$200-250 per square foot.
That is the price we are getting up in the NC mountains for new home construction. Ridiculous, if you ask me, but that is the reality we are facing. We have been "designing" our house for almost a year and still don't have a floor plan we can afford. It's quite frustrating actually and it just doesn't make sense. How is it that you can go an buy a house in any neighborhood in the US and stay within a modest family budget?
So we are being forced to consider building a pre-fabricated home (or pre-fab). This is basically a modular home built in a factory and assembled onsite. The first thing that comes to mind is a mobile home. Though I'm sure many people in our area live in these and I'm sure they are perfectly nice, we just can't bring ourselves to purchase and live in a mobile home. We'd rather stay at my in-laws and save some more cash for another year!
And being modern-minded, we are very specific about the asthetics and functionality of our home. No wasted space, no unnecessary decorations, just nice clean lines and flexible spaces. So as we consider all of our options, we've come across some pretty awesome pre-fab companies who can build houses in less than 6 months!
We also live in a rural area and don't want a modern house to stick out like a sore thumb. I've always loved the idea of a barn house. They are open and spacious not to mention, they conjure the image of simpler days gone by.
Here are a few of our favorites:
That is the price we are getting up in the NC mountains for new home construction. Ridiculous, if you ask me, but that is the reality we are facing. We have been "designing" our house for almost a year and still don't have a floor plan we can afford. It's quite frustrating actually and it just doesn't make sense. How is it that you can go an buy a house in any neighborhood in the US and stay within a modest family budget?
So we are being forced to consider building a pre-fabricated home (or pre-fab). This is basically a modular home built in a factory and assembled onsite. The first thing that comes to mind is a mobile home. Though I'm sure many people in our area live in these and I'm sure they are perfectly nice, we just can't bring ourselves to purchase and live in a mobile home. We'd rather stay at my in-laws and save some more cash for another year!
And being modern-minded, we are very specific about the asthetics and functionality of our home. No wasted space, no unnecessary decorations, just nice clean lines and flexible spaces. So as we consider all of our options, we've come across some pretty awesome pre-fab companies who can build houses in less than 6 months!
We also live in a rural area and don't want a modern house to stick out like a sore thumb. I've always loved the idea of a barn house. They are open and spacious not to mention, they conjure the image of simpler days gone by.
Here are a few of our favorites:
We aren't sure which way we will go with this project, but the benefits of pre-fabs are that they are built quickly and efficiently. Most of the above houses would be built in a factory in about 3 months and finished onsite in less than 3 weeks. This is very intriguing to us at this point and makes pre-fabs worth a second glance in our book.
Pricing? At about $200/sq ft, these designs can be quite out of reach for the average family, but the true price will depends on many factors: Where the pre-fab factory is in relation to your land. What the going rate for building materials is at the time in your area. If you are going with the basic design or if you will tweak it in any way. The type and amount of site location and prep work (do you want a basement, are there hills, rocks, etc?). Materials and appliances chosen. And many others. We are hoping that by finishing some of the work ourselves and being very smart about the design choices, we will come in at or below our budget.
Either way, it's fun to look at all of the options out there and dream about our future home. Maybe by this time next year, we will be moved in and I can write more about farming than houses!
Looking for your own pre-fab? They have barns, cabins, offices, homes and options out there for all different styles and tastes. One of the best resources for all things pre-fab is: http://www.fabprefab.com/
Pricing? At about $200/sq ft, these designs can be quite out of reach for the average family, but the true price will depends on many factors: Where the pre-fab factory is in relation to your land. What the going rate for building materials is at the time in your area. If you are going with the basic design or if you will tweak it in any way. The type and amount of site location and prep work (do you want a basement, are there hills, rocks, etc?). Materials and appliances chosen. And many others. We are hoping that by finishing some of the work ourselves and being very smart about the design choices, we will come in at or below our budget.
Either way, it's fun to look at all of the options out there and dream about our future home. Maybe by this time next year, we will be moved in and I can write more about farming than houses!
Looking for your own pre-fab? They have barns, cabins, offices, homes and options out there for all different styles and tastes. One of the best resources for all things pre-fab is: http://www.fabprefab.com/