Modular, Container homes

[Paninistickers]

Anyone in the construction, architecture, or I guess the planning game got a view on modular homes? 

 

I've an older house. Means a long garden. I've toyed with the idea of having a trench for services put in and a kinda neat, trendy modular mini bungalow at the back to rent out. 

 

Financially viable? Or just a fanciful idea? Are planners reasonable with these things? Are these things really used or is at all theoretical right now?

[FoyleFox]

I'm not any of the above but did just watch an episode of Grand Designs, where their construction was a modular building. Built in a factory in Derbyshire. It was highly commended for its eco credentials and cost. 

[kenny]

13 hours ago, Paninistickers said:

Anyone in the construction, architecture, or I guess the planning game got a view on modular homes? 

 

I've an older house. Means a long garden. I've toyed with the idea of having a trench for services put in and a kinda neat, trendy modular mini bungalow at the back to rent out. 

 

Financially viable? Or just a fanciful idea? Are planners reasonable with these things? Are these things really used or is at all theoretical right now?

I design lots of them particularly for the garden room market.

 

They aren't cheap anymore and are probably a similar price to a traditional build. You could look at a park home which are cheaper as they follow the caravan regulations. 

 

https://www.podfactory.co.uk/

 

These aren't building regs compliant but are popular with glamping sites and garden annex folk.

Edited 16 September 2024 by kenny

[Paninistickers]

12 minutes ago, kenny said:

They aren't cheap anymore and are probably a similar price to a traditional build

Thanks. Having done some reading over the weekend, the costs look inflated. My own feeling being is that they are aimed at, and bought by, those who are a bit wealthier (in the private market anyway) and a premium price is attached to them because of that. 

 

 

[kenny]

14 minutes ago, Paninistickers said:

Thanks. Having done some reading over the weekend, the costs look inflated. My own feeling being is that they are aimed at, and bought by, those who are a bit wealthier (in the private market anyway) and a premium price is attached to them because of that. 

 

 

I don't think they are really, the whole industry is expensive now and the cost effects on traditional build have had the same effect on the modular side.

 

A glamping pod sounds like it would suit your needs as it would always be part of the house. Im not sure on cost, but I would guess £70-100k.

[RoboFox]

The ad I'm currently getting on this page 

 

[Paninistickers]

3 hours ago, RoboFox said:

The ad I'm currently getting on this page 

 

Clever the ol interweb,.intit?

[MPH]

The only concern I would have is that they don’t have  such a long ‘ shelf life’ as a regular home.  That being said, if you want to rent something out for the next 30-40years then you’ll be absolutely fine.

[MPH]

4 hours ago, RoboFox said:

The ad I'm currently getting on this page 

 

 

it’s almost as if  websites use cookies!

[Paninistickers]

28 minutes ago, MPH said:

The only concern I would have is that they don’t have  such a long ‘ shelf life’ as a regular home.  That being said, if you want to rent something out for the next 30-40years then you’ll be absolutely fine.

Yeah, apparently a dwelling had to be designed for 60 years, so upgraded homes to meet building regs are designed for that. Which is more than enough for the purpose I have in mind. 

 

Just can't escape that thought that they should be cheaper. If the prices, as outlined above, are more or less that of brick built, what's the point? My gut feel is they are overpriced and prices will come down if they become more used, more accepted and suppliers compete. Same as swimming pools. Cost a fortune. It's a fcking concrete hole with mosaic finish. But as only rich people buy them, prices are tailored accordingly 

[MPH]

1 hour ago, Paninistickers said:

Yeah, apparently a dwelling had to be designed for 60 years, so upgraded homes to meet building regs are designed for that. Which is more than enough for the purpose I have in mind. 

 

Just can't escape that thought that they should be cheaper. If the prices, as outlined above, are more or less that of brick built, what's the point? My gut feel is they are overpriced and prices will come down if they become more used, more accepted and suppliers compete. Same as swimming pools. Cost a fortune. It's a fcking concrete hole with mosaic finish. But as only rich people buy them, prices are tailored accordingly 

 

over here in the states, modular homes are so common, that it makes them considerably cheaper ( and quicker) to build.  But that DOES compromise their shelf life- not so many regulations over here and I guess their response in England to any complaints on price is that if you want a functional liveable home in less than 3 months, you can have it.. but it will cost you..

[kenny]

1 hour ago, Paninistickers said:

Yeah, apparently a dwelling had to be designed for 60 years, so upgraded homes to meet building regs are designed for that. Which is more than enough for the purpose I have in mind. 

 

Just can't escape that thought that they should be cheaper. If the prices, as outlined above, are more or less that of brick built, what's the point? My gut feel is they are overpriced and prices will come down if they become more used, more accepted and suppliers compete. Same as swimming pools. Cost a fortune. It's a fcking concrete hole with mosaic finish. But as only rich people buy them, prices are tailored accordingly 

They have the same regs as a normal build so the factored in material costs are just as high. They won't ever be cheaper than traditional, they are quicker once on site though.

 

Unless you go down the park-home route.

[Dahnsouff]

We had a SIPs garden office added this year and we are very happy with it,  but it was not cheap and as @kenny said it is quick, they knocked it up in a couple of weeks.

[kenny]

29 minutes ago, Dahnsouff said:

We had a SIPs garden office added this year and we are very happy with it,  but it was not cheap and as @kenny said it is quick, they knocked it up in a couple of weeks.

I'm a big Sips fan. I've been designing Sips buildings for years, they are very airtight. You can buy kits for low cost but it still adds up once the finishes and foundations are included.

 

I assume you sent down the ground screw route?

 

@Paninistickers you could look at these kits. https://www.sips.uk.com/products/garden-building-range

 

[Dahnsouff]

17 minutes ago, kenny said:

I'm a big Sips fan. I've been designing Sips buildings for years, they are very airtight. You can buy kits for low cost but it still adds up once the finishes and foundations are included.

 

I assume you sent down the ground screw route?

 

@Paninistickers you could look at these kits. https://www.sips.uk.com/products/garden-building-range

 

Yeah, we had it done (I am a useless tart at such things) and they came measured up, gave us the options for foundations (we originally planned to have on the old concrete bed of an old garage, but they suggested it might be better in a different location, and they bang on) and we had ground screws, which are fascinating things to be honest 

 

They were so lovely, they came back and put in some ground screws for free* for the base of my new shed.

 

* I say free, but the main guy doing the work said “He (the owner of the firm) will do it for nowt, well he bloody well should with what you are paying” and he did so no complaints.

 

 

[Zear0]

1 hour ago, Dahnsouff said:

We had a SIPs garden office added this year and we are very happy with it,  but it was not cheap and as @kenny said it is quick, they knocked it up in a couple of weeks.

 

I closed our offices during COVID and haven't looked back and really wanted a garden office to work in so always welcome to hear people's experiences of these things. How's the climate, how weather tight they are and general experiences with them? Same to @kenny. 

 

I was eyeing a Crane garden office but balked at the £20k they wanted.  

[Dahnsouff]

1 minute ago, Zear0 said:

 

I closed our offices during COVID and haven't looked back and really wanted a garden office to work in so always welcome to hear people's experiences of these things. How's the climate, how weather tight they are and general experiences with them? Same to @kenny. 

 

I was eyeing a Crane garden office but balked at the £20k they wanted.  

I say we had a garden office, its the wife's, I am in the box room at the front of the house!  

 

Climate is good as it has a electric panel heater, electrics so internet via Power Line and sofa, projector and all that for the weekend. its 10x8, as stated SIPs and it cost a bit more than £20k but well worth it we reckon, especially now the teenager can disappear with his mates into over the weekend.

[kenny]

25 minutes ago, Zear0 said:

 

I closed our offices during COVID and haven't looked back and really wanted a garden office to work in so always welcome to hear people's experiences of these things. How's the climate, how weather tight they are and general experiences with them? Same to @kenny. 

 

I was eyeing a Crane garden office but balked at the £20k they wanted.  

If it's building regs standard then it should be better than your current house! Likewise if it's to that standard it should be around for 50 years so £20k isn't much of an outlay. I would personally include drainage and electrics that it's future proofed as a granny annexe or teenager hideaway.

[Zear0]

Bastards probably just cost me a small fortune...

[ajthefox]

It really depends on what you actually want, modular means quite a few things. A small garden room/pod that you can air-bnb out or another distinct home that you could rent out long term. At the opposite ends of the spectrum the two could be potentially very different things.

 

Either way, whilst the rate of inflation on construction costs has reduced significantly, costs are not coming down.