Modular home construction is becoming more and more popular these days as people recognize the time and cost savings that come with this type of housing. Even with the growing popularity of modular homes, however, there are still many questions and misconceptions floating around with regards to modular homes, so we put together this list of frequently asked questions to help explain the basics of modular homes.
Is a Modular Home the Same Thing as a Mobile Home?
No. A mobile home is built to HUD standards and is movable at any time. A modular home is built to local construction standards, is customizable, virtually indistinguishable from a site-built home, and is placed in its location permanently.
What Is the Cost Difference Between Modular Homes and Site-Built Homes?
Modular homes cost significantly less than site built homes. Because modular home manufacturers purchase materials in bulk, they can pass a portion of the savings on to their customers.
In addition, the construction process makes up for a large amount of savings. When you build a site built home, you often have to use a construction loan to finance your new home. The longer the home takes to build, the more interest you end up paying, even though you may not end up paying for the interest directly. Because a site built home is subject to delays in weather and temporary employees who don’t always show up to work, construction can take significantly longer.
Modular home construction is done indoors with regularly employed experts and no weather delays. Some modular homes can even be completed in as little as a month.
Can You Customize a Modular Home?
Yes. A common misconception is that modular homes are cookie-cutter homes with no unique customizations, but you can actually customize a modular home just about any way you want from floor plan to interior and exterior features. You can truly design your dream home when you purchase a modular home. And once it’s complete, it’s difficult to distinguish a modular home from a site-built home.
Can I Do Some of the Finishing Work Myself?
A modular home is delivered to its site with about 20% of the work still left to be done in finishing touches. Your builder will likely handle the finishing work, but you can also sometimes work out an arrangement to complete some of the work yourself.
What About a Garage?
Attached. Detached. It’s up to you. You can have the garage of your choice with a modular home.
What Kind of Foundation Can I Have?
Just like with a site-built home, you can choose your foundation type from a crawl space to a basement, from piers to a raised slab foundation.
What Type of Construction is Used in a Modular Home?
A modular home is built with the same or better construction that you’ll find in a site-built home.
Are Modular Homes Strong?
Because modular homes are transported from the factory to the site, they are actually built with more reinforcements than site-built homes. This helps your home travel safely, but also provides significant strength once it’s put together on site. In fact, modular homes have been shown to withstand hurricane winds better than site-built homes.
Are Modular Homes Built to Local Building Codes?
Yes. Modular homes are subject to the same construction standards as site-built homes, and are inspected to ensure proper building compliance. Modular homes are inspected at each stage of the construction process, sometimes as much as 300 times.
Is Modular Home Financing Available?
Financing for modular homes is the same as financing a site-built home. Most banks, lending institutions, and even insurance companies treat both homes the same.
Because much of the modular home process and financing is the same or better than site-built homes, modular homes are a great option for many home owners.
If you’re considering purchasing a modular home, contact the modular home financing experts at Cascade Financial Services at 855-683-1732 to learn more about our VA modular and manufactured home loan programs, or get started right away by filling out our online prequalification.
