Prefabricated Houses = Affordable, but what are the Pros and Cons?

Ignoring tiny houses and houseboats, what are one of the most affordable ways to buy a house?

Regardless of where you decide to live, in a city, in the countryside, in the wilderness, a prefabricated house is extremely affordable when compared to normal houses.

You really just need a vacant lot on which to erect the prefabricated house.

One of the easiest ways to buy a prefabricated house is to browse them on Amazon and then order the house of your choice for delivery.

 

And when you consider that the designs vary from $5,000 to a small/simple design, to $60,000 for a larger more complex design, that is very affordable. Shipping costs are about $1,000 to $2,000.

Whether you assemble the house yourself, or whether it folds out, or whether you need to hire contractor to assemble it for you may lead to additional costs to buy tools / hire a contractor. An expandable design that folds out is certainly the easiest, but those houses also cost more than the ones you have to assemble.

Also many of the designs that sparked my interest were those designed to have solar panels installed on the roof.

However there has to be some pros and cons to owning a prefabricated home, so what are they?

Pros:

1. Cost-Effective:
   Prefabricated homes tend to be significantly more affordable than traditional homes. They are typically less expensive to construct due to lower labor costs and efficient production methods.

2. Faster Construction Time:
   Since prefab homes are built in factories and then assembled on-site, construction is faster. Weather delays and other on-site issues are minimized.

3. Sustainable and Energy Efficient:
   Many prefab homes are built with sustainability in mind. They often use sustainable eco-friendly materials, and the controlled factory environment leads to less waste. Many designs also incorporate energy-efficient technologies.

4. Quality Control:
   Because they’re built in controlled environments, prefab homes benefit from better quality control processes. Factory production ensures consistent building standards.

5. Customization Options:
   Modern prefab homes offer a variety of customization options in design, layout, and materials, making them more flexible to fit personal preferences.

6. Reduced Waste:
   Prefab construction is often more efficient in terms of material usage, reducing waste compared to traditional on-site building methods.

7. Mobility:
   Certain types of prefabricated homes, like modular or manufactured homes, can be relocated if necessary, offering more flexibility in terms of location.

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Cons:

1. Limited Design Flexibility:
   While prefab homes offer customization options, they may still have design constraints compared to traditional homes, especially if you’re looking for a highly unique or unconventional design.

2. Land and Zoning Issues:
   Finding a suitable plot of land and navigating zoning laws can be challenging. Some areas may have restrictions on prefab homes, and utilities need to be installed on-site, which can add to costs.

3. Perception and Resale Value:
   Prefab homes sometimes carry a stigma, being perceived as lower quality or "cheap." This can affect the resale value, though this is changing as prefab homes become more mainstream.

4. Transportation and Assembly Costs:
   While prefab homes are cost-effective in terms of construction, the cost of transporting the sections to the site and assembling them can sometimes be higher than expected.

5. Financing Challenges:
   Securing a mortgage for a prefab home can be more difficult than for a traditional home, as some lenders may be hesitant, especially with certain types like manufactured homes.

6. Long-Term Durability:
   Although many prefab homes are built to last, some may not be as durable as traditionally built homes, especially lower-end models.

7. Fewer Location Choices:
   Some prefab homes are more suited for rural or suburban areas. In urban areas, land and zoning laws may limit where prefab homes can be placed.

Bamboo Scorpion Bow

I find it interesting to sometimes watch YouTube videos of people who made their own bows and look for design faults.

The screenshot on the right is an example of a scorpion bow design, but made of bamboo and using slingshot rubber instead of springs.

However if you are at all familiar with proper bow design you will notice a large number of design faults the bow shown on the right.

1. The arrow rest is on the wrong side for a right-eye dominant shooter. It should be on the left side of the bow. (The only exception to this would be someone shooting Asiatic horsebow style, in which case they would be shooting off their thumb and not using an arrow rest at all.)
2. The bow is really small and short and cannot store much power, but also will be unforgiving in terms of accuracy. The general rule for bows (and compound bows) is that longer bows are more forgiving when it comes to accuracy. The shorter and smaller a bow is the more unforgiving the bow is. This is easily rectified however by making the riser significantly longer, and also possibly making the limbs longer.
3. When watching the video it is pretty clear that this bow isn't very powerful, and the creators of the video don't bother to cite the poundage. So it is probably pretty weak. If they are using slingshot rubber to store power it would be nice to know what kind of slingshot rubber being used, and how much poundage the bow actually has. Otherwise anyone attempting to make this bow may be very disappointed*.

* Also if they're going to use slingshot rubber for the source of power, why not just make a harpoon gun or a spear gun instead?

There are other issues going on if you watch the video:

• The arrow has no fletching.
• The person is gripping the arrow's nock the way a child does, using a weak pinch grip. This is another clue that it is a very weak bow.
• They're holding the arrow on the arrow rest using a finger, displaying that they don't know how to make a proper arrow rest.
• The arrow rest is just a L shape cut out of the bamboo, no fur, felt, metal or other material on it.
• The bow is surprisingly loud and would startle any prey before it can even be shot.
• The tips of the limbs are just holes for the bow string, not proper tips.
• The arrow rest and hand placement is too low.
• The handle is not a comfortable design. Something more like a Howard Hill handle or a pistol grip handle would be better. 
• There really isn't any benefit to using bamboo to make this bow when wood would be better, bend less and break less easily. Making the bow out of bamboo instead of wood is a poor decision as the vibrations going through the bamboo will eventually break it.
• In the video the person deliberately dry fires the scorpion bow, something that a normal archer would never do.
  

I wouldn't be surprised if this bamboo scorpion bow breaks after less than 50 shots.

In short, it may look interesting, but it is a bad bow design.

And sadly this is often the case with scorpion bow designs.

Regardless of whether the bow is made out of wood, metal, plastic, fiberglass or bamboo, scorpion bows tend to be poorly designed.

Yes, they look interesting, but they're not the pinnacle of bow design.

I suspect this is because nobody with any true engineering skills has ever made a serious attempt to make a really good scorpion bow design.

Including Joerg Sprave (from the Sling Shot Channel), who is more of a German mad scientist than an engineer.

Blackthorn Jam Recipe

Blackthorn berries (also known as sloe berries) are very easy to forage for in Autumn, but you want to wait until after the first frost if your plan is to make blackthorn jam (also known as sloe jam).

As jam recipes go, this is very easy to make.

After the first frost all of the blackthorn berries should now be ripe. If you pick them too early in the season it is tricky to spot which berries are ripe and which are not ripe.

YOU WILL NEED

• Juice and zest from 1 lemon.
• Pick 1 lb worth of berries.
• 1/2 lb of jam sugar.

If you are making a larger batch of jam just use a 2 to 1 ratio of berries to sugar. The ingredient amounts here will make approx. 4 small jars of jam.

Remember the wash the jars you intend to use in HOT water.

DIRECTIONS

1. Using a bowl clean, rinse and drain the blackthorn berries. Remove all of the leaves/seeds/etc.
2. Lay out the berries on a flat surface to dry. To speed up the process pat them dry with a paper towel.
3. Grate some lemon zest into a pot and squeeze the juice from the lemon into the pot.
4. Add the blackthorn berries and jam sugar to the pot, mix together evenly.
5. Boil the jam puree.
6. Any stones from the blackthorn berries should float to the top of the jam, which should look roughly yellow. Scoop them out with a spoon.
7. Continue to cook the jam puree for about 4 minutes, stirring regularly occasionally.
8. Pour the jam into hot jars to the brim, close tightly and leave to cool.

DONE! ENJOY!

I've also been looking for recipes for Blackthorn Berry Pie, so if you know of a recipe please leave a comment below.

Paracord Survival Sling

 Below is a quick and easy video about how to make a Shepherd's Sling out of Paracord.

 

 

Start Forging Today in your Backyard

Look for a New Years Resolution for 2024 or a new hobby? 

Why not try forging and blacksmithing? 

Start by watching the following video below.

Happy 2024!