Short on time? Got sustainability on the mind? Concerned about financial aspects? These are some of the areas where opting for a prefab might ease your concerns.
Prefabricated building, or prefabs for short, are builds that are constructed - at least in part - remotely from the site of the building.
Prefabricated buildings have often been considered the butt of the building industry. Cheap and uninspiring creations; the humble prefab has always been more function than fashion, and a far cry from that homely environment we’re searching for in our new abodes.
Times are changing though, and more and more homeowners are finding the prefab homes offer a convenience that more traditional forms of building do not. Not only this, but we are seeing a rise in stylish prefabs challenging the market with their sophisticated exterior and interior advancements.
Research suggests that since 2004, interest in prefabricated housing has risen from less than one (1) per cent to about three (3) per cent. It is expected that demand is set to rise exponentially in the next 10 years, hitting levels somewhere between 10 and 20 per cent.
Perks of choosing a prefab include speed, quality and cost effectiveness. Not to mention sustainability and the ability to utilise all the same fixtures and fittings available in a more traditionally constructed home.
A prefabricated home covers all cost brackets, too: ranging from anything around $100,000 to up to $3 million. With prefab home though, homeowners must have a block of land to build on and this additional cost should be taken into account.
Pros to Prefabricated Building:
Speed: Prefabricated builds can speed up your building process significantly. A typical prefabricated home takes around 12 weeks to build off-site and then around two weeks to install on-site.
Safety: Health and safety for those involved in the building process can be monitored much more efficiently in a factory environment, meaning that workers are operating in a more controlled setting.
Sustainability: Due to a meticulously managed flow of materials and waste, prefab homes can be much greener than other forms of building. The well-thought-out nature of these homes means that they often cause minimal site disturbance.
Quality: In a factory-controlled environment, quality of the build rarely fluctuates, particularly as they are constructed away from the elements.
Certainty: The secure nature of the factory production line ensures better protection over finances. Weather delays are reduced and the manufacturing process calls for a design freeze to occur earlier.
Technology: Computer-aided building is on the rise and this is more effectively monitored in a factory setting.