FirstBuild Modular Homes – FirstBuild Blogtown NZ site

16 August 2022

Prefab, Kitset, Prebuilt, Modular – what does this all mean???

Confused by all the technical jargon you get to read about while trying to build a new home? Prefabricated homes, also referred to as transportable, prebuilt, or modular homes, are a specific type of home that is built in a factory off-site before being brought to your site completely manufactured. FirstBuild Homes specializes in modular prefabricated housing, and we deliver our units all across the North Island. Kitset homes are slightly different and are constructed using an on-site method of construction. Your chosen materials are supplied in a “kit” form, ready for your builder to put them together.

Prefabricated and kitset construction methods are both gaining popularity in New Zealand because they offer simplicity and a budget-friendly price compared to a traditional build. The main differences between kitset and prefab homes will be discussed in this blog post to help you make a knowledgeable decision for your forthcoming project.

Location

A kitset home is built on-site using supplies that are sent out in set intervals. This includes all building, electrical, plumbing, and finishing work, such as painting, plastering, and flooring.

Prefab homes are built in a specialised, weatherproof factory and then brought virtually finished to the location. This speeds up construction and reduces the likelihood of project delays. Additionally, it is safer for employees because fewer tasks would need to be performed at heights, and better for the materials because they won’t be exposed to the weather.

If you opt for an off-site build, your entire process won’t be as chaotic because there won’t be as many disruptions caused by supplies being transported to and fro throughout the building operation. This minimises site interruptions. Due to the reduced site impact during construction, the process is also more friendly to the environment. You can begin to feel “at home” earlier as a result of the land generally recovering considerably more quickly.

Construction process

The project is streamlined and productive because prefabricated homes are built in a regulated industrial setting by a team with special design skills and cutting-edge equipment. Before delivery, the kitchen and bathroom are installed, the walls and floors are painted, and the plumbing and electrical fittings are ready for on-site fixture. The prefab house is trucked to its final location, where it is built on the foundations and bound to the utilities, becoming a fixed, permanent structure. It is a more environmentally credible way of building because the simplified process results in significantly less material trash during construction. To learn more about the prefab building technique used by FirstBuild Homes visit our website

For a kitset home, after choosing your design and materials, “kits” of materials will be sent to your location in stages for building. These must be assembled by a qualified professional because they are shipped flat-packed or unassembled. As you still have to select a builder, oversee the process, and organise the sub-trades, kitset homes may be a labour-only job for the builder so this makes the whole building process easier than traditional building. Additionally, kitset suppliers typically offer builders from which you may choose, or they might offer whole solutions like packages that include a kitset home and land.

Time

Prefab homes are frequently constructed more quickly than kitsets and other conventional constructions because the controlled building environment reduces the likelihood of any timeline delays brought on by inclement weather, delay in delivering materials, or conflicts with subcontractors because of schedule clashes. Being aware of the handover date from the beginning of the project makes it much simpler to adhere to it. Off-site construction, according to PrefabNZ, “may reduce construction time by 60%.”

It is a well-known fact that kitset and prefabricated home building processes, which both employ off-site construction methods, are quicker to complete than a traditional build. Even though kitset homes also finish a sizeable portion of the building on-site, they nevertheless take longer to construct than prefab homes. These time-saving advantages have been acknowledged by Housing New Zealand, which considers these modern construction techniques to be crucial to achieving its goals to “build more quality houses at scale and velocity.” Housing New Zealand has been attempting to reduce construction programmes in half when delivering medium or high-density off-site manufacturing, which is “especially crucial at a time when there is an urgent need for housing,” the business proclaimed in a statement to Build Magazine.

Prefab home development is being accelerated nationally as a result of recent modifications to the Building Act, which will help alleviate the housing shortage. According to Jenny Salesa, minister of building and construction, “We are making progress in solving the long-term challenge of housing, including making high-quality, mass production of prefab dwellings a reality.” Prefabrication and off-site manufacturing are the future of construction because they make it possible to produce high-quality buildings more quickly than with traditional building techniques. These modifications lessen some of the red tapes for New Zealand prefab builders who can show that their strategies and processes are compliant.

Design

When it comes to home design, both kitset and prefab homes provide several floor plans and styles with a few distinct fitting and finishing options. Be rest assured that a prefab home will be finalized to the same high criteria as the business’ show home because it is built in a controlled environment and goes through a comprehensive examination before leaving the factory.

Because every family is unique and there is no one perfect design that works for everyone, buying a house off the plans can be difficult. Both kitset and prefab homes offer some flexibility when it comes to making necessary changes to the plan you choose.

Prefabrication has various benefits over traditional and kitset construction, including saving money and time, as we’ve already talked about. The minister of building and construction, Jenny Salesa, stated that although in other countries, over 80% of newly constructed homes are prefabricated off-site, in New Zealand, just about 10% are. However, this number is increasing as the advantages of the off-site design and construction process become more widely recognised across the country.

Cost

Both the kitset and prefab systems cost less than constructing a house from the ground up because they use controlled build environments and systematised construction techniques. Although kitset components are only partially created in a controlled environment, a prefab home is built entirely there, allowing for more precise cost management. By reducing disturbances during a prefab build, any project delays that may occur can be minimised. This helps you avoid unplanned costs that could end up being quite expensive for you, particularly if you were to temporarily rent a house while you waited for your new one to be ready.

Even while it typically costs more to transport kitset components to the site than it does to deliver finished prefab homes, it is still important to carefully assess the prices and consider the big picture. Crucial services like the electrical work, foundation, landscaping, etc., may be omitted when comparing kitset quotes, and if you are simply interested in the materials, labour will not be incorporated. Although prefab homes have more features than kit homes, there are still additional costs, like the expenditures for the building permit, transportation, and service connections.

According to Heiko Jonkers, Senior Manager of Credit strategy and Policy at Westpac, purchasing a prefabricated home may result in savings of around 15%. He asserts that “factory production line practises” are responsible for the cost reductions rather than “carrying the components to a client’s home and constructing them one by one.” The fact that builders work in the plant rather than having to travel to each off-site location, in Jonkers’ words, contributes to labour savings. There are also significant cost reductions from factory timber cutting that is done well.

3 July 2022

The Hidden Costs and Pitfalls of Kitset Homes

Building a home in New Zealand is becoming increasingly expensive, and doing it on a budget may be extremely difficult due to both economic constraints and the numerous unforeseen difficulties that most new construction projects encounter. Getting ready for situations where an unforeseen change can result in extra costs is just one step in the planning process. Many businesses provide quotes for the best-case scenario when estimating the cost of a newly constructed home. But what about the unexpected charges that pop up during construction? We are confident that everyone who has constructed a new home has experienced common pitfalls in one way or another.

This article examines the additional expenses associated with constructing a new kitset home.

Kitset homes, also known as flat pack homes, are popular in New Zealand and becoming more and more popular among “do it yourself” builders in some European nations. The structure of the home is prepared in a factory and built on-site, usually with the help of a crane. Less than 100 kit homes are built in New Zealand annually, which is still a very low number. However, as more people become knowledgeable of the prospects, this figure is apt to improve.

Kit homes are becoming a hot topic in the business; while they can be a speedier and less expensive alternative to traditional housing, they are not without drawbacks. If you’re thinking about buying a kit home to build yourself, be sure to establish enough plans for the building’s primary cost and supplementary costs, so you won’t be caught off guard by any unforeseen costs that may develop.

A typical home construction project’s cost overruns can be significantly influenced by the weather. Cold weather can prevent concrete from setting, while rainy weather can prevent workers from getting to the site and hinder construction projects. While strong winds can further impede progress.

Even within itself, project management may be a nightmare. Your site will have backup plans in place for the majority of scenarios if it is done effectively and by a professional. The entire precession can, however, simply come to a halt if not done correctly or if one piece of the puzzle is out of place. When creating your home’s budget, you could run into situations that could result in higher building costs. Even though it’s impossible to predict these situations, you may make plans to prepare for them and be able to pay for them if they do. A lot of factors could affect how much it costs to build a house.

Climate
Site of construction
Project size
Design
Regulator and insurance needs
Plan quality
The environmental conditions
The inflation rate and other factors.

In order to be ready for the cost of any unforeseen event, it is only necessary to research the variables that could affect the construction of your home.

I can hear you saying, “But wait, isn’t my builder the project manager?” Yes in some circumstances, but not in others. A project manager is similar to an HR manager; while someone in marketing or operations may be able to complete a little amount of HR 101 owing to a university module, hiring an expert will ensure that you obtain the best results possible.

Search on websites like Builders crack if you need a builder or project manager. In either case, it’s wise to investigate someone’s background before hiring them. You should learn about their level of experience, method of operation, and additional aspects such as their,

Dedication to projects
Teamwork and communication skills
Ability to adapt effortlessly.
Efficiency

How much will the delays in the construction cost? It falls under the ancient type of inquiry that asks, “How long is a piece of string?” The definition of an “excused delay” is outlined in some building contract terms. These are typically unforeseen or unpredictable events (otherwise known as force majeure). Sometimes these factors will result in a specified cost impact; after all, a builder who is unable to work on your site because of the weather or because their goods weren’t delivered on time might have worked on another site that day, costing you money. The contract will specify how much that cost is anticipated to be. Some contracts contain even more specific language regarding “owner caused” delays. These become apparent when the owner modifies the project or plan, which affects the project and causes delays.

Consenting is another major issue. You will, most likely, need a building consent. You will need an LBP (Licensed Building Practitioner to sign off the building. LBP’s have personal liability, so it’s unlikely that they would sign off on something they haven’t built.

Therefore, even while it’s quite simple to discover a conventional pricing model to estimate the cost of building your new home , the actual cost is probably going to be very different. Don’t forget to include costs associated with inspections and consent as well.

Of course, you might simply avoid these inconveniences while still enjoying the benefits of moving into a brand-new house of your own. You may then wonder, “Is there any way to avoid these extra expenses while still getting the house of my dreams? ” Absolutely! The ideal, contemporary alternative to excessive expenditures and construction delays is a company like FirstBuild. If you want to save money, modular prefab homes are the best option. Before being transported to the construction site and assembled, prefabricated homes are built in a factory. Any climate issues that can arise while building on-site in a conventional manner are eliminated in this situation because it is manufactured in a factory. By doing so, delays brought on by inclement weather would not incur additional costs. Additionally, kitset homes cause significantly more on-site disruptions and damage to roads and driveways than prefab homes do. Similar to prefab homes, kitset homes are built in a factory; the only distinction is that you hire a builder to erect them on your property. In kit homes, the components are delivered, but the building is your responsibility. This could take some time, and any faults or delays in the construction process might cost more money.

An estimate from FirstBuild Homes is significantly closer to a set price than many other building projects because it includes consent, inspections, and site charges in the original price of the home.

16 June 2022

How to Decode House Plans

As a non-professional when you look at a floor plan for the first time, it would seem unimaginable to leave you with doubts, wondering if you should go ahead with building a new home. Fortunately, deciphering architectural plans is not as complex as it may appear. FirstBuild has your back!!

A floor plan will give you a lot of information about the home. It would show you how the house would function and what your awareness of it would be like once you have moved in. Floor plans define a home’s size and layout, as well as how the rooms interact and how the transition between them will perform in practice.

When you ask for an estimate for one of our plans, you will receive an accurate PDF floor plan of the home you are interested in. It will only have a little quantity of information and will be used to communicate the design of a home for non-professionals. We’ve accentuated some of the secret coded icons below to help you better comprehend the ideas.

Walls | Detailed house layout

The most noticeable visual qualities of a floor layout are the walls. Parallel lines that might be plain or pattern-filled are used to portray walls. Doors, windows, and corridors between rooms are all denoted by a break in the wall.

Exterior walls– A vast black line reflects the outward walls, which are often structural. These are normally the first walls built, and they are integral to the home’s structural quality.
Interior walls: When compared to external walls, internal partitions have a smaller line. Interior obstacles are more likely to be moved during the design phase to help the owner to create a more comfortable setting.

Door | House Layout Details

In floor plans, doors are positioned within wall gaps. There are numerous door types to choose from, and they are usually decided on to correspond to the door’s intended usage as well as the space in which it is installed.

Single door– This is represented as an arc formed by a thin line.
Double door– This has two arcs that show the swing direction, similar to a single door.
Sliding door: A sliding door is made up of two doors. One of them is fixed and the other overlaps. These are commonly used to facilitate indoor-outdoor movement and are made of glass to allow more light to enter.
Bi-folding door- This has a procession of panels that fold in or out to increase the amount of space available. To let in a lot of light, bi-folds usually use wide glass panels.
Pocket door- When fully opened into a compartment in the next wall, a pocket door, also known as cavity slider, disappears from view.
Double Pocket door– When there isn’t enough room for a hinged door to flap open, a double pocket door, like a single pocket door, comes in handy. They can move about on rollers hung from an overhead track, as well as tracks or guides running across the floor.
Arrows– The arrows indicate which direction sliding and pocket doors slide.

Windows | House Plan Details

Windows are holes in the wall with thin lines connecting them that exhibit the glass and frame.

Single Casement window- One or more side hinges link a single casement window to its frame.
Double casement windows– These are similar to single casement windows, the only difference is that they stack one on top of the other.

When visualising your new house design, it’s crucial to know where the doors and windows are placed in the floor plan. Take the moment to learn how they act, where they are located, and, most importantly, how vast they are. Analyze yourself in the house and review any transitions you’d like to make to the window and door arrangements with one of our team members.

Flooring | House plan details

One of the most intriguing aspects of our homes is the flooring. So when choosing the type of flooring you want to use, it’s crucial to make sure the flooring you select is appropriate for the space. Determining varied flooring patterns in a floor plan allows you to have a better understanding of the scale as well as legal needs for a given space, such as waterproofing.

Flooring materials are frequently incorporated into floor plans to aid viewers in determining how a room will feel by providing a better understanding of scale.

White space- White space refers to an area that can be left as bare concrete, carpeted, or covered in floorboards.
Wet area flooring- It can be found in bathrooms, laundry rooms, and, in some situations, kitchens. To enact a code of compliance, this area will need to be adequately set up with relevant supplies.
Exterior decking – This is the size of decking that the designer recommends. We construct all of our decks once the prefab home is installed.

Finishes, fixtures, and furniture

These are all important considerations. To show the scale of the home, most companies will incorporate the location of sinks, toilets, bathtubs, beds, and other furnishings on their floor plans. Because good designers understand the necessity of a well-thought-out plumbing plan, they pay close interest to the position of kitchen and bath fixtures. The distance between a refrigerator and a sink or oven may have an impact on how easy or difficult it is to run a kitchen. For instance, a toilet that is too near to the vanity might make a bathroom feel claustrophobic and unwelcoming. The location and designation of key fixtures and appliances in a floor plan are generally simple.

Mattresses, couches, and refrigerators don’t come in standard sizes, so measure the important proportions of your furniture and compare them to the designs to see if your California king bed or L-shaped sofa will fit! If this is necessary, Genius Homes can create a fantastic floor plan for you that incorporates all of these characteristics.

Choosing the best scale

One of the most exciting features of creating a new home is the ability to customise the floor plans and design to meet your specific needs. When comparing home designs in the early stages, one of the most crucial factors to examine is the floor plan’s expanse or the design’s dimension. We can modify the size of your house design plan to reflect the size of your master bedroom and ensuite if you have an idea of how big you want them to be.

If you’re confused about your plan’s measurement, grab some masking tape and head over to your sector to start outlining it. This will help determine the scale. Get a sense of how you’re living right now. If your bedroom appears to be a little too small, use a tape measure and write down the measurements before contacting our design staff. Consider how the space will feel and operate when you’re doing the things you like.

Fortunately, FirstBuild Homes has a huge number of houses under construction in our Auckland Factory that potential clients can see at any moment. This is a great way to get a sense of the size of the houses and determine what works and what doesn’t for you.. If you haven’t discovered a plan that meets all of your requirements, our experts can collaborate with you to design one that is unique to you and your family.

16 May 2022

Traditional or Modular homes which one is better: Build your next dream home

There is a lot of hype about prefabricated home building. It has become the new trend and the environmentally sustainable methodology that many homeowners want to adapt.

To look at an analysis about Modular home versus traditional home building, first we need to understand the market penetration of these construction methods.

The manufactured home industry owns the market share, homeowners and investors in realty sector are seeking the Modular home as it has over 15 benefits that traditional homes don’t offer.

Thought Co Modular Home Factory USA — Modular Home Factory USA

The Manufactured Housing Institute , based in the US where this technology is widespread, currently states that their products will decline site-built home costs by 10-35%, without any impact upon future appreciation, due to trade labour efficiencies, and their volume undertaking for construction materials, interior finishes, and appliances.

For a sense of perspective in the United States, 63% of all new housing is being built by builder-dealers who are given the contract and only 37% is still traditional on-site construction.

We need to understand the standardised practices, so that we may design and create home products that are competitive in the marketplace. In the context of COVID-19, such predictability is all the more important as the sector already faces a number of risk factors such as the risk of another wave of infections that could force traditional building sites to close all over again.

Stick-built or traditionally built homes

“Stick-built” homes are constructed on-site using tried-and-true homebuilding techniques. Each and every component, down to the timber and windows, is brought to the home’s permanent location and the home is manually constructed, much like a jigsaw puzzle.

The deciding factors while choosing either a Traditionally built home or a modular home:

Advantages of Modular Homes Over Site-Built Homes–

1. Quality.
One essential advantage of modular construction development over site-assembled is that modular homes are built with a higher level of quality control. Each module of the house is made in exactly the same manner each time, leaving out the risks of manufacturing or calculation errors. Each module goes through a rigorous quality control and inspection check before delivery to site.
Similarly, homes built in a factory are safe from any environmental damage that could potentially affect the construction process like rain, or excessive sunlight causing the wood to warp.

2. Cost-Effectiveness.
Modular homes are more affordable than site-constructed homes because of the efficiencies offered by factory manufacturing, economies of scale and efficient construction practices. The development cost is lower.

“There are various key advantages. One is the speed with which the housing projects are finished. Off-site manufacturing can help a housing project complete in almost half the time. In terms of lending, this timeframe is a great benefit. They can finance a development and get their lent money back quickly and they can certainly reinvest it elsewhere; this is to ensure reducing of the project risk.” Sarah Horden CFO and Group Development Director at Modulous

3. Construction speed and time taken.
Once each module is finished, it is transported to the site and placed on the site to be assembled into a completed home. With modular homes, about 95% of the building work is done in the factory and then the final assembling is completed on the land purchased.
The modular methodology is fast and easy to integrate because they are pre-built and require no onsite calibration.

4. Can withstand sudden weather changes.
Modular homes are built in a factory setting away from weather impacts. Quality control is easier and material, or labour shortages are not an issue. A Modular Housing factory doesn’t get rained off.

5. Certainty.
Pre-manufactured housing products also offers greater certainty. Traditional building is bound to see price inflations and schedules lengthening due to unforeseen events such as supplier issues and bad weather etc. Projects that use factory-made housing parts, on the other hand, tend to be accurately measurable, predictable, and pliable. They are hardly impacted by natural atrocities.

6. Sustainability as a way of living.
Modern prefab elements are designed with long-term sustainability in mind, including using data analytics to design homes with optimal energy use and storage. These homes are manufactured using materials that them at a comfortable temperature, reducing the need for extra insulation or cooling.

How smart construction has been transforming home-building after COVID-19

Prefab construction powered by digital technology can help us safely create sustainable, high-quality housing at a much faster pace and more cost effectively than traditional homes.

Using big data and artificial intelligence throughout the design and construction process is proven to transform the building sector and helps in providing sustainable, affordable housing for every homeowner.

The demand for high-quality housing is continuing to rise, especially in tier-3 cities Such as Auckland. Offering urban residents better and much more spacious accommodation is crucial for reducing overcrowding

Unlike traditionally built homes, prefab houses are assembled from components including roofs & walls that are built inside factories and delivered to the land for assembling. This helps make them cheaper and faster to build, the speed is the key factor here. Digital technology, including artificial intelligence, robotics and the Internet of Things, has also improved the design and production process. (Source-www.mckinsey.com)

Using smart digital technologies and prefab construction can halve the time of a project, compared to conventional building techniques. This productivity boost is of vital importance when it comes to meeting pent-up demand after the lockdown prevailed. Companies are using A.I to develop safety systems for worksites while constructing modular homes. AI is being used to track the real-time interactions of worker, machinery, and objects on the site and alert supervisors of potential safety issues, construction errors, and productivity issues. This is another key reason why modular construction is preferred over the traditional building.

As prefab construction gains popularity, data gathered from manufacturing and construction can be analyzed to further understand, optimize and standardize the process.

Dave Grant works for FirstBuild Homes www.firstbuild.co.nz

5 May 20227 May 2022

The Modular Home: a Shelter that’s Shielded from Disaster.

Are Modular Houses better in Earthquakes?

New Zealand is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world. New Zealand has gone through the world’s most comprehensive seismic strengthening system. This new national system for managing earthquake-prone buildings in New Zealand came into effect on 1st July 2017. The new system concerns the owners of earthquake-prone buildings, territorial authorities (local councils), engineers, other building professionals and building users.

The incident in Christchurch in 2011 and some incidents overseas have shown that the failure of earthquake-prone buildings, or lands, can endanger lives.

New Zealand has had a progressive approach to improving standards for modern buildings and earthquake-resistant architecture since design standards for buildings were primarily introduced into New Zealand in 1935, following the Napier Earthquake. Advancements in the knowledge of seismicity, material properties and the response of buildings to earth-quaking have resulted in progressive refinements to requirements for the design and detail of buildings.

The system introduced on 1 July 2017 provides a guidebook and direction on how to manage the risks to public safety posed by existing buildings, including those constructed prior to the introduction of modern design standards. A building, or part of a building, is earthquake-prone if it will have its ultimate ability exceeded in a moderate earthquake, and if it were to collapse, would do similarly in a way that is likely to cause injury or fatality to persons inside or near the building or on any other neighbouring property, or damage to any other property situated nearby.

Territorial authorities determine if a building or part of a building is earthquake-prone using the EPB methodology, a document that sets out how territorial authorities identify potentially earthquake-prone buildings, how engineers partake in engineering assessments, and how territorial authorities determine whether a building or part is earthquake-prone and if it is its earthquake rating via thorough examining.

Methodology to detect whether the building is prone to earthquakes or not- EPB method

The methodology to identify earthquake-prone buildings sets out the criteria for accepting an engineering assessment, for recognising a previous assessment, and the basis for determining if a building or part meets the tests for being earthquake-prone.

If a territorial authority determines that a building is earthquake-prone, it needs to:

Assign an earthquake rating for that building,
Issue an EPB notice to the owner to display prominently on the building.
Publish the building information on the EPB register.Assigning an earthquake rating helps people to understand and identify the lowest-rated buildings and their expected seismic performance. Earthquake ratings mean the degree to which the building, or part, meets the seismic performance requirements of the Building Code that relate to how a building is supposed to perform in an earthquake situation, and that would be used to design a new building on the same site as at the date the new system came into action.

How do modular homes help earthquake-prone areas?

Modular homes are earthquake-resistant houses made of high-quality steel. Moreover, strong materials like steel and concrete bolster the exterior of a modular home and indoors are made with western red cedar ceilings. In regions such as New Zealand or Canada, the most earthquake depth of VIII on the MSK Intensity Scale is likely to prevail. This may bring about harm to structures and masonry buildings. Buildings which might be built with suitable first-class cement mortar could also additionally increase cracks, at the same time as homes built in sandy soil on an excessive water table, face the chance of more damage, says the National Institute of Disaster Management- NIDM

Here is how verification may be achieved to check the chance of harm to your residential building:

Number of storeys

A one or two-storeyed building, the use of thick partitions, maybe extraordinarily more secure than a three-storeyed building. The fourth storey, if added, may be very hazardous and could make dwelling withinside the lower storeys riskier.

Conclusion of the article:

Summing it up, we read about what is the new system in New Zealand concerning earthquakes, how to self-verify the chances of risk of your building, and what is earthquake rating, how territorial authorities check the earthquake ratings, We also observed in this article how modular homes can save the disaster occurring via its high-end design.