Prefabricated Houses in the US
Prefabricated houses have a long development history in the US, and the market situation is diverse. In recent years, Chinese prefabricated houses have also gained popularity in the US.
Development History
The development of prefabricated houses in the US can be traced back to an early period. In 1908, Sears, a well-established department store in Chicago, included entire houses in its mail-order catalog. From 1908 to 1940, Sears sold 75,000 houses through this catalog, which can be regarded as an early form of sales for prefabricated houses in the US. Clayton Homes, founded in 1956 in Maryville, Tennessee, is the largest manufacturer and seller of prefabricated houses (modular homes) in the US. Its core product is modular homes, marking a move towards a more professional and large-scale development of the prefabricated housing industry in the US.
Market Situation
- Local Enterprise Market: Clayton Homes mainly targets middle- and low-income families and the market for basic housing needs. It offers a wide range of product types, including traditional on-site built houses and off-site built houses such as modular homes, prefabricated homes, and CrossMod™ homes. This meets the housing needs of different consumers and provides diverse options for the US housing market.
- Chinese Prefabricated House Market: In recent years, Chinese prefabricated houses have become popular in the US. For example, an American couple placed an order for a 70-square-meter Chinese prefabricated house on Alibaba.com. Including various fees, the total cost upon delivery was less than 200,000 yuan, while building a 70-square-meter house in the US would cost at least 100,000 US dollars. Data from Alibaba.com shows that in the first six months of this year, the transaction volume of mobile homes on the platform increased by more than 50% year-on-year, with US buyers accounting for more than 20%, fully demonstrating the potential of Chinese prefabricated houses in the US market.
- New Construction Method: A new way of building houses, similar to assembling building blocks, is popular in some regions of North America. Wooden structural components are precisely processed in factories in advance and then transported to the site for assembly. This construction method improves construction efficiency and reduces the time and cost of on-site construction, representing an innovation and development trend in the US prefabricated housing market.
