
Prefabricated homes are no different. With different kinds of prefab homes on the market, it’s important that you understand their distinct characteristics to make sure you get exactly what you paid for.
Prefabricated homes come in all shapes and sizes, but sometimes those shapes and sizes don’t arrive as a whole. Think of kit homes as your regular modular home, but delivered to you as a puzzle. These properties are constructed on site and are designed to be assembled by the homeowner.
Kit homes are versatile in both cost and design. For starters, you can create rooms as big as you want and employ dimensions unique to your home. Contractors can draft up a plan that creates well measured segments that will be assembled in your property.
To further cut down the costs, most kit homes are delivered in pieces and are assembled by the owner, serving as one of the cheaper options among prefabricated homes.
Modular homes are exactly like kit homes, only they arrive in your lot completed and ready to go. They are often relocatable and designed for easy mobility, allowing homeowners to travel with their property when they need to.
Homeowners have the choice to have it built on-site or delivered from the factory. In either case, modular homes come as a convenient option for people who enjoy a ready-made home at a much more affordable rate.
The main difference comes down to build. While kit homes may appear cheaper upfront, they require more work and time for assembly. Whereas modular homes are delivered (or built on your land) with electrical fittings, water connections, and everything else you need for everyday living, kit homes require the extra work and effort on the part of the homeowner.
Other differences include:
Overall Cost: Kit homes may be cheaper but they don’t offer everything that a modular home has to offer. Fittings, construction, installation are all factored in the cost of modular homes, but come separate in kit homes.
In the long run, modular homes come out as the more economical option because of all the standard inclusions.
Design: Modular homes are best for people who have a more flexible approach towards everyday living. If you change your plans halfway through the build, most contracts can allow that and find ways to include your new ideas into the product.
On the other hand, kit homes are built like a puzzle, and its seamless design makes it nearly impossible to accommodate last minute changes.Construction Time: Kit homes can be built and delivered to your home in just a handful of weeks, but this doesn’t include the extra work you need to get the property up and running.
Modular homes arrive on your site in a shorter build time compared to traditional housing, and are outfitted with everything you need for living. All installations are made before the home is delivered to the homeowner, which allows for a faster, more immediate property turnover.
Insurance: Since these homes are designed to be built by the owner, hiring a contractor and other labour requires filing various insurances until the build is finished. On the other hand, modular home insurance falls under your builder’s licenses and insurance, so you don’t have to worry about any paperwork.
Deciding between a kit home and a modular home boils down to your resources. They have unique selling points that will might be more beneficial to specific kinds of residents.
For people who want to save as much money as possible, and who have no qualms with piecing together their own property, a kit home is the perfect answer.
For residents who want the standard inclusions and a ready-made home, a modular home is the obvious solution: