Save Money With Prefab Housing

Prefab housing has a certain stigma that has been ingrained into the public's mind for decades. The term might evoke visions of unkempt trailer parks or even postwar low quality tenement housing in Europe. That reputation is being erased in the minds of millions as the prefab housing industry becomes more popular in the modern world. In fact, the simplicity of prefabrication lends itself to the clean lines of modernist tastes.

A prefabricated home can take one of a few different forms: modular, manufactured, or site-built. Because these houses, or the components thereof, are built in indoor factories, they can be more structurally sound and efficient than a stick-built home. Therefore, the quality of home you get for the price of an existing house may not be as good as the workmanship included in prefab house prices.

Because modular homes or prefab components are built inside the controlled environment of a factory, they are not subjected to conditions like heat, rain, and humidity. Quality of assemblage is also carefully inspected before anything leaves the factory. Stick-built home can have structural, electrical, or plumbing issues that are discovered further into construction, which sets building time way back. Prefab homes are already wired, plumbed, and fully inspected before shipment.

If you really want to custom build your home, you can still use prefab components that you can buy in kits. These include floor joists, wall panels, and roof trusses. Building these pieces separately takes time and money, but having them built in a factory, shipped to your homesite, and then assembled on your foundation saves both money and labor. Factories are able to buy materials in bulk quantities for less, which in turn saves you money.

Building a prefab home can also save money on your electric bill. Designers and manufacturers have been working with the "green" movement to make their houses energy-efficient. They use sustainable building materials such as bamboo and build on sites that won't have too much of an effect on the surrounding environment. Some homes may even be built with their own sources of energy, such as photovoltaic systems, also known as solar energy. Geothermal heating may be used along with low-energy cooling systems and strategic positioning of the house to take advantage of shade or avoid direct sun coming in through windows.

When it comes down to it, the quality of craftsmanship you get when you purchase a prefab home or build with prefab materials may be a lot better than what you would get with an existing or custom home. You'll probably save money both initially with the price, and even in the long run with energy-efficiency.

Larry Diamond is a noted construction industry expert, having over 30 years experience in residential building. Larry is the President of Green R Panel, a company that sells and distributes prefab housing kits to customers all across North America. To learn more about Green R Panel's revolutionary building system, visit their website at GreenRPanel.com.