Fast, organised and often with eco-friendly options available, it’s easy to see why prefab homes are a popular choice. We round up the pros and cons you should consider
What are the pros, cons and price of a prefabricated home?
A prefabricated home is made in a factory and delivered to your site in one or more pieces. These are not the prefabs of old – there are now multiple options and beautiful, eco-friendly designs.
Genius Homes in Timaru can produce and deliver a new home in just 18 weeks. You can choose from base models or get a custom design. “Clients are saying they have a better living atmosphere in a smaller home,” says Jeremy Richards, the company’s sales manager.
Pros:
- Fast turnaround
- Hassle-free – design, consent and build is all completed for you, including finishes
- Efficient use of materials
- Minimal site disruption.
Cons:
- May be too small for some people, particularly families
- Lack of storage and multiple rooms
- Hard to have alone-time indoors
- You may want something more permanently fixed to a site.
Considerations:
- You may need to get two building consents as the house will be built in one location then installed in another. A company like Genius Homes will organise this process for you.
- Make sure you get a complete price, or be aware of costs that are excluded, says Jeremy. Don’t commit to a partial quote or a price per square metre without seeing the final total.
Budget:
A one- or two-bedroom home from Genius Homes will cost $80K-$170K. Currently they can deliver around the South Island but are aiming to have a North Island factory soon.
Links:
geniushomes.co.nz coolhouse.co.nz idealbuildings.co.nz
What’s the difference?
Prefabricated is not to be confused with kitset or modular homes – which are also good options when building small. A kitset build involves just materials and plans being delivered to a site to be constructed, while a modular build usually refers to standard-sized components being built in a factory, with the house then completed on site. Check out ecotechhomes.co.nz and box.co.nz for modular examples, and mydiy.co.nz and fraemohs.co.nz to see kitset homes.
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