timber frame houses:
- Roof shape. It sets the silhouette, so it comes first.
- Main facade material. Timber cladding, render, fibre cement or charred timber.
- Colour and direction. Only the colours and board directions you actually offer for that material.
- A second material, if needed. For example cladding around the entrance or a plinth in another colour.
- Windows and frames. A layout from your prepared variants, and the frame colour.
- A view from every side. The buyer turns the house round and checks each elevation, especially the one facing the street.
The configurator knows your rules: for example, charred timber is only offered with certain roofs, and the widest window depends on the wall. For more on modular and timber frame homes, read 3D for modular home makers.
What you get when the facade is chosen early
- a request with roof shape, facade material, colour and windows;
- a view of the buyer's chosen house from several sides;
- fewer changes once production has started;
- one 3D model that also gives you images and video for your website.
If you want buyers to see their timber frame house before it is built, see the modular and timber frame home 3D configurator. It is ready in up to 2 weeks. We review your request within 24 hours.
