Prefabricated homes with their low cost and efficient installation have struck a chord with people. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

cross-posted from : https://lemmy.zip/post/64063873

Spanning about 71.5 sq m, a flat-packed house will arrive move-in ready, complete with a bedroom, kitchen, independent bathroom – and even preinstalled windows.

  • fubarx@lemmy.world
    2·
    4時間前

    A friend of mine lived in a hillside neighborhood. Wanted a small ADU (standalone unit, usually pre-fab, for office or in-laws). Reasonably priced prefabs. Since it was on an incline, couldn’t just plop it on cement blocks. Got an estimate for a poured foundation. Slab was too heavy. It had to be the lighter kind that traced the exterior edge, with anchors into bedrock to comply with code.

    $300K, just for the foundation.

    Noped right out.

  • cobysev@lemmy.world
    4·
    7時間前

    She attributes the competitiveness of Chinese prefab housing to three key factors: cost, quality and efficiency.

    “China’s well-established supply chains allow us to offer competitive pricing without compromising on quality,” she said

    The YouTube video at the end of the article shows several issues they had with the pre-fab home, which they had to fix themselves after install. Not exactly a quality product. However, for only $25K, I’d expect to do some DIY touch-ups myself.

    • Jhex@lemmy.world
      7·
      7時間前

      fixing stuff in newly built homes is so standard you normally have scheduled visits as soon as you take possession of a home… so having to fix some stuff in these prefabs is not even any worse than buying a regular home

      i’d like to know how they hold in time though

      • cobysev@lemmy.world
        1·
        3時間前

        You’re in luck! The linked video in the article is from a YouTube channel, where they did a “9 months later” video, discussing how the house held up over time. With their initial repairs and fixes, it seems to have done pretty well.

  • glimse@lemmy.world
    5·
    8時間前

    I worked on a house that was prefabbed in Indiana and trucked over here where we have tight building regulations. Like all electrical MUST be run through EMT conduit.

    So imagine my surprise when I found a rats nest if Romex in the mechanical closet. None of the wires were even trimmed, it was a tied up ball of wires going into the panel.

    I’d have the same concern getting a cheap house shipped in from overseas. What corners were cut to save money? Who can you call when you discover an issue with the construction 6 months later?

    I see the appeal, I just don’t think I’d be comfortable living in it

    • merc@sh.itjust.works
      3·
      6時間前

      Builders also often cut corners when building a standard build-on-site house too. If you have a newly built home, do you really think they’re going to take your calls if you find an issue with the construction 6 months later?

      It’s probably worse if you order something prefabbed from China where they don’t have to worry about their local reputation, and they’re far from any legal consequences. But, where I live at least there are a lot of very powerful builders who are extremely well connected to the government. I can’t remember them ever facing consequences for shoddy building.

      • glimse@lemmy.world
        4·
        57分前

        If you have a newly built home, do you really think they’re going to take your calls if you find an issue with the construction 6 months later?

        Yes…because that’s how the law works. Builders are on the hook long after construction is complete.

        Furthermore, new construction has MULTIPLE waves of inspections throughout the build which makes detrimental corner cutting a lot harder. You obviously don’t get that with prefabs of any kind.

        It doesn’t seem like you’re very familiar with the industry. Builders get sued every day for problems they caused years ago. If they don’t fix it, they get sued. It’s part of the reason they’re required to have insurance.

        But, where I live at least there are a lot of very powerful builders who are extremely well connected to the government. I can’t remember them ever facing consequences for shoddy building.

        There’s shitty builders everywhere (Lennar lol) who seem to operate for years with impunity but they’re mostly doing full cookie cutter neighborhoods. Builders who do one-offs can be shitty, too, but have a portfolio and reputation for you to consider ahead of time. You just have to trust the images when you buy a house online

  • Warl0k3@lemmy.world
    14·
    10時間前

    According to market research firm Mordor Intelligence

    Something about these guys makes me not trust them. Dunno what it could possibly be…

    • PagPag@lemmy.world
      5·
      10時間前

      It’s a tad disingenuous to compare windows here, and I think $25k is still a bit of an exaggeration.

      $25k would get you top of the line shit and enough area for making a “glass house” of that size when looking at material costs alone.

      Talking triple pane, extra thick, argon filled, tempered and impact resistance panes with a UV filter and any additional cost adders for the (foam filled) anodized aluminum frames.

      Labor costs are another thing.