Prefabricated homes: 7 tips you need to know before buying yours

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Building a home can be a stressful proposition. Finding a plot of land is barely the beginning, as you then must go through the process of finding an architect to design your home, sourcing capable and willing builders to bring that plan to life, and purchasing all of the necessary materials. Add to that the fact that in the meantime you must rely entirely on your imagination to envision the final product. As construction begins and unforeseen compromises are made, it's often difficult to know exactly what you're purchasing until you finally put your key in the door. There is however a much safer alternative that allows you to know exactly what your home will look and feel like before the first nail has been hit; prefabricated homes.

Prefab homes are built in a factory to exact plans, with the panels and boards sent to the site and pieced together like a jigsaw. The result is that every home is the same, so you can rest safe in the knowledge that there will be no surprises when your home is complete. This also means that you can check out the houses available in their completed form and decide which one you like best. There are however some important considerations to undertake before you make your purchase, and here at homify we want to make sure that you are well equipped to make the right decision, and that's why today we're looking at 7 tips for anyone in the market for a prefab home.

1. How long will it take?

Not long at all. One of the biggest advantages of prefabs is the speedy time of delivery, as well as the safe assumption that your home will be constructed according to plan, without unforeseen circumstances drawing the construction phase out unnecessarily. While the building phase of a traditional home can take anywhere between eight months and a year, or even longer in some cases, a prefab home will usually take three to six weeks to put up after the materials are delivered.

It's always a good idea to go local in order to keep down the cost of delivery, and speed up the time of construction, but even if you decide to purchase a home from outside your country it will still be a substantially quicker process than traditional construction. And when you see how beautiful this home is it makes you wonder why you would go any other way!

2. Cost

The next most obvious consideration when it comes to choosing a prefabricated home is cost, and we have some great news. Prefabs tend to come in at around 50% of the cost of a traditionally constructed home, making them easily the cheapest option for new homeowners. 

The parts arrive ready, the easy assembly dramatically reduces the cost of labour, and all of the materials necessary are included in the full package. Not only this but you avoid all of the costly obstacles and challenges that new designs tend to face when it comes to the construction phase. The only hidden cost you may face is levelling the earth, as prefab homes require a flat surface to plant the foundations.

3. Maintenance

The amount of maintenance required for a prefabricated home is roughly the same as for a traditionally built home, and it should be about five years before any electrical or plumbing maintenance is required. The other benefit is if there is any damage to the home due to severe weather or an accident, the company that provided the home will have replacements on hand for a quick and speedy repair. 

It is important to ensure that the materials of the home are appropriate for your environment, for example if you live in a particularly wet area it's crucial that the timber and concrete used is waterproof to prevent swelling or cracking. This can all be talked over with the house provider, and they will generally give you an accurate guide with all of the necessary technical information.

4. Concrete or wood?

Most prefab homes will be made from wood, or some sort of wood composite. The lighter material keeps costs down, presents a more traditional facade, usually completely indistinguishable from a standard home, and can limit the need for further decoration. Concrete on the other hand provides more flexibility in terms of structure, and there is often greater innovation in shape and style, resulting in more modern and experimental designs. Concrete also requires less maintenance; it's more sturdy, and isn't as susceptible to the rotting and swelling that can affect wood. 

As far as the temperature inside the home, as long as there are plenty of windows and ample ventilation they are pretty interchangeable. Basically this is entirely up to you, and we suggest that you choose the design you love rather than the material.

5. Style

This is the fun part, and again we're not really going to try and sway you too much here, because there are so many styles available, and there's no one better equipped to choose the style of your home than you. For wooden constructions cabin style homes, chalets, and bungalows are generally the most popular, while, as we mentioned earlier, concrete tends to offer more contemporary architecture. 

Probably the most common style though is small, simple homes, usually with a rectangular floor plan, that can be constructed quickly and with minimal fuss on any plot of land. Additions like balconies and patios are often offered, so depending on the climate of your property you may want to talk to your prefab provider about the options.

6. Interior

As prefabricated homes become more popular they are seeing incredible advances in technology and appearance, meaning that the interior of a prefab should be pretty much indistinguishable from a traditional home. This depends to some extent on how you personalise the interior; a good interior designer will make it impossible to tell the difference, but as we can see here the hardwood floors of this home are gorgeous just the way they are.

7. Care

Caring for your prefab home is really no different from a traditional home. You will need to keep it clean and dry, maintain natural building materials like wood, and ensure that your plot of land remains flat and doesn't swell, just like with any home. A prefab home is in many ways no different from a regular home, with the exception that you will have a whole company to support you with any issues, and there will always be someone knowledgable on hand to aid you with any inquiries.

As you can see prefab homes are a wonderful option. There's just so many different styles and variations on the market, that unless you are dealing with a particularly unique plot of land, or you already have the plans for your dream home sitting in your head, we suggest you give it serious consideration! If you do decide to choose a prefab, then the next step is decorating the interior, so head over this way for some great tips!

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