Modular or Brick Home – Choosing the Right Type of House

Modular Home vs. Brick House: A Comparison of Cost, Quality, and Value

When planning to build your own home, one of the first decisions you’ll need to make is whether to choose a traditional brick house or a modern modular home.
Both construction technologies have their own distinct advantages. On one hand, brick houses are highly valued in countries like Lithuania for their durability and solid structure. On the other hand, modular homes offer faster construction and modern, efficient solutions.
Let’s compare these two options across several key aspects: construction cost, quality, and overall value.

Construction Cost and Duration

Modular Construction:
One of the biggest advantages of modular homes is their lower and more predictable cost. Thanks to efficient factory production, modular homes are often cheaper than comparable brick houses. Clients usually receive a fixed price quote upfront, minimizing the risk of budget overruns.
Since most work is done in a controlled factory environment, labor costs on-site are significantly reduced. The construction timeline is also much shorter — a modular home can be completed in just a few months or even weeks. For example, an 80 m² modular home (with three bedrooms, a living room, and a kitchen) may cost around €80,000–90,000 and be ready to move in within about two months.
Shorter construction means lower overall expenses — fewer loan interest payments and less time spent renting another home while you wait.

Brick Construction:
Building a traditional brick house typically costs more, mainly due to longer construction times and higher labor demands. Brickwork, concrete casting, and drying periods require extended on-site work, which raises costs for both labor and equipment rental.
Weather conditions can also delay progress — during the cold season, masonry work becomes more difficult. As a result, a brick house may take one to two years or more to complete.
Longer timelines also increase total expenses, since material prices and wages can rise over time.
However, with good planning and experienced contractors, you can still manage the budget effectively — just expect to invest more time and supervision.

Quality and Durability

Modular Home:
In terms of quality, modern modular homes match traditional houses in every essential aspect. They comply with the same building codes and safety standards, ensuring strong and reliable structures.
A modular home’s frame (usually steel or timber) is engineered to withstand heavy loads and local weather conditions. Such homes are airtight, stable, and durable.
Exterior finishes can look identical to those of brick homes — for instance, you can use wood cladding, decorative brick panels, or plaster finishes, so visually you won’t notice a difference.
Factory construction also ensures precision and quality control, resulting in smooth walls, properly aligned doors, and tight seals around windows.

When it comes to longevity, modular homes can last for many decades. Certified materials and engineering solutions ensure durability, with 10–20-year structural warranties being common.
If your goal is a house that lasts a full century, brick still has a slight edge — but modern lifestyles and priorities have shifted. Today, many people prefer homes that are flexible and sustainable rather than permanent for generations.
Here modular homes have an advantage — they can be relocated, modified, or recycled at the end of their life cycle.

Brick House:
Brick houses are traditionally seen as the benchmark of longevity. Masonry walls are massive, fire-resistant, and immune to pests or rot. A well-maintained brick home can last for several generations, and many examples stand strong even after 100 years.
Their heavy structure provides excellent sound insulation and thermal inertia, helping to maintain warmth in winter and coolness in summer.
Still, long-lasting doesn’t mean maintenance-free — over time, brick walls and façades need renovation, repainting, or roof replacement.
Moreover, modern energy standards require additional insulation layers, since brick alone doesn’t provide sufficient thermal performance.

Ultimately, both modular and brick houses can achieve excellent quality — the key factors are the builder’s expertise and the materials used.

Energy Efficiency

Modular Home:
Most modular homes are designed for energy efficiency from the start. They feature thick insulation, airtight construction, and modern windows and doors.
Many reach A+ or even A++ energy ratings, comparable to passive house standards.
Factory precision minimizes the risk of heat loss through “thermal bridges.”
Modular homes are often equipped with advanced heating and ventilation systems, such as heat pumps and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR), ensuring low energy consumption.

As a result, modular homeowners enjoy lower monthly heating and cooling bills, along with greater comfort and a smaller environmental footprint.

Brick House:
Traditional brick homes can also be very energy-efficient — if built to modern standards.
New brick houses can meet A+ or A++ efficiency levels by using proper insulation and airtight construction techniques.
However, achieving these results is typically more complex, as brick walls require additional layers of thermal insulation and careful sealing around windows and ceilings.
Older brick houses (for example, built in the Soviet era) often need energy renovations to meet today’s requirements.
When built from scratch, though, a brick home can be just as efficient — using insulated block systems, thermal plasters, and modern materials.
In short, both options can perform well, but modular homes often achieve high energy efficiency by design, while brick homes need extra effort and materials to reach the same level.

Value and Investment

Modular Home:
From an investment perspective, modular homeowners benefit in multiple ways.
You save time and money, move in faster, and start enjoying your home sooner.
Lower running costs make modular homes financially smart in the long term.

As market awareness grows, well-built modular homes retain strong resale value, especially as buyers increasingly appreciate their advantages.
They’re also adaptable — you can expand, modify, or modernize them as your needs change.
In some cases, modular homes can even be relocated, offering a level of flexibility that traditional homes can’t match.
Banks and insurance companies now treat modular houses like any conventional home, provided they are built on foundations and registered as residential properties.

Brick House:
Investing in a brick home has long been considered the “gold standard” in real estate. Such houses often maintain lasting value, and even older brick homes attract buyers due to their solid structure and durability.
However, modern buyers increasingly look beyond materials — they consider insulation quality, heating systems, and interior design.
As a result, modular homes can now compete equally in market value thanks to their modern features.

Brick houses still appeal to traditional-minded buyers who associate masonry with stability and permanence.
If you’re building a family legacy home meant to last for generations, a brick structure might feel like a safer choice.
Ultimately, both can offer excellent living quality — the best choice depends on your priorities and lifestyle.

Conclusion: Which Option Is Right for You?

There’s no single answer to whether a modular home or a brick house is better — it depends entirely on your needs.
If you value speed, modern comfort, and energy efficiency, and want a smooth, stress-free building process, a modular home is an excellent choice.
If you prefer traditional construction, want a heavier, long-lasting structure, and don’t mind a longer build time, a brick house might suit you better.

Ultimately, the key is to make an informed decision based on your budget, expectations, and plans for the future.
We hope this comparison helps you understand the main differences between modular and brick homes.
If you’re interested in modular housing, talk to experts or visit a modular home showroom — you may quickly realize that a modular house is a smarter, faster, and more flexible way to build your dream home.