5 ms·

The issue is that pre-fab housing is fundamentally about low cost. There's nothing preventing a master craftsman from building the perfect pre-fab, but it will

The issue is that pre-fab housing is fundamentally about low cost. There's nothing preventing a master craftsman from building the perfect pre-fab, but it will be so expensive that anyone who could afford it would rather buy a "real home".

cjrp 4y ago
There's other advantages to pre-fab though. Known costs (building a house from scratch can cost 2x or 3x the original estimate) Assembly time (could be the difference between living on-site in a caravan for 1 month vs. 2-3 years).
- bluGill 4y ago
  When a builder makes a spec house they will estimate the costs to within a very small error every time. When someone hires the same builder to make the same house the price often will be 2x or more of the estimate, but that is because it isn't the same house. It starts with the same plan, but instead of putting the $10 lights in they put in the $300 ceiling fan. Instead of putting in the cheap toilet they put in the upgraded one. They put in the more expensive doors and trim. they choose the more expensive counter tops. they get the more expensive stove. And on and on with many little upgrades, each alone isn't very much money, but the end total is doubling the cost. If you are willing to stick with the same cheap choices the builder would choose you can build a house for the estimate. It is safe to bet money that you wouldn't.
rich_sasha 4y ago
I'm not sure. I mean, in practice it seems it is as you say, but I wonder if that's necessary. What would pre-fab look like if it targeted a high-quality finish? First, you'd think high-quality hand-made houses ought to be more expensive than high-quality prefab houses, made in a well-optimised factory process. Cost, quality etc. should just be more consistent. Second, the amount of general headscratching should be much lower. If I can design the pieces together and the on-site job is just to put them together well, that cuts out a lot of general "how do I connect these pieces" work, not to mention all the painstaking work of laying bricks etc. Finally, as also mentioned by sibling, the variance of cost should just be drastically lower. Clearly it doesn't work like that, but I wonder what the root cause is.
- michaelt 4y ago
  > What would pre-fab look like if it targeted a high-quality finish? Let me introduce you to Huf Haus [1] premium quality prefabricated houses. They go for modern designs, but I don't see why you couldn't target a traditional look with the same quality level. [1] https://www.huf-haus.com/en-uk/home-ideas/ https://www.huf-haus.com/en-uk/home-ideas/
  - jaclaz 4y ago
    ... if cost is not an issue. Huf Haus is world reknown for their quality, but they are not cheap.
- bluGill 4y ago
  What you are calling "hand-made houses" are entirely factory made. They bring the factory in on a truck, and pack it up, but it is still a factory, and the process are not much different from what you would do in any factory. And most of the parts are made off-sight, most of the parts are things like 2x4 that are made offsight in a factory. There isn't much room for doing more in a factory. Most pre-fab houses are cheaper only because they carefully limit your floor plans and options, and thus can just pay off a few jigs, but there isn't much savings possible there. They also often cut quality to save money.
  - rich_sasha 4y ago
    Is that the US process? UK, I believe, is still a lot of good old fashioned carpenters and bricklayers on site. Mainland Europe is, I believe, further still into that corner. In Poland, use of timber is a bit novel, it used to be all concrete and bricks really not that long ago, and is still the majority. I'm far from an expert though.
    - skyyler 4y ago
      I think the person you're replying to considers the worksite a factory simply because there are workers constructing a thing there.

cjrp 4y ago

There's other advantages to pre-fab though. Known costs (building a house from scratch can cost 2x or 3x the original estimate) Assembly time (could be the difference between living on-site in a caravan for 1 month vs. 2-3 years).

bluGill 4y ago
When a builder makes a spec house they will estimate the costs to within a very small error every time. When someone hires the same builder to make the same house the price often will be 2x or more of the estimate, but that is because it isn't the same house. It starts with the same plan, but instead of putting the $10 lights in they put in the $300 ceiling fan. Instead of putting in the cheap toilet they put in the upgraded one. They put in the more expensive doors and trim. they choose the more expensive counter tops. they get the more expensive stove. And on and on with many little upgrades, each alone isn't very much money, but the end total is doubling the cost. If you are willing to stick with the same cheap choices the builder would choose you can build a house for the estimate. It is safe to bet money that you wouldn't.

rich_sasha 4y ago

I'm not sure. I mean, in practice it seems it is as you say, but I wonder if that's necessary. What would pre-fab look like if it targeted a high-quality finish? First, you'd think high-quality hand-made houses ought to be more expensive than high-quality prefab houses, made in a well-optimised factory process. Cost, quality etc. should just be more consistent. Second, the amount of general headscratching should be much lower. If I can design the pieces together and the on-site job is just to put them together well, that cuts out a lot of general "how do I connect these pieces" work, not to mention all the painstaking work of laying bricks etc. Finally, as also mentioned by sibling, the variance of cost should just be drastically lower. Clearly it doesn't work like that, but I wonder what the root cause is.

michaelt 4y ago
> What would pre-fab look like if it targeted a high-quality finish? Let me introduce you to Huf Haus [1] premium quality prefabricated houses. They go for modern designs, but I don't see why you couldn't target a traditional look with the same quality level. [1] https://www.huf-haus.com/en-uk/home-ideas/ https://www.huf-haus.com/en-uk/home-ideas/
- jaclaz 4y ago
  ... if cost is not an issue. Huf Haus is world reknown for their quality, but they are not cheap.
bluGill 4y ago
What you are calling "hand-made houses" are entirely factory made. They bring the factory in on a truck, and pack it up, but it is still a factory, and the process are not much different from what you would do in any factory. And most of the parts are made off-sight, most of the parts are things like 2x4 that are made offsight in a factory. There isn't much room for doing more in a factory. Most pre-fab houses are cheaper only because they carefully limit your floor plans and options, and thus can just pay off a few jigs, but there isn't much savings possible there. They also often cut quality to save money.
- rich_sasha 4y ago
  Is that the US process? UK, I believe, is still a lot of good old fashioned carpenters and bricklayers on site. Mainland Europe is, I believe, further still into that corner. In Poland, use of timber is a bit novel, it used to be all concrete and bricks really not that long ago, and is still the majority. I'm far from an expert though.
  - skyyler 4y ago
    I think the person you're replying to considers the worksite a factory simply because there are workers constructing a thing there.