You saved up enough money to buy your first house, now what? Since this is one of the biggest decisions you’ll ever make, you need to carefully weigh all your options and ensure you’re making the right choice. Educating yourself about different housing solutions will help you find the perfect home that suits your needs, vision, and budget.
And one of the increasingly popular housing solutions nowadays is modular house construction. It’s estimated that prefabricated houses already make for more than 70% of the construction industry in Scandinavian countries. Although Australia may be lagging behind with only 5%, you can notice more and more prefab homes elevating the curb appeal of many suburbs, especially in Victoria. But should you join the modular houses Victoria trend? Is it cheaper? What about quality? Scroll down below to find these answers and more.
House Prices
With the house prices in Melbourne and all across Victoria constantly on the rise, everyone wants to know whether it’s cheaper to build a traditional house or go modular. Although the price of both site-built homes and prefab homes greatly depends on numerous factors such as location, size, and design features, prefabs are always the more affordable option. Would-be homeowners can buy gorgeous modular houses Victoria located companies offer and they will likely cost them around 20% less than the site-built counterparts.
If you’re wondering why there’s such a great difference in price, it isn’t because prefab homes are less durable or low quality. It’s because modular companies build multiple homes every month, so they order the building materials in bulk or manufacture them themselves, thus reducing the cost per item. Of course, there’s also the cost of labor which is significantly lower with modular homes because they’re much quicker to build and don’t require constant on-site transportation of workers, machinery, and materials.
Build Time
Speaking of build time, if you go modular, you may be able to move into your dream house in just about 12 weeks after getting your building permit. Yes, that’s building, installation, and additional site work included. Just for comparison, building a house the traditional way can take more than 32 weeks. Not to mention the additional cleanup you’ll have to do after the construction workers are finished with their work.
Cost of Living
Apart from saving time and money when you’re buying your modular home, this decision can also save you big bucks in the long run. Not only that prefab homes have significantly lower heating and cooling requirements, but they’re also more airtight than traditional site-built homes which makes them incredibly energy efficient. You can either heat your house with low energy heaters that can cut your electric bill in half, or buy a prefab house equipped with solar panels to reap the benefits of sustainable energy and save many dollars.
Flexibility
One of the greatest things about modular houses is that they offer you flexibility. They can be placed virtually anywhere and it’s much easier to obtain the necessary permits. If you don’t want to bother with the legal stuff, you can let the company handle all the permits and consultants that may be required.
Then, you have countless design options available. You can either choose one of the company’s standard designs or work closely with the design team to customize your home. Modular homes can be assembled and positioned in different ways in accordance with any design preference you may have. What’s more, you always have the opportunity of adding as many modules as you want, depending on your needs.
Modular homes may not be built the traditional way, but they come in all architectural styles, including traditional. Sometimes it’s even hard to tell the difference between stick-built and prefab homes just by looking at them.
Durability
Nowadays, prefabricated houses are nothing like those weak constructions from the past. Thanks to technological advancement modular houses today are just as strong and durable as site-built homes. In fact, some modular constructions can withstand winds up to 280km/h – perfect for making your beach house dream come true. That’s because building and assembling a modular home involves a thorough process where each detail is carefully elaborated to ensure uncompromised safety and quality.
It’s also worth mentioning that prefab homes are virtually earthquake-proof. There’s little or no chance that this type of construction will collapse during seismic activities. There might be cracks on the walls, but they won’t affect the structure and can be easily repaired.
Environmental Impact
Modular houses are more eco-friendly than conventional constructions in at least 5 ways. First, since they’re produced in a factory-controlled environment, they reduce on-site waste. Manufacturers can accurately determine how much material is required for the project which can reduce construction waste for more than 50%. What’s more, since modular assembling doesn’t require the use of welding or cranes, noise pollution is also significantly reduced.
Then, the quicker build-time isn’t only good for your time and pockets; it’s also good for the environment. The less time it takes to finish the entire process, the less debris, dust, and carbon emissions. Moreover, with transportation needs to be reduced to a minimum, modular homes can have a positive impact on the total carbon footprint produced by the construction industry.
Next, prefab homes are well insulated and packed to the brim with energy-efficient air filtration systems, low-energy lighting, and electrical appliances. This can reduce your energy consumption and carbon footprint by more than 60%. Furthermore, modular homes are also water efficient. They reduce water usage during construction by whooping 40%.
Last but not least, modular homes are an excellent way to save more trees since many manufacturers use renewable or recycled materials at all construction stages. Using green and non-toxic materials also improves the air quality because they don’t release dangerous chemicals into the air.
Closing Thoughts
Prefab homes are much more than just affordable dwellings. With tons of benefits for both homeowners and the environment, it’s safe to say that they’re going to be the future of Australian housing. If you’re interested in buying a modular house, start looking for that perfect location that’ll become your favorite place in the world in less than 3 months.
