In a factory just outside Bedford sits the answer to Britain’s housing crisis. Here, workers inspect a line of containers — apartments in various stages of construction — and scribble on clipboards. Welcome to Vision Modular Systems’ housing warehouse, a place where prefabricated homes are put together. It is a far cry from the dust and dirt of a traditional building site and looks more like something out of the futuristic movie Wall-E. Entire homes are made here: ovens and radiators, even toilet-roll holders, are fitted and beds are topped with mattresses. When finished, the units are placed on trucks and driven 53 miles to Holloway in north London, where they will be homes for students. Analysts predict that 2018 will be the breakthrough
Property analysts are predicting that the number of modular homes built in the UK will increase significantly this year, forming an important part of efforts to increase housing supply. The government has pledged to build 200,000 new houses by 2020, but there is a growing fear among property experts and politicians that it could be too little, or not enough, given demand for homes.