Transportable homes in Australia

Transportable homes are also known as Manufactured homes, Relocatable homes, Prefabricated homes or Modular homes. All these names represent the same construction method. The house is built in a factory in sections and is then transported to site on one or more trucks. Once on site the house is set into place on piers or on a slab.

Contrary to what the name suggests, a Transportable home is usually a permanent structure once it is on site. Mobile homes and camper vans are not related to transportable homes.

There are several variations to the construction method and use of Transportable homes.

Manufactured Home Parks are leasehold subdivisions of low cost housing. The residents lease their land on a 30 to 90 year lease and own their house. Because of this these people cannot fix their home to site and it is part way between a mobile home & a manufactured home.

Transportable homes are sometimes used for purposes other then residential housing. It is not uncommon for them to be used for buildings at mines, cabins, holiday homes, offices, schools and also by the military.

Transportable homes are not to be confused with Mobile homes. Mobile homes are often known as RVs or Camper Vans and are completely different to Transportable homes which are permanent structures that cannot be moved easily.

So why do many people choose a Transportable home over normal construction? Below is a list of advantages you gain from building a Transportable home.

1. Cheaper to build.
2. Faster to build, often in as few as 6 - 10 weeks.
3. Perfect for rural locations with few available tradespeople.
4. Not affected by bad weather during construction.

The disadvantages include:

1. Brick & other heavier building materials can't be used.
2. Some design limitations because the house needs to be transported to site on a truck.
3. They can be more difficult to finance. We recommend you contact a specialist for a transportable home loan.

Borrowing money to build a Transportable home is a little different to a standard construction loan. Australian lenders often confuse Transportable homes with other types of properties such as temporary housing, mobile homes or manufactured home parks which are all considered to be bad security for a loan.

In addition to that most lenders cannot release funds prior to the house being on site which creates a temporary cash flow problem where you need to pay the builder for the house before the bank will release the money.

Because of this many people have great difficultly getting a loan. There is a Mortgage Broker that specialises in Transportable home loans.

The Transportable home industry has taken off in the last ten years and will soon rival the market share seen in overseas markets like the US & Europe. You can find builders in the transportable home builder directory.