With 23,000 houses needed to satisfy current demand, Manitoba has the third worst housing shortage in Canada after only Ontario and Alberta, according to a report by Scotiabank. The provincial capital is hardest hit. Winnipeg home buyers have to contend with a low rental vacancy of 2 to 3 percent, a growing population, lack of affordable housing and construction project delays.
Considering Canada has the lowest per-capita housing stock of all G7 countries, Manitoba (and particularly Winnipeg) has quite a challenging situation to deal with.
To the hopeful, ready to move homes are seen as a solution to that situation – they promise the speed and efficiency of factory manufacturing and affordability. But are they right for everybody? Let’s dig in and find out.
What are Ready-to-Move Houses?
Ready to move houses are built in a manufacturing facility on the builder’s premises then transported to the site once completed. The site has to be prepared for delivery with foundations completed and ready to accept the house.
Unlike modular homes, ready to move houses are designed for a single move from the construction site to the foundation. As added strength is required for them during transportation, they are often built with greater strength than conventional houses.
Ready to move houses allow greater flexibility in design with more customizable features and are built in much the same way as site-built houses. The only limitations are those enforced by transportation requirements.
The Advantages of Buying a Ready-to-Move House
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Time is one of the major advantages a ready-to-move house has over a conventional house because the site preparation and building of the house can take place concurrently. Some ready-to-move construction companies can continue building activities through the Manitoba winter, speeding up construction times.
Other factors that speed up the construction time for RTM houses are the absence of construction delays and travelling time for workers and materials to the construction site.
Ready to move homes provide the convenience of a single contact. All the trades required to build the house are located within the factory building the home. This eliminates the need to deal with individual trades and focuses the responsibility of the entire build on the company constructing the house.
Although RTM homes are delivered as a complete unit, including flooring, painting, light fittings and cabinets, there is limited scope for customizing and satisfying individual specifications.
The quality of the build is at least equivalent to that of an on-site construction home, and the regulations covering the construction of the ready-to-move house are just as stringent as those covering a conventional house.
Many ready-to-move construction companies state that their products are stronger than on-site houses because they have to factor in the stresses incurred in moving the house from the factory to the site.
Ready-to-move house construction companies offer warranties on their projects. Some companies like Star Ready To Move Homes offer a ten-year structural warranty.
Potential homeowners can accurately evaluate the design and quality of the building and have a fixed purchase price for the home.
Additional Costs of Ready to Move Houses
Though the sticker price of a ready-to-move home can seem like a deal, don’t get too excited, as these Winnipeg residents found out. Buying property always involves additional costs not covered by the purchase of the house. Buying a ready-to-move house will also require these additional costs:
Land transfer tax – Currently, the Manitoba land transfer tax kicks in when the market value of the land exceeds $30,000 and amounts to 0.5 percent of the land value. If the market value of the land exceeds $90,000, the percentage increases to 1 percent and for land valued at more than $200,000, the rate is 2 percent.
Legal fees – These are paid for the lawyer managing the purchase of your property. Sometimes, the land transfer tax is included in the legal fees, so be sure to check with your lawyer what his fees include.
Title insurance – While this is optional, for first-time buyers, it’s recommended.
Land survey fees
Appraisal fees
CMHC costs – These are applicable if the deposit for the property is less than 20 percent of the purchase price.
Property insurance
New home costs GST/HST – A rebate may be applied to this if the house is used as a primary residence.
That’s not all. In addition to the above, additional costs for ready-to-move houses can include the following:
- Site connection costs to utilities like water and electricity
- Sanitation connection
- Landscaping and driveway
- Foundations and or basement construction costs
- Lot grading for local flood regulations
- Gas connection
- Water well
- Permits
- Joist cavity insulation
- Stairway to basement
- Transportation to site
What is the Cost of a Ready-to-Move House in Manitoba?
The price of the house is determined by several factors, primarily the size and then the number of bathrooms and bedrooms. As the size of the house goes up the price per square foot generally decreases. But there’s a wide range of variability based on the quality of the house construction, finishes and so on. To give you an idea of pricing, here are some examples of prices from local manufacturers (listed from smallest to largest by square footage):
| Size in square feet | Number of bedrooms | Number of bathrooms | Price | Price/sq. feet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 864 | 2 | 1 | $120,000 | $138.88 |
| 1056 | 4 | 1 | $159,600 | $151.14 |
| 1064 | 3 | 1 | $142,600 | $134.02 |
| 1092 | 3 | 1 | $144,900 | $132.69 |
| 1144 | 2 | 1 | $153,600 | $134.26 |
| 1344 | 3 | 2 | $176,934 | $131.64 |
| 1358 | 3 | 2 | $174,000 | $128.13 |
| 1374 | 3 | 2 | $172,400 | $125.47 |
| 1440 | 3 | 2 | $184,600 | $128.19 |
| 1476 | 3 | 2 | $174,900 | $118.50 |
| 1564 | 3 | 2 | $214,705 | $137.27 |
RTM Home Builders in Manitoba
Pioneer Homes builds both ready-to-move and on-site homes from its premises in Altona, about one hundred kilometres southwest of Winnipeg. They deliver to Manitoba, Saskatchewan, North Dakota and Minnesota. The company advertises a four-month delivery period from starting construction to delivery. It also offers two-storey buildings, which are only available if the delivery route allows for safe transportation. The company offers a wide range of plans, with houses less than 1,300 square feet to more than 2,000 square feet.
Ridgeview Homes is a Manitoba and Saskatchewan-based company that has been building ready-to-move and on-site houses for almost ten years. It offers a range of floor plans but emphasizes its ability to allow a high degree of customization. The range of houses available starts at 1401 square feet and moves through several options, with the largest being just over 1,900 square feet.
Star Ready To Move Homes is a division of Star Building Materials that builds CSA-compliant ready-to-move houses. In addition, they also offer smaller buildings like garages, sheds and cottages.
Emjay Homes Ltd. supplies ready-to-move houses to Manitoba and Saskatchewan. With over twenty years of experience, they also build on-site houses. The small, family-based company provides a range of services, including new home construction floor plans and house framing. The company offers a range of ready-to-move houses starting at 864 sq. feet to its largest offering of 1,500 sq. feet of main floor area.
Candlewood Homes, situated in Halbstadt, Manitoba, manufactures ready-to-move houses and tiny homes. It has over thirty years of experience constructing tiny homes and offers a wide range of designs and customization opportunities.
