Price, fast delivery times and flexibility underpin the popularity of modular homes. For 19,500 euros you can purchase a single-family home with modules of 37 square meters. Even for less. For this reason, there are those who have seen in these houses produced in factories a grain of sand to appease the crisis of access to housing, both in Spain and in other European countries and in the United States. David Carbonell, founder of Solutions House, a modular house construction company based in Alicante that also markets through Amazon, says he registers a sustained growth in demand, with a greater number of consultations and projects under study each year. “We notice that many people arrive after having compared prices, terms and conditions with traditional housing, and find in this model a real and viable solution.” The company was born from a personal need: «We wanted to access our own home, but the economic situation and the prices of the traditional market made it practically impossible. Looking for alternatives, we discovered the world of modular and prefabricated homes, and we understood that it was not only a solution for us, but that it could be a solution for many more people. From there we decided to professionalize the project,» says Carbonell. The prefabricated housing sector considers that the increase in demand responds to the rise in the cost of traditional housing, which has left many families and young people out of the market. Eva Sabater, general director of Alucasa, specialized in the manufacture of mobile homes, explains another reason: “More and more people prioritize practical, efficient homes adapted to their real needs, over more rigid or long-term models.” In their order list they observe a significant increase in demand from individuals, which until a few years ago was residual. Even so, the driving force behind their sales continues to be professional -campsites, tourist complexes or investors-, they explain in this Alicante family business, founded in 1977. Their product, says Sabater, «is not intended to replace traditional housing, because it is very different, but it does provide a complementary and flexible solution to the current difficulties in accessing housing.»
Need for anchoring
It is different because not all modular houses offered on the market serve as habitual and permanent housing. The key is not whether it was built in a factory or not, but rather its urban and legal status. That is, they must be permanently anchored to the land (with foundations or structural anchors), have a municipal planning license, be on developable or urban land (not on rural land without permits), comply with the Technical Building Code, have an architect’s project and construction management and be registered in the cadastre and property registry. “City councils usually require permits similar to those for a conventional home, regardless of whether it is prefabricated or modular,” adds Carbonell. Interior of an equipped mobile home from Alucasa. Only in this case is it real estate (mortgageable, registrable…). The rest—tiny houses on wheels, transportable modules without foundations, habitable containers without a technical project, prefabricated houses on rustic land without a license—are considered movable property, so they cannot be used for permanent housing, but rather for temporary uses. Although the reality is that there are many people who have placed a modular house on land they own without requesting prior permits. However, and to avoid problems, it is advisable to obtain prior advice from the corresponding Town Hall. If the legal and technical requirements are met, modular houses can be used as primary residences. “Our houses are completely habitable, designed for both habitual residence and second homes, temporary stays, vacations or weekends,” they explain in Solutions House. There is a whole variety of plaintiffs: «We have a client who sold his apartment valued at 220,000 euros, he bought land and one of our homes. He has saved a mattress to live as they wanted, more comfortably, with his chickens, his horse and his dogs. Several clients want it as a vacation home to put on Airbnb,» they say in this company, which sends its homes to Spain and Portugal. Its catalog includes equipped models (without furniture) ranging from 19 square meters (about 18,000 euros) to 96 square meters (74 plus terrace from 27,000 euros). This budget, to which VAT must be added, varies depending on the size and customizations. “This allows us to adapt to very different profiles: from people looking for a compact and efficient solution, to families who need a spacious home.” The client can choose distribution, materials, finishes, colors, kitchen, bathroom, doors, windows or type of insulation. The homes are delivered turnkey and it is the company that is in charge of the entire process: design, manufacturing, transportation, placement and installation on the plot. The usual delivery time is three months, something that is a great advantage over traditional construction. Then there are mobile homes, a segment that is also on the rise. These mobile homes do not require a building permit or technical project, since they are not anchored to the ground and are not considered real estate. The finished home is transported on a truck and installation on the plot is done in one or two days. The total manufacturing time is three or four months, since each model is produced to order, they say in Alucasa, which distributes to Spain and Portugal. The prices at this company in Almoradí (Alicante), where it has the factory and the exhibition, start at 37,000 euros – with VAT, furniture and appliances – and reach 129,000 for the largest model.
