Prefabricated is a broad term for the method used to manufacture and construct homes off-site and then shipping and assembling them later. They differ greatly from traditional houses, which are usually built on-site over a number of months. The most common forms of prefabricated dwellings include tiny houses and cabins. There are a few different types of prefabricated homes, but the most commonly known are kit and modular homes.
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Modular homes are manufactured and constructed off-site and will arrive on the property fully assembled. Their design is informed by the need for portability, and they are some of the easiest homes to relocate, even after construction. They will also come with standard inclusions such as electrical fittings and water connections. Once a modular home arrives on a property, it is essentially ready for immediate habitation. Up front, modular homes are the most expensive type of prefab homes as they are the closest to traditional house building methods.
Kit homes are fairly similar, but there is one key difference: a kit home will arrive on the property disassembled, and the homeowner is now responsible for the construction. They can be assembled by individuals or hired contractors, though everyone must have the appropriate understanding of building processes and safety if this is a DIY job. Kit homes often arrive on the property much faster than modular homes as there is no time needed for pre-assembly. The arrival of a kit home can sometimes take as little as a few weeks. Kit homes are also the least expensive type of prefab home initially and can come as cheap as $100 per square metre.
However, these benefits do come with minor considerations. Though a kit home arrives in very little time, the assembly is likely to take longer – especially if you have not hired professionals to assemble the home and intend to DIY. The cost of assembly is also another factor to remember when considering the cheap prices of kit homes.
It is also important to know that kit homes do not always come fitted with the necessary extensions for electricity and water. Features like this, whether they are added before or after construction, will definitely increase the price of a home kit.
On average, a kit home ranges from $400-$600 per square metre. Three-bedroom kit homes with the basic connections necessary to be on the grid start at around $53,400. The average modular home costs between $500-$1000 per square metre, and a basic model will cost between $60,000-$200,000. Regardless of the type, you will see that there is a significant financial advantage to choosing a prefabricated home over traditional home building methods.
The first prefab home company was the American home store Aladdin in the early 1900s. Since then, prefab houses have grown in popularity across the globe, gaining traction in Australia around the Second World War. They are now popular choices for vacation properties, second homes, and in areas with limited space.
Strine Environments is a modular home architecture firm based in Queanbeyan, NSW renowned for its commitment to sustainable design. Strine has been providing the Canberra regions with high-quality green modular homes for many years, promoting passive solar and recycled materials such as reclaimed timber, steel and concrete. Read more about Strine Environments here.
Ehabitat is an acclaimed manufacturer of eco-friendly, fully modular homes which supply along the majority of the eastern Australian seaboard (NSW, Victoria, TAS and QLD). The company is primarily based in Victoria and Tasmania, but they have a Brisbane-based architect associate to service from Sydney to Cairns.
Ehabitat spaces have an extremely flexible design which can be tailored to your specific environment and requirements. Read more about previous Ehabitat plan layouts here.
Priding itself on providing some of Australia’s most energy-efficient houses, Valley Workshop is an architecture-led practice with a focus on conservation. Using sustainable materials from local suppliers and intelligent passive design, the modular homes of Valley Workshop are sure to impress all through their serviced states of Tasmania, Victoria and NSW.
Another modular home provider specialising in climate-friendly energy design, CarbonLite homes leads the charge on precision prefabrication and ultra-efficient energy design. Focusing on the principles of passive house design, CarbonLite is based in Melbourne. For more information, see here.
Fairweather Homes works in conjunction with MODUS Architects to provide the highest quality prefabricated homes with a strong foundation in sustainable design practices. The company is based in Melbourne and has locations throughout Australia. See more at the website.
A celebrated modular home builder based in Buladelah, NSW, MAAP House provides affordable and adaptable house-hybrid modular homes across Australia. Read more about the catalogue and prices here.
Ecoliv buildings are sustainably designed modular homes which strike a balance between sustainability and comfort. Browse their catalogue of gorgeous modular homes here.
One of the most well-known builders of modular homes in Australia, Mode Homes provides architecturally designed prefabricated homes from Perth to Sydney. Read more about the company’s critically best-known projects here.
Based in Sydney, Habitech Systems provides some of the most cost-effective housing options on the current market. Delivering kit homes across NSW, QLD and Victoria, Habitech Systems is known for its unique design approach and focus on innovation.
Ecoshelta is one of the most established modular home building and development firms in Australia. They have paved the way for kit and modular home design throughout their extensive career. Read more about the leaps they have taken in prefab home design here.
Arkit is a renowned prefabrication home provider with extensive experience catering to residential and commercial needs. The brand prides itself on its flexibility and ability to address all client needs on an individual basis.
Archiblox is a modular home company catering to Victoria and NSW with a strong commitment to innovation. Archiblox homes are guaranteed to be sustainable, energy-efficient, and closely attuned to the natural climate. Read more about the studio’s projects here.
Modscape is one of Australia’s leading prefabricated home designers. Known for award-winning projects such as the Phillip Island Project (pictured above), Modscape‘s designs merge the beautiful with the practical to create the perfect home for every client.
Without any doubt, whatsoever, the most efficient way to build a house is to build it inside another house – or shed as the case may be.
The advantages and cost savings of building offsite continue to grow as processes and materials improve.
So often the discussion can be heard of prefab vs modular, but what’s the difference? Modular homes are prefabricated homes – with prefab being an umbrella term for anything that is created offsite. The next discussion is kit homes vs modular. While some include kit homes in this group, that really isn’t correct. Kit homes are primarily created by all materials being delivered on site in an unconstructed form. So to close the arguments down, let’s agree that what we have here are in fact prefab modular homes.
Although seen as concept created after the two world wars, in an effort to quickly and cost effectively replace destroyed housing (and prepare for the imminent bay boom that follows war), the concept in fact dates back to Roman days when prefabricated fort sections were mass produced and delivered to distant locations.
However, the reputation of poorly created homes with tissue paper for walls that evolved from the post war eras has taken decades to shake off. Now the industry, facilitated by rapidly evolving digital technologies is at the forefront of building production, with a vast number of floor plans to choose from and delivery available in NSW, Victoria, Perth and QLD – and one imagines Tasmania and the territories can just as easily be reached.
Ecologically conscious consumers have become very concerned with the sustainability of all building materials, and of industrial waste. Combined with the concept of building smaller homes, the modular industry, which has responded to each concern, is experiencing a boom in demand.
With extraordinary building times, (there’s an average 12-week turnaround from completion of design to having a crane arrive onsite), consumers’ “I want it now” appetites are quickly satisfied.
For more information, please visit prefab house Australia.
Plus of course the system also allows top quality builds to be delivered to areas that do not have supply of top tradies, and protects buyers from weather affected time tables. It must be very hard for a standard home builder to compete with the low price modular homes.
The digital technology used in designing the homes, continues into the production line with faultless material preparation resulting in minimum waste in materials, and a reduced use of energy in the process.
Which brings us to the modular home cost. One producer, Tektum reports that there are savings of between 10 to 15 percent in building costs and a 40 percent reduction in construction time.
No wonder it is now recognized that affordable modular homes are a force of good to be encouraged.
Earlier this year the Australian Federal Government announced a $2m development budget to allocated to a new collaborative lab to help manufacturers design innovative new prefabricated buildings
Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews said “This sector is starting to build significant momentum and currently represents 3-5 per cent of Australia’s $150 billion construction industry,” Minister Andrews said.
"This share could grow to 15 per cent by 2025, creating 20,000 new Australian jobs and adding $30 billion to our economy.”
5. Archiblox
www.archiblox.com.au
Perhaps the name most commonly associated with modular design in Australia is Archiblox. The company has a strongly held view of the relationship between the built form and the environment, and strives to improve its already exceptional green credentials each year.
Of their many awards, the most recent, in 2018, was the Build Excellence Award from the Australian Construction Awards.
To pin down prices on a modular design is still no easy feat as modular home designs are not only available from the company itself, but can also be customised.
However approximate low end of the scale is a starting price of $101,000.
4. Prebuilt
www.prebuilt.com.au
The stunning designs from Prebuilt are also environmentally sound, with energy connections designed to reduce the house running costs. Since their inception in 2002 they have constructed more than 300 homes. Their customer base includes downsizers and those desiring holiday homes, and with Prebuilt’s reputation for exciting work off site, there is no need for time consuming project management by owners.
Generally, it’s a twelve week build, with their price range from $100,000 to $2m plus.
3. Modscape
www.modscape.com.au
Now 13 years old Modscape has continued to push boundaries, and remain flexible. Each project from the Modscape team is designed for the particular client, and site with passive design principles inherent in the overall design. When the Modscape pods arrive to site they are complete from light fixtures to toilet roll holders, with generally just the flooring to be finalised.
With Modscape each design is bespoke, so there is no benchmark for pricing, but a very general construction guide price is between $3,000-$5,000 per sqm.
2. Ecoliv
ecoliv.com.au/modular-homes
With more than 30 house designs (with prices) on their website, EcoLiv may be the most easy to navigate of the top providers. Ecoliv built their first award winning display home in 2009, and have thrived from that point on. As with all the main suppliers, the company is eco sensitive, and states that it is the only modular manufacturer to include a 1.8km solar power system as a standard.
1. Mode Homes
www.modehomes.com.au
A different concept is that found in Mode Homes. Rather than pods being delivered to site, Mode Homes builds the homes in a fold up, fold down style. Their patented system, which can be seen on video through their website, sees the base of floor (as such) folded up like a suitcase, and then taken to site – which is an easier and less costly task. When unfolded the other prefab elements are attached to the frame. So, unlike other prefabs there is more to be done on site, however they offer a huge range of standard design options.
With such a set of variables, nailing down a price is tricky, however they say that the majority of their residential projects work out at approximately $2,800-$3,000 (plus GST) per sqm.
Image: Modscape
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