Anyone build a modular/pre-fab home?

[jocon]

I am researching this method and wanted to know if any of you had any experiences with Modular Homes. I don't mean mobile/ trailer homes, but homes built in sections off site and then delivered to your property for assembly. What price per square foot did you pay? What was included and not? Any regets? Thanks!

 

[DVC-Don]

One of my BiL's has a modular. Outside it looks like any built on site home. Inside it looks like a trailer and the floors bounce. He had to pay for a basement foundation and septic system before it arrived.

 

[loisg1]

We built a raised ranch or bi-level (depending on where you live) in 1984. We lived there until we moved to PA in '91. We had no problems with it. It should actually be better in theory because it's built in a factory and the wood would not warp as a stick built house would that is built on site and exposed to the elements.

 

[Tiggeroo]

a good friend of mine builds modular homes. They are made by a good manufacturer. I have been in many of these homes and I will tell you, you can't tell them from a stick built home. Modular homes are better made then stick built. They are built in perfect conditions with people who specialize in each part of them. The main thing I would suggest is that with modulars upgrades matter. They generally come with very basic cabinets, flooring, paint, trim, etc. This is because they are lower priced then new stick built and they are frequently first time home owners. They want to keep the starting price low. I'd suggest pricing out both upgrades and the cost for you to upgrade some things yourself.
My friend is living in a split level on a raised basement which has been finished. It has hard wood floors and raised ceilings and is very beautiful inside.
Also, the manufacturer matters. Some really are glorified trailers. Many however, are just new homes.

 

[barkley]

a friend's mom got one that was sort of a hybrid between a trailer and a modular (it was built from multiple sections at the factory). from the outside it looked like a nice double wide trailer but on the inside! it looked and felt like a custom home. she did all the upgrades-brick fireplace, built in china hutch, custom kitchen cabinets and counters...the one i thought was esp. great was a smaller room that was plumbed and had upgraded electrical-it housed her washer/dryer (and a laundry area) as well as a full size freezer and a second fridge.

there are some in our area that even include interior "garden rooms"-you go through a sliding glass door into an interior patio with glass domed ceilings.

we've seen a growth in these in the past several years, esp. for those who are building on a little property-they live in the modular while the house is built and then convert the modular into a mil house.

 

[golfgal]

There are a couple modular home builders/dealers in our town and the quality of the homes vary greatly. The one builder is a local builder and frankly, they use cheap materials and their sense of style just isn't there so the houses don't look that great. You can tell the construction isn't all that great just walking into them. The other dealer is connected with a national business (maybe regional, but larger business anyway) and their quality is better and they have more style to their houses. The prices are somewhat less then a stick built home.

The one thing that I always wondered about is that your home is exposed to the elements so what difference does it make having it build in a controlled environment make once it goes outside?

 

[LaLa]

.......

 

[joksten2000]

My next door neighbor just had a modular home built. I've been there just about every day from the digging of the foundation to completion. They did a lot of research and aqre very satisfied. They started mid July and were moved in by mid August. If you would like to talk with them I'll send you there email address or phone number which ever you prefer.

 

[jocon]

Thanks for the replies. I appreciate the feedback. joksten2000, I would like to email your neighbor for their advice. Thanks! LaLa, was there anything you would do differently or forgot to do?

 

[canwegosoon]

http://www.bardenhomes.com/
I am currrently researching this company I believe that most of the floor plans at $100-150 a sqft...but it really depends on options, sqft, and amt of wasted space(IMO). Panalized means roof trusses come pre done, and sections of walls. They wrap the house and side it on site. You can have brick or partial brick it you want too. Went for a local tour of a house that was framed in but not rocked...it looked pretty good-very comparable to stick

 

[LaLa]

LaLa, was there anything you would do differently or forgot to do?

Really, the only thing that we have said we would have done differently is make the kitchen bigger. We had them add a breakfast bar in the kitchen area (which we love), and then instead of having a big formal dining room, we had them change some walls around and just made that into a play room coming off one side of the kitchen. We then enlarged the breakfast nook and that is our dining room area. It's hard to explain. It all flows together really nicely and we think it works well for our family, but the only problem is our kitchen is not very big. We kind of wish we would have just taken the play room area in and made that into a really big kitchen.

You can think and rethink everything when you are building a house and once you get it finished, I think there will always be something that you stand back and look at and go "Yikes...wish we would have done that differently!"

 

[grlpwrd]

We have a manufactured home - built at a factory and trucked to our site in WA state.

Prefab/manufactured/modular homes are a great solution to housing, but many places consider them personal property (like a car) versus real property(like a "stick-built" which is built on site standard home which is considered real property). This makes a difference and may be something to note when it comes to getting traditional financing as getting such homes financed may be a challenge and the dealer may have higher rates plus the fact they may actually depreciate in value over time like personal property usually does like a car.

Fortunately, for us it took a few years for our home in WA state to transfer our manufactured house from personal property to real property so I encourage you to look into this aspect, too, especially if you are planning to resell, etc.

GL!

 

[jocon]

canwegosoon....

I looked at that website and Barden contructs "stick" homes. This explains the high $ psf. They do not do pre-fab/modular. With Pre-fab/modular, the home is 90% complete in modules and then put into place with a crane.

lala, thanks for the advice on the kitchen and dining room. We want an open floor plan, but also want a designated formal dining room. I was told to expect $65.00 per sq foot. Stick building in MA is about $120-125 psf. Of course we have to find the land, which will be hard and more expensive than the modular home itself.

 

[LaLa]

......

 

[Jynohn]

I know this is late in replying and you may already have your answers, but I see you live nearby so I wanted to give you my experience. We are in the process of buying my in-laws house and are adding on an addition for them. We decided to go modular because we wanted it done quickly (in time for DH's return home from deployment). Well needless to say we were promised it would be done well before the kids started school this fall and DH was home, and they did not even break ground until late November. We have had nothing but problems from the start, and we are still no where NEAR completion

Anyway, not to discourage you, but if you're researching modular companies in the area, thought I could give you a heads up as to where NOT to go. PM me if you want the name of the company...

Good luck in whatever you decide!

Jynohn

 

[golfgal]

We have a manufactured home - built at a factory and trucked to our site in WA state.

Prefab/manufactured/modular homes are a great solution to housing, but many places consider them personal property (like a car) versus real property(like a "stick-built" which is built on site standard home which is considered real property). This makes a difference and may be something to note when it comes to getting traditional financing as getting such homes financed may be a challenge and the dealer may have higher rates plus the fact they may actually depreciate in value over time like personal property usually does like a car.

Fortunately, for us it took a few years for our home in WA state to transfer our manufactured house from personal property to real property so I encourage you to look into this aspect, too, especially if you are planning to resell, etc.

GL!

I think you are talking about what most people call a mobile home. A manufactured home, although some mobile homes are called that, is different. It is put onto a foundation and tied down, the walls, etc. are assembled indoors and brought to the site and put up. With a mobile home, they construct the entire house indoors and the whole thing is moved to a site, double wides are often in two parts and put together. These types of homes that aren't typically attached to a permanent foundation are often treated like an automobile loan or something similar and is considered a depreciating asset in most areas, like a car.