A detached house is usually a much more expensive investment than buying an apartment in the city. However, if we give up traditional construction methods and decide to erect a modular building, both solutions may turn out to be very comparable in terms of price. Modular houses are made of pre-prepared elements - modules - which are brought to the construction site and assembled there together with dedicated installations. Due to the ecological materials used - prefabricated elements from which the whole is made, they are produced, for example, from chamber-dried KVH wood, class C24 CE - low noise level during construction and no construction waste - and therefore no need to dispose of it - make this construction method it is environmentally friendly. It also turns out to be relatively inexpensive, especially if we decide on a modular building with a building area of up to 35 m2, which can be erected without a building permit. More detailed information can be found in the article: Modular houses without a permit.
What factors affect the cost of a modular house?
The prices of modular wooden houses 35 m2 all year round erected by MARKAEKO start at PLN 3,900 net per square meter . This amount includes: the frame of the building with the roof, window and door carpentry, installations implemented at the prefabrication stage, as well as external and internal finishing - in accordance with the standard selected by the investor. A turnkey modular house with a building area of up to 35 m2 can therefore be erected for less than PLN 150,000. PLN, which, if only such an area is sufficient, makes it a great alternative to buying an apartment in the city. All you need to do is choose a house project for PLN 150,000 best suited to your needs. zloty.
Of course, the final price of a modular house is influenced by numerous factors, such as:
- final square footage (the usable area may be larger than the built-up area, even in the case of a building with more than one floor);
- number of storeys;
- the cost of transporting modules;
- detailed technological solutions;
- way of finishing.
Increasing the area or enriching the house with additional stylistic elements or technological solutions obviously increases its price. This does not change the fact that, in the end, modular construction usually turns out to be cheaper than using traditional methods. It is also inexpensive to operate, for example due to its energy efficiency.
Does location matter when looking for a home at this price?
Modular houses are not permanently connected to the ground with a foundation. Therefore, they can be placed in virtually any location, even in difficult terrain, where building a traditional house would be impossible or too expensive. In addition, they are mobile - at any time it is possible to disassemble them, transport them to another place and reassemble them. The location of the modular house is therefore arbitrary. Only the long-distance transport route of the modules can increase the price.
People interested in a modular house without a permit should remember that in order to build such a house, only a notification is enough, it must meet the requirements of the local spatial development plan, its area of influence cannot go beyond the plot on which it was designed, and the number of buildings built on the plot with a building area of up to 35 m2 may not exceed one for every 500 m2 of the plot.
Can a house at this price meet the basic standards and requirements?
The fact that modular houses usually turn out to be cheaper than those built using traditional methods does not mean that they are worse than them. Contrary! They are characterized by a high standard and aesthetic finish. Modular houses - both those that do not require a building permit and those with a larger area - in terms of aesthetics do not differ from buildings erected using traditional methods. The investor also has the option of choosing the finishing standard. In other words, such a building is as nice, comfortable and practical as it is built in a classical way. It can also be powered and heated using modern technologies, including RES. The basic standards and requirements that investors set for a house in 2023 are always met in the case of modular construction.
What are the development and expansion options for such a house in the future?
Modular construction is characterized by high plasticity. Of course, the investor has the option of choosing a house design and finishing standard, but in the future he can gradually improve the building. Thanks to the use of modules, you can, for example, easily increase the usable area, e.g. add an attic or a mezzanine. Additional modules can also be added. Here it is worth paying attention to the CUBEEKO MINI model. It is a bone-story building consisting of one module with a building area of 17.4 m2, and a usable area of 13.9 m²2. It is ideal for a seasonal residential house, as well as for a mobile office. Thanks to the appropriately used wall technology, it will work well both in the summer and in the winter. Importantly, it can be used as an independent building, but also as an additional module to enlarge the house.
Expansion of a modular house is much simpler, faster and cheaper than in the case of a traditionally built one.
What is the current cost of building a house for 2023?
Inflation has made building a house, especially using traditional construction methods, a very expensive investment, and prices are constantly rising. Currently, in 2023, approximately PLN 700,000 must be allocated for this purpose. PLN per 100 m2, i.e. about 7 thousand. PLN per square meter. Building a modular house is much cheaper, as indicated above. And much faster, because the entire construction process may take only a few weeks. Therefore, while in the traditional way it is impossible to build a house at a price comparable to the amount for an apartment, thanks to modular construction we can have a comfortable house for PLN 150,000. PLN, and without permission.