Alternative Housing

Can Prefab Houses Really Be Fabulous?

If, in this time of record home prices, you're looking for a less expensive way to get into (or maybe even build) your own home, then you may be looking into prefab construction.  Prefab houses, which are built in factories and then shipped to your site to be assembled in much less time than a traditional stick-built house, are increasing in popularity.  They take less time to put up, and they usually cost less to build than a similar size and style of stick-built house.  Also prefab construction can be used in order to build additions onto your current home.

But can prefab houses really look good.  Can they be "fabulous"?

Well, pick up a copy of Prefabulous: The House of Your Dreams Delivered Fresh from the Factory from the book store or library, and you might just be wowed.

This glossy coffee-table style book is full of pictures with examples of beautiful houses and additions.  When you look at the finished homes, there's no way you would think they were factory built.  They look just like the real deal. 

The book has a lot of information in between those pictures, too, so if you're on the fence about prefab, this text might help you make a decision.  Reviews at Amazon are quite positive:

"As with all Taunton Press 'coffee-table-quality' books with lots of color photos, the only word to describe this one is 'amazing.' It includes all prefab systems that are used to engineer and assemble homes in factories, then ship them on trucks to the home site. Panelized, log, timber-frame, concrete, hybrids and steel-frame homes are included. As famous author and home designer Sarah Susanka says in her forward to the book, "For some people, words like modular, manufactured, panelized and prefabricated conjure up visions of ticky-tacky subdivisions in which every house looks just the same. But the biggest story in 'Prefabuous' is that just because something is made in a factory doesn't mean it has to be boring or the same as hundreds of other houses.'"

If you decide to buy a copy of the book, you can get it from Amazon for less than $20:

Prefabulous: The House of Your Dreams Delivered Fresh from the Factory

Kit Homes, Unbiased Information

If you've got your own land (or are planning to buy some) and want to build a house from scratch, you may want to look into kit homes.  These prefabricated houses, which can be quite small or very large, are partially assembled in factories and then completed on your home site, thus saving time over building on-site from scratch.

Before you decide on whether to buy a certain model, you may want to read Kit Homes: Your Guide to Home-Building Options, from Catalogs to Factories.

The author isn't associated with (i.e. working for) any prefab/kit home companies, so the book is an easy way to get some unbiased information on the subject. It's also meant to be a planning tool with directories of kit home publishers and suppliers, an on-page glossary of key terms, recommended reading, and worksheets.

I haven't had a chance to check out the book myself yet, but according to the blurb at Amazon, you'll learn...

• low-cost options and design flexibility
• a wide range of location choices
• house plans, complete house kits, and factory-built homes
• identifying specific wants and needs
• assessing affordability and financing options
• selecting a contractor to help build or manage the project
• detailed information and tips on the construction process itself

There are only a couple reviews up on the site, but they're both positive, so you might want to check out the book if you're looking for information on kit homes before committing to any particular company or house.

Kit Homes: Your Guide to Home-Building Options

Cost of Prefab Homes?

I'm always curious about new prefab homes I see, since the prices of homes have gone so high in many parts of the world.  It's natural to look for cheaper ways to get into homes.

But what about the costs of prefab homes?  Are these factory-built homes, which can be erected on your lot much faster than traditional stick-built houses, a good deal?  Can you save a lot of money?

According to "The House in a Box," a recent article by the Wall Street Journal, the answer is... not really.

They took a look at three different prefab houses at different price points from three different companies (Rocio Romero's kit house, Lazor's Flatpak, and Empyrean's NextHouse), and in each case the actual cost of finishing the house was a lot higher than the listed kit price.  The low cost and speedy assembly the homes were supposed to offered tended to be "elusive."

The bottom line was...

If you have money to spend and you're looking for a cool-looking home, often with modern architecture, a prefab kit may be a nice way to get a house erected (usually more quickly than stick-built), but don't expect to save a lot over having a home custom-designed and built on site.

Basic costs of the prefab houses they looked at:

Rocio Romero 1,150-square foot dwelling clad in galvanized steel (you have to supply windows, doors, roofing, and interior finishes) -- $36,000

Charlie Lazor 2,000 square foot house (price includes design services, windows, doors, and roofing) -- $250,000

NextHouse, which is co-branded with Dwell, starts at $250,000 for a 2,400 square foot home.

The article was from the March 14, 2008 issue, and if you're looking for more on the cost of prefab homes, it may be worth trying to get a hold of a copy.