Just read the info on the "Why Blu" page as the photos look intriguing, but as soon as the page mentioned "pre-fab", it became a non-start for me in the SoCal market.
The problem is that pre-fabricated or pre-manufactured homes are a very specific category of homes and require specific disclosures when selling and financing. It's basically a derogatory term used to describe cheaply built structures that are a step above mobile homes.
Home being one of the most valuable assets a typical family holds. In SoCal and many other places, land makes up the bulk of the value. Place a structure on that land that then detracts from the value doesn't seem very prudent. Not to mention difficult to finance, as banks do not look favorably on that class of building.
So, unfortunately, innovation has to deal with current market and regulatory frameworks. 3D printing as proposed (though my not be valuable), would probably fall under the "custom house" label, which is the most valuable classification. Even if it's just a tract home, it's still a lot better than being considered pre-fab/pre-manufactured.
Kevin revisits David and Greta Iredale, who replaced their original house which they designed and built themselves with a German built, precision engineered Huf Haus.
Esher, 2004
Kevin McCloud follows a couple who have built houses before, but never on this scale. Their new 'Huf Haus' is designed and made in Germany but delivered for assembly in Surrey.
We toured their factory they set up at Mare Island. The 'pre-fab' thing is interesting. They design them so that their components unfold, and they can be shipped by truck. The primary use case seems to be places where there are short building seasons (cabins in the mountains for example) and where on-site work is cost prohibitive. A friend of ours bought one and put it up on land near Johnsville in the Sierras. It neither feels nor looks like a 'mobile home' or 'prefab' home, but of course it was prefabricated. It took less than a week to go from prepped foundation to cosy house. That was pretty neat.
Prefab and preamnufactured homes are different. Premanufactured homes are also known as mobile homes. There are probably a lot of prefab homes around you that you never knew about.
The above definition lumps them together and unfortunately if there isn't something that makes the home not fall under that definition, you are going to have to disclose this at sale and financing will be a PITA...
Comments
Just read the info on the "Why Blu" page as the photos look intriguing, but as soon as the page mentioned "pre-fab", it became a non-start for me in the SoCal market.
The problem is that pre-fabricated or pre-manufactured homes are a very specific category of homes and require specific disclosures when selling and financing. It's basically a derogatory term used to describe cheaply built structures that are a step above mobile homes.
Home being one of the most valuable assets a typical family holds. In SoCal and many other places, land makes up the bulk of the value. Place a structure on that land that then detracts from the value doesn't seem very prudent. Not to mention difficult to finance, as banks do not look favorably on that class of building.
So, unfortunately, innovation has to deal with current market and regulatory frameworks. 3D printing as proposed (though my not be valuable), would probably fall under the "custom house" label, which is the most valuable classification. Even if it's just a tract home, it's still a lot better than being considered pre-fab/pre-manufactured.
That's a shame, because some pre-fabricated houses are very high quality. See, for example the Huf Haus in an episode of the UK show "Grand Designs".
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/grand-designs/episode-gui...
We toured their factory they set up at Mare Island. The 'pre-fab' thing is interesting. They design them so that their components unfold, and they can be shipped by truck. The primary use case seems to be places where there are short building seasons (cabins in the mountains for example) and where on-site work is cost prohibitive. A friend of ours bought one and put it up on land near Johnsville in the Sierras. It neither feels nor looks like a 'mobile home' or 'prefab' home, but of course it was prefabricated. It took less than a week to go from prepped foundation to cosy house. That was pretty neat.
Prefab and preamnufactured homes are different. Premanufactured homes are also known as mobile homes. There are probably a lot of prefab homes around you that you never knew about.
While I agree that it's not exactly the same, the only definition I could find is the one for manufactured homes in CA: http://law.onecle.com/california/health/18007.html.
The above definition lumps them together and unfortunately if there isn't something that makes the home not fall under that definition, you are going to have to disclose this at sale and financing will be a PITA...