Transportable Homes Video – Tracey talks about inspections of relocatable homes during construction.
Yes! Any good reputable building contractor will welcome you on-site to inspect the progress of your new portable home.Before you sign any contracts, make sure you are allowed to view your relocatable home during its various stages of construction.
It is advisable to make your appointments in advance, that are mutually beneficial to both you and your pre-manufactured homes building contractor.
During visits you will be able to see if the project is running on schedule. You can inspect the workmanship, monitor overall progress and get a feel for your new home.
Transportable Homes Video – Tracey explains the building process of relocatable homes.
Transportable Homes are built to Australian Standards. There are several ways of building them but most commonly is
in a Building Contractor’s yard, or
in a very large shed
In both these instances it is reasonable to assume they will follow the most popular method of construct; which is in an assembly-line environment under very controlled conditions. A lot along the lines of a car factory where vehicles are assembled on a production-line.
There are many benefits for this type of pre-manufactured homes construction –
Bulk purchasing using volume discounts
Better utilisation of Tradesmen
Increased efficiency
Higher Quality Control systems
Less building materials waste
All of these add up to greater savings and less time consumed to create modular homes. The result being shorter waiting times for your portable homes and much better value for your money.
Transportable Homes Video – Tracey talks about various names used for portable homes.
Relocatable homes are also referred to as –
transportable homes
portable homes
pre-manufactured homes
manufactured homes
pre-built homes
modular homes
granny flats
prefabricated homes
prefabs
prefab homes
cabins
holiday park cabins
tourist cabins
affordable housing
These are all types of relocatable homes. However, they are not to be confused with a normally built house on a section of land that is ‘removed’ after a few years and transported to another location. These are just homes that have been removed.
Whereas, relocatable homes (or any other terminology used in the list above) are purposely designed to be transported and have extra reinforcing to cope with possibly several moves over their lifetime.
Transportable Homes Video – Tracey explains the many different terms used for transportable homes.
Transportable homes are also referred to as –
relocatable homes
portable homes
pre-manufactured homes
manufactured homes
pre-built homes
modular homes
granny flats
prefabricated homes
prefabs
prefab homes
cabins
holiday park cabins
tourist cabins
affordable housing
These are all types of transportable homes. However, they are not to be confused with a traditionally built house on a block of land that is ‘moved’ after a period of years and transported to another location. These are purely houses that have been moved.
Whereas, transportable homes (or any other terminology used in the list above) are designed to be transported and have extra reinforcing to cope with possibly several moves over their lifetime.
Modifying Standardised Floor-plans and the Extra Costs?
Transportable Homes Video – Tracey identifies alterations to standardised floor-plans that may, or will definitely incur additional costs.
Small modifications to portable homes floor-plans can be made but may still require drafting fees. Some changes to a Standardised Floor-plan may be –
changing to a plastered ceiling instead of exposed beams
requesting a shub (shower and bath-tub combined) instead of a standard shower
upgrading the kitchen and changing the layout
changing the position of lights, light switches and power points
having a larger than normal fridge/freezer space
Drafting fees depend on the complexity of the modification to the plan. Structural changes are normally most expensive. Examples of more complex and/or larger changes could be –
adding, deleting or moving a door
adding, deleting or moving windows
extending the length of a bedroom
turning two small bedrooms into one large bedroom
changing the roof pitch or design for aesthetic purposes
Note: Every building contractor is different. It is a good idea to ask what the fees are for changing one of their standard floor-plans before you start modifying. Good building contractors will have a fair idea of the extra costs you will incur as they may have made similar alterations to the floor-plan before.
Also, when I state you may incur a drafting fee for making alterations, that means a drafting fee is likely. However, it does not include the actual materials and labour for making such a change.
Example:
You choose a standardised floor-plan, but you want a shub in the bathroom, instead of the basic shower because you have small children.
In this case you may or may not incur a drafting fee. It depends if the shub fits in the same space as the basic shower cubic. Some building contractors charge for this, and others don’t; regardless of the shub fitting exactly in the space or not.
Then, you have the additional cost of the shub, compared to the basic shower cubic that was included in the original design. You need to pay the difference.
And, you may have extra costs associated with the labour to fit the shub. The basic shower cubical may have been a one man labour unit to fit it in, but the shub is heavier and needs two men to fit it.
In conclusion, you may have three costs associated with changing from a basic shower to a shub in a standardised floor-plan in this example.
Drafting Fee
Upgrade Cost (price difference between the basic shower cubical and the shub)
Does it cost extra to modify a standard floor-plan?
Transportable Homes Video – Tracey talks about costs associated with standardised floor-plan modification.
Minor changes to a transportable homes floor-plan can be accommodated but may still require a drafting fee. Small changes to Standardised Floor-plans may be –
changing to a plastered ceiling instead of exposed beams
requesting a shub (shower and bath-tub combined) instead of a standard shower
upgrading the kitchen and changing the layout
changing the position of lights, light switches and power points
having a larger than normal fridge/freezer space
Drafting fee amounts depend on the complexity of the alteration to the plan. Structural changes are normally most expensive. More complex and/or larger changes could be –
adding, deleting or moving a door
adding, deleting or moving windows
extending the length of a bedroom
turning two small bedrooms into one large bedroom
changing the roof pitch or design for aesthetic purposes
Note: Every building contractor is different. It is a good idea to ask what the fees are for changing one of their standard floor-plans before you start modifying. Good building contractors will have a fair idea of the extra costs you will incur as they may have made similar alterations to the floor-plan before.
No longer are they a prefabricated box with no character. Today, relocatable homes have everything a traditionally built house has to offer, … and more.
In the past five years, technology has accelerated in the portable homes industry to cope with the growing demand for affordable housing that is be every bit as ‘normal looking’ as a regular home but delivered on site in double quick time. Hence, modular homes have become trendy, modern living spaces with light, airy rooms that integrate indoor and outdoor living.
Every design, from open-plan studios to luxury 3-storey architecturally designed abodes with serious attitude. Thanks to the vast array of building materials available for transportable homes, architects can now let their imaginations go wild with little or no restrictions.
Transportable Homes are not a new idea. In 1910, Sear-Roebuck sold over half a million relocatable homes throughout the United States of America over a thirty year period. In the beginning this affordable housing was plain and humble. However, after much refinement the designs of these portable homes offered became very attractive; featuring 2-storey options with continuous balconies and verandahs. For just over USD$1200, 2-storey pre-manufactured homes with 3 bedrooms were in hot demand by soldiers returning from the war.
Today, technology has pushed the modular homes industry to dizzying heights where there is very little transportable homes can not feature. The size and shape only determining the number of modules to be transported and assembled. Portable homes have advanced so far that the concept is being used in some of the most unexpected industries like the Queen Mary II. Where the ship’s designers chose to integrate modular concepts by having the passenger rooms and VIP suites made in individual pods which were lifted into place as the world’s most expensive luxury cruise liner was being built.
Yes, Relocatable Homes are faster to build and assemble. And yes, they are in many cases substantially cheaper than traditional building options. But, are relocatable homes best for your unique situation? There are many things to consider; transportation, number of modules, distance from the pre-manufactured homes factory, local builders and so on.
To learn more about whether or not portable homes are ideal for you, click Are Relocatable Homes Best For You and read some essential questions to ask your manufactured homes building contractor, your local builder and yourself.
Things to Ask Your Local Builder about Transportable Homes
There are many things to consider and take into account when buying and relocating a portable home. If your block of land is situated a long distance away from the pre-manufactured manufacturing plant, you may have to use a local builder to assemble the modules, join the components of the transportable home, coordinate utilities and sign the project off. It is essential to make sure you know the right questions to ask so you have a hassle free relocatable homes experience. To find out more click Ask Your Relocatable Homes Building Contractor; and get your FREE copy of the Transportable Homes Information Guide.
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