The need for "Off site" manufacturing in the New Build Housing industry

Buying a house is the single most expensive purchase we make. So why do we accept poor quality workmanship and poor quality products?

If we purchase a new car, its manufactured in a nice clean factory. Once the production process is complete the car is quality checked by an experienced team. When you receive the car it is in perfect condition. Would you drive the car off the forecourt if the windows were scratched or broken? Would you drive the car off the forecourt if the windows let in a draft? The answer is no, you wouldn’t.

The techniques that the majority of housing developers use are out dated and the build process is flawed. In a factory environment products are produced in a set amount of time. The products can only be produced faster if they increase resources. Currently on housing sites up and down the country programmes are being cut and PLC companies are demanding more homes without increasing resources. This is leading to poor quality homes and poor quality homes which customers are being forced to accept and deal with the consciences.

This is why we need OFF SITE manufacture. Materials can be produced in a factory environment and quality checked. The homes are then installed on site and can be water tight in a matter of days. This process will drive down build costs as the efficiency is increased. Ultimately Off site manufacture is the future of the construction industry. Unfortunately until we are at a stage where the majority of homes are manufactured off site we will have to put up with poorly built homes which aren’t fit for purpose.