Modular Home Info

My brother-in-law had a modular home built and it's great. Not a cookie cutter house - lots of detail. We researched having it done too - it's actually built better and you have quite a few choices and upgrades avaiable.

Modulars have come a long way in the last 15-20 years. My husband is a builder who does modular in addition to stick frame, panelized, and log homes. Modular homes are a good entry level home for those looking to build new but have a tight budget. Depending on the company most modulars come with the 'basics' such as vinyl flooring and carpet. The real value in getting a modular is that you can have most everything completed in the factory. For the 'do-it-yourselfers' who want to do finish work but no framing my husband always suggests a panelized home.
Modulars often require more clearing than stick framing in order to get the boxes on site and to maneuver the cranes.

Hi,

Modular homes are definitely a quicker way to build a house compare to the typical way of building from scratch.

Most of the people in my field (interior design, architecture, and construction) had said all good things about it.

Jul

One thing, they are almost immediately available, which is a big help.

Remember, they are built to travel over the highway, so they are built like a battleship. Which is a great thing, except the floors do not "give" as you walk on them, almost like you are walking on concrete. except the wood is better for your feet.

They sure are cozy!!!!!!! Good luck, and enjoy your children, they are such a blessing.

I work for a chimney company so hear a lot of different things. While I have no personal experience with modular homes, I do recall one client we had call for an inspection on the chimney as the home was a modular and was only fully put up about a year to year and half prior at the time. I recall the gentleman warning me to stear clear as he had many problems with his and had wanted the inspection to make sure there was nothing wrong with the chimney due to a leak he was getting. I have been with the company for a while so I even suspected something wasn't right that the chimeny was leaking already at this very young age; though I don't have much knowledge on the technical end of things. I have also seen a couple of episodes on TLC about modular homes that had a lot of problems with mold in the bathrooms because the bathroom wasn't insulated and walled right to begin with. Suffice to say, I would really go with a well-known contractor that has worked for some of the people you know who have a modular home that is licensed and insured. No matter what you decide, modular home or traditional home, I would defintely get inspectors in there to check everything out; especially a chimney company as they will be able to give you all the information you need as it pertains to your chimney. Good luck to you!

Hi J.,
My name is L. Bavota. I am a Realtor, and work for a full service custom modular builder. The modular technology is wonderful. But, it really depends on the specifications the factory builds to. Some are of a much lesser quality than others (such as fiber board vs plywood), thus big price differences. Also, most modular builders are 'drop ship'. This means that YOU will have to act as a sub contractor for most of the finish/interior work. So, when you hear prices as low as $70K for a Cape, this does not include items such as: permitting, engineering, foundation, clearing the lot and preparing it for the home, interior finish, at times it doesn't include a heating system, and more. So, be really careful to not be tempted by these low prices. It will end up costing you much, much more.
My company is full service. We provide everything for our clients: permitting, engineering, foundation, complete finish, right up to occupancy. We have a 10 yr warranty. We have a model home too, which most modular 'builders' don't have. Our model is located in Sagamore MA and is open daily. I'd be happy to review pricing and send you a brochure. It would be helpful to you, even if you are not in our building area. Give me a call today, at ###-###-#### or my cell at ###-###-####. You can email me at ____@____.com Our web site is: www.RDAmodularhomes.com Hope it helps.
Regards,
L. Bavota

My mom and stepdad have a modular home for their lake house, its wonderful. Because it is 2 stories, it came in 4 pieces and was assembled very quickly. I'm not sure where you are, but if you are in Maine, they used Sciavi (sp?) Homes and were impressed. I would highly recommend them. Good luck.

My husband is a contractor and has added a modular addition onto someones house. Feel free to email me for our phone number or you can email him any questions you may have.
____@____.com
Good luck!
T.

Modular homes have improved dramatically over the last 10 years. They have so many more makes and models and you can pretty much design your own house. Just make sure you ask for references. Find out if they have any modular homes in the area you can look at and find out the value of the homes. These days you can't even tell what is modular and what is not. Go for it. Just research the company online.