Perth couple turn to modular home build after traditional quotes triple

A couple that nearly abandoned their dream home after builder quotes came in three times over budget have found an unlikely solution.

The gap between the available budget and builder quotes risked crushing the dreams of Mark Radford and Gordon Shorrocks.

Returning home to Perth after a decade overseas, the pair wanted to demolish an old wooden cottage and build their new home on a block they had bought.

When traditional building plans fell short

First, an architect-designed plan came in at three times their budget.

Next, they worked with a local builder on a modified plan, but had to back out when he would not offer the fixed-price contract required by their financier.

“Then we found the modular build idea,” Radford says. “We’d been at the point of giving up when Gordon suggested taking a look at the display home of a local builder.

“I could pretty well instantly see how it would work on our block.”

And the budget? It was spot on, including civil works, transport, crane hire, road closures and lifting powerlines on the route from factory to the Gooseberry Hill site.

Building off-site

Radford says the steel frames of each module ensure the house is robust.

All fit-outs and cabinetry were done in Fox Modular’s Gnangara factory, where they inspected the building before transport.

Financing a modular build

The couple financed their home with a mortgage from Commonwealth Bank subsidiary Bankwest, which recognises the differing payment schedule for a modular home.

“We paid 5% at the start, a 45% progress payment and then the final 50% on completion,” Radford says.

It may not have been the path Mark and Gordon first had in mind, but a different approach to building, and financing it, helped get their plans off the page and onto their block.

This article is part of The Home Front series supported by Commonwealth Bank and was first published by The Daily Telegraph.