The Charleston Real Estate Search.com

Modular Homes 101

Simply one of the best modern methods of home-building, modular homes are NOT the same as manufactured homes, mobile homes, or trailers. True Modular Homes are Stick-Built, Wooden-Framed Houses that are built inside climate-controlled factories, then transported to your home-site in sections that are assembled, attached to a permanent foundation and completed by a Qualified Building Contractor.  Because they begin in a factory, each component undergoes a series of rigorous quality-control inspections, down to last nail.  This insures that every corner is squared. Every wall is plumb. Every step of the process is inspected before it goes to the next stage.  Precision machinery used in fabrication also requires that all wood used be kiln-dried, compared to green-board that is sometimes used in site-built houses.  (This means no shrinkage or loose nails down the road.)  Each joint is nailed and glued for a tighter, more weather-proof seal, making the home as energy efficient as possible. Factory construction also guarantees that no wood is ever exposed to inclement weather so moisture, mold and mildew are not introduced to the untreated wooden frame in the first place.  Because the various components travel down the highway to get to your home site, most modular homes contain 20-30% more wood for reinforcement, making them much more resistant to hurricane force winds or earthquakes.  The average modular home is rated for winds up to 140 mile-per-hour.
*A pilot study was conducted by Sovereign Housing Association to compare modular construction to on-site construction methods. In their findings they determined that Modular Construction:

• Had fewer defects compared to on-site construction
• Took full advantage of architectural and design flexibility
• Incorporated the ability to continually improve quality and generate on-going efficiency
• Embraced the ethics of sustainability through reduced material waste and the opportunities for enhanced recycling
• Provided a high degree of certainty, allowing residents to occupy their homes sooner
• Reduced the level of inconvenience and risk caused to the existing local community in comparison to traditional on-site construction.

*Source: modularhomesnetwork.com

True modular homes are often referred to as “Custom Built off-site homes” and provide the same opportunities for personal customization as a stick-built on-site home.  They can also range in size from a single unit cottage to a multi-million dollar estate, limited only by the imagination of the home-owner.  Interior options can also range from cost-efficient to extravangant and many Modular Home Dealers will give you the option of pre-finished or custom-finished interiors.  In other words, if you are set on Custom cabinets and Brazilian cherry floors, you will probably have those options.
Even with that said, not every modular home dealer uses the same quality products in their buildings.  In fact, deciding which Modular company to use is as important as choosing the right builder. Before you begin, do your homework.  Know what you want. Ask lots of questions and view other homes to get a feel for the quality of the finish work.   An excellent resource is the Modular Homes Network’s Guide available at www.modularhomesnetwork.com.