conversation: User (Yakc): "**My question for you is this:** What long-term strategy, if any, can a redditor follow to adapt to this rapidly growing market that may decrease, or significantly decrease, the value of existing homes? Any specific advice for homeowning, renting, or with-parents redditors?\n\nVideo links for 3d printed home info:\n[TED Talk - 3d Home Printing](http://tedxtalks.ted.com/video/TEDxOjai-Behrokh-Khoshnevis-Con), \n[Chinese Company Youtube Video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SObzNdyRTBs), \n[Netherlands Company News Clip](http://www.businessinsider.com/3d-printed-houses-are-here-2014-9)\n\n-----\n\nBased on how rapidly 3d printing has improved in only the last 5 years, I don't think that it's unreasonable to expect that in 15 years, there will be a rapidly growing market of 3d-printing-aided homes and apartments costing *significantly* less to build than homes do now. Perhaps not large or complex homes, but let's say the average low-to-middle income home or apartment. Will the value of current homes hold up for the next generation? Consider that current homes take up most of the residential space within cities, so many homes could hold value simply from location, but renting a printed 800ft apartment could cost so little that spending the 2014 price on a home would be absurd.\n\n3d printing currently allows constructing very basic buildings faster and cheaper than before. The technology is rapidly advancing, and it's expected to soon allow for homes more complex than we can build now, since printing arched and curved (and thus more structurally stable) structures will be relatively simple, and pipes and wires can be laid out at any point by machines or workers during the construction. For changes or repairs, modular sections can be moved and solid portions can be broken down and reprinted. The printable materials currently available include concrete, plastics, wood compounds, carbon fiber, and others. Though only the structure of a building can currently be printed on-site, modular pieces such as panels, windows, cabinets, or even entire rooms can be printed off-site and installed by machines or workers. It's speculated that within a few decades, the total cost to build a complete home could be 1/2 as much or less compared to a traditional home, with significantly greater structural stability, insulation, and design customization.\n\n20 years ago, Google, social media, and decent phones didn't even exist. I think technology is advancing so rapidly that housing, which takes such an enormous percent of every person's resources, is an inevitable next step for our technological efforts. Even if on-site 3d printing isn't the main cause, I think new homes will soon be so cheap that existing homes will be forced to drop in value. This could be a problem for a lot of people.\n\n\nWhat does reddit think? Is this all pish posh and nonsensical jibbery-josh? Or will the housing market literally explode? Housing apocalypse, millions dead?"
  Self: "You can't 3D print something the size of a house, and you won't be able to for at least a couple decades, the printing technique and material strengths simply aren't there yet.\n\nDid pre-fab homes have a significant impact on housing prices?  Nope, not really.  And they are much closer to traditional home building style, yet many people still look down upon prefab homes even though its just the walls being prebuilt in non-sucky weather conditions because its not the traditional way.\n\n3D printed homes may actually be *more* expensive.  Spools of ABS to 3D print with cost about $20/liter, a 2"x4"x8' is $3 from home depot.  A wall 3D printed from ABS even in a fairly hollow honeycomb pattern is going to end up costing you a lot.\n\n\nNews people only understand one thing about technology, flashy headlines about it get clicks, ignore them..."
  chenwood13 (chenwood13): "Houses are already being 3D printed. "
  Self: "Link to a 3D printed house someone lives in, not a 2 million dollar "look what we can do" demo model please?"
  chenwood13 (chenwood13): "&gt;You can't 3D print something the size of a house, and you won't be able to for at least a couple decades, the printing technique and material strengths simply aren't there yet.\n\nThis just isn't true.  Moving the goal posts doesn't make it true."
  Self: "What goal posts did I move? What are you getting at???"
  