Most people dream of owning their own home. If you are the type of homeowner who would rather build your own home, a steel kit home could be just the kind of home you are looking for. Here’s why.
Cost
A steel kit home costs less than a conventionally built home for several reasons. Steel is a manufactured product that can be manufactured just about anywhere, significantly reducing transportation costs. This is especially true in areas where timber framing must cross great distances to get to your home site. Steel kit homes also require less time and fewer people to construct, further reducing their cost.
Energy Efficiency
Many steel kit homes have received an EnergyStar rating. This means that they are at least 15 percent more energy efficient than the locally mandated standard for energy efficiency.
Sustainability
A steel kit home is a very environmentally responsible choice. Composed of about 60 percent recycled materials and highly recyclable in their own right, steel kit homes have a much smaller carbon footprint than a conventional “stick frame” house. Since steel framing is lighter than wood, less fuel is needed for transportation. Additionally, steel kit homes generate significantly less waste during the construction process than conventionally built homes do, and the waste that is generated can be easily recycled.
Fire Resistance
Steel does not burn. Combined with the right roofing and cladding materials, your new steel kit home will be extremely resistant to external fire hazards and could even earn you significant discounts on your homeowners’ insurance.
Termite Resistance
Because steel does not provide a food source for termites, The International Residential Code recognizes steel framing as a means to mitigate the destructive effects of termites on homes. Plus, you will not have to deal with the effects that harsh pesticides and termite treatments could have on your health and the environment. Since termite damage is not covered by most homeowners’ insurance policies, a steel kit home is its own type of insurance against the destruction of your home by termites.
Customization
Steel kit homes come in a variety of styles and floor plans. For those who want to build a custom home, steel kits are easily customized during the ordering phase of your new home’s construction.
Assembly
Most kit homes can be built as a DIY project with only a few people. Many people who have built their home using a steel frame kit say that the instructions are as to understand and execute as putting together as a model car or airplane.
Building a Home for your Family
A house usually becomes a home once a family moves into it, but a steel kit home could hasten that transformation because it can be assembled by the family that will call it home. Imagine the power of telling your children as you tuck them in at night, “Mommy and Uncle Joe and I built this room just for you.” Because they are easy to assemble, older children could even be a part of the building process. Although very logical arguments for choosing a steel kit home have been presented here, the bond that building a home with and for your family creates might be the most compelling.