For help, advice and discussion about stuff not related to aviation. Play nice: no religion, no politics and no axe grinding please.
By PaulB
#1589925
There are constant news items about the need to build more houses, especially affordable houses which got me wondering why houses are so expensive.

They’ve been adding an extension to a house down the road, and progress has been (a) slow, due mainly to the weather and (b) quite labour intensive putting bricks and breeze blocks on top of each other and making sure it’s level etc.

Why does it have to be this way? Why can house building not be modular like budget hotels or cruise ship cabins? They come on the back of a lorry, ready made and are just placed on top of each other.

Why would this not work for houses? There was a prog on TV a while back where someone had made a home out of shipping containers joined together... that’s almost the same thing.

Right, that’s sorted.... we just need to find some land to build these houses on..... but there’s plenty of brownfield land in most urban areas... some rotund here has been derelict for years.
By cockney steve
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1589997
Invariably, prefab is dearer....but quicker.
When the oil -boom started, the formerly decaying hotel suddenly doubled in size Modular bathrooms, 2 halves.....moulded-in bog, basin, shower and bath.....the only straight lines were the built-in fluorescent- light panel and a glass shelf, other than a conventional door. Totally disorientating once you were ensconced!

One offshore bod decided to develop a film, for some reason, it caught fire....the bog flush didn't extinguish it, either. entire bathroom had to come out and a traditional one built within the brick shell.
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By Flyin'Dutch'
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1590053
PaulB wrote:Why would this not work for houses?


Of course would that work for houses, but it suffers from 'not invented over here', syndrome..

Traditional house builders don't use it - no doubt because the 'public' wants 'properly builded houses, which apparently the boxes they currently churn out, are.

Modular houses are cheaper and quicker so less money to be made.....

Cynic, me? Surely not.
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By Sooty25
#1590065
We've been stivking rocks together with mud for millenia, and all we've really done is make the rocks squarer and the mud stickier.

however the germans have been doing flat pack houses for years http://www.k-haus.co.uk

dont ask me why we haven't copied them?
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By Sooty25
#1590066
Sooty25 wrote:We've been stivking rocks together with mud for millenia, and all we've really done is make the rocks squarer and the mud stickier.

however the germans have been doing flat pack houses for years http://www.k-haus.co.uk

dont ask me why we haven't copied them?


"sticking"

why can't I edit anymore?
By PaulB
#1590073
Charles Hunt wrote:The cost of housing is largely based on a Ponzi scheme of the price of land.


Yes... I saw this earlier. the old BBC TV Centre in Shepherd's Bush has been redeveloped into flats (plus a few TV studios).

The building remains largely in tact, but the cheapest flats cost £650,000

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england ... ear-revamp
By cockney steve
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1590113
Huf Haus are readily available in UK . That Kevin Mc. Cloud chappie featured a build in his "grandiose dreams" (or whatever) TV programme.
Lovely house, eye-watering price.
unfortunately, a great majority of the population can only aspire to a 3-bed semi. (matchbox-size breeding boxes nowadays)
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By cotterpot
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1590225
Artschool wrote:it would for new build homes but there are too many variables with a house extension.


Back in the late 70's when I was involved in housing we modernised about 100 former 'railway cottages' and tacked pre fitted out bathroom and kitchen modules on the back and clad walls with brick, and a slate roof. There were about 20 dwellings per row I recall.

They arrived on a lorry and we just stacked 'em on top of each other on a prepared concrete base with drainage/gas/electricity located ready to connect up.
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By Sooty25
#1590237
Korenwolf wrote:
Sooty25 wrote:We've been stivking rocks together with mud for millenia, and all we've really done is make the rocks squarer and the mud stickier.

however the germans have been doing flat pack houses for years http://www.k-haus.co.uk

dont ask me why we haven't copied them?



We've had them for 50 years in Cambridgeshire...

https://www.potton.co.uk/


Potton and K-Haus are quite different. Potton being precut timber framed kits requiring on site construction and internal fit out.
K-Kaus, the walls are completed structures with doors, windows and electrics etc, pre-installed. You crane each wall into place, put the roof on, and move in. No onsite 1st and 2nd fix.