Due to the unpredictability of the economy and fluctuations in property prices, some consumers are forced to consider alternative options, although building your own home is often cost effective, the daunting prospect of spiralling construction costs is often enough to put off any first time buyers. But there is a simple way in which building your own home can be cheaper than buying an existing one, prefabricated housing.
Manufactured off-site in advance of a build, ‘Prefab’ homes are sometimes built as a whole but typically in sections or modules that can easily be shipped and assembled. The particular method of prefab housing lends itself to both traditional and ultra modern designs so there is usually a design for any consumer.
There are guidelines for building prefabricated houses but the rules and regulations are nowhere near as strict or long winded as conventional construction. This means a buyer to buy a plot of land and construct a home in a matter of weeks, a fraction of the time it would take to even have initial paperwork approved for a conventional building.
These buildings were traditionally constructed of wood, trees went in at one end and of a factory and prefabricated modular building sections came out the other. These homes are traditionally the cheapest and their use has been documented as far back as the 17th century. Buildings were shipped to America to provide housing for the rapidly increasing population who had no construction industry and later in the 19th century to accommodate the gold rush.
Progress in the manufacture and transport techniques of prefab buildings have led to steel and concrete buildings becoming available. A combination of the two will often be produced to construct a conventional permanent home with as little as 10% of the time and budget needed.
Although the prefab homes have developed enough to be a viable commercial option for housing, the market has much stigma because of the quality of pre-existing homes. It is also difficult to acquire a loan or mortgage to purchase a prefab home as it is often not considered substantial collateral by lenders.
The development of Prefab Housing has revolutionised building design and has meant that the job of structural design is easier than ever.
