Build your own home — grand designs for beginners 
I blame the Channel 4 programme Grand Designs. Like tens of thousands of others, I have built my own home. It cost more than I planned, took longer than …

Modular construction: a housing affordability game-changer? 
Mass production could make apartments radically cheaper and faster to build. Is the future of apartment construction indoors? The costs of physical …

Quickest Built Homes Saves You Thousands...Find out How? 
This is the original Angeli - 6400mm x 5910mm one or two bedrooms (37m2) Folding Home. They are modular, relocatable homes that conform to the Universal …

Quickest Built Homes Saves You Thousands...Find out How? 
This is the original Angeli - 6400mm x 5910mm one or two bedrooms (37m2) Folding Home. They are modular, relocatable homes that conform to the Universal …

"What if houses were designed like bikes?" 
As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the factory-built Futuro House, it's time for a radical rethinking of architectural manufacturing, says Phineas …

Who is Considering Adding a Granny Flat ? 
Leverage Granny Flats to create income for retirement, housing and real estate investing. Renovation Loans offers the best financing when you lack cash …

Construction methods: modular 
Modular construction is touted as the future of the building industry, but while the sector is rapidly growing in some areas, there are still obstacles …

New prefab home can be yours for under $100K 
The new accessory dwelling unit from LivingHomes offers a total of nine custom design combinations. Photos courtesy of LivingHomes With an ever-deepening …

Do I need permission to build a ‘granny flat’ in the yard? 
Property clinic: Local authorities keen to stop units being used as separate dwellings. I’m thinking of building a “granny flat” in my yard for my mother. …

Chinese company aims to ship thousands of flat-pack homes to New Zealand 
A Chinese company is hoping to capitalise on New Zealand’s shortage of both homes and workers by selling easy-to-assemble modular homes. Shenzhen Yahgee …

Granny flats: More popular than ever, but still mired in bureaucracy  
California bills take aim at local red tape This year, Megan Kellogg’s mother moved into a new in-law unit in her own backyard, freeing up the main house …

Prefab houses were once the 'holy grail.' Why aren't there more? 
Design magazines love them. So do movie stars and environmental activists. New technology, including the use of robots in factories, makes them even easier …

Australia: Can I convert my shed into a granny flat without council approval? No! 
Changing the use of a non-habitable area into a habitable area should not be done without council approval. Council paperwork, reports and assessments …

This flat pack home takes only six hours to build and is under $45k 
There is an eco-friendly flat pack, foldable home that takes just three people six hours to build, and it's less than $45,000. Looks like our thirst …

Home-owning bliss the prefab way 
Pip Payne is convinced New Zealand needs more prefab homes. Like housing minister Phil Twyford, he can't see a credible solution to the housing crisis …

These prefab solar- and wind-powered tiny dwellings are ready to order 
The first one was just delivered by helicopter It’s been a while since the Ecocapsule came on the scene in early 2015. Many cool tiny, prefab homes have …

Modular homes and extensions could boost the UK’s housing stock 
Some major developers are investing in modular home factories as more modern methods of construction begin to gain favour across the country. Faster, cheaper …

Why offsite manufacturing is the future of housebuilding 
Offsite manufacturing must be prioritised to help solve housing crisis, writes Jonathan Hunter, director of Elecosoft Building more homes is a key part …

This Affordable Prefab in Spain Only Took 5 Hours to Assemble 
Built for $148,500, Casa Montaña was manufactured in a Madrid factory before being assembled in a mountainous, coastal region in northwestern Spain. …

These Prefabricated 'Hobbit Homes' Are The Cutest Way To Have A Green Roof 
There's a lot to take away from The Hobbit, but one thought many people had was, "I wish I lived in Bilbo's fancy house." A company called Green Magic …

Landmark fine for kit home builder  
A Magistrate has found a kit home supplier and its director guilty of building a kit home on a Bendigo property without being a registered builder. The …

Can modern cabins entice new audiences into state parks? 
New prototypes at New York State Parks offer contemporary design while respecting the past In an effort to attract new audiences to explore nature, the …

New modular shipping container home is also energy-efficient 
Athens-based company Cocoon Modules has unveiled a new container home prototype in collaboration with Greek natural mattress brand Coco-Mat. By upcycling …

Incredible pre-fab homes take just three weeks to build  
They start at £54,000... but you'll need to buy the land first The Wee House Company homes are available as studio, one-bed and two-bed properties …

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Off-grid tiny house keeps toes toasty in the coldest climes 
Quebec's Minimaliste, the firm behind the Sakura tiny house, recently completed another towable dwelling that can handle very cold weather. The difference …

Owner Builder Network founder answers questions about custom home building 
Sheila Marler, founder of custom home agency Owner Builder Network, answers questions about custom home building. Why would someone build a home rather …

Developing Affordable Passive Houses 
A new house in a Melbourne suburban street has demonstrated that affordable Passive House construction looks within reach in Australia. Until now passive …

Australia Must Break Through Prefabrication Barriers 
Ask many Aussies about prefabricated homes and they will conjure up images about substandard stock from the 80s or 90s noted for its lack of character. …

Pole Barn Homes: Everything You Need to Know 
Many people dream of retiring to the country, moving into a new home, and living a peaceful, agrarian life. Tim McGraw even wrote a song about it. If, …

Preparing for our prefab future 
A burgeoning U.S. prefab market has much to learn from Japan. In the Brooklyn Navy Yard, a massive post-military industrial compound of warehouses converted …

Use your first-home buyers grant Building a Granny Flay 
Can't afford a house? If you're in Queensland, you can use the $20,000 first-home buyer grant to put towards building a granny flat instead. As bizarre …

Log cabin kits let you build your dream mountain retreat 
Whether you’ve always wanted a cabin in the woods or if you pine after the ski chalets in glossy magazines, there’s no fighting the allure of the log cabin. …

Yurt camping could be the solution to making everyone happy 
Satisfying everyone from diehard outdoorspeople to high-maintenance glampers, yurt camping may be the perfect middle ground for keeping everyone stoked …

Master Granny Flats Announces High Standard Custom Design Granny Flats 
Master Granny Flats, a renowned Sydney based real estate company, has announced their unique, custom design granny flats to be built throughout the Sydney. …

Energy-positive prefab housing can tackle Australia’s big issues 
An innovative Australian company is tackling a number of our pressing problems in one flat-packed prefab package – supporting regional communities and …

Prefabricated vs Conventional Building – Which Will Win Out? 
My colleague’s husband has worked as a builder in Brisbane for the past 15 years. When he heard we were working on a project about the future of the construction …

NSW Building Consumers Hit with Thousands in Unexpected Payments 
Residential building customers in New South Wales are being forced to cough up with thousands of dollars in payments over and above what they believed …

The Rise Of The Prefabricated Building 
Developers, general contractors and subcontractors swap stories that sound too good to be true about prefabricated construction: a student housing project …

New 56 tiny home neighborhood is underway in northwest Charlotte 
You’ve probably watched “Tiny House” on HGTV. Now developer Kelvin Young has announced he is throwing the option into the mix here in Charlotte. This …

Sustainable home builders tell council to step up 
Auckland Council likes to make a song and dance about sustainability. "Get free advice on how to make your business more sustainable"; "Conserve energy, …

Balgownie builder gives granny flats a makeover 
Balgownie builder gives granny flats a Japanese makeover as land costs soar, kids stay at home. House prices are at record highs, renovations cost a …

Requirements change for owner-builders 
The requirements for owner-builder applications have been reformed. The Victorian Building Authority (VBA) will now accept construction induction cards …

When Sears sold the American dream 
Long before you could buy a flat-pack bedroom set from IKEA and spend an afternoon sweating and swearing as you put it together at home, Americans were …

Country Homes: Designing your dream home (using a steel kithome) 
Build the home you want, the way you want. Here are some tips to keep in mind when designing your own kit home. BUILDING YOUR KIT HOME: No matter what …

Granny flats - turning backyards into gold 
Maria Krohn had paid off her house when she decided to build a two-bedroom granny flat in the back yard of her house in Concord in Sydney's inner west. …

Solar-powered prefab homes for struggling millennials pop up in a single day 
An increasing number of people in the United Kingdom make too much money to qualify for social housing, but struggle to afford high rent prices. Prefabricated …

Prefab zero energy passive house wins WA’s missing middle comp 
David Barr Architects has won Western Australian land development agency LandCorp’s Step Up Housing Design Competition with a prefabricated, zero-energy …

Backyard investment opens up options galore 
Jeanie and Seth moved into their Victoria Park home in 2013 with their daughter and toy poodle. The couple were looking for an investment opportunity …

Prefab homes with ‘rural modernism’ assembled in 2 weeks 
The New England aesthetic gets a modern upgrade Since its start in 2008, the Maine-based design-build firm Go Logic has built eco-conscious summer homes, …

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A Q&A on prefabricated homes 
SHERI KOONES is the author of six “Prefabulous” books, including “Prefabulous Small Houses” (Taunton Press, 2016; $21.95), which features 32 gorgeously …

San Diego Set To Make It Easier To Build ‘Granny Flats’ 
Nicole Capretz said she is not much of a gardener, so she has been eyeing her backyard for a different purpose: to build a small "granny flat" she could …

Aussie granny flat becomes something extraordinary 
It may be time to update the term “granny flat”, because there’s nothing old-fashioned about most “secondary dwellings” across Australia today. Changes …

How to Save Money Opting For Modular Homes Over Conventional Housing 
Owning a home is a dream for many of us. But often the entire process of selecting an appropriate property to finally moving in can be daunting, riddled …

How to add value to your granny flat 
DUAL OCCUPANCY DESIGN: Smart investors are reaping the financial benefits of adding a granny flat to existing rental properties utilising smart designs. …

The 'prefab' housing resurgence rolls on 
From Gold-rush California to post-Blitz London, prefabricated -- or prefab -- housing has experienced a few booms throughout history, particularly when …

House of the Week | Backyard investment  
Granny flats are a versatile addition to any property, giving an easy way to welcome home an elderly relative, to give a growing teen some extra privacy …

How do couples live in tiny houses without killing each other? 
Most couples I know wouldn’t consider sharing a studio apartment. When my partner and I decided to move in together, we weighed the options of my centrally …

Yurt living has become Hawaii’s newest housing sensation 
Living in paradise can be expensive. Not anymore. Consider a yurt. They’re not just for camping anymore. These funky, ready-to-pop domiciles are gaining …

These minimalist prefab cabins are designed for human “recharging" 
Innovative charging stations for cars or electronics are a dime a dozen these days, but finally, one savvy Danish company has created a place where people …

Backyard Subdivisions Can Solve Our Housing Problems In 2017 
The different levels of government – state, federal and to an extent local – are blaming each other for the housing crisis. Some blame banks and overseas …

Australia’s Kitchen and Bathroom Industry is Booming 
Australia’s kitchen and bathroom industry is experiencing extremely strong levels of demand as a surge in home building activity drives new kitchen and …

Sears, Roebuck and Company 'Kit' homes and barns 
Columbia-Greene Media I can’t remember when I first learned of Sears Roebuck homes, but it must have been decades ago. There are several in the county …

Prefab cabin by Snøhetta is designed to go anywhere 
The latest news in prefab land comes from Snøhetta, the international firm behind projects as major as the Times Square revamp and as whimsical as a treehouse …

Downsizing? Try a tiny house  
The tiny house movement really took off in the past year, which means that if you are interested in your own small home, you are spoiled for choice. …

Shipping container hotel offers eco-friendly getaway for surfing nomads 
This eco-friendly shipping container hotel near Litomerice, Czech Republic, is the perfect getaway for nomads looking for a little surfing action. Containhotel, …

New Prefab Houses Reduce Energy Consumption By up to 90 Percent 
Ok, so we have learned by now all the many benefits that solar panels and solar roofs have to bring, but what about a whole house that was made to be energy …

Seven Reasons to Prefer Building With Stone 
After spending eight years in our $2,000, self-built stone house in southern Idaho, Sharon and I sometimes wonder whether—were we somehow forced to start …

Florida:Lake County’s scary Owner Builder Disclosure Statement 
Homeowners who would like to act as their own contractor on their personal construction project must sign an Owner Builder Disclosure Statement when applying …

Austin is about to get its own prefab tiny home manufacturing facility 
Kasita acquires space, revs up to roll out its innovative houses Small-housing enthusiasts who don’t know about Kasita, the local startup dedicated …

Portland's mail-order kit homes stand the test of time 
PORTLAND — For some local homeowners at the start of the 20th century, the American dream was delivered via the U.S Postal Service. Kit homes, which …

Home builders embrace prefab 
Massive disruption in Alberta’s housing sector has convinced many developers of the benefits of off-site construction Manufacturing plants in Alberta …

Charlie Lazor's Modern Dwellings Evolve from Flatpak to Stack House 
Prefab housing, IKEA, and the craze for all things modern were tantalizing possibilities when Charlie Lazor, after graduating from Yale School of Architecture …

Accessory Dwelling Units: Beyond the Granny Flat 
With the newly increased freedom of building an accessory dwelling unit—an ADU—on your property because of recent California legislation comes a multitude …

DC’s hidden secret: Million-dollar homes built from DIY kits 
Stroll through some of D.C.'s neighbourhoods, and you’ll spot historic homes that come with manicured lawns and million-dollar price tags. But what you …

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Timber Block Wins Fifth Award in One Year for Revolutionary Building System 
CONNELLY SPRINGS, NC, Jan. 25, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - Timber Block recently won the 2017 NAHB Global Innovation Award for its R-36 patented home building …

Why An Increasing Number Of Americans Want To Build A Granny Flat 
Whether it’s an aging relative or struggling millennial, many Americans want to provide a space for the placeless. They just need a means to do it. …

Prefab containers become hotel-quality student housing in Scotland 
The rooms cost the same to build in China as they would in the U.K., but construction was up to 20 percent faster. For months, the U.K.’s been abuzz with …

Kit home buyers are saving up to $100,000 building their own homes 
SAVVY home buyers are getting down and getting dirty seeing big dollar savings with 90 per cent of kit home buyers opting to build their own homes. PAAL …

Could tiny houses help solve Australia's affordable housing crisis? 
It’s the long weekend. You get a few friends together, crack open some beers, watch a YouTube video. And build a house. Yup. That’s all it takes to …

In Praise of the Granny Flat 
What You Need to Know about San Diego’s New Accessory Dwelling Unit Ordinance Last fall, California passed new legislation to make it easier for San Diego …

Are Tiny Houses More Trouble Than They're Worth? 
Picture this: the middle class was shrinking as the economy became rockier. As the in-hand dollars of the average American diminished, housing insecurity …

The right floorplan, and attitude, can make intergenerational living a beautiful thing 
As Sydney house prices continue to sky rocket, the great Australian dream of owning your own home is becoming an impossible feat for most families. …

Brisbane builder perfects quintessential Australian tiny houses that Queenslanders swoop on 
What happens when the iconic outback slab hut meets with the simple-life philosophies behind modern minimalism and the tiny house movement? In the case …

It's a pre-fab sprout!  
Bespoke flatpack houses which allow homeowners to pick and choose where they put each room are painstakingly assembled at a former shipyard Smith’s Dock, …

Owner-builders outpace traditional companies on permits 
For the first half of 2015, Hultquist Homes has captured the No. 1 spot for the most single family permits with 21. Spinell Homes ranks No. 2 with 15. …

Voices: 7 things I learned from building a tiny house 
I was part of Santa Clara University’s rEvolve House team where a group of undergraduate students designed and built an off-grid tiny house (on wheels!) …

"Tiny Chalet" Wonder, For An Ecological Swiss Ski Vacation 
The Thyon tourism office rents innovative "tiny houses" to ski vacationers: 56 square feet, fun and environmentally friendly. But it's not so simple. …

Why it’s important for tradies to keep on top of tool innovation 
Much like any profession, we all rely upon our tools of trade to complete our work. From dentists to mechanics, brain surgeons to musicians, or carpenters …

LLC Launches New Company Hunting Shacks 
Hunting Shacks are the Nation's first mobile hunting cabins that can be towed behind a truck with all the amenities of a stationary home. The mobility …

How small is too small? 80sqm housing blocks to go on sale in Perth 
A house on a quarter-acre block, with enough space to play cricket in the backyard and host a Hills Hoist, was once the Australian norm. But soon blocks …

Buy a Home Kit and Build Your Own House 
Domes, timber-frame homes, log homes, panelized houses and steel-frame homes. Kit homes offer an easy, inexpensive option for building a house. There’s …

Prefab styrofoam dome house, another futuristic Japanese design 
The Innuit who live in northern Canada once built homes out of ice blocks. Now a modular home manufacturer, Japan Dome House Co. Ltdhave come up with styrofoam …

Glendale approves interim ordinance regulating granny flats 
A temporary process to review and approve any property owner's second-unit expansion, known as a granny flat, was approved with a 4-0 vote by City Council …

SA Domestic Building Insurance Needs to Plug the Holes 
The domestic building insurance scheme in South Australia is struggling to remain viable and requires a significant overhaul in order to address deficiencies …

Kit home fascination discussed 
The audience at Next Senior Center was fascinated as Wendy and Andrew Mutch described their obsession with kit homes. The couple lives in a 1926 Sears …

Builder offers prefab post and beam homes 
Yankee Barn Homes' classic American-style dwellings are produced in a factory and shipped to the site. A New Hamsphire designer and builder of prefab …

5 cool prefab backyard sheds 
We’ve already explored how prefab homes can offer a affordable, eco-friendly, stormproof, and down-right sexier alternative to traditional stick-built …

Roof-top Solar Hits a Crossroad – Are Smart Meters the Answer? 
Australian rooftop solar is now at a crossroads – but it’s all positive. New technologies mean big data can be gathered from systems so that performance …

The self-contained mobile prefab Coodo 
What if you could make your home anywhere in the world without sacrificing creature comforts? Meet Coodo, an eco-friendly mobile home that promises just …

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The 5 best luxury tiny houses on the market 
While there are still cheaper models available, tiny houses seem to have risen in price lately, reaching the kind of money that could buy a full-size home …

These efficient modern prefabs raise the bar for shipping container homes 
In our roundup of eco-friendly prefab homes you can buy right now, one of the newest companies featured is Honomobo, based in the Canadian province of …

Workplace falls seriously injure 21 Australians every day 
Every single day, some 21 Australians suffer serious injuries from a fall at work and require a week or more off - with six weeks off being the average …

50 Ways To Build Your New Home 
Apologies to Paul Simon, but when I looked at the long list of design ideas I compiled while at the International Builders’ Show in Orlando, I thought …

UK: £2.5billion deal to build 25,000 flat pack homes 
A HOUSING association is to build 25,000 flat pack solar powered homes after signing a £2.5bn joint venture deal. Warrington based Your Housing Group, …

How Will Prefab Housing Affect Employment Opportunities in Queensland? 
Sourceable: Lizzi Byrne, Employment Consultant We have all heard talk of prefabrication being the next big thing to revolutionise the construction industry …

Amazing prefabricated Sonoma County homes featured in ‘Prefabulous Small Houses’ 
Author Sheri Koones believes that prefab houses are the homes of the future, or “prefabulous,” as she calls them. She’s written five books about them. …

New Law Makes It Easier For To Build Granny Flats In San Marino 
A new law that aims to ease the housing crisis by reducing the burden and cost of building "granny flats" is now in effect. LOS ANGELES, CA — Los Angeles …

Wheelchair-friendly tiny house proves universal design can be cool 
In a perfect world, architecture would be accessible for everyone, but sadly, people with disabilities or mobility issues are often limited to the physical …

Changes to Victoria's (OB) building laws which came into effect on 4 July 2016  
Owner builders will only require consent to undertake building works of more than $16,000 (previously $12,000). This amount will bring the certificate …

Owner-builder Brian McKenny and interior stylist wife Julia inspired by 1960s design for family home 
THE finished product of the McKennys’ family home blends bold 1960s style with an industrial urban edge and lightweight materials to bring a refreshing …

Affordable Granny Flat Building Around Australia - Since 1995 
Valley Kit Home is Australia's No1 most trusted Granny Flat provider, with quality, affordability, and architect designed granny flat designs to either …

Step-By-Step Construction for Owner-Built Small Homes 
Christopher James Marshall http://www.motherearthnews.com/green-homes There are a number of appropriate and affordable structural choices to consider …

Australia's No1 trusted kit home maker - Valley Kit Homes 
Affordable kit homes sold direct to you, from our Gold Coast factory! NO - middleman, you'll save thousands... Quality Architectural Designs - to …

Stunning pre-fab homes across North America 
Many people are increasingly opting for houses that are pre-fabricated, in which the majority of the construction happens off-site. Some see pre-fab as …

Barn-style tiny house doesn't break the bank 
http://newatlas.com/ Durango, Colorado's Rocky Mountain Tiny Houses recently completed a barn-style tiny house for a retiree who wanted a low-budget home …

Architect-designed tiny house helping farmers 
Linda Cheng ArchitectureAU.com MvS Architects has teamed up with start-up enterprise Shacky to create tiny houses that will provide holiday-makers with …

Home Sweet Wide Span Homes 
Building a house is probably one of the biggest and most rewarding investments you will ever make! Australia’s increasing house prices however, is putting …

10 Things To Consider Before Building A Granny Flat:  
Alexis Airey> Lifehacker.com.au Whether you're looking to boost the value of your property, need a separate lodging for your relative or just want to …

Tiny House Nation Hosts Get Honest  
Everyone is fascinated by tiny houses these days, which explains the popularity of FYI’s “Tiny House Nation,” in which hosts John Weisbarth and Zack Giffin …

Victorian Builders Authority Owner-Builder Changes 
The Victorian Building Authority (VBA) is introducing more reforms in September as a result of amendments to the legislation that governs registered building …

Can Australia Finally Develop a Booming Prefab Industry? 
Back in 1837, when London-based carpenter Henry Manning constructed a house that was built in components and then shipped and assembled by British emigrants, …

Stillwater Dwellings Guest House 
We recently photographed a beautiful Stillwater home in Napa, California. The prefab, panelized home is envisioned as a guest home adjacent to another …

Day 4 and it's almost ready to move in 
If you need a granny flat, man cave, she shed, music room, office, B & B, holiday cabin, art room, music room....the list is endless... then these little …