In Sweden, 80 Percent of Family Homes are Prefabricated

Prefabricated or ready-made houses, which have not yet been widely accepted in Croatia, are cheaper and can be built several times faster than traditional houses. According to research by the portal Info-nekretnine, within ten years, prefabricated construction could take a larger share of the market, surpassing traditional construction.
Residential property prices in Croatia are becoming increasingly expensive, with a descent apartment in Zagreb costing no less than 1,500 euros per square meter, and even the most affordable POS (state-subsidized housing) reaching up to 960 euros. For this reason, many are trying to solve their housing problems through alternative means. Recently, prefabricated or ready-made houses have been gaining popularity. Although it is difficult to determine how many such houses are built annually in Croatia, as the same statistics include various makeshift homes, stilt houses, garden houses, etc., the offerings from manufacturers and representatives suggest that their numbers are growing.
Last Up to 200 Years
Today, it is almost impossible to notice the difference between a ready-made, or prefabricated house, and one built using traditional construction methods after completion. Regarding quality, both builders and manufacturers of prefabricated homes agree that the quality is roughly equivalent within these price ranges. However, it should be noted that prefabricated homess always maintain the same standard, while traditional construction can vary significantly, with the price of traditional construction potentially falling below that of prefabricated houses but with a much lower standard and far inferior construction quality.
As for the durability of prefabricated homes, it is estimated that their lifespan ranges between 100 and 200 years. Thermal insulation in prefabricated houses is 4-5 times better than in traditional constructions. Specifically, a standard 30 cm thick wall of a prefabricated house is equivalent to a 1.5-meter thick wall in traditional construction. The duration of construction also differs between these two types of building methods. It takes about 12 months to build a quality family house using traditional methods, while a prefabricated homee requires between two and four months.
Lack of Information
One advantage of prefabricated construction is that most of the work is done in a factory under consistent conditions. On-site, it only takes a few days to assemble the house and start interior finishing. Additionally, the construction of a family house rarely meets the planned 12-month timeline due to so-called phased construction. Often, due to the investor’s excessive ambitions and limited funds, the construction of a family house can take several years. This is not possible with prefabricated houses due to the construction method. Once a prefabricated house is assembled and fully completed, it is immediately habitable.
The situation in the Croatian market indicates that most investors, whether for personal use or for the market, still opt for traditional construction. Prefabricated homes remain minimally represented among family homes, with less than five percent. This is attributed to a lack of information and a perception of low credibility of prefabricated houses. However, in recent years, the situation has begun to change significantly in favor of prefabricated homes.
For example, in Sweden, 80 percent of houses are prefabricated, and the entire west coast of the USA features prefabricated houses. According to research conducted a few months ago by the portal Info-nekretnine among leading domestic builders, there is a strong possibility that in 10 years, prefabricated construction will take a larger share of the market than traditional construction.
SOURCE: POSLOVNI.HR