Expert Corner
Tamlin is a general contractor of custom residential homes. This gives us a huge advantage when we are designing and shipping our house packages to remote areas or out-of- province destinations.
Here is some information on how you can benefit from our thirty years plus of design and construction experience.
Some Myths About House ‘Packages’
Some may have heard, that a house package is simply a “prebuilt structure,prefab unit, or panelized shell” delivered to your site. Not true at all.
Every manufacturer has their own unique building approach. Some suppliers offer basic walls and roof structures, while others offer more customized options. Most will deliver to your site but it is important to ask details about the package. A house package from Tamlin is better described as a custom building “system”. Each house design is carefully thought out and designed to meet or exceed all local building requirements. Typically all permit plans, construction plans, and engineering are provided with technical details which are communicated to the homeowner/builder. This saves significant time and money trying to coordinate between engineer, designer/architect, homeowner and carpenters. When materials are delivered to the site (often on one or two large trucks), construction can be done immediately, without the usual running back and forth to the lumber yard, hardware store and calling for deliveries… then waiting. There is less materials wastage on site since many components are premade, prestained or manufactured at the factory . Time is saved in construction and even if the weather is poor, construction time can be reduced by 20 percent or more. A detailed ‘Bill of Materials’ lists every component and where it is installed in your home for easy reference. And technical assistance, or supervision is only an email or phone call away.
Another typical myth about house packages is that they are “prefab kits” which are not a good quality compared to traditionally stick framed homes. Also untrue!
“You get what you pay for” is the usual answer to this. There are many cheap prefab kits on the market and the quality is usually representative of the price. Homeowners should compare the quality of materials and warranties first. Also ask about installation details, maintenance and options for designing. Tamlin has a full warranty package with each home, including a 10 year structural warranty, and our homes are designed to last decades. With our timber frame and log home packages, we are also the experts in custom wood architecture, along with natural and eco- friendly building practices.
And lastly, a house package is ‘chosen’ only from a list of limited list of designs, sizes, and styles.
Not true again!
The typical selling restriction of a prefabricated home is that the owner must choose from a number of predesigned plans where there is little room for customization or modification. When you compare suppliers, ask about the ability to modify and customize. This is very important because lot access, setbacks, and other building restrictions will often dictate how the design of the home needs to be customized for the lot. Decks, patios, walkways,basements and also potential future additions should be considered . While Tamlin has numerous “standard” plans we find that it is almost impossible to choose one plan without modifications. Tamlin has an experienced in-house design team and interior designers who will help develop the “vision” for your home. Custom designing your home can go through many adjustments until it is just perfect and meets all of your needs.
