What are 3D-Printed Homes?

Are 3D-Printed Homes the Homes of the Future?

3D printing, also called Additive Manufacturing (AM), is the construction of a three-dimensional object based on a digital file. 3D printers take a digital file with a blueprint and layer materials to create the object. You may have seen 3D printers in local libraries, STEM academies, or perhaps even your workplace and wondered how this machine could be used in home construction. There is a major difference between typical 3D printers and 3D printers that manufacture homes: size.

3D-printed homes are made using massive, robust printers that can “print” heavy-duty materials like concrete. Though hard to imagine compared to traditional construction, 3D-printed homes may become a new portion of the housing market.

Some experts think 3D-printed homes will be a real estate revolution.

Can a Printer Build My House?

Calling it a 3D-printed home is a bit of a misnomer, as about 40% of the home’s construction is completed by the 3D printer. The process is expected to be refined as the technology develops. Still, 3D-printed dwellings are being constructed of concrete about halfway and finished with traditional building materials and techniques.

Benefits of 3D-Printed Homes

There are many potential benefits to choosing 3D-printed homes, and some of them represent a solution to the issues we are seeing in the real estate market. Some of these benefits include:

Faster timeline. 3D printers used in home manufacturing can print a meter in seconds, constructing a house’s entire foundation and frame in a couple of days. Compared to the weeks or even months-long process of traditional framing, 3D-printed homes could be built in a fraction of the time.
Reduces waste. Traditional building sites represent significant waste, generating about two to three tons of waste material for every home. 3D-printed houses, on the other hand, generate almost no waste. There are no scrap pieces of metal or wood from the framing process, leftover concrete that must go to a washout, or nails and litter left behind at the building site. 3D printing is superior when it comes to environmentally and financially conscious practices.
Requires less labor. As the construction industry continues to struggle through a massive labor shortage, 3D-printed homes present a possible solution. There is no need for a large team of framers, and the 3D printers work around the clock to maximize the timeline in a way human labor never could.
Reduces costs. One of the most intriguing benefits of a 3D-printed home is the reduced costs. A reduction in waste and labor each contribute to this factor, with no need to spend time or money cleaning up a building site and disposing of debris and litter, and a significantly lower cost for builders when there is no need to hire teams to pour a foundation or frame the house. These savings will be passed on to the buyers, addressing the nationwide cost of living issue.

How to Buy 3D-Printed Homes

There are not many 3D-printed homes available on the market yet. It is predicted to be an industry-disrupting technology trending shortly. Only a few 3D-printed houses are open for sale, but we expect to see more in the Bay Area soon.