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Prefab homes. Ever heard this term? And if you have heard of it, it’s very likely that you had a preconceived opinion about them. In this article, we’ll talk about them, about their pros and cons.
Finding the right house for you might be not as easy as it sounds. If you can’t find one then you might think about choosing a prefab home, they are becoming more and more popular.
Stick-built means that your home is built in an old-fashioned way by having a team of workers on-site that works for a couple of months till they get the final work done. A prefab home comes in pre-built parts that just need to be put together.
Image source: Hive Modular, LLC
A lot of people don’t go to prefabricated homes when they choose real estate agents. Of course, any house has its pros and cons and this also applies to prefab houses so let’s see if you could be the buyer of a prefab house.
Pros of Prefab Homes
Strong structure
Image source: Natural Balance Home Builders
If we compare them with the traditional homes a prefab one offers brand new construction, a cool and modern design and all kind of updated appliances. A building that is made out of modules is more durable than the ones that have been built traditionally. What is great about them is not only that they have great design requirements but they also resist transport loads.
Image source: sagemodern
Modern prefab homes are very safe and durable even in weather emergencies because many of them survive each year the hurricanes that take place in the US. This is because prefab houses need to be built in order to withstand transportation by a truck the frame of these homes is very rigid and is better even than classic house framing.
Added sustainability and Energy Efficiency
Image source: Resolution: 4 Architecture
Prefab homes are more sustainable than traditional building because the components that they are made from are sent directly to the construction site. They are also very energy efficient and their windows keep the heat in reducing energy bills at the same time.
Image source: Resolution: 4 Architecture
On top of that, these homes come also with extra options for add-ons like energy-efficient windows, solar panels that make the house sustainable. You can choose from different styles like modern, elegant and so on and they can work for different American suburban areas.
Fast Construction
Image source: Modern Chicago Homes
Prefabricated homes are most of the time very fast to build. This depends on what model you go but for sure you will have great times when assembling one. A small prefab home can be done in less than two months in its factory. This is because automation increases the amount of work that can be done in a day.
Image source: Pavonetti Architecture
When it reaches the construction site it usually takes just a few days till all the parts of prefab homes are installed.
The Price
Image source: Resolution: 4 Architecture
Price is probably one of the biggest advantages of choosing such a house. Prefab homes are really not expensive compared with traditional ones. Some research studies show that you actually end up saving 20 % if you go with this type of prefab homes considering that conventional ones cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Image source: SHED Architecture & Design
Prefab homes are made in a climate-controlled factory where there are low chances that any kind of weather event to take place. This will reduce the cost of the home and the speed that is needed in order to make it.
Cons of Prefab Houses
Land Costs
Before you can purchase your own prebuilt home our also need to get a piece of land. Finding the right site for it is not always easy so you need to really consider well what you are doing in order to do it right.
If you want to get prefab homes you can have a big advantage if you already have your own land and if you don’t you will need to buy one. Also, you need to check some laws depending on the zone you are living if you need some certain authorization for example. Making sure that you can hook it up to electricity and water and sewer is also something that you need to check.
More Up-Front Payment
The payment process for prefab homes is quite different compared to the traditional one. Usually, modular builders will require payment in full before the house will be complete so you will need to have the entire cash ready.
If you don’t have the money then you need to lend or find a financial option that will help you in this situation. If you buy an existing home for example you can make an advance payment of 20% and the rest over time but this will not work with many prefab homes.
Resale potential
What is great about prefab homes is that they are flexible and affordable housing option but they will not work for everyone. If you decide to go with one of these homes you need to know that you will need to search for a niche buyer when you want to sell it. Finding the right one might take some time compared with a conventional home.
When people put prefab homes for sales a lot of them might have difficulties to find an end buyer. This is because many thinks that the materials that were used are low quality or that they will not be able to customize the home you and your selling agent want to sell.
Lack of Customization and Limited Variety
Because they are made in an assembly line process this means that prefab homes are not that easy to change after the final design has been decided. You need to be sure that the design of your home is the final one when you choose it because later on, it might cost you a lot to make changes.
Modular homes still come in a wide range of styles and interiors and can fully customized according to your taste.
How is a Prefab Home Assembled?
Image source: Architect Heather Johnston
This a great question because many people are not familiar with the assembling process that takes place with prefab homes. Well, the idea behind is that you join each of the modules together and then put them on a permanent foundation that is known as the “set”. The modular home set process will vary in length depending on the complexity that your home has.
Image source: Architect Heather Johnston
All finished sections are first transported to the building site and the put together with cranes. You can compare the process with the simple Lego blocks that we used to play around when we were children.
Image source: Architect Heather Johnston
After each module is set and aligned in a perfect way it is securely fastened to its foundation and to the remaining modules.
Image source: Architect Heather Johnston
Once the structure of the house is done, the assembly team leaves the site and they leave the remaining job to the General Contractor that will coordinate the works of the companies that make the technical installations. These installations include plumbing, electricity, heating and so on.
Image source: Architect Heather Johnston
The last step is to perform the interior finishing works that need to be done in order to get the house ready for its owner.
Ending Thoughts on Prefab Homes
In conclusion, prefab homes are a great and modern solution for people that want to get their own customized homes and have certain preferences that can’t be found anywhere else on the market. Getting one will for sure save you a lot of time and money and it will look most likely like the house of your dreams.
Millennials are really found on this type of home solution and we are seeing more and more going for them!
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