If you are looking for a way to quickly and easily build a summer house on your lot, modular construction may be the perfect solution. This innovative way of building allows you to use prefabricated components that can be easily transported and assembled on site, creating a finished building in no time. Our article will dispel any doubts about this technology.
What are the characteristics of modular construction?
In this technology, houses or buildings are prefabricated in a factory and then transported and assembled on site. This is a very attractive solution for investors who are looking for a quick and economical way to build a summer house. The whole process can be compared to assembling furniture from a package.
Construction of a modular home can take from a few weeks to several months depending on the size and complexity of the building and the availability of materials. Typically, the process involves several steps, such as design, module production, transportation and on-site assembly. In the case of a bungalow with an area of up to 35 m2 notification procedure to the municipality is simplified - building permit is not required, but only under several conditions, which we will explain in a moment.
Modular houses are built using high-quality materials, mainly wood, which is the skeleton of the walls. It is then filled with insulation and armed with plumbing, sanitary and electrical systems, often even finishing the walls on the inside and the exterior facade. As a result, there is little left to do on the construction site except to assemble the house into a whole.
On what kind of plot of land can a modular house be built?
From the beginning of 2022, even a house with a contour area of less than 70 m can be built without a permit.2. In this case, as well as investments of up to 35 m2, there are some limitations:
- For every 500 square meters of land, one such building can be erected;
- It must be a detached building and have a maximum of two stories;
- It is necessary to observe minimum distances from neighboring properties;
- The facility must be erected for its own use and not, for example, for rent;
- The investor must own the plot of land on which the building is to be constructed;
- the area of influence of the house must be entirely within the plot of land on which it will be built - so it cannot extend to neighboring properties;
- Construction must be in accordance with the Local Development Plan. In the absence thereof, it is required to apply to the authority for the issuance of Development Conditions.
What are the advantages of a modular home as a vacation home?
Firstly, construction of modular house is faster than a traditional farmhouse system, which means that as an investor you can enjoy your dacha faster. You can even have it the same year you place your prefab order.
Secondly, modular homes are economical because the production of modules at the factory saves materials, and the assembly process requires fewer workers, resulting in lower construction costs. In addition, the materials used in the production of modular homes, such as steel and wood, are durable and weather-resistant. As a result, you won't have to incur additional costs for a long time costs related to maintenance and repairs.
Thirdly, modular homes are flexible and adaptable to the investor's needs. You can choose the design and size of the house, as well as the interior furnishings, lighting and heating systems, room layout and so on. In the future, such a structure can easily be enlarged by adding more matching modules.
Fourthly, building notification procedure up to 35 m2 is simplified, which speeds up the entire process of building a summer house. The investor can submit the appropriate application to the city or municipality.
Fifthly Modular house you can move at any time, even to the other end of the country. This is because of its modularity.
What are the costs of maintaining such a house?
The cost of maintaining the building itself, i.e. its maintenance and ongoing repairs, will not be great due to the small area.
A drawback, however, may be heating. In a small building, installing an oil, gas or pellet boiler is out of the question.
Therefore, it is best to build such a house using technology energy efficient, and even better - Passive. Then you can successfully use solutions such as recuperation (recovery of heat from ventilation) and heat pump. Combined with a photovoltaic system, these systems will provide monthly heating costs of often less than PLN 50 with intensive use.
Recuperation systems allow heat to be recovered from the air inside the building and used to heat the incoming air from outside. This maintains a constant temperature in the house, saving on energy costs. In addition, recuperation systems improve indoor air quality by removing pollutants and moisture.
Heat pumps, on the other hand, allow you to use energy from the environment to heat and cool a building. As a result, a summer cottage can maintain a pleasant temperature on both cooler and hot days, and save on energy costs. In addition, heat pumps are very easy to operate and require little maintenance. The interior is supplied from the outside. This maintains a constant temperature in the house, saving on energy costs. In addition, recuperation systems improve indoor air quality by removing pollutants and moisture.