3-D products on display at an exposition in Suzhou, Jiangsu province. [Wang Jiankang / For China Daily]

The advent of a new technology not only excites us, but can have a profound effect on our daily lives.

Developments like the Internet or mobile phones have helped us stay more connected with people and work, and boosted our overall productivity while, at the same time, marking the death of distance.

Arguably the greatest modern technologies, however, are those that have the potential to be not only game-changers, but life-savers too. And 3-D printing belongs to that genre.

My interest was piqued recently by an innocuous item carried in several newspapers which talked about 3-D printers being used to build a house in less than three hours.

"You must be joking," said my brother in India who is currently building his own home after several years of meticulous saving.

"It takes six months on average to build a house in the United States.

"In India, where we use bricks and mortar, rather than wood, the time taken is usually double that, if not more. Add to that, the noise, dust pollution and the high labor costs," he said.

Zhouda Group, the Chinese company that has showcased its three-hour construction miracle, says that 90 percent of the house was built in a factory, complete with interiors, wiring, plumbing and sanitary ware.

In addition to the lightning-quick construction time, Zhouda also claims the buildings will last at least 150 years and can withstand high-magnitude earthquake.

The next obvious question? Cost.

Reports suggested it works out at 500,000 to 600,000 yuan ($80,500-$96,600) for a 200 square meter home, or roughly 2,500 yuan to 3,000 yuan per square meter.

The cost of building a 200 square meter home in my hometown of Bengaluru would work out at roughly about 1.076 million yuan ($168,400), while it will be substantially lower in smaller cities.