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3 Benefits of New Prefabricated Eco-Friendly Homes

Prefabricated Homes

Prefabricated homes aren’t really that new of a concept in the building market. For many decades now, modular prefabricated homes have been built and sold as a less expensive alternative to buying a home on the market. The difference today is that prefab has become trendy. With a bit of an aesthetic facelift and a re-branding scheme, modular homes have become the hot new thing in home building and buying. As statistics on unemployment, a failing economy, crippling debt, soaring college costs, and so much more bombard our views, the thought of owning a house is almost impossible. Many young professionals struggle to pay off college loans well into their adulthood and years after they have completed their degrees. This causes major adult life steps like getting married, buying a house, and having children to get pushed back further and further. But, the prefab homes that are on the market today may be just the answer. Keeping many modern-day issues in mind, prefabricated eco-friendly homes have a lot of offer the young home buyer.

Prefabricated Homes

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Installing a Modern-Shed Kit:

Modern-Shed kit construction is easier than you might think.

Modern-Shed Kits: Ever thought about having a Modern-Shed in your backyard? Do you have basic construction skills? Can you read directions?

Great then you should have no problem installing a Modern-Shed Kit.

The best way to minimize the cost of a Modern-Shed is to install it yourself.

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Backyard Bedroom: Home in a 96 Sq/Ft box

Backyard Bedroom Kit: A Teenage Dream

Backyard Bedroom Kit: Our customer came to Westcoast Outbuildings with a problem. Their children were growing up right before their eyes. Brother & Sister once happy to share a single bedroom, it was now rapidly becoming a dysfunctional situation.

Vancouver Backyard Bedroom

Modern-Shed: Backyard Bedroom installed by handy client.

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Backyard Office & Storage By Modern-Shed

 A Backyard Office Close to Home.

Backyard Office Kit by Modern-Shed

Mixed Use: 7′ x 22′ Backyard Office / Storage

SEATTLE — Chris Hansot was used to paying $400 a month for an office in Queen Anne he barely used. It got him thinking about a Backyard Office.

The software salesman travels regularly for work around the Northwest and Canada, but when he needs to get projects finished, he needs the privacy and space to do so.

Chris found himself working more and more from home, in order to be close to his wife and four kids — a 6-year-old boy, two twin 8-year-old girls, and a 10-year-old boy.

He has another office in Bellevue, but he hates going there, he said.

After four years paying monthly rent on the Queen Anne office near his home, he finally made the decision to build something even closer to home, a backyard office.

“I thought, ‘Why am I paying money for this?’” he said. “I need a place to go and have my own space.”

Chris looked into building a garage with a home office attached, but he was surprised at how costly a home addition could be.

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Modern-Shed: Ultimate Fan Cave

Modern-Shed Fan Cave

Seattle Seahawks Modern-Shed Fan CaveSeattle Seahawks Modern-Shed Fan Cave

Seattle Seahawks Modern-Shed Fan Cave Seattle Seahawks Modern-Shed Fan Cave

Modern-Shed SEATTLE — When Joe and Lisa Sakay moved into their new home in the Leschi neighborhood of Seattle this past June, they both felt as though the home was missing something.

“For some reason, the house didn’t have a basement or an office, a space where I could go and work and watch football,” said Joe Sakay, an attorney who puts in many hours over the weekend. “I needed my own office space to get my work done.”

In addition to work, however, Sakay has been a “huge” Seahawks fan his whole life.

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Radiant Roof Sheathing & Tankless Water Heaters

Tankless Water Heaters & Radiant Roof Sheathing:

As a homeowner and private contractor, I understand the importance of sustainability. Having worked on Long Island Homes for over 3 years now, I’ve seen a lot of things that are commonplace, along with some that are newer to me.

Tankless water heaters and radiant roof sheathing are among the most innovative energy-saving home improvement technologies available today. Many homeowners overlook these devices. However, they can help people save a lot of money on energy expenses.


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A History of Modern Prefab Houses

Modern-Shed Dwelling-Shed - Modern Prefab Houses

Modern-Shed Prefab House – Under $150 a Sq/Ft

Modern Prefab Houses

Although the concept of modern prefab houses and design has been around since the ’60s, the architectural movement didn’t take off until early 2000. As technological advances like SIP panels (structural insulating that is precut and can be locked together) were made and interest in residential architectural design blossomed, architects turned their attention to prefab houses. The goal was to create a home that could be transported to a building site, be easily erected and look like modern architecture — all within a reasonable budget.

… and modern prefab houses were born.

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History of the Prefabricated House

The Prefabricated House

Modern-Shed Prefabricated House

Modern-Shed Pool Side Cabana & Music Studio

Prefabricated houses have a long history in the US. An early version of a prefabricated house was sent from England in the 1600s, but real prefabrication did not take off until the arrival of “house kits.” House kits contained all of the house’s parts, so the owners built the homes themselves or hired people to construct them.

The Aladdin Company started selling the earliest Prefabricated houses  from its catalog in 1906. One of the best-known early kit-home sellers was Sears, Roebuck and Co., which sold more than 100,000 homes from 1908 to 1940 .

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