Residential FAQ

Our in-house design team of architects and interior designers will guide you through a personalised process – managing every stage from first conversations through to handover.

From architectural design, material selection through to construction management, you’ll work with one team, ensuring design intent is perfectly translated into your final home.

It’s a collaborative process at every stage, you’re involved in key decisions while we manage the complexity, coordination and detail behind the scenes.

Our bespoke homes can achieve any design vision – from contemporary to heritage-inspired.

Projects like Bronte Beach feature a curved staircase connecting three levels, bespoke joinery and privacy screens while Burradoo honours local heritage with its contemporary take on a pitched roof, timber cladding, and expansive glazing that blends in with the landscape.

The only difference is where your home is built. Your vision, the design sophistication, the quality of materials and finishes – all of that is entirely yours to define.

Our modular homes are constructed from materials that are recyclable, reconstituted or sustainably sourced. All windows and glass doors are double-glazed as a standard, and our paints are all low-VOC. Read more about our sustainability here.

Heating and cooling options are not part of our standard inclusions as requirements differ greatly depending on both location and project usage. Open wood or gas fireplaces and hydronic heating are our most popular heating options while ceiling fans and air-conditioning systems are the most common cooling options. We will work with you to establish the best cost and energy solution for your sustainable home.

Definitely. We have a wide range of finish options but you definitely don’t need to be limited by these. External cladding, roof shape, internal wall finishes, floor coverings, paint colours, benchtops, fixtures and appliances can all be chosen to meet individual requirements, and clients are welcome to supply their own items for inclusion should they wish to do so. One of our team members will be happy to go through the range of options available for your prefab home when you visit us.

Our bespoke homes are designed around your site, brief and lifestyle, with limited commissions each year. Pricing starts from $2 million, varying with scope, vision and site conditions.

Read more on our pricing page.

The additional cost for solar panels will depend on the size of your modular home and the number and type of appliances you have. For a standard 3-bedroom home, you could expect the cost to be around $10K-$40K for a full off-grid solution but it can be more depending on your output.

From the date of issue of the building permit, your Modscape modular home will be scheduled into our factory program and then built and installed approximately 12 weeks. Installation of the modules usually takes 1-2 day, and a further two-four weeks is generally required for site works. Read more about the Modscape process and timeline here.

Definitely. The structural insulated panels (SIPs) that form the “shell” of each modular home generate a thermal property that makes them an ideal choice for extreme climatic conditions. With R values of 2.8 in the floors, 3.7 in the walls and 5.7 in the ceilings, in combination with double-glazed windows and doors, the ambient temperature of the space is both constant and comfortable with very little requirement for additional heating and cooling.

Our modular home installation team will install the footings required for your project. In some instances, additional site preparation will be required and this will have an associated cost, however our team will be happy to help you address this need should it arise.

Unlike traditional builds, we do not pour a concrete slab. Instead, we use Surefoot footings – a widely used foundation system in which a number of multi-directional piles are driven into the ground to provide a solid, stable and reliable base. From an environmental perspective, they have the least impact, while also minimising the need for expensive site preparation and levelling.

All our Australian modular homes meet 6-Star energy rating requirements. We can certainly achieve a higher rating depending on the design.

Through a careful process of planning and sustainable house design, every step of construction and subsequent use of our modular homes has been considered in terms of its impact on the environment.

The footing technique we use ensures site preparation is minimal, meaning less disruption to flora, fauna and neighbouring areas, and means there is no need for earth moving or compacting.

Having construction take place in a factory rather than on-site minimises noise, rubbish, dust and debris and maximises the quality of the final product; this means fewer repairs and re-work in years to come.

All materials used in the construction of our homes are recycled, reconstituted or sourced/created sustainably. Rainwater tanks are an optional feature for all of our homes, as are other environmentally conscious services such as solar hot water or solar/wind power. The quantum of insulation resulting from the structural insulated panels and double-glazing we use means the ambient temperature of our homes is more stable and less prone to extremes (thus requiring less heating and cooling). And finally, the appliances we use and recommend all have maximum energy and efficiency ratings, and are included in the price.

In some circumstances, trucks carrying your modules may be able to reverse in between the footings and lower your modules down into position, however the majority of our projects require a crane. Projects located on sloping sites, with difficult site access or involving more than a single storey will certainly require a crane.

All of our homes are trucked to their destination in complete sections and placed directly onto your prepared site. The exceptionally strong steel frames used for our designs in conjunction with the structural insulated panels in the floors and walls enable our modules to withstand much greater stressors than would be possible with on-site construction methods. Rigorous testing procedures ensure that each modular home arrives at its destination in the same condition in which it left the factory.

Your modular house project will need to be serviced either by mains or stand-alone facilities. Most clients choose to have Modscape manage these on their behalf, however you are welcome to make these arrangements yourself should you prefer to do so. We will discuss these options with you at the time of your project consultation.

Once completed, our housing modules are transported individually to your site, where they are placed into position, either by crane or truck, and then grounded using footings. The modules are then bolted together with a seamless finish on the floor and a completely waterproof expressed joint or reveal between wall and ceiling joins.

Every Modscape modular home has the capability of operating completely off-grid, so they are the ideal choice for remote locations. Access is the only factor that can prevent modular from being the right outcome for a remote site but if trucks can gain access then it’s likely Modscape will be able to create a fantastic solution for your remote site.

We have installed modular and prefab homes all across Australia, so we are adept at working at a geographical distance from our clients. Our clients are frequently updated via phone and email on the progress of their project, whether it is in the town planning, design and development, or construction stage. For the client, the need to travel interstate is confined to the key decision making stages only.

Absolutely. The highly planned process involved in creating our eco-friendly homes means we oversee your modular house project from design through to installation, ensuring you are informed and consulted along the way. We can additionally undertake the town planning element of your project at the start as well as any landscaping and site works required at the end. One project; one team.

We will arrange this for you using our building surveyor. We will also arrange the energy report and any other project specific reports using external consultants.

A soil report is required for each project and we will obtain this for you on your behalf. Should the soil conditions on your site be atypical, it may be necessary to commission additional geotechnical reports at an additional cost.

Yes. Our constructions meet the requirements of the first two Bushfire Assessment Levels (BAL) without the need for any alteration and can be made compliant with all BALs through to, and including, Flame Zone if required.

Yes. Our modular homes can meet Cyclone Building codes at all levels and we have installed several prefabricated house projects on the coast of northwestern Australia where our homes were easily able to meet these mandatory standards. The steel frame we use as the basis for our designs provides the required structural integrity to meet Cyclone Building codes Australia-wide. Double-glazed windows, the option of external shutters and built-in inclusions further contribute to making Modscape an excellent choice for cyclone-affected areas.

Land subdivision will ultimately be determined by your local council or land surveyor however Modscape can assist with the process of subdivision by drafting and submitting plans to council on your behalf and offering advice on the best method of approach to this process.

Your local council will advise whether or not you need a planning permit. They will take into account heritage factors, the size of your block, the building envelope and the size of the modular home you are planning to build.