Prefab homes explained: Your guide to a faster, smarter build
As many Australian homeowners and investors look to find more sustainable, affordable ways to build a house, prefab homes are almost certainly at the top of the list when investigating the best choice for their needs.
As the Australian construction industry suffers from crippling labour shortages and cost overruns due to materials shortages and unforeseen disruptions on-site - a prefab home is one way for Australians to gain access to housing without the turmoil that can sometimes be brought upon a traditional home build.
As modular home builders, we understand that the term "prefab home" can often be confused with "modular home." Understanding the difference between a prefab home and a modular one can be of great benefit when you are looking for a guide to a faster, smarter build.
In most cases, many ‘prefab’ or ‘modular’ home builders have a clear definition between them, as you will see below. We, however, see ourselves as unique in the market.
As home builders, we prefabricate modules, which are then placed together repeatedly to create the home footprint you desire. Discover why we consider Frontier Life’s unique home-building process to be both prefab and modular….
What is a prefabricated home, and what are its benefits to homebuilders?
Often referred to as a prefab home, this building model refers to a house with sections and components manufactured off-site in a controlled setting. These sections and components are then transported to the site for assembly.
Like modular homes, a prefab home has one key advantage: manufacturing occurs in a controlled environment. This helps reduce waste, improve build quality, and reduce environmental factors such as weather that impede manufacturing. Pricing and delivery times can be almost guaranteed, speeding up the overall project.
However, a prefab home requires transport to the site in pieces to be entirely constructed on arrival. Due to the nature of the build, this timeline section can be subject to weather conditions and may require more land development than a modular home.
What is a modular home, and how can a modular home benefit homebuilders?
A modular home is a building model that (like a prefab home) refers to a house manufactured off-site in a controlled setting. However, each module that makes up a modular home is built entirely in the manufacturing facility and transported to the site.
Even though a modular home may include just one module or multiple modules to make up a home, all components are assembled within the factory setting, with each module being transported on one truck individually to be installed via crane on-site.
Transporting each module as a whole unit enables a modular home to reduce waste, improve build quality, and reduce environmental factors affecting the project timeline.
A modular home can require less land development on site as each module is built and transported ready to be placed on-site. There are no components that require construction on site. Once delivered, a modular home requires only attaching each module to the next and connecting utilities.
A modular home can be a wise choice to eliminate variances in your home build. By building a modular home, you can benefit from the following advantages:
Efficiency and predictability with your home build
Quick build and installation times
Quality control
Structural integrity
A more sustainable building practice
An investment in a modular home can allow you to invest in a home as you can with affordable additions available as you need them and as your budget allows. The ability to build on your home or relocate as life changes gives each Frontier Life homeowner to:
Add more living space or extra bedroom/s as the family grows
Extend the home to allow for a home office or business space
Utilise extra land to add a separate home as an investment property
Relocate your entire home to another piece of land
Re-configure your home to meet your lifestyle
By focusing on the benefits of a prefab home, we have taken those key elements and extended our business model and product to eliminate any factors within the build process that could add time and cost variances to a home build while ensuring our product quality remains at the highest standard.
We wanted to bring affordable, adaptable housing to the market so Australian families could stop dreaming about owning their own homes and achieve homeownership without being tied to the bank.
Our eco-friendly modular prefab homes are connectable, expandable, movable, and adaptable to your life. Take a listen to our founders, Adam and Daniel, explain their passion for modular homes and why you should choose a Frontier Life modular home now.
