The Three-Bedroom Elmwood Showcases Prefab Home Design at Its Finest

The name of this New Zealand-based brand says it all – the Premium Portables are fully transportable homes that come on runners or wheels and that are built in compliance with the standards of the New Zealand building code. Although they're undeniably better in terms of costs compared to conventional housing options, these portable dwellings are meant to last and are equipped with premium amenities for an uncompromising urban lifestyle.

Plus, they're much more flexible – a prefab transportable house can be used for temporary accommodation, for permanent residency, or as an extra income source in the form of a stylish, fully-equipped rental. In addition to the high-quality materials used in construction and the premium amenities, you can expect an impeccable, clean interior style that could rival any contemporary mansion. That's because one of the Premium Portables co-founders, Taylor-Jane Higgs, is a senior interior designer, and she guides future owners through all the fitting choices and color schemes – not as an extra service for additional costs, but one that is included in the building price.

The Elmwood home is the brand's most generous model in terms of accommodation. It boasts three spacious bedrooms that could easily accommodate a large family. This particular setup is also great for vacation rentals designed to welcome large groups. What makes the Elmwood spectacular is that it's wonderfully open to the outside and filled with natural light despite its large dimensions. We're talking about an L-shaped structure that totals more than 12 meters in length (41 feet), six meters in width (19.6 feet), and 3.6 meters in height (11.8 feet).

A great portion of the 66.6-square meter (716.8 square feet) floor space is taken up by the modern open-plan lounge area. It's much more spacious than what you'd find in typical prefab homes, with enough room for a full living room furniture setup and extra storage. With three windows, this lounge area effectively blurs the line between the indoor and the outdoor.

During summer, it transforms into an even wider entertainment space by connecting to the exterior deck. One of the coolest features of this portable home is the oversized deck with ample space for several dining and lounging setups. It's plain to see that the Elmwood was designed for folks who want to spend as much time outdoors as possible and to maintain a strong connection to it year-round, even from the comfort and privacy of their own home.

The kitchen is also part of the overall open-plan layout, without any rigid separations. It comes in two possible configurations – one includes a separate kitchen island, and the other one features a U-shaped kitchen where part of the countertop doubles as a breakfast bar. In the first version, the kitchen island can also be used for informal dining with matching bar stools instead of a conventional, classic dining table.

The seamless flow between the lounge, the kitchen, and the outdoors is one of the best things about the Elmwood house. It creates the relaxed ambiance of an exotic resort while also encouraging people to hang out together and spend more time having fun.

On the other hand, the fully enclosed bedrooms ensure much-needed privacy for all family members. All three bedrooms are big enough to fit in two-person beds, and two of them enjoy the luxury of a private, separate entrance. The wide, glass doors act as panoramic windows for stunning views and also connect the bedrooms to the exterior deck – a smart, comfortable alternative to conventional terraces. These lavish bedrooms also feature large built-in wardrobes and additional storage.

All Premium Portable designs boast just one bathroom, regardless of how many bedrooms are included. Even the three-bedroom Elmood features one shared bathroom that's also more spacious than the norm. It's equipped with a separate, full-size shower cabin, a conventional toilet, and an elegant vanity, and it also features a dedicated compartment for a full-size washing machine, which makes it a laundry as well.

A 4 kW heat pump, multiple LED lights inside and outside, and double powerpoints throughout are also part of the standard configuration. For additional costs, future owners can add a gas-powered on-demand hot water system (known as a gas califont in New Zealand), additional TV or powerpoints, plus wheels, stabilizers, and a drawbar for transportation.

The Elmwood, which is the most luxurious and spacious model available at Premium Portables, comes at a starting price of NZD 204,990 ($130,000), which is very affordable considering it's a large family home with three double bedrooms, and that's built in full compliance with the domestic building standards.