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Modular homes and traditional
homes? What are the differences?
Modular homes are built using a method
of producing buildings or building components in an efficient
and cost effective manner. The home is built in a factory
and then transferred by sections to the site where it is
assembled by a local builder.
Manufactured houses are not the same as
modular houses. Manufactured homes are required to meet
the Federal Construction Safety Standards Act (HUD/CODE),
which requires homes to be constructed on a non-removable
steel chassis. Many areas have restrictions on where manufactured
homes can be placed.
Modular homes are built to the same building
code required by your state, county, and specific locality
and are not restricted by building or zoning regulations.
The quality control process provides one-hundred percent
assurance that your home has been inspected for compliance
with code and workmanship. Your new modular home is inspected
at the plant during each stage of construction.
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What are the benefits to
a modular home?
The modular home building system is a
fast-growing form of construction gaining a growing recognition
of its increased efficiency and ability to apply updated
technology to the needs of the market.
You benefit from the assembly line production
process since modular homes are built in factories. Maximum
efficiency is used with the labor, with skilled craftsman
working between workstations on the floor of the factory.
Excellent quality control, reduced waste, and quicker completion
(30-90 days vs. 5-12 months for site-built construction)
are the main benefits.
The factories buy large amounts of lumber,
sheet rock, carpet, paint, and other building supplies.
For this reason, they pay much less for each, and you get
the savings.
When you take into consideration all the
labor, material and time savings that comes with the modular
home building process, you will find that the cost of your
home is generally less than a traditionally built home.
The better efficiency of construction
results in greater value for the homeowner. Work is not
delayed by weather, subcontractor not showing up, or missing
materials. Bad weather never touches the inside of your
house.
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What kind of options do I
have with a modular home?
Today's modular home covers the entire
spectrum of the housing market from the affordable single-family
and multifamily housing to expensive luxury homes (several
modular home builders produce several models that sell for
over $500,000).
Computers have enabled modular home producers
to take a mass customization approach and design all models
to meet a homeowner's particular needs. The options are
never ending!
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Is a modular home a better
value for my money?
Modular housing is growing at almost 10%
rate over the last six years. Forecasters see modular housing
increasing its market share by 13% annually well into the
next millennium.
You will keep saving money year after
year, as your energy efficient home keeps your heating and
cooling bills low.
Repair bills can really add up quick.
A modular home is a home that is easier and less costly
to maintain. Additional factory insulation and precision
building techniques make the modular house an efficient
energy conservation home. And of course this cost saving
lasts every year you're living in the house. And it increases
your resale value, too!
Modular homes are precision built at the
factory, and they're built to last. Your modular home requires
less maintenance and your energy bills are lower than your
neighbors. When it's time to sell your home, you'll be glad
it's a modular.
Modular Home Dealers
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Don't all modular homes
look alike?
Not at all. Unless you were there to see
the house delivered and assembled, you might not guess it's
a modular home. Modular home manufacturers can take any
home plan and use computer software that will enable them
to make a modular home from it. They can take your specifications
and turn your ideas into reality.
It is true that some modular homes resemble
mobile homes but the two are built in two entirely different
ways.
Be sure to ask questions about flexibility
if you would like to design your own home since each manufacturer
is different.
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Do banks provide financing for a
modular built home?
Yes. For most banks, appraisers, and insurance
companies, there is no diiference and they treat modular
homes the same way they do site built homes--a house that's
constructed entirely on your property. Be sure coonsult
with the mortgage brokers and banks in your area to explain
how they finance modular homes.
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Will I save money by building a modular
home?
Sometimes. Construction costs for a modular
home are sometimes less per square foot than for a similar
site-built home. And there are other cost-saving features:
Many modular homes are very energy
efficient, which helps reduce your heating and cooling
costs.
Because of the speed of the modular home
building process, your home will probably be ready to move
into much quicker than if you wait for a builder to construct
the house on-site.
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What is a modular home?
Modular homes are built in different sections
in a factory controlled setting. No rain or any other adverse
weather conditions are present to slow down or harm the
building process. Once the sections are complete they are
transferred to the site where they are placed on a pre-made
foundation. They are then joined together and completed
by your local builder.
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Does it take long to build
a modular home?
That depends on the manufacturer and the
particular design of the house. Some modular homes can be
built in the factory in as little as one to two weeks. Since
modular homes are built inside, there's never a weather
delay. It usually takes another two to four weeks for your
local builder to complete the home once it's delivered to
the building site.
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Are they the same thing
as mobile homes?
Mobile homes, now called manufactured
homes, are built to conform to the same federal code, no
matter where they will be delivered. That code is called
the HUD code.
A modular house conforms to the building
codes that are required at the specific siteit will be delivered
to. In many cases construction goes beyond the required
codes.
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