Why are prefab homes 'bad'?

[Johnny_L.A]

Another question prompted by The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, but posted in IMHO since I think it may go that way.

The house used in the film was built in the late-1800s from a Sears, Roebuck & Co. kit. (It’s now a restaurant.) It looks like a really nice house. Yet when I was looking for my house I made sure it was ‘stick-built’; partially because most prefab houses I’ve seen look ‘cheap’, and partly because it’s very hard to get financing for one.

I drive by a few prefab house lots every other day. Yeah, they look cheap. Most of them look like tarted-up double-wides, actually. Others look pretty good. A couple/few years ago I saw Huf-Haus homes. Those look very nice indeed. I think I’d rather have one of those than the house I have now. I really like the open design.

So granted, there are a lot of prefab homes that look like crap that will fall down if you fart too loudly. But there are many designs that are well-built, attractive, and ‘green’. Is there a blanket ‘hatred’ among lenders and stick-built homeowners for prefabs, even with the modern designs?

[TriPolar]

Prefab can mean all sorts of things. Some modular houses are ‘stick-built’ at a factory, then moved to the site. They may be the same or better quality than a house built on-site, or less. Panelized houses are made from smaller pieces, such as walls manufactured at a factory, then assembled on site. Like modular houses there is a range of quality. Trailer homes can be categorized as pre-fab, and again vary in quality. A ‘stick-built’ house may be built from high quality material, or a lot junk. Prefab trusses are commonly used for roofs in ‘stick-built’ houses, otherwise built on site. Many pre-fab houses are custom built, and you can specify the type of materials used.

IIRC, the Sears homes were built on-site from a set precut materials, making them ‘stick-built’ on site. This method is still used for new houses.

The difference isn’t where the pieces are cut or assembled. It’s the quality of the materials, and the quality of construction. ‘Stick-built’ could refer to a house made primarily of manufactured materials instead of conventional wood boards. Almost all new houses will contain some plywood, a manufactured material.

‘Stick-built’, typically meaning 2x4 type framing is not the ultimate quality in house construction. Log houses, stone houses, and timber frame houses will typically outlast ‘stick-built’ and retain greater value over time. These types of houses are found in the oldest houses still standing.

Most of what would make a house ‘green’ has little to do with it’s construction technique. For stick built and timber-frame houses, the quality of insulation is a major factor. Proper situation to minimize heating and cooling costs are a big factor. The materials chosen are likely to start an argument about what is ‘green’. A log home will require the destruction of a number of whole trees, but doesn’t need to involve the use of plastics which will produce pollution. And the ‘greenest’ house can be in the midst of a large yard, which is maintained with inefficient and highly polluting lawn mowers, weed whackers, and leaf blowers, negating the ‘green’ quality of the house itself.

The main advantage of prefab is lowered costs. Assembly may occur in areas with low cost of living cutting labor costs. If they are built on jigs according to patterns, the time in construction is lowered. The houses, or house parts are usually built indoors, so construction time is not limited by weather considerations. The list of cost advantages is long, but you can generally find prefab houses, or prefabbed components across the range of material quaility, and still save money. Searching the internet tubes should give you plenty of options.

[Chefguy]

I used to be very skeptical of the quality of pre-fabs, and many of them are still likely to be of inferior construction. I looked at one a few years ago, however that was very impressive (sorry, don’t remember the mfr.). They are custom built to suit the buyer in terms of size, window locations, electrical and other configurations. The wall panels are joined by means of cammed locking mechanisms, which provides a positive weather seal. The insulation was R-42 throughout, which is very impressive.

[Johnny_L.A]

Thanks for the detailed reply, TriPolar.

If Sears houses were built from pre-cut ‘kits’, but were in effect ‘stick-built’ on-site, are they ‘stick-built’, or prefab? I saw a show recently about houses being built in Louisiana that are hurricane-resistant. Since they were built in a factory, they are prefab. But the construction techniques seemed to be the same used when building on-site. The Huf Hauses I saw a video on a couple of years ago seemed to use building techniques that were different from on-site building, but from my layman’s perspective the techniques seemed superior. (Also, I really like the designs. FWIW, I found the house built in Louisiana to be attractive as well. It certainly didn’t look like many of the prefabs I see on my commute.)

I guess I’m wondering why lenders (especially) are prejudiced against prefabs. As I said, a lot of the homes look like crap. I understand that they expect depreciation, while they would not expect it in a house built on-site. But why would they maintain the prejudice, when certain prefabs are of superior quality and will undoubtedly appreciate in value?

When I say ‘green’, I’m talking more about efficiency than the origin of the components. That is, any house will require dead trees. But as you point out, energy is saved in their construction. Also, and this is just my impression, it seems that higher-quality prefabs are specifically designed for the efficient use of energy once they are built.

[Bridget_Burke]

In 2008, This Old House tackled a project for a couple who had a crummy 1970’s house on some lovely property. Upon determining the place was not worth fixing up, it was deconstructed so that 85% of the materials could be used elsewhere. Then, a new house was built.

What makes this project different from your average everyday barn-raising—and any other TOH TV project to date—is that this house will be constructed in modular panels in New Hampshire, then trucked to Weston to be assembled and finished in a matter of weeks. Tedd Benson and his company, Bensonwood, have designed the house and, working side by side with the entire TOH team, will prefabricate about three-quarters of it in a factory. Then TOH general contractor Tom Silva and his crew will take over, preparing the site and putting the individual panels together on the property before completing the finishes. The process will cut the building time in half, as most of the wiring, plumbing, windows, and finishes will go into the panels at the factory.

Lots more information on the project at the site. This sounds like a high-end prefab; I’m sure many are more like double-wides without wheels.

Sears homes were not prefabricated; all the pieces were precut & delivered to the buyer, who could then build it on their own property. (I’ll bet they hired help if they could afford it; plans ranged from very simple to high quality & complex.) According to Sears, these houses used some newer technologies: “Balloon” framing, drywall & asphalt shingles. More info here, with pictures & plans; the houses have many fans today!

[LouisB]

A great-aunt of mine had a Sears house. From what I was told, the materials were first class but what made the biggest difference was the people who put it together. Our hometown maybe had 2ooo people when that house was built and most of them knew each other. My grandfather was a carpenter/cabinet maker and he was in charge of the assembly. Even as a kid, I loved that old house.

[TriPolar]

@Johnny_L.A

Thanks for the detailed reply, TriPolar.

If Sears houses were built from pre-cut ‘kits’, but were in effect ‘stick-built’ on-site, are they ‘stick-built’, or prefab?

These are not mutually exclusive terms. ‘Stick-built’ usually referes to the common 2x4 type framing technique. Prefab referes to how much construction is done off site. So a Sears house used prefab components (to the extent that pieces were pre-cut to size), in ‘stick-built’ construction.

I guess I’m wondering why lenders (especially) are prejudiced against prefabs. As I said, a lot of the homes look like crap. I understand that they expect depreciation, while they would not expect it in a house built on-site. But why would they maintain the prejudice, when certain prefabs are of superior quality and will undoubtedly appreciate in value?

I don’t know if this is true. Lenders may just be prejudiced against houses that are not yet build and completed at their final location. IIRC correctly, you usually get a conventional loan to cover the construction of a house, and then convert that to a mortgage after its completed.

When I say ‘green’, I’m talking more about efficiency than the origin of the components. That is, any house will require dead trees. But as you point out, energy is saved in their construction. Also, and this is just my impression, it seems that higher-quality prefabs are specifically designed for the efficient use of energy once they are built.

Not all houses require dead trees. Some are made of stone, concrete, and metal. Your impression is correct, and that applies to houses whether they are prefab or not. Remember that efficiency of a house can change dramatically based on its orientation relative to the sun, or the presence or absence of shade trees. Adding a wind generator or solar panels will increase efficiency also. ‘Green’ is mainly a marketing and political term.

ETA: Maybe you should ask a mod to put this in GQ, you might get a lot more information

[ralph124c]

As has been mentioned pre-fab means different things. Some prefab houses are made with cheap materials and wide tolerances-and these make bad quality houses.
High qualty prefab houses are always better than stick-built, because they are built inside, in climate controlled areas. So things fit better and gaps are minimal.
I would always prefer a prefab to built on site.

[Johnny_L.A]

@ralph124c

High qualty prefab houses are always better than stick-built, because they are built inside, in climate controlled areas. So things fit better and gaps are minimal.

Check out the 48-minute show at the bottom of this page.

[Mk_VII]

The prefabs they built here in the '40s and '50s were very popular with their tenants, many of whom stubbornly refused to move for years after they had been offered more permanent housing.

[kittenblue]

The house I live in is a “kit” home from Liberty Homes, I expect it is very similar to those Sears houses. My father built it in 1950-52. I don’t think you could consider any of it Pre-Fab. I’ve also never seen another house in this area like it, so I don’t think the kits were big sellers!