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Step 1
Decide what you will be using your prefab building for. Will it be for a second home? A primary home? An office building? Storage? This will determine the size of the perfab building as well as the style and how much you will spend on it.
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Step 2
Do you like the modern style? If so, you'll have plenty to choose from. However, prefab buildings in more traditional styles are also available. Look at magazines that showcase new design, such as Dwell, for ideas.
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Step 3
How much are you willing to spend? While prefab buildings are much cheaper than their custom built counterparts, the design factor has driven up the price a bit. You'll spend anywhere from $12,000 for a small office building to three quarters of a million dollars for a perfab home designed by William Massie.
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Step 4
What sort of materials are important to you? If materials aren't important to you in a prefab building, you can go down to your local building store and purchase one for $12,000. If you were determined enough, you could even wire it up and live in it. However, you would be living in plywood for the most part. If you like accents like aluminum and steel, as well as quality wood, you'll be paying significantly more.
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Step 5
How many square feet do you need your prefab building to have? Like most buildings, prefab building become more expensive by the square foot. Not all of them are small--at least some are relatively large, covering more than 2000 square feet. Consider the cost per square foot when choosing your prefab building. The cost will vary depending on the designer/company.
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Step 6
How much stuff do you have? When considering a prefab building to live in, think about how many things you will need to store. Some prefab buildings are designed specifically with storage in mind, which is absolutely necessary for a modern minimalist look, which just doesn't work with clutter!
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Step 7
Do you want to live green? If so, check out the prefab buildings that are designed with passive solar and other green features. Also, living in smaller spaces is a green choice, and as mentioned earlier, many prefab buildings are quite small.
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Step 8
What sort of landscaping do you have? You can choose a prefab building that inserts itself nicely into the existing landscape, a la Frank Lloyd Wright, if you like. Many of the prefab buildings are designed with specific landscapes in mind.
