When people think of the housing crisis they usually imagine the millions of renters who can’t afford increasing rents. In reality, the issue of housing affordability extends far beyond the rental market alone. First-time buyers can be priced out of their own neighbourhood or shut out of the market entirely.  Millions of Canadians and Americans struggle daily to maintain a home and spend most of their monthly income on their home. Couples who have outgrown a home may not be able to afford a new one.

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development define affordable housing as housing for which the occupants pay no more than 30 percent of their gross (before-tax) income on acceptable shelter. In cities like Vancouver, Los Angeles and Toronto home ownership costs consume 70-80% of the average homeowners monthly income.

While there are many elements of the housing crisis that no one can control, such as rising land costs, there are many that we can. The biggest of these factors is home construction and maintenance costs.

Even Brand New Home Construction Involves Inflated Costs

The conventional construction of a house is time consuming and expensive. Cost-stuffing starts as homes are built and that cost is passed on to you. Most companies reinvent the wheel with every project, despite best practices for building a new home on time and within budget. The inadequacies of outdated construction methods extend across the lifespan of the home as most of today’s homes have a wide range of problems that affect their longevity and contribute to the cost of home ownership.

11 Ways Prefab Homes Lower the Cost of Home Ownership

When it comes to affordability, prefab housing is the solution. Prefabricated housing- where the components are manufactured in a factory setting and then shipped to the building site for assembly- is a much more efficient and cost effective way to build a home.Keep reading to learn how prefab modular construction solves many of the problems traditional construction poses. 

Less is More

Conventional construction uses too many materials, which inflates costs and prolongs construction time. Basic materials can fluctuate in price due to market factors and the lead times on some materials can draw out the construction process and feed cost overruns.

Minimal On-Site Labour

Oversized and under-skilled construction crews make conventional construction somewhat chaotic. Staff levels change with market conditions and seasons. When the demand for home construction is high, the buyers pay a premium both on price and quality as surge hiring often leads to less experienced home construction teams.

Safety

Building a home from scratch on hot summer days or in cold winter temperatures poses challenges for construction crews that can create quality issues. In a factory setting, everyone is working in comfortable temperatures with dry materials, protecting the staff from injury and ensuring the highest quality materials will consistently be produced.

Faster Construction Times

The more materials and staff required for a project, the more bottlenecks you can anticipate. By manufacturing each component in a factory controlled setting, Lamelli eliminates the need to cut materials on-site. Our post and beam connection system allows homes to be assembled rapidly even in remote locations. This increased ease and speed decreases delays due to poor weather and fluctuations in labour. 

Structural Stability

Older construction techniques result in homes that are top-heavy and bottom-light, making them less structurally sound. Lamelli’s modular homes offer superior dimensional stability.

Consistent Quality

One of the main advantages of manufacturing components in a factory setting is quality control. Lamelli adheres to strict standards and all of our Glulam timber beams, wall panels and other components are built to a uniform quality. With on-site construction, the quality depends on the skill levels of contractors and one poor quality component can compromise the entire project. Prefab construction ensures that each sub-assembly is built to code. 

Centralized Infrastructure

Most homes have a decentralized infrastructure, which makes repairs more challenging and expensive. In a Lamelli home, all the electricity and plumbing is controlled from a central location.

Energy Efficiency

Superior energy efficiency begins with the unique design of each home. Lamelli uses artificial intelligence and passive solar design to orient homes and glazing to maximize or minimize sunlight in different areas of your home. This decreases the costs of heating and cooling and makes your home more comfortable. 

Our hyper insulated panels create an airtight building envelope with superior R-values. We have brought together the best technologies from around the world such as heat recovery ventilation systems and radiant heated floors to create some of the most energy efficient homes on the market. These factors significantly reduce heating and cooling costs. 

Customization

While many imagine prefab homes as being boxy or limited in terms of design possibilities, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Lamelli’s prefab homes are completely customizable and the lack of need for interior support walls and beams makes interior layouts truly flexible. Our ceilings can be up to 30 feet in height and we can build two storey homes.

Growing Homes

One of the best things about building the prefab home of your dreams with modular construction is that you don’t have to do it all at once, and even if you have you can easily change your home. Lamelli’s growing homes allow you to start with the core essentials of your home and add modules later as your needs evolve. Interior walls can easily be removed or repurposed. This makes getting started with a Lamelli’s home much more affordable and ideal for young families whose homes will face changing demands across their lifetime. 

Sustainability

Our prefab homes are built with 100% renewable Glulam timber, recyclable aluminum and glass. We offer solar roofing and siding and incorporate passive solar design into our homes wherever possible.These factors, combined with superior insulation, R-values, heat recovery ventilation systems and radiant heated floors, all add up to more sustainable construction and energy efficient homes. Prefab is a fast and easy way to build the types of homes needed to combat climate change.

Expect to See More Prefab Homes and Prefab Luxury

At present, prefab construction represents a small percentage of homes in the market. With the worsening housing crisis and new technologies being used in home construction, the market share of prefab homes is expected to grow significantly. Prefab luxury is a new trend in the housing market where companies like Lamelli are taking advantage of smart home technologies and artificial intelligence. 

Lamelli’s combination of engineering, premium materials and the best technologies from around the world ensure the best outcome possible. Skip the guessing games when it comes to building your custom home. Contact Lamelli today to get started.