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Modular Home Floor Plans : How
To Choose The Right Floor Plan for Your Modular Home
While
selecting the right modular home floor plan is very important, you may want to
start with …
What are modular homes?
Modular homes, also known as prefabricated homes, are buildings that are
manufactured in sections or module at a factory location and then transported to
a remote building site for final assembly into a home, using a crane or trucks.
Essentially, they are no different than the traditional stick-built homes. The
difference lies in the fact 80% to 90% of the construction is done in a factory.
You will be hard put to make out the difference between a site built home and
the latest that modular homes have to offer.
Today modular buildings are being put to a variety of uses. They can be
permanent or temporary in nature. Uses include a variety of civilian residences
catering to various strata of society, military housing, schools, class rooms
and construction camps. Modular buildings are ideal solutions in terrains where
conventional housing might be unaffordable or perhaps not possible due to
logistical reasons. Today even shops, sales and retail offices, fast food
outlets and churches are being constructed from prefabricated modules. The
modular construction industry is a center of attraction for talented architects
who want to throw open the doors of modern architecture to a wider audience.
Today modular homes are among the best houses being constructed in the country.
What are the reasons for buying a modular home?
Modular homes are about 10% to 30% cheaper to build than traditional site built
homes. You don’t have to go far to look for the reasons. Modular homes are
produced in a factory using assembly line techniques that Ford used to produce
millions of affordable automobiles. This assembly line production results in
substantial reductions in cost in terms of time and material. Since the
requirement of material for a factory, daily churning out houses by the dozen,
is much more than for a single site built house, attractive rate discounts can
be obtained that reduces the overall costs. Also, because production is carried
according to standard designs, the output is rapid and wastage is much less.
There is of course alimit up to which the large scale production techniques can
be exploited. A high quality modular home is likely to cost as much as a site
built one.
However, you can expect your modular home to be of a better quality. This is so
because every component of your modular home is being manufactured under strict
quality supervision. Computers are used for the cutting of wooden pieces.
Modular homes use the same doors, windows, siding and roof truss systems as site
built homes. Very rarely does a poor quality component escape the eye of the
quality inspectors. Since these very components go into the production of your
modular home you can be reasonably certain about the level of quality of the
house. Also, since the production is carried out indoors in a factory there is
little risk of material spoilage due to rains. In site built constructions rain
can play havoc with material stored in the open.
The other important factor in choosing a modular home is the construction time.
It has been found that modular homes can take half the time that a similar site
built house takes to be constructed. A modest size modular home can be put up in
around 5 month’s time.
Modular houses are eco- friendly since during manufacture they save on time,
materials, fuel and energy. Modular houses themselves are energy efficient.
Since computers are used for cutting the various parts, the components assembled
from these parts snugly fit together minimizing any leakages. Modular homes
therefore need less power to heat or cool. It has been that often modular homes
require smaller heating and cooling capacity than comparable site built houses.
Difference between a modular home and a manufactured home
Though both types of structures are factory built homes there are substantial
differences between the two types of houses. It is necessary for you to be aware
of the differences since they can affect the price of the home and even its
resale value. The difference will also decide on what type of land you can
construct your home.
Modular home:
* As has already been mentioned modular homes, for the most part are, built in a
factory and only the final assembly is done at the site.
* Like site built homes modular homes also have to conform to all state,
regional or local codes. The finished modular home will be checked by the local
building inspectors for its structural integrity.
* Modular homes are in most cases treated as permanent structures having the
similar longevity as site built homes. Also, they tend to appreciate the way
site built houses do. You will get similar loan facilities as are offered in the
case of site built homes.
Manufactured homes:
* Earlier these homes were known as mobile homes or trailers before the
enactment of a federal code called the HUD.
* Unlike modular homes mobile homes are made entirely in a factory on a
non-removable wheel chassis and transported on their own wheels to their
destinations. Sometimes multi part manufactured units are joined at their
destination.
* They conform to the federal code called HUD and not to any local code
operating at the building site.
* Manufactured homes are considered temporary structures even if they are parked
for a long time on the owner’s or any other site. For this reason it is
difficult to obtain loans for building them. Retailers of these homes often
offer loans to buyers.
* Building inspectors required to check the electric hook up and plumbing but
are not required to approve the structure.
* Manufactured homes are lightly built, generally less expensive and less
durable than modular homes, and rather than appreciate depreciate in value over
time.
* You are not free to build a manufactured or mobile house anywhere you like.
There are zoning laws for these houses
Choosing the right modular home floor plan
To get the right modular home you must have it built on the right floor plan to
suit your budget. It is pointless choosing a floor for which you don’t have the
money. Choosing the right floor plan is an exercise of the imagination. You
should be able to visualize your finished modular home. You should be able to
imagine where the living rooms, the bedrooms and the kitchen would be located.
You will have to take into account the size and shape of the land on which the
modular home would be constructed. You will also have to take into account the
size of the surrounding homes. It will be wise thing to build a house of more or
less the same size as the neighborhood houses because your house will have a
similar appraisal value as others.
Some of the other questions you have to ask yourself are what type of floor plan
fits best in your neighborhood, works best with the topography of your lot and
allow you to take advantage of the sun. The other two important factors that
will decide which plan you choose are whether the house will be single or double
storied and how many bedrooms and bathrooms it will have.
Blue prints of modular home floor plans are available at the local sales center
where they will give you brochures that have a variety of designs. If you select
standard modular home floor plans it will simplify the work for you since the
design, engineering and pricing have already been factored in. In the process
you will also save money. If the sales counters do not have a plan of your
liking you an easily have floor plan designed by one of the many home stores.
You will get modular home floor plans for all types of house from modest one
story structures to a cozy chalets or sprawling ranch houses.
The modular home plans are such that they offer plenty of design flexibility.
You can take modular home floor plans and make it into something else. For
instance there are modular home manufacturers who offer to build a customized
modular home of your dreams. You just have to bring your floor design plan or
choose from the many that are available. Each plan can be changed to fit
specific needs.
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