Building a new home is a huge project and the future homeowners need to face some difficult choices. Location, design, materials and the type of construction are the main things you need to decide on before building a new home. The options are numerous and the decision is not easy to make. One of the basic things you need to decide on first is whether you�ll have a prefabricated or a traditionally built home. They both have their advantages and drawbacks, so you need to choose what type of construction is right for you.
Prefabricated homes
These homes, sometimes called prefabs are also known as �modular�, because of the way they are designed. They are manufactured long before arriving at the building site. Only are the rooms constructed when they leave the factory � these are the house sections that are easy to transport. Then, when they arrive at the site, they are being secured (assembled). The number of modules doesn�t depend on the number of rooms - a three room home can be built from 5 or 6 separate boxlike modules.
- Manufactured (mobile) homes
Some people mistake prefabricated homes for manufactured and kit homes, but there is some difference between them. Manufactured homes are built on steel beams, and they are transported on wheels to the home site. That�s the reason why they are sometimes referred to as �mobile� homes. When they are assembled, the wheels are not removed � they are just covered with side skirting. In appearance, they hardly differ from the stick-built homes, wooden houses that are also constructed on the site. Their price is low, but they lose resale value as soon as they are moved from the site.
- Kit homes
Kit homes are also made of steel, but they arrive at the house site in pieces and they are constructed there. They are much more durable than manufactured homes and there are no restrictions when it comes to rooms� size like with prefabs. The owners have an absolute freedom when it comes to size and design, and the price may be a bit higher than that of manufactured homes, but you�ll get a great value for your money.
- Why to choose prefabs
The biggest advantages of prefab homes are the flexibility (design can be easily altered), quick and easy construction, reduced labor cost and less waste materials. Also, the very process of assembling is safer for the workers, the materials are protected from the elements as they are manufactured away from the building site and the works are not slowed down by the bad weather. Unlike mobile homes, their resale value doesn�t drop. The last but not the least - their design is unique, futuristic and beautiful.
Traditional homes
Traditional construction is a term used to describe a building that's constructed piece by piece on a building site. They come in all sizes, shapes and materials and the only characteristic that is common for them is that they are not mobile, and they often remain on the site �for good�. Although there are lots of different building practices within the traditional construction, �brick and block� method is still the most frequently used one. This is, in fact, their greatest advantage over prefabricated houses � the construction methods are time-tested.
Advantages of traditional construction
With traditional construction, only sky is the limit � you can have as many additional structures as you like and you�re not limited when it comes to room size (although this is changing in modular construction as well). One big benefit of traditional homes is the mortgage loan form. Also, as traditional homes are built atop foundation, they are much more resistant to tornadoes and hurricanes, unlike modular homes which are not fixed to the foundations. They are fixed to the ground, but that can�t compare with the resistant concrete slabs of the traditional building.
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