As a fan of transportable homes, I believe the greater majority of traditionally built homes have the capacity to be built in a modular fashion. This series of TOP 100 homes gives you an idea of what is possible and an overview of what already exists in the marketplace.
Modern Modular Homes
A great example of bringing the outdoors in. The glass dining area is suspended to give the feeling of eating outside.
Utilising stone and neutral colours, this home blends into the natural environment.
The suspended portions of this home create less impact on the fora and fauna.
Elevated access to this modern modular home gives a unique and relatively cost effective entrance.
This home is very quite plain in design and yet has the ‘wow factor’.
Long gone are the days of relocatable homes being referred to as trailers and thought of as housing for the poor and unemployed section of the community. No, The trailer-park mentality has gone.
Introducing the new generation of transportable homes that make architects go all hyperactive and revved up like a purebred. The new breed of relocatable homes are exciting living spaces. Living spaces suitable for an independent teenager at the back of the lawn, granny living independently, or for the whole family in glorious modular mansion.
The growth of relocatable homes in Australia and overseas has forced the building industry to seek better building solutions. Demands for faster delivery times, and most excitingly, … modular homes with the WOW factor! Large and small, budget conscious or wreckless financial abandonment; they are a far cry from twenty years ago.
What’s all the Modular Homes fuss about?
What used to be a living space resembling a plain box, is now a sophisticated, bright and airy home. Some houses consisting of up to 8 modules for a luxurious modular home, where people would never know it had arrived on a truck in several pieces and was assembled like a giant puzzle.
With the fast pace of life comes the solution of modular homes; where foundations are poured at the same time the portable home is being constructed. Making for more efficient building processes. Even the banks are happier as transportable homes are more systemised; less likely to compromise bridging loan arrangements and deadlines, if approved. Also, home-owners are not having to store their furniture and live in an expensive rental property for months on end.
Weather isn’t a factor. It could be snowing or having a heat-wave; it makes no difference to modular homes. When relocatable homes are built undercover, the internal structure of the home is protected. How many times have you seen the frame of a new home standing out in the wind and rain for weeks waiting for the weather to be more favourable? This doesn’t happen with portable homes.
The great advantage to having transportable homes is when you are growing weary of your surroundings, you just load your home modules onto trucks and move to a better location. With computers, the internet and the ability to work online; people are becoming more and more transient. Even the older generation in Australia is increasingly mobile and choosing to live in smaller modular homes with large sheds attached to accommodate their motor-homes. Motor-homes are predicted to reach 4.1 million seniors exploring Australia within the next 10 years (according to KPMG and Sixty Minutes).
It seems everybody wants the stress and inconvenience of home building to become a faster and stress-free experience; leaving people free to enjoy their life.
In general, relocatable homes have more building materials included in the construction. Built to withstand the riggers of multiple moves and demanding conditions.
Once the modules of a portable home are assembled, there is a ‘double wall effect’. Where the modules meet, as each module is a mini building in it’s own right, when sandwiched together, the internal walls are effectively doubled.
The benefits of doubled internal walls are –
extra insulation properties
sound proofing effect
additional structural strength
These insular properties are especially valuable if you live in a hot or cold climate, as the extra insulation helps to further regulate internal temperatures. Providing a more comfortable living space whilst reducing your heating and cooling costs. Or, if you live near an airport, highway or industrial area with high noise, the double walling makes your home a lot quieter inside. Great for night-shift workers who sleep during the day, or an elderly family member who is poorly and frail.
An exception to the rule would be granny flats, as they are usually one module and therefore do not have the doubled wall effect.
Many blocks of land are a challenge to access without causing potential damage to relocatable homes. It is important to discuss the accessibility to your block of land with your building contractor well in advance of signing contracts.
A portable home on a steep section of land can pose problems and even a road entrance for a level site can have its problems.
Some things to look out for include –
letterboxes
fences
deep storm-water drains
gates
overhanging and close trees
mud or soft land
power lines
water ways
trenches
utility paths (power, water, gas, etc)
french drains or other sewage lines, tiles or tanks
under ground tanks
swamp or soft soil
garden
other buildings
pergolas
narrow driveways
concrete/brick/stone walls
If your building contractor is unable to visit your block of land, consider providing video-footage of the site, photographs, maps and an indication of soil type and drainage. The more information you provide your building contractor with, the better. Obviously a site visit would be preferable.
Solutions to problems may include –
temporarily removing letterboxes, gates and fences
pruning or rope-down tree branches
reinforcing deep storm-water drains and building a makeshift bridge
making a new alternative driveway entrance to the property, specifically designed for the delivery of modular homes.
From Signing a Transportable Homes Contract to Having it Delivered.
Transportable Homes Video – Tracey explains the ordering process.
Once you have signed a contract to have a Transportable Home built by a pre-manufactured homes building contractor, it usually takes 3 months, (on average) to have it delivered to your block of land.
There are however, circumstances which can make the process of building modular homes much faster. For instance, if you were to select a relocatable home from a standardised floor-plan and not alter or modify it in any way. Also, depending upon the manufactured homes factory scheduling, as they may be producing similar modular homes in a run. If this was the case and everything fell easily into place, you could get a transportable home in as little as two weeks!
Transportable Homes Video – Tracey talks about the various sizes of portable homes.
The size of modular homes is purely determined by what is required; there are no limitations as such.
Anything from a small, budget, one bedroom, open-plan, self-contained studio; to a luxury 4 bedroom 3 bathroom 3-storey abode featuring an enormous kitchen complete with island in the center, floor to ceiling windows down the entire north-facing side and a master bedroom with a top of the range ensuite.
It is up to you. If you want something custom-made, it all depends on your floor-plan, budget, and property access.
There are transporting laws, for example in Tasmania you can’t exceed 4.8m wide and anything larger requires an escorted journey by an approved pilot vehicle; which alerts on-coming traffic of the wide-load ahead. If your custom design is wider than allowable for your State, talk to your Contractor about the freighting and segmentation of your building and the transportation laws.
Transportable Homes Video – Tracey discusses the importance of relocatable home maintenance.
Transportable homes are designed to require the bare minimum of maintenance, leaving you to enjoy your new lifestyle.
The warranty and guarantee of relocatable homes will have conditions which include the completion of maintenance in order to remain covered.
Ask your building contractor –
exactly what maintenance is required
how often the maintenance is needed
if proof of maintenance is required
There are some finishes that increase the amount of maintenance. An example would be having the exterior of a portable home in solid timber which is oiled. Obviously, oiling the timber to keep it waterproof and for wood preservation would be essential; requiring more frequent maintenance than other exterior finishes.
Transportable Homes Video – Tracey talks about transport distances of relocatable homes.
You can freight modular homes very long distances; from Melbourne to Darwin if need be. Obviously, the further the distance, the greater the transport costs. Also, the number of portable homes modules have to be taken into consideration.
Basically, the deciding factor is budget.
If you are thinking about transporting your portable home some distance from the pre-manufactured homes factory; then remember you may find it harder to hire good local Tradesmen in remote locations and/or the Tradesmen you do hire have little or no experience assembling that particular design of relocatable home.
As for very remote or difficult locations; transportable homes can travel by road on a truck (which is normal), on a train, barge or via helicopter in extreme cases.
Are Transportable Homes Strong Enough to Travel Over Unsealed Roads?
Transportable Homes Video – Tracey talks about transporting relocatable homes.
Yes. Apart from being designed to the safety and strength standards outlined in the Building Code of Australia, relocatable homes have extra reinforcing to cope with several moves over their lifetime.
A reputable contractor who builds portable homes will build each module on a heavy-duty galvanised steel chassis, which has been designed by structural building engineers to withstand –
unsealed roads
undulating surfaces; like on a new block of land
high wind gusts and flexing during transportation
stress when lifting and lowering the module by crane, hydraulics or jacks.
Transportable Homes Video – Tracey explains techniques used to hide joins.
There are many different ways to disguise the joins when placing the modules of relocatable homes together.
One way is to design modular homes with interlocking pieces. When assembled on-site, the interlocking modules mesh together and look natural.
An example of disguising the join on the inside of a portable home may be the use of plastering on interior walls and ceilings. Plastering is used in the greater majority of traditionally built homes and is a very good way to cover joins so they are undetected.
Carpet, tiles and floating timber floors disguise the joins in the floor.
The exterior of portable homes have the natural and obvious joins like any other traditionally built home; like corners or when a full length of timber joins another matching length. Rendering covers joins very successfully and the matching of other building materials. The roofing is also matched and interlaced for make the roof line seamless.
In most cases, depending on the interior and exterior materials of your house; Builders should use the same materials using technologies to completely cover the fact the building is modular. Nobody should be able to see obvious joins. A well finished modular home should appear seamless with undetectable joins.
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A great example of bringing the outdoors in. The glass dining area is suspended to give the feeling of eating outside.
