Are pre-fabricated homes desirable?

Innovation in the building industry should be encouraged and pre-fabricated homes could play a role in increasing supply at a time when we are falling a long way short of delivering the necessary number of new homes. If there are methods whereby a developer can reduce costs and delivery time, then they need to be given serious thought, but on the whole pre-fabrication is likely to best suit very large multinational outfits who can invest in plant and produce at scale.

The question is how desirable these kinds of homes will be for tenants and buyers, and how they will be received in local communities.  Planning departments can be wary of generic new developments that don’t chime with the local vernacular of an area and pre-fabricated dwellings may find it difficult to avoid imposing an ‘identikit’ style. If we are to meet the demand for new homes, we must maximise the delivery of all types of homes. We need to avoid falling into the trap we’ve fallen into before of putting too much stock in one method or approach. Diversity of provision is the key.

Read Damian Collins MP's article, Radical solutions needed to solve housing crisis, here.