Prefab homes were widely used as a housing solution for the labor staff. Because of the quick and cost efficient method of construction, they were ideal for the purpose. Gradually, the prefab structures started gaining popularity as personal homes due to their durability and smaller price tags and also due to the fact that the construction of these houses took much lesser time than that of the concrete house structures. There are even more interesting and unique features that make prefab houses more desirable. Some of them being their high resistance to damage which makes them suitable for areas prone to natural calamities and the fact that they are environment friendly.

1. Few Interesting Facts About Prefabricated Homes
Prefabricate means to fabricate or construct beforehand. As everyone knows, prefabricated homes means any type of home that is constructed
from easy-to-assemble building parts in off-site manufacturing sites. Some of the commonly used materials are steel, aluminum, timber or
asbestos etc. They are quite the trend in Africa now, although, they have been in the market for as long as the 1900s known under a different
name, namely, kit homes which as the name suggests included a kit that had 30,000 pieces of their home and a 75 page instruction manual with
detailed instructions on how to assemble their house. This was a huge success at the time as it took away the pressures of deciding on a design
and construction materials and mapping out other details from the builder. During the great depression, the kit home concept lost its
customers but recently they have been able to capture the interest of the public again. They have resurfaced under the new name of prefab
homes with new and better customizing options. There are different reasons for why prefab homes, as they are affectionately called, is gaining
publicity, the major reason being economic reasons.
Prefabricated homes can be classified into two, namely, flat panels and modular. In flat panel prefab, the panels are laid down one by one. First
the panel for flooring is placed, and then the panels for the wall are set in place. These are mostly used in commercial construction as they are
much cheaper to transport than modules. In modular prefab homes, the different modules of the house are constructed at the factory. It is
then transported to the desired location and fitted together by joining the different modules to form the whole house.
Apart from sporting smaller price tags, quicker construction and move in times, there are also other advantages for prefabricated homes in
Kenya. The prefab homes can stand tremors up to 7.6 on the Richter scale and unlike concrete
structures these do not develop cracks. This particular feature of the prefab structures is very
convenient for people living in earthquake prone areas. Prefab homes are eco-friendly. Those
who want a house which exists as a part of nature itself then they should opt for prefab homes.
Prefab house construction is completed within the set time frame which is not always probable
with concrete structure houses. There is no need for any apprehension in choosing to live in a
prefab home. Like a house with concrete structure, a prefabricated house also comes with
different façade options, claddings, window types and internal fittings. Build a prefab home
surrounded by concrete fences and experience the pleasure of a lifestyle similar to outdoor
living.
Even after all the hype of prefab homes there are still some aspects of it that are unclear to the people. For instance, there exists some
confusion between manufactured homes and prefab homes. Manufactured homes like prefabricated homes are also built in a factory. But the
manufactured homes are built on a non-removable steel chassis. The house is then transported to the desired location on its own wheels.
Unlike prefabricated paneled and modular homes, the property value of manufactured homes reduces over time.