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The rise in popularity of offsite constructed homes is expected to revolutionise Tasmania’s construction industry.
As national building costs continue to rise, there is an increasing demand for smaller and more affordable homes, and for many aspiring homeowners that’s leading them directly to the door of relocatable, modular-built houses. (main pic: Tas City Building’s 1 Bedroom modular home.)
According to a recent report by the ABC, Master Builders Tasmania, the state’s peak body for professional builders, predicts that the demand for offsite constructed and modular homes will surge over the next decade, and builders are already shifting into the modular market.
Master Builders Tasmania chief executive Matthew Pollock said portable and modular homes were an “important piece of the puzzle” to meet Tasmania’s expected future housing demand.
“We can start making real inroads into providing affordable housing across the state,” Mr Pollock said.
“It’s repeatable and scalable.
“It’s constructed in a controlled environment. It means that you’re not subject to weather delays. That can reduce the cost of construction.
“A manufacturing plant provides you with quality assurance as well, and we see that in other jurisdictions.”
Mr Pollock said the construction of modular homes had taken off in other parts of the world and he expected it to do the same in Tasmania over the next decade.
“Over time we should expect to see that pre-fabricated housing and modular homes will form a much larger part of new housing construction in the future,” he said.
“I think moving forward it’s going to be a large piece of the puzzle, particularly when it comes to delivering on the state government’s affordable and social housing targets.”
To meet the growing demand, Steve Simeoni of Tas City Building, has expanded his Launceston company to include the construction of modular homes in a warehouse in the city centre.
According to Simeoni, modular homes can potentially cost up to half that of a conventional build and can be completed in weeks. And, importantly for builders, the work is indoors, so there are no weather-related disruptions.
“We need to get roofs over people’s heads, and this is the way to do it and an affordable way to do it,” said Simeoni.
