Benefits of Building Prefab Homes

Do you know the benefits of building a prefab home?

Whilst not as widespread or well-known as “traditional” builds - your brick & mortar types; multi-storey units; on-site construction – prefabricated homes have their own place in Kiwi history. For example, did you know that in the 1840s, the largest prefabricated house in the country was home to the New Zealand Governor?


Government House*, comprising of formal rooms, government offices and the Governor’s living quarters was erected in 1840. Unfortunately, it was consumed by fire 8 years later.

Prefab houses have their place in Kiwi history, both within our government and also playing a part in the early days of immigration, housing the newest arrivals to New Zealand.

Yet today, given the many benefits of a prefabricated home vs other more traditional methods, such as lower building costs and shorter production times, New Zealanders are yet to adopt prefabricated homes on a larger scale, when compared to some of our European counterparts.


Between 2020 and 2023, prefab buildings made up 7-12% of total builds. Compare that to Germany (22-26%), Netherlands (28-35%) or Sweden (85%)**, and we can see that New Zealand as a whole is not seeing the benefits that prefab homes can bring, whether they be affordability, sustainability or energy efficiency positives.

And whilst some industry peers may choose a scaremonger approach to why you should not choose a prefab, we want to share with you some of the benefits of going prefab and trust that it will aid you in making a fully informed decision on who will build your next home.

1. Knowing your budget
   Prefab building projects offer a lot of cost-certainty. The construction of various house designs in a controlled environment results in honed and optimised building methods. Therefore, a prefab builder can provided highly-accurate quotations for the amount of labour needed and the volume of materials required.
   
   
2. Getting your keys quicker
   These honed building methods in controlled environments mean prefab homes can be built quicker than traditional on-site methods. Add to this fact that all the site works needed for a house to be installed can be done concurrently. For comparison, if you have a traditional building project, construction can’t commence until foundation work is completed, whereas you know a prefab home is being built whilst your site is being prepared for its arrival.
   
   
3. Reducing impact to your land
   Building off-site means less tradespeople on your land, meaning less vehicles on your land, meaning time spent overall on your land by your builders. This will significantly reduce the impact to your land, but also means less traffic and less noise for you and your neighbours.
   
   
4. Built in controlled conditions
   Off-site construction allows builders to better control the factors which have the greatest impact to construction projects. With greater control of the environment around us comes greater precision in our methods allowing for consistent high-quality work. Further to this; having a workforce, tools and materials in a centralised location reduces construction time by avoiding issues like labour shortages or delays to material deliveries to an on-site build.
   
   
5. More Environmentally Friendly
   Building off-site reduces:
   • The amount of transport access needed on construction projects.
   • The volume of waste materials, through greater efficiencies in building techniques • and reduction in the need for surplus materials at multiple sites.
   • The environmental impact to the landowner.
   
   Reduction in vehicle use, better management of building materials and fewer people and less equipment on your land can all mean you are being kinder to the environment.
   
   

Whilst some of these benefits are more exclusive to off-site/prefab home building methods, there are other benefits available across the industry as a whole. The right builder, whether prefab or not, can:

• Design a house to meet your needs, whether it’s the storage you need in a bedroom, the location of a walk-in pantry, or the finishings in your bathroom. Your house needs to meet your needs.
• Manage the entire building project for you, from ensuring all aspects of the project, such as design, construction, consents, transport and site connections, as well as making sure all health and safety standards for on-site personnel are met.
• Provide clarity on what you are and are not paying for in your budget. In addition to construction, you should see the costs for all your service connections, site works, consents, even the travel costs for when labour is needed on-site.
• Ensure your home is built to code. The building code can vary from region to region, especially when factors like wind zones and earthquake zones must be taken into account. The right builder will work with local, independent building inspectors throughout construction up until the final day of the project, ensuring your home meets all required compliances.

Not all builders are the same and not all construction companies offer the same services as others do. By better understanding what you can get from a prefab home builder, as opposed to listening to myths and misconceptions perpetuated by others in the industry, you are better equipped in your decision making.

We at Genius Homes believe we can offer houses that meet your needs, and services to fulfil what is required to make those houses into dream homes.

No matter where you are in your home building journey, feel free to get in touch and see what our New Homes Consultants can offer you? Our team is ready to provide expert advice and guidance, helping you explore the benefits of prefab construction and how it can meet your unique needs.