Let’s say you want to build a new house or a building for your backyard. Where would you start? Building a house from the ground up takes months of planning, and insight from architects, building planners, and your local government for zoning permits. There’s no denying that the process of building a home or structure is a large task from start to finish, which is why many people opt to purchase a home that is already built, but what if the process was made infinitely simpler?
A startup company in Los Angeles called Cover has been taking the headache out of home building, allowing a computer algorithm to design a prefabricated home or structure, based on your specifications. Prefab buildings typically come with a few different layouts, depending on the company, and you have the opportunity to tweak and adjust certain aspects of the design based on you and your family’s needs. Instead of looking at layouts, Cover sends a questionnaire to their prospective clients, asking both basic and specific questions about what they’re looking for in their home, what appliances are essential to have, and how many people are expected to be in a room at any given time. The computer then takes this information that is provided and comes up with the best possible layout for their home.
The best thing about working with Cover is the fact that they take on all of the work once you hire them. They get the building permits, provide the design, and install it on your property. This guesswork of working with different contractors, designers, and architects is completely eliminated from the equation.
Right now, Cover specializes in outdoor structures that would be used in addition to the client’s current home, like guest houses and pool houses, however, they are able to create prefab homes on any property.
Their design is generally pretty modern. The homes have clean lines and are easy to maneuver and has interesting storage capabilities. At this time, the average price for a single guest room is $70,000, around $130,000 for a studio with a kitchenette, $160,000 for a one-bedroom and $250,000 for a two-bedroom structure. For those that are looking to add on to their property or create a whole new home, Cover offers a unique choice that takes the guesswork out of homebuilding.