This article is going to be the ultimate guide on modular homes. Let’s start from scratch.
What are modular homes?
Modular homes are the residential areas where construction does not take place entirely on a home site. Instead, they are built in a controlled factory environment. In other words, we can say that modular homes are off-site properties that are constructed in one place while transported to the other place. It is due to this reason modular homes are also known as mobile homes.
Benefits of modular homes
If you want to know why you should move from traditional building methods to the modular way of building a home, you should consider the following benefits of modular homes.
Fast construction speed
Modular homes can be built more quickly than traditional homes. In fact, most expert mobile home installers can deliver 50% faster results.
Unlimited design possibilities
There is some limit to the design possibilities of traditional homes but design flexibility with modular homes is endless. As they are installed away from the installation site, the clients can easily proceed with their favorite design.
More quality in less time
As the expert home installation experts spend time building a modular home in the controlled factory, they provide high-quality results in a very short time. If you want to build your modular home, you will need to wait only for a few days. However, it may take a week or two depending on your particular home construction needs and overall on-site conditions.
Environmentally friendly
Decreased construction and installation time and low carbon footprint make them more environmentally friendlier than the traditional home construction methods.
Moreover, sustainable materials are used in the construction of modular homes.
Drawbacks of modular homes
There are some downsides to modular homes as well.
Fast may not be the Top
While building the traditional homes you can easily proceed with the customization and over there in the dynamic structure even during the construction. however modular homes you cannot choose to make changes after the fabrication has started.
Transporting sections
The transportation of modular homes from the factory to the building site is often a very difficult task. It requires very careful handling of the modular components and any mistake can cause long-term issues. Moreover, you will also have to pay transportation costs for the packing and shipping of the modular components.
Advanced payment
For building the modular home, home builders will require you to pay for the payment in advance. It seems a bit of a risky step for the people who opt for mobile homes for the first time.
Land issues
On one side, you’ll have to pay all the money at once for building the modular home while on the other side you will also need to buy a piece of land where the mobile home will be installed after the complete construction. It may be a bit of an expensive process. The issues can also arise when the particular modular home does not fit well on the installation site.
Sometimes particular regulations and zoning restrictions can also stop you from installing the modular home.
Requirements of modular homes
There are various requirements for modular homes.
- Check out the particular zone restrictions. In the areas that are prone to Hurricanes, wind storms, and thunderstorms, the installation of modular homes is not allowed.
- The CE marking is also the important construction norm that checks the strength of the roofing structure. It demands complete details and licensing of the construction material suppliers. moreover, all the details of the home modulus and installers are recorded in the database.
- Modular homes should have building strength comparable to traditional homes. For this purpose, it is important to add 8%-10% more lumber than traditional houses.
- The modular homes built in Hurricane or earthquake-prone areas must have additional bracing in their construction. Moreover, they should also meet local building codes.
Cost of modular homes
Remember that modular homes are often cheaper to build but you will have to pay all the amount in advance. Their resale value is also much lower than the traditionally built homes.
On average, the price of a modular home is $50 per square ft. In simple words, we can say that a simple modular home will require you to spend at least $100000, while the median home price in the U.S. is around $245,000.
Three main factors determine the price of the modular home. These factors are:
- Location
- Size
- Design
Here it is worth mentioning that the price of the modular home varies from state to state. If you want to estimate the realistic price of the modular home, you should first gather information about the location.
Final thoughts
The concept of modular home building is quite new for people who have never tried to think out of the box and know only about traditional home building. Modular homes are great places to live when you need a residential area on an urgent basis and you are also tight on budget. If you are also going to build a modular home and want to avoid pitfalls, you should focus on the information given in this article.
The core of the discussion is that you do not need to move towards the modular homes if you are looking for the properties with higher resale value. However, they can be a very wonderful and suitable option for the people looking for urgent residences. It is worth noting that issues may arise and you also need to be well aware of the requirements of modular homes and what amount is needed to purchase them. But if you are creative you will be able to adjust on your own because it gives you unlimited design possibilities. When you have an experimental mind, you can go for these types of homes and enjoy and see how they are different from traditionally built homes.
By the way, which home categories do you like the most? Modular homes or the traditional ones?
Share with us in the comment section.
