If you’ve been looking into modular homes to construct one on your land, you’ve seen that there are two schools of thought on whether they offer superior value. The issue cannot be resolved. It is possible to have many houses of the same size built by different builders (or manufacturers), some stick built and some Modular, and for them to vary substantially in quality and value due to variables other than the construction technique. That is to say, both types of houses are produced by both good and bad builders. Not all Modular Homes will be less expensive than similarly sized and constructed stick-built homes. Since purchasing a home is usually the single most significant investment you will ever make, you should research to find the best modular home for your needs and budget.
Considering the aspects that will affect your home’s price can help you understand what is a fair price to pay for a modular home. You’ll get insight into the factors that influence the cost of a modular home and learn practical strategies for cutting costs during the buying process. The price of a modular home can be affected by the following three factors:
One major factor in determining how much it will cost to build a modular home depends on its location concerning the factory producing it. It would be best if you tried to find a modular home manufacturer geographically close to the site where you plan to build. It’s evident that the modules must be trucked from the production facility to the final location after the building is finished. In most cases, you can save money when constructing a modular home if the modules are done near your land. The cost of moving the modules is several dollars a mile (this can vary substantially depending on gasoline rates). I only qualify that statement with “usually” because I
have heard of cases where people in extremely high-priced areas have erected modular homes made in factories hundreds of miles away. If the wages of factory workers are much lower than they would be in a closer manufacturing facility, much of the transportation expenses would be offset, which is why this choice makes some sense considering that with a modular home, a large part of the labor is performed at the factory. However, when purchasing a modular home, I still prefer those constructed close to the lot on which they will be installed. Modular homes have shown to be well-constructed enough to endure the stress of being hauled down the highway on a trailer, but I still think it’s best to limit the time a house spends on the road as much as possible.
The modular home construction cost is also affected by the home’s size and design. As I indicated in the previous paragraph, moving the modules from the manufacturer to the home site is one of the expenditures connected with a modular home. More or differently shaped modules may be used to construct a custom modular home. House transport prices rise with every additional vehicle needed to move the structure. Additionally, a crane, typically rented by the day, is used to place the modules on the foundation. Crane rental costs could rise by several thousand dollars if the job takes longer than expected because of the complexity or size of your home. But if you can construct a larger dwelling for the same price as a smaller one, the larger dwelling’s unit cost per square foot will be less than that of the smaller dwelling’s unit cost per square foot for this aspect of its construction. How many stories a modular home has is a much more significant determinant of how much it will cost to construct than how many rooms it will have. “It is cheaper
to build up than out” is a common saying in construction. That is to say, a 2,000-square-foot ranch house with no basement will cost much more than a 2,000-square-foot house with 1200 square feet on the ground floor and 800 square feet in the basement. A broader foundation is needed for the one-story home, meaning more work and expensive materials. It will also necessitate more land clearing than the 1200 square foot foundation two-story house. The two-story house can save money on heating costs since one level can be sealed off while no one is home.
The third thing that can make a big difference in the final price of a modular home is the buyer’s ability to customize their design. Most manufacturers of modular homes offer both a base model with a certain number of standard amenities and a more customizable version with a wide variety of optional extras and upgrades. This is true regardless of whether you build a modular or site-built house. However, some factors may have a more significant impact on the cost of the former. The modification of a manufacturer’s conventional floor layout is one such instance. Modular homes might make it more challenging to alter the form of a
home without compromising its integrity. The “marriage points” connect the individual boxes that make up a modular home. If a buyer wants to adjust the design, it is essential to consider how those alterations can affect the stability of the marriage before proceeding. When a customer requests a change to an existing floor plan, the contractor typically checks with the manufacturer’s in-house
engineer to ensure the modifications are feasible. The manufacturer may impose additional fees for customization, which would increase the price of the home. To cut costs, many people with modular homes built on their sites want to do part of the finishing work themselves. Many homeowners choose to perform things like inside painting themselves after having a modular home set up on a foundation. The buyer will save money, and the builder will not have to pay a painter to work on the house. Depending on the buyer’s skill set, the buyer can also accomplish many other tasks related to finishing the place. Carpeting or hardwood floor installation, air conditioner installation, driveway construction, custom bathroom construction, etc., are all things that I have seen buyers choose to do on their own. People with these kinds of abilities may be able to save tens of thousands of dollars while purchasing their ideal house.
To sum up, many factors go into determining the price of a home, and it would be inaccurate to generalize about one construction method being superior to another. For example, “Modular homes are always 40% less expensive than stick-built homes” or “Modular Homes are More Energy-Efficient than Site Built Homes” are false. Even just the three examples I included in this post should be enough to demonstrate the wide range of factors that might affect pricing. Even though not every one of these will play a role in the decisions you make when you design your ideal home, I hope I could help explain why costs vary so much and perhaps give you some ideas for cutting corners.
http://www.modularresource.com Other articles and advice from Jack Bowman can be found in Modular Resource, and the site also features a comprehensive list of Modular Home Builders and information on various Green Building techniques, such as Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs), Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs), Timber Frame Homes, and many more. Locate suitable land for construction inside your state.
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