Modular homes are becoming more
popular each year. A search on modular homes in a popular
Internet search engine can turn up over 3 million references.
This past year, Country Home magazine chose a modular home
as its House of the Year 2005. For 2006, a modular home
was yet again the House of the Year! So, what is all the excitement about? What is a modular
home and how is it different from a traditional home? What
are the advantages of having a modular home?
Building a Modular Home
Modular
home building is not a new idea, but it is an idea whose
time has come. Modular homes are built in much the same
way as a traditional home. You pick out the site where you
will build your home. The foundation is poured and prepared.
Yet, instead of building the rest of the home there on the
site, the modular home will be built in a climate-controlled
environment and then brought to your site in a ready form.
Traditional Site-built Homes
When you build a traditional site-built
home, you must accommodate for weather delays. In the warm
weather months, you can be delayed by rain or even by extreme
heat. In the cold weather months, you can be delayed by
rain, snow, ice, or extreme cold. This can delay the completion
of your home by weeks or even months. Limited daylight hours
can also be a delay.
This is not a problem when building
a modular home.
Your home can be completed in 30-90 days compared to 6 or
9 months with a traditionally built home. In the climate-controlled
environment, your modular home will be built from the ground
up, just as craftsmen have been building homes for centuries,
but with fewer delays.
Modular Building Materials
The materials that are used to build
your modular home are the same as for a traditionally built
home. Modular homes are built to the same building code
standards, which means you will get the same quality and
durability in your modular home. Yet, when modular home
builders buy these materials, they buy them in bulk, which
means lower costs and savings for you. Labor costs are less
since the homes are built with assembly-line technology,
meaning the builders work at maximum efficiency. This is
also a savings for you.
Are all Modular Homes the Same?
Does building a modular home mean that
your home will be a “cookie cutter” design and
look like every other home in the neighborhood? Not at all.
Modular homes are available in numerous designs, styles,
and square footage. You can even bring your own plans to
your builder and have him customize your modular home to
your design. Modular homes can be built from the simple
all the way to the most luxurious homes. The possibilities
are unlimited.
So, when you add in the savings on time,
labor, and cost with the exceptional quality and customization
of a modular
home, you can see that there is a lot to be excited
about!
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