FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Moduluxe FAQs
Answers to all your questions in one place.
Filter by topic
General
A modular home, also known as transportable home or relocatable home, is a type of residence that is manufactured in an off-site warehouse setting, assembled together, and transported to a permanent location. Unlike a traditional home, a modular home is built as one piece and can be easily moved to a new location.
In Australia, modular homes are becoming an increasingly popular choice due to their flexibility, affordability and quicker construction times compared to traditional housing. However, the definition and regulations around portable homes can vary significantly between local councils.
There are 537 councils across the country, each with their own specific requirements regarding size, design and placement of modular homes, which can affect the permit process of acquiring and placing a modular home.
It is important to consult your local council to understand the specific regulations for your area and ensure that your portable home meets all local zoning laws, building codes and standards for residential dwellings. If you are purchasing your portable home, not for residential use, then different rules will apply. Complying with your local council will ensure a smooth process.
Our manufacturing warehouse is located in Marrickville, NSW.
Considerations for lead times are building location, council requirements, building size.
The modular home itself can be completely constructed in 2 weeks, but including the whole consultation process and installation, can be between 12-16 weeks.
We offer a fully encompassed service from your initial consultation meeting to handover that includes design, pre approval requirements, ranging from councils, certifiers and consultants, construction of your modular home, delivery and installation, and commissioning and handover.
Varied site requirements can lead to longer lead times.
The best way to get a quote is to fill out our quote form here. Alternatively, feel free to give us a call and we can discuss your project details over the phone.
Yes, you can live permanently in a modular home in Australia. But, it’s important to ensure that the home complies with all relevant local council regulations and zoning laws.
Portable homes, also known as modular or transportable homes, are designed to be durable and comfortable enough for permanent living. They are built to meet the same building standards are traditional homes and are often indistinguishable once they are fully set up.
Some councils require special permits or restrictions of the use of the land. It is essential to check with your local planning authority to understand your specific requirements. This will ensure your modular home is legally compliant and suited to your long-term living needs.
We take care of the full process of checking your local needs and site suitability.
Well that is entirely up to you. Our modular homes can be indistinguishable between a traditional house.
If you chooose to have your modular home connected up to existing plumbing and electricity on a property, then it will be just like living in a normal house!
Our modular homes are designed for longevity and durability, crafted using high-quality Australian materials.
With proper maintenance, our modular homes can last several decades. The robust construction and weather resistant features ensure that they withstand the varying Australian climates effectively, providing a sustainable long-term accommodation solution.
There’s no differentiation between a modular home and a tradtionally built home in terms of longevity. In fact, because modular homes exceed Australian building codes, it can far exceed the length of time for a traditional home.
Yes, you can certainly customise the design of your portable home.
Moduluxe offers extensive customisation options to meet your specific needs and preferences.
You can choose different layouts, materials, finishes, and additional features like extra windows, different door types, and special fittings.
Feel free to send us a rough plan of what you’d like and fill out our quote form here to upload your design.
Pricing & Payments
The cost of a modular home can vary widely depending on factors such as size, design, materials used and any custom features you choose to include. Our modular buildings start at $35,000 for a basic open plan model, which are compact and efficiently designed. Prices can go up to $250,000 for larger or fully customised designs that include high-end finishes and more complex configurations.
These prices are designed to accommodate for various budgets and preferences, ensuring that you will find a portable home that fits both your needs and finances. We encourage you to fill out our quote request form with your specific requirements so that we can provide you with a more detailed and personalised quote.
We accept payments via bank transfer or credit card. We also offer unique financing options – just get in touch with us to find out.
When purchasing a modular building, we provide a no obligation free quote, but to proceed with the building we have 4 stage payments that incapsulates the pre-approval process, local council consultation and site installation.
Yes, we offer financing options available through our in-house brokers. Just get in touch to find out more.
Building Construction
Our modular homes are built to meet and exceed the same standards of a conventional home.
Our buildings consist of a steel portal floor frame, with bluescope steel 90mm wall studs and roof framing. The external walls can be lined in either Fibre Cement cladding or architectuaral metal profile from the Lysghat.
All our walls and roofs are designed to meet and exceed 7 star building requirements. Our doors and windows are comprised of alumnium frames that can be either single or double glazed.
Our commitment to using only Australian-sourced materials ensures the longevity and safety of our portable homes, making them suitable for a variety of Australian conditions.
BAL stands for Bushfire Attack Level, which is a classification in the Australian Standard for the construction of buildings in bushfire-prone areas (AS 3959).
Our modular homes can be built to the highest BAL rating. This means they are built to endure extreme bushfire conditions, offering a high level of protection and safety. The materials used in our homes are rigorously tested to ensure they provide superior resistance to ignition, making them an ideal choice for areas prone to bushfires.
The “R” value measures the material’s ability to resist heat flow, with higher values indicating better insulating properties.
Modular homes can be built extremely quickly, with some buildings only taking 2 weeks to build in our factory.
More complex builds can take up to 4 weeks depending on requirements.
Building Installation
The type of foundation required for a portable home largely depends on the specific site conditions and building size.
Generally, a concrete pier system is needed to support a building structure.
We can undertake a site assessment of your block, prior to writing a quote to assess the suitability of your site.
Whether it’s on a slope or not, there is always a solution to installing a modular home.
Whether you need council approval to install a portable home depends on your local council regulations and the specifics of the portable building, such as it’s size and intended use.
All our modular homes we offer are CDC compliant, meaning a reduced approvals process.
Some sites may require a development application which we can assist you with.
We also offer an exempt range, which is a modular building less than 20 square metres which requires no council approval at all.
The delivery and set up of the home itself can take anywhere from 1-5 days depending on how many modules there are.
We normally allow 2-3 weeks for site works, depending on the suitability of your site and how prepared it is for a building to be placed.
More complex customisations or site conditions may extend this timeframe.
If you have specific timelines or site conditions in mind, please let us know and we can provide you with a more detailed estimate tailored to your project.
Yes, your modular home can definitely be relocated after installation. However there can be constraints depending on if you have multiple modules. It’s likely that you would require a disconnection of services to move your modular home.
If you anticipate needing relocation services, do let us know and we can discuss the logistics and any specific preparations needed.
Our transport team are experienced in managing the delivery and installation of our portable homes into any tricky space.
If the installation site is quite small, it may require craning. Moduluxe coordinate and manage the process to ensure your porable home is safely and efficiently placed into your location.
Be sure to share the site details when getting a quote and we can arrange all necessary logistics.
Our portable homes are transported using specialised vehicles tailored for hauling larger structures.
The size of your portable home and your specific location will determine the transportation method.
We manage all aspects of transportation, ensuring safe delivery from our factory to your site, typically charging per kilometre based on the buildings length.
We can organise pre-inspecation of your site to determine the suitability of any transport options.
If you have specific access issues or concerns at your site, please let us know so we can plan accordingly.
Compliance and Standards
Yes, all Moduluxe homes are built to meet or exceed the National Construction Code (NCC).
We use high-quality Australian-sourced materials and adhere to strict construction protocols to ensure durability, safety, and compliance with all relevant regulations.
Additionally, our modular homes meet or exceed 7 star ratings which we can ensure by undertaking a NAThers assessment prior to the design of your home.
Moduluxe prioritises safety with several key fire safety features integrated into our portable homes.
Smoke alarms are fitted in all our buildings with bedrooms, as per Australian Standard 3786: 2014.
Our buildings can be modified to suit Flame Zone Bal FZ, which can be discussed with our team during the quotation process.
Our modular homes undergoes thorough quality checks throughout the construction process to ensure it meets our high standards and durability criteria. This meticulous approach guarantees that our buildings withstand various climates and conditions, providing long-lasting reliable structures for our clients.
Yes, like any home, portable homes require regular maintenance to ensure their longevity and functionality.
Here are a few tips:
- Exterior Checks: regularly inspect the exterior for any signs of wear or damage, particularly after extreme weather. This includes checking the roofing, cladding and foundations.
- Seals and Joints: ensure that seals around windows and doors are intact to prevent water ingress.
- Plumbing and Electrical: Schedule regular check-ups to ensure all systems are functioning correctly and safely.
- Pest Control: monitor for signs of pests and arrange for pest control treatments if necessary.
- Cleaning: regular cleaning of gutters, roofs, and exterior walls will help maintain the building’s condition and appearance.
Sticking to a regular maintenance schedule can help prevent major repairs and ensure your portable home remains in good condition.
Moduluxe will provide you with a recommended maintenance schedule upon delivery of your home, to make sure it’s in pristine condition for decades to come.
Features and Benefits
Moduluxe incorporates several energy efficiency features in our portable homes to ensure comfort and sustainability.
- Insulation:
- Windows: we use high-quality aluminium windows that contribute to thermal efficiency. Options for double-glazing are available to further enhance insulation and energy conservation.
- Energy Efficient Fixtures: LED lighting and energy-efficient air conditioning units are included as standard in our portable homes, reducing electricity usage.
These features not only make our portable homes more comfortable, but also help reduce your environmental footprint and operating costs.
In design we consider the orientation of your block and look at the shading availability.
We also offer solar panels as well.
If you have any specific energy efficiency requirements or questions, please let us know and we can provide solutions tailored to your needs.
At Moduluxe, our portable homes are designed with high-quality insulation to ensure thermal efficiency and comfort. Here’s how we insulate our buildings:
For our insulation we utilise either glass wool insulation vatts, which are rated up to R2.7 for a 90mm wall, up to R4.0 for our roof insulation, and R2.0 for our floor insulation.
This combination of materials ensures that our portable homes are well-insulated against both heat and cold, making them comfortable to live in year-round while helping to keep energy costs low.
Additionally, we utilise a ventilated cavity system for our external walls and roof, which aids in reducing heat transfer from the external elements, into your home.
If you have specific insulation needs or questions about customisation, please get in touch with us.
Moduluxe offers a comprehensive warranty to ensure your peace of mind. We are fully compliant to NCC standards.
Our buildings meet and exceed statutory warranty we also include a 10 year warranty on the structure of the building and a 2 year warranty on internal fixtures and fittings.
Specific details regarding the length of the warranty and what is included can vary depending on the components and customisations of your portable home.
We stand behind the quality and durability of our products, and our customer service team is readily available to assist you with an concerns you may have during the warranty period.
If you require more detailed information about our warranty terms, please reach out to us directly here. We’re here to help ensure your experience with our portable homes is positive and satisfactory.
Yes, portable homes can be suitable for off-grid living if they are suitably modified.
Our homes can be equipped with various sustainable features to support an off-grid lifestyle:
- Solar Panels: installation of rooftop solar panels can provide a renewable source of electricity.
- Water Collection: systems for rainwater collection and storage are available to be integrated.
- Waste Management: composting toilets and other waste management systems can be installed to reduce dependency on municipal services.
- Efficient Appliances: using energy-efficient appliances and lighting reduces electricity demands.
Customising a portable home for off-grid living will depend on specific needs like location, climate and personal preferences. Moduluxe works closely with clients to tailor solutions that enable a comfortable and sustainable off-grid lifestyle.
If you’re considering this option, please let us know your requirements and we can discuss the best configurations for your needs.
Yes, our portable homes are designed to withstand extreme weather conditions, making them both durable and safe for various Australian climates.
Our buildings can be built to meet any Australian requirements including alpine, bush fire attack level, cyclone and flood zones.
If you have specific environmental concerns, we can discuss additional customisations to further enhance the weather resilience of your portable home.