Pre-fabs for all?
 

After WWII there was a serious housing shortage and the government of the day’s solution was pre-fabs. OK! They weren’t very good (although some pre-fabs still stand occupied today) but today’s technology and building materials are far superior and could produce quality dwelling places at low cost to buy or rent.

A programme not so long ago showed how the pre-fab is making a come back in the states. An estate sized plot of land was acquired and the pre-fab factory was built in the middle. Foundations, utility services and roads were laid out and as each house was built in the factory it was then transported to its place in the estate to await occupation. If memory serves me well 2 dwellings per day were produced. Once the estate was completed the factory was dismantled and transported to a new site to start all over again.

Would it work in the UK?

I think that it might if the will was there and greed took a back seat.

At least it is worth exploring.

Re: Pre-fabs for all?
 

It's also very popular in Germany.

The only down side in the U.K. is the cost of the land to put them on.

Re: Pre-fabs for all?
 

One of the finest exponents of the pre-fab buildings was Premier Constrution, Blackburn, although they didn't do houses their systems could have been easily adapted for housing, their consept was build quick build um good

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Have no facts on this, but in a discussion this week, someone staed that more and more wooden houses (a superior log cabin type-thing) are becoming more popular ? Sorry, can't elaborate. They don't come cheap though.

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were`nt ikea selling the ready built wooden type houses?

Re: Pre-fabs for all?
 

You winding me up Pipinfort ? Sounds feasible though .. :confused:

Re: Pre-fabs for all?
 

Ikea launches flatpack houses in Britain | Society | guardian.co.uk

Its not like me to wind anybody up...........!lol

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My Goodness ... D.I.Y. at its height, eh ? As Garinda points out though, suppose you would have to have the land first.

Watcha' think of that Jambutty ?

Re: Pre-fabs for all?
 

Would the flat pack houses also come with "spare parts" that remain after it is built by a bloke??

Re: Pre-fabs for all?
 

When we lived in Rutland, 1962-64, a girl I worked with (in Melton Mowbray) was getting married and her future in-laws bought them a "flatpack" wooden house. It had to be imported from Sweden and was put together by a builder. When finished it was a very attractive 3 bedroomed house, not a bungalow, and the rooms were a good size. Apparently if they wanted to enlarge the house they just had to order the extra bit and add it on.

I don't know if IKEA sell them but I wouldn't be surprised. The only trouble is I can imagine getting it all put together then finding the last 3 screws, that hold the roof on, are missing. :sad8:

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Re: Pre-fabs for all?
 

Great idea. But with modern materials you wouldn’t even need to use wood.

My back fence was replaced the other day with what looks like and feels like some form of plastic. Each plank was heavier than its wooden counterpart and just as rigid. If they can do that for fencing they can do the same for house walls.

Plastic doesn’t rot so it will outlast me even if I live to be a hundred.

They might even be able to use all the disposable plastic that is filling the landfill sites and thus solve two problems at the same time.

It’s all a question of “if there is a will”.

Re: Pre-fabs for all?
 

seem to remember that the post war pre-fabs were constructed out of a cement asbestos mix , wonder if there were any health hazards to the folks who lived in them or the folks who later dismantled them.

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just a little wander, but are the Pre-Fabs at Rose Grove still standing? had a mate late 60s that used to live in em, know they were still standing mid 70s. also was some in the Elephant @ Castle area of london late 80s.

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Pre fabs at rose grove?? are they the ones at the back of the unity?

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the concepts for wooden housing are amazing, one of our Timber Suppliers in Latvia specialises in them and the ones I have seen are amazing and are very reasonably priced, they are very eco friendly with timber used from sustainable sources, The downside as Garinda has pointed out is the price of Land!

Re: Pre-fabs for all?
 

Don't know the answer to that Cashy, but they were only supposed to last 10 years and there are some still standing, albeit slightly improved in appearance. Some have even been given Grade ll listed.

Do some googling .. really interesting. The aluminium ones were constructed from the defunct aircrafts from the war, (gosh, can you imagine what it was like when it hail-stormed :eek:) and could be resurrected in a few hours. Shortage of man power and materials brought about these dwellings.

Personally, I always thought they were really ugly, however, seemingly comfortable for the people that acquired them.

Some had asbestos Steeljack, but not all.

Not sure what the seller's market on these would be today Jambutty. Maybe with the cost of brick houses now, could go down well with our young people who cannot afford the property ladder. Just current market forces, but have to forward think should you wish to move in 10 years time; a gamble really as to whether they would sell on. Suspect there would be a little difficulty with planning permission too. Also, remember the U.S.A. is a huge country with lots of land available.

Re: Pre-fabs for all?
 

yeh thats them katex, are still there emzy just told me.;)

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Its only about 10 years since they got rid of the prefabs at Marl Pits. The council were told they had to knock them down because of the asbestos in them and someone i used to work with was living in one of them and he was upset about having to leave them.

Re: Pre-fabs for all?
 

You're painting a picture which conjures up images of the old Soviet Union, or in fact even earlier to the 1860's, when the newly emancipated serfs were given ownership of the land they had previously cultivated. Or even worse, the land grabs from the white farmers in Zimbabwe, by what's considered by the present government to be the indigenous population.

How far back would we have to go back to qualify for some of this land? One, two generations, or twenty?

Speaking personally I don't really fancy living on my quarter acre plot, situated three miles from the M6, just outside of Carlisle.:D

Re: Pre-fabs for all?
 

spent my early childhood 40/50s living in the
prefabs on barden road..springhill..dont remember much
about em but the times were good

Re: Pre-fabs for all?
 

A properly constructed pre-fab would still have a re-sale value in 10 years time katex. And by then a new generation needing housing would have come along. But I was thinking more of pre-fabs to rent rather than to buy. A pre-fab might be just a box but even a box has some charm and I would rather live in a box than on the street. Look at the many thousands who live in a static caravan out of choice.

One of the many things that I have learned in 71 years is that whenever someone suggests something new or radical the first reaction is ‘it can’t be done’ and a list of reasons why is presented. You rarely get the “lets see how it can be done” reaction.

On the face of it land might seem to be a problem (and I realise that the USA is a huge country with lots of spare land) but there are plenty of ‘brown field’ sites in the UK. Plus the old terraced houses are being knocked down to make way for new property although many only needed refurbishment. But then there isn’t much profit in ‘doing up’ an old house.

It has always puzzled me why youngsters are encouraged to get on the property ladder. Then it dawned on me. The current property owners would have no one to sell their property to.

Re: Pre-fabs for all?
 

There is a hotel near M/c Airport that is effectively this. It came as modules which were all 'clipped' together. I undertsand all plumbing etc is already installed and just needs connecting together to the adjacent module.

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Back in the late sixties I worked on the dec-access flats up Shad, they were all pre-fab. They were a swedish design called Jesperson and were built with concrete slabs which virtually went together like a house of cards. unfortunately they weren't very successful and I think they are all down now, and that Blackburn may be still paying for them.

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Arnt the mcd's mainly pre-fab? I remember the burnley and accy ones being built and they seemed to go up in no time at all

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We still have some pre-fab houses that we rent out, the ones that come to mind are the ones in Little Harwood in Blackburn... not the prettiest of houses though

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Wow :eek:- delux prefabs can be bought at Argos
What housing crisis? Argos launches flatpack log cabin - for just £13,099 | the Daily Mail

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The Sun are reporting on this as well, prices start as little as 11k and they can have patio doors, underfloor heating etc. They can be built within a day or two, with a couple of people working on it.

Got to admit, after reading this, I did think of ringing me father, to see how his joinery skills were lol x

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Saw that on the telly this morning Margaret, £13,000 for a house, just need a team to put it up jobs a good un:)

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I like the look of it too.
My son has land, but I bet it would cost that much again to get foundations laid, planning consent, installation of mains supplies and sewerage.

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I saw this on the TV this morning, that seems cheap really, but like you said, its all the foundations, sewerage etc that would need doing aswell, and the land of course

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It's great idea, though I still think finding affordable land, and getting the relevant planning permission will be the hardest part, after having your house delivered in boxes.

Did anyone read about the two recent(ish) cases, where two people built a house and castle, and then hid them for five years in order to get round the 'five years then it's safe' planning rule?

Hay presto! Farmer unveils the 'illegal' mock-Tudor castle he tried to hide behind 40ft hay bales | the Daily Mail

Farmer tries to dodge planners ... by hiding bungalow in barn | the Daily Mail

Both properties have since been demolished.