Modular Homes Section
Why Modular Homes May Not Match You
There are many benefits to modular homes that make them attractive to new home buyers. You probably already know about the systems built technology that allows cost and time savings. These benefits do not guarantee that modular house will be a good match for every home buyer. Everyone has different building situation. We all have personal preferences in what we want our home to look like and each building site has different restrictions. Since everyone is different modular homes may not be right for your building situation.
Before we scare anyone we should clarify something very important. Advances over the last 20 years have expanded the capabilities of modular homes and how they can look. Modular homes can match the look and quality of more than 90% of on-site built homes. Several manufacturers are now producing 16 foot wide modules which allow for wider open spaces that have traditionally only been available with on-site construction. New roofing systems with hinges and specially designed trusses allow for roof slope to be as shallow or steep as you like. Designers have also made some incredible three and four story modular mansions.
Now let's explore why a modular home with systems built technology may not be right for you.
Your Local Roads
Modular homes are manufactured off-site and are transported to your building site. They are carefully designed to deal with interstate highway overpasses and turning curves. If the road from the highway to your home has a very low overpass there will be a problem. Also if you have a very sharp turn like a hairpin turn it may require the modular home manufacturer to build using shorter modules. There are generally fixes that can deal with local road issues but you should speak with a local modular home builder to discuss this. It is not fun to have any surprises pop up on the delivery day.
Unique Home Designs
Modular homes factories work best when you stay close to their standard designs. Any good modular home factory can customize a home plan to make it fit your preferences. If you are looking for dramatic changes it will probably require a new design to be created which will take extra time and possibly cost extra. If your building lot has unique land topography that you would like your home to accommodate you will probably be better off with on-site home construction instead of modular home using system built technology.
Distance from Modular Factory
The distance between your building lot and a modular home factory is critical. Your dream home will be built in a climate controlled factory which is great. But it then needs to travel along the highway which will probably have a few potholes and other bumps along the way. Trust us this sounds worse than it is. Remember that the alternative to modular homes is onsite construction which is not perfect. Onsite construction is open to the weather. Would you rather a few road bumps with a modular home or having your entire on-site wood frame being rained on and getting warped? Modular homes are constructed to be stronger to accommodate the wear and tear they will face on the roads. It is best to minimize the wear and tear by keeping the distance from a modular home factory as short as possible. We like the distance to be less than 300 miles. If your building lost is more than 500 miles away you probably should consider those rain warped on-site constructed homes as opposed to those pothole transported modular homes.
Local Modular Expertise
In case you have not figured out modular home construction is not like on-site home construction. When finished they will both will look the same and appreciate in value. The construction method is different so you should be sure that your local builder is experienced with modular homes. Modular home manufacturers have networks of local builders that they will recommend to you. The truth is that not everyone of these builders is a good choice. Most of them are great but a few of them are still learning. If your local builder has not established a good & long track record of modular homes than you should look for another local modular builder or consider on-site stick built homes. Notice we are talking about modular home track record and not just home construction record. Some traditional builders think that they can easily deal with a modular home project. You do not your dream home to turn into a headache filled learning experience for them. You should only use a local builder that is experienced with modular homes and has many satisfied modular home customers.
We hope this has helped you to better understand some potential reasons why systems built modular homes may not be the best way for you to achieve your dream home. Hopefully you also understand that modular homes do deliver considerable time and cost savings while delivering a quality home that can match the appearance of almost all on-site stick built homes. Regardless of which construction method you decide make sure to thoroughly your contracts and to get all promises in writing. Good luck with your new dream home.
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