Best Prefab and Modular Country Houses
With a wide range of options available for a country-style home, it might be difficult to decide which prefab or modular country house is best for your project. To help you assess your options we have selected some of our favorite country houses to lay out the range of options that exist: including varying architectural influences; barn homes, farm houses, and cottages; different sizes; and at different price points. Additionally, we have answered some of the most common questions about building a prefab or modular country house, particularly around cost & prices, timeline, and key definitions. If you would like assistance building your own prefab country house, speak with a member of our prefab concierge team.
Understanding Prefab and Modular Country Houses
What is a prefab country house? What is a modular country house? And what’s the difference between the two?
A country house-style is characterized by natural materials, simple, yet comfortable designs, and exteriors that draw on barn, cabin, and farmhouse aesthetics. Technically speaking, a prefab country house refers to any country house that is built using prefabricated construction techniques. This includes modular construction, kit home building, panelized home construction, and manufactured construction.
Modular country houses are a subset of prefab construction where box-like module(s) are built off-site, shipped, then set, and finished at the final build site. So, there is very little difference between the two as both will have the design elements of a country house. The only outlier would be manufactured country houses which are built to a different building code than traditional, residential buildings. And while manufactured homes may be cheaper, they sometimes can not be financed like other site-built or prefab homes and their value appreciates differently over time.
How much does a prefab country house cost?
The country houses included in our list have turn-key costs ranging from $585,000 to $829,000. These estimates are based on the all-in costs to build each home, not including land. It is worth noting that there are both more affordable and higher-end, fully-custom prefab country houses beyond those that are included on our list, depending on your budget and preferences.
To determine what it will cost for your own prefab country house, there are a number of factors to consider:
Land
Permitting fees
Site preparation - site assessment, excavation, utilities, foundation
Home cost - modules, panels, kit components from the builder
Delivery - many prefab companies serve large areas of the U.S., if not the whole country. It is worth inquiring if they have regional manufacturing facilities or if they ship materials from their headquarters, in which case, long-distance shipping costs can add-up
Installation/set - setting modules on a foundation & tying them together, or the assembly of the materials kit or panels
Finishes - depending on the company and your project’s needs, some modular homes can be delivered in a highly-finished state (around 90% complete). This means homes can arrive on-site complete with flooring, cabinetry, electrical, and plumbing; this requires little on-site work for the home to be move-in ready. Kit homes and panelized homes require significantly more on-site work to assemble and finish, increasing the local cost section of your budget
How long does it take to build a prefab or modular country house?
Like other styles of prefab and modular homes, a prefab country house can often be built quicker than a site-built home. While the exact timeline of your project will be determined by the length of the design/engineering process, permitting approvals, off-site build times, and on-site assembly & finishing, it is our experience that a prefab country house can be move-in ready anywhere between 9-16 months. If you are in a hurry, however, there are some companies (particularly for tiny homes and ADUs) that list build times as short as 3 - 4 months.
Prefab and Modular Country Houses For Sale
H15 by Phoenix Haus
H15 by Phoenix Haus - Best Prefab and Modular Country Houses
The H15 by Phoenix Haus is a 1,500 square foot cottage that is built using a structural materials kit that includes panels. With 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, the H15 is a modern, two-story home that features modern farmhouse architecture. Phoenix Haus’ home has interesting features such as energy-efficient net-zero construction, options for design personalization, and an optional add-on ADU.
Phoenix Haus is based in Grand Junction, Colorado, and can work with buyers throughout the Central U.S. (CO, WY, ID, UT). Although regional cost differences will affect the cost, we estimate that buyers in mid to high-cost areas can expect to pay $700,000 to build the H15 country house by Phoenix Haus, not including land.
2300 by GO LOGIC
2300 by GO LOGIC- Best Prefab and Modular Country Houses
The 2300 by GO LOGIC is a 2,289 square foot cottage that is built using structural panels. With 4 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms, the 2300 is a modern home that combines barn home and farmhouse aesthetics. GO LOGIC’s home has interesting features such as a passive house design with floor plans that can be easily modified.
GO LOGIC is based in Belfast, Maine, and can work with buyers throughout New England with turn-key building services for projects within Southern and Midcoast Maine. Although regional cost differences will affect the cost of building a 2300, we estimate that buyers in mid to high-cost areas can expect to pay $862,500+.
Foxbird by BrightBuilt Home
Foxbird by BrightBuilt Home - Best Prefab and Modular Country Houses
The Foxbird by BrightBuilt Home is a 1,800 square foot cottage that is built using modular construction with options for fully-custom designs. With 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, the Foxbird is an energy-eficient home with traditional country house aesthetics. BrightBuilt Home’ house has interesting features such as an efficient, ranch-style layout with a master suite, office, and laundry room.
BrightBuilt Home is based in Portland, Maine, and can work with buyers throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern U.S. Although regional cost differences will affect the cost of building a Foxbird, we estimate that buyers in mid to high-cost areas can expect to pay $585,000 to build the Foxbird country house by BrightBuilt Home, not including land.
Rustic by Purcell Timber Frame Homes
Rustic by Purcell Timber Frame Homes - Best Prefab and Modular Country Houses
The Rustic by Purcell Timber Frame Homes is a 1,805 square foot cottage that is built using a timber frame structural shell that is packaged, shipped, assembled, and finished on-site. With 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, the Rustic is a two-story home, with lots of common living space. Purcell Timber Frame Homes’ design has interesting features such as a covered deck, master suite, office, and second-story living area.
Purcell Timber Frame Homes is based in Nelson, B.C., and can work with buyers throughout Canada and the United States. We estimate that buyers in mid to high-cost areas can expect to pay $829,000 to build the Rustic country house by Purcell Timber Frame Homes, not including land.
Key Takeaways of Building a Prefab or Modular Country House
Just like site-built country houses, prefab and modular country houses are characterized by: natural materials, simple, yet comfortable designs, and exteriors that draw on barn, cabin, and farmhouse aesthetics
As with most types of residential construction, the turn-key cost of your country house will be heavily influenced by several factors: location & local labor cost, standard vs. custom, site work costs, and degree of finishes. That being said, buyers with mid to high-end costs can expect turn-key pricing from $400 - $600 per square foot, while low-end costs can range from $200 - $400 per square foot
Similar to cost, the timeframe to build your country house will be largely determined by factors like permitting time, standard vs. custom, and whether or not your selected company has a backlog of orders. While some modular homes can be built in as little as a few weeks, the entire process: from the time you put your deposit down until your country house is move-in ready is often between 9 - 16 months
There are a number of builders that sell prefab and modular country house including Phoenix Haus, GO LOGIC, BrightBuilt Home, and Purcell Timber Frame Homes