When Will 3D Printed Homes be Available?

As of now 3D printed homes are not broadly available in the American real estate market. While some homes have been built here and in Europe, the homes are of the micro variety. The technology is not yet ready for the big leagues. These printed homes, also, tend to be built in basic concrete or synthetic materials, leaving Westerners not attracted to the structures. Therefore, most printed homes today are being erected in poor areas in places such as Mexico, Haiti, and Central and South America. For these folks, it’s a step up from where they dwelled before (mostly shacks, and huts).

Also, the technology is not yet ready to print working doors and windows, plumbing, electrical components, cables, etc.

But the time when 3D home printing will advance technologically and solve the above issues is approaching. So, in the spirit of staying ahead of the curve, let’s take a look at some of the advantages and promise of this new technology.

A significant aspect of the cost of building a house is the labor involved. A house 3D printer only involves one person to monitor the operation, thereby vastly reducing the costs. The less the builder must spend, the more affordable the home becomes.
Homes can take months to build, but a 3D printer can build a house in just one day. And with good contractors to build the doors, windows, etc., the entire home can be completed in a few weeks.
3D homes are better for the environment. There is no waste left over, noise pollution, etc. 3D printing is a form of additive manufacturing that only uses up the exact material required to build a house. Therefore, to build a 3D printed house, less concrete and other materials are used up than in traditional methods, benefiting the environment.
In the near term, because 3D allows for accuracy far beyond what people are capable of, 3D printing will offer more complex designs of all shapes and sizes. This is beneficial in that it will be able to create customized homes to be as efficient as possible in terms of heat retention (and air-conditioned rooms). Additionally, homes can be printed with the disabled in mind.
3D printed homes are estimated to cost 40% less when the technology is fully ready.
If there is a labor shortage in the construction trades, this will not affect 3D homebuilders.

Some of the drawbacks (until the technology is perfected) are:

The homes might not end up as inexpensive as advertised. The firms that are currently building 3D printed homes only list the house based on the materials used. Necessary additions such as doors, windows, interior and external finishes, wiring, piping etc. are not part of the price offered.
There is currently a lack of design choices.
3D home printers are currently limited to concrete and synthetics. The aesthetics choices are not here yet.

The companies developing 3D printers for houses are still refining the technology and do not have enough machinery to build full size homes in significant numbers. Most experts in the field think that within a decade or two the technology will be advanced enough to conquer these obstacles.