Coming to a For Sale or To Let board soon … a new type of home. It’s a pre-fab which is designed to sit on an elevated platform above outdoor car parks. The micro-homes require only air rights, with no need for land, and can be bought or rented. The entry level model of the fully installed homes costs just £65,000 and can be bought outright if air rights are signed over or let for about £650 a month. They have been developed by ZED Pods, a new independent UK company, which has been funded via the Government’s Enterprise Investment Scheme. The objective is to manufacture and erect the pods across the UK to offer affordable starter homes and a housing solution for key workers. With a durable, permanent construction, the pods can be installed as singles or doubles and as a ‘community’ cluster. Importantly, the company has a funding partner that will build, maintain and lease pods back to local authorities and NHS trusts for use as key worker housing in exchange for long-term leases for air rights above their car parks. They can also be easily relocated at low cost and with minimal wastage. The ZEDpod is built to extremely high energy-performance standards, far in excess of building regulations, and the external envelope is designed to last around 20 years before any maintenance is needed. The pods, which feature high performance insulation both inside and out, integrated roof-mounted solar panels that charge a battery store, heat recovery ventilation and large triple glazed windows, have inherently low running costs. By placing a translucent waterproof solar canopy over the space between the homes, the pods also have the potential for zero net annual energy bills and for providing zero emissions electricity to charge points integrated in parking spaces. Each pod accommodates a balcony, micro kitchen and dining table, bathroom, sofa space and a mezzanine floor with a desk, double bed and wardrobe. They are constructed off-site and can be erected in a matter of days, and as they do not rely on a centralised factory facility, assembly sheds can be set up locally to meet housing demand whilst creating local employment. Tom Northway, director of the company, said: “Zed Pods offer a unique solution to the UK’s housing crisis.”
A new type of home could be available soon; the ZED Pods micro-homes are designed to be added to elevated platforms, for example above a car park, and can be rented or bought. The new initiative has been funded by the UK government's Enterprise Investment Scheme, and the aim is to build and establish the pods all over the UK, as an affordable housing option for key workers. The ZEDpod is energy-efficient, easy to relocate and expected to last for a matter of days before any maintenance is required.