Cabins
Prefab homes explained: how prefabrication actually works
Prefab covers several very different building methods, and the differences matter more than the label. Understanding which type you are buying tells you what is fixed, what is still flexible, and where the real savings sit.
The three main types of prefabrication
Panelised systems deliver flat wall, floor and roof elements that are assembled on site. Volumetric or modular systems deliver finished three-dimensional boxes, often with kitchens and bathrooms already installed. Transportable homes are built complete in a yard and craned or trucked onto their final foundation.
- Panelised: most design freedom, more site work
- Modular: fastest on-site programme, transport limits module size
- Transportable: complete home delivered, best for accessible sites
- Hybrid: a modular core with site-built decks, canopies and links
What actually happens in the factory
Factory work happens on a jig, under cover, with repeatable tolerances and moisture protection. That is the real advantage: dimensional accuracy, dry framing and services set out precisely rather than improvised. Weather delays largely disappear from the critical path.
The trade-off is that decisions must be locked earlier. Once a module is framed, moving a wall or a bathroom is expensive in a way it is not on a traditional site.
Site work is not optional
Every prefab home still needs foundations, connection to power, water and wastewater, access for delivery and craneage, and finishing works such as decks, steps and landscaping. Budgets go wrong when a factory price is compared against a full turnkey price.
- Ground conditions and foundation design
- Crane or transporter access, including overhead lines and tight corners
- Services connections or off-grid systems
- Consents, inspections and sign-off
Where prefab saves money — and where it does not
Savings come from repetition, controlled waste, shorter programmes and less rework. They do not come from cheaper materials. A bespoke one-off design built in a factory captures fewer of those savings than a refined repeatable model, which is why most credible prefab suppliers work from a defined range with structured options.
Questions worth asking any supplier
The answers separate a resolved product from a rendering.
- What exactly is included, and what is priced separately?
- Which structural, thermal and moisture standards is it built to?
- How is the home transported and installed, and who arranges it?
- What is the payment schedule against build milestones?
- What documentation is provided for consent and for resale?
How our cabins are built
The Timmy Nator cabin collection uses a refined set of models with structured options rather than open-ended bespoke design, so specification, engineering and delivery are resolved before anything is manufactured. Design, documentation and sourcing are coordinated in-house, and delivery is arranged internationally.