modular home ?

[Keye]

We are still trying to down size, way down. We have almost given up on finding house and land that suits. We are now looking for land only. We do not want to build another house. We are going to have to build a barn and that is enough for us. Takes way to long and is just a real pain.

We are thinking modular but know almost nothing about them, except they are supposed to be ready for move in much quicker. Several miles down the road we watched two different styles, we think, of modular homes go up. One came in on flat beds and the other came in on wheels and then was lifted onto a foundation. The wheels went away, we think.

Sure would appreciate any comments. Have not done any reading on the internet but intend to. Anyone know of any good web sites?

[Glennbear]

When I bought this place a little over a year ago I looked into modulars and indeed there are two types , on and off frame. Off frame from a reputable builder is at least as sturdy as a stick built house if not more so due to being built in a factory with quality control. These houses are also built to withstand the stress of road travel and being lifted into place. The on frame is quite similar to a double wide trailer in construction and foundation and is usually looked at askance by lenders and insurance companies. FWIW the house next door to me was built about the same time as mine but is an off frame modular. I looked at both but chose this one because I liked the floor plan better although from the outside they look identical despite the fact mine is stick built.

[TracyP]

I had a modular built three years ago and have been thoroughly pleased. We built a home from R-Anell out of Denver NC and the quality is superb in my opinion. Just choose your contractor carefully, and don't let that last draw go until they are done, DAMHIKT. We built a large house and probably saved over $100k when all was said and done.

[gator]

I don't know a whole lot but from what I know, Glennbear hit it on the head. I believe that the primary difference is that the 'on-frame' or 'double-wide' is basically of 'mobile home' construction which means smaller studs, thin 'plastic' walls and and generally a lighter weight constuction. The 'modular' homes that I am familiar with have full size construction materials (studs, drywall, etc) and can come better insulated. They are 'mounted/built' on a standard foundation. They are basically pre-manufactured panels that are assembled on site. Usually with wiring and plumbing assembled within the panels and joined when the panels are joined together.

I'm sure that there are those more familiar with this than I am and will chime in with more/better facts.

I am also sure, as within any industry, there are better and worse contractors so it pays to look at the offerings with a fine tooth comb and a magnifying glass.

George

[cpw]

My wife and I looked into them briefly, and parents ended up doing one. It ended up being a much longer process than I had anticipated, but I think they ended up with a nice home. I think they initiated the contract sometime last fall, and there are still a few minor details that need to be addressed like a broken outlet cover on the front deck.

To be fair though, my parents did have a few "extras" that added to the process. They had the modular erected next to their existing house with the plan of building an attached garage on the old house site. Once the modular had a C.O. we moved them in. This was a LONG process because Mom's a pack rat and we had 48 years of accumulated junk to sort through. Since my sister and I were both doing this long distance it took us about six weeks to get them fully moved. Then there was a scheduling delay on the demolition of the old house, then after the old house was gone there was an inspection delay on the site prep (City engineer had to come and confirm that it was a hole in the ground that needed to be properly filled - duh!!! Now that I think about it, they had a lot of delays waiting for inspectors to show up). After the site was ready, there was a weather delay on framing the garage, then the wrong windows were ordered, yada yada yada.

I talked with our home inspector about them and he thinks they CAN be a great way to go. He visited a factory and said it was amazing. Everything is inspected as they go. It's all done indoors so there are no weather issues and these things are overbuilt as Glenn says, to survive the trip. He said how things end up really all depends on your contractor. He's seen them where the foundation was not done correctly and joints between the sections were SERIOUSLY uneven.

[Bigdog72]

I have managed the construction of new homes at all levels for the last 32 years and I am prejudiced towards stick built. I have tried, through the years, to incorporate some of the principles of modular construction into stick built homes. The problem we always ran into was that the quality we thought we would get from "factory" built panels was less than satisfactory. I have fought with reps over crooked studs, wall heights incorrect, improper joints, and the list can go on.

With all that being said, I feel that a quality stick builder will win out every time. Sure, weather affects the stick builder but once those factory built walls are installed on what better be a perfect foundation they are subject to the same weather all other builders deal with. Another thing to think about is that pre-installed wiring, etc. Do you want all those joints and junction boxes in your brand new home?

Look around for a quality builder. In this market many of them are dying for work.

If I can be of any help, feel free to PM me.

[Charles Lent]

The only experience that I've had with modular homes is the one that my son bought from a bank forclosure about 10 years ago. It was about 10 years old when he bought it, and being that neither one of us knew anything about modular homes, we checked it out very thoroughly before he bought it. We quickly found out that modular homes are made nothing like double wides, which are really nothing more than 2 piece house trailers. Modulars are real homes, just made in a factory instead of on the lot.

His home had been delivered in 2 sections and set up on a brick foundation with a center I beam. In looking under the house, the only difference between it and a stick built home was the framed out pockets in the floor joists that allowed it to sit on a flatbed trailer with high wheels. The center wall of the house was about as thick as it would be if you built it from 2X8 instead of 2X4 lumber because it was actually 2 walls (one on each half of the house and the door frames through it had a split down the center that was covered with moulding. In the attic it was very evident that it had been built in 2 halves as the roof framing also had a gap down through the middle of the trusses. One other thing showed up when we tried to put a new roof on it - the overhangs at the bottom edge of the roof were attached with hinges so that they could be folded up onto the roof for transit and then unfolded after delivery. These hinges left visible bumps in the original shingles. Since the overhangs were now permanently attached, we removed these hinges during the re-roofing. All of the original shingles had been put on with wide crown staples, and this gave us fits when we tried to remove them, but it was probably necessary for the original roof so that they could transport the house at highway speed without loosing any. Other than these structural differences the home was a very solidly built house and very well insulated.

I would be careful about making sure that the manufacturer was a reputable company and would try to inspect their models carefully before buying one, but I was very impressed with the way that my son's was built and would not hesitate to buy one for myself if I ever should decide to move out of here.

Charley

[Joe Scharle]

As a builder I've set 3 mods. 2 Nationwide, 1 R-Anell. I'd live in a Nationwide.

[JackLeg]

A doctor friend of mine who had 5 kids and a 6th on the way, ordered a LARGE two story modular. They loved it! Got them into a house in around 90 days, I believe.

Walls are 6" studs, good insulation, and you have lots of choices, so I've heard. I'd definitely consider one.

[RandyJ]

Might want to start here....http://www.modulartoday.com/

Good luck,

[wayne]

If it is a true modular home regardless of on frame or off frame construction they both are built to the same state and or local building code if more stringent that a stick built home is built to.
A double wide mobile home is built to Hud standards which will usually be less stringent then the state and or local amendents.
This was conveyed to me by the state department of insurance several years ago when I sought to enforce a deed restriction.
This could have changed since then but I highly doubt it.
Check with the local building code office for up to date clarification, if they can't give a satisfactory definition go to the state level.
Just for the record I have nothing against mobile homes and have lived in one but the area I was in had deed restrictions forbiding them. Deed restrictions take precedence over local zoning in NC and more then likely in most other states also. The problem with deed restrictions is the zoning office want enforce them its up to individual property owners to enforce them through the courts which can get costly. DAMHIK

Wayne

[Alan in Little Washington]

On one of the Bob Vila shows a few years ago, they did VERY big modular for a doctor. It was built in PA, but I don't remember the company. Everything looked very well made. All computer designed and a lot of stuff computer cut. All walls were assembled in a huge jig. Studs and all framing were precisely computer cut and located. Sheathing, subfloor AND wallboard were all glued, then nailed or screwed. They site-built stairways etc. electrical was all pre-installed in the wall sections and used special connectors so was easy to connect everything once the walls were assembled. Not sure I would like connectors, but I guess they were good enough to meet NEC.

It was essentially was stick-built, except sub-assemblies were constructed indoors and joined on-sight.

All in all I would say it was very well built- maybe even more structurally sound than a stick built because everything, including the framing spacing and fastener spacing was computer engineered. I'm not sure how it would be to modify or do an addition to however.

[jerrye]

A friend of mine that could afford ANY house did a ton of research on site-vs-modular and ended up with a modular. I can't remember who he used (someone in VA IIRC) but they allowed him to modify one of their existing plans to suit him. Even with the mods, foot-for-foot it still cost him less than site built. He liked it because all sheathing and sub flooring was glued & screwed; the house was jig-built, which is very accurate; it went up in 1/4 to 1/2 the time site built would have taken; and he got EXACTLY the house he wanted. He did some updating and upgrading a few years later and found that the corners were squarer and walls were straighter than in any other house he'd had. I don't live in one, but we seriously considered them. If you have land, it might be the best way to go.

[Gotcha6]

I tried to sell Nationwide modulars in the early 90x. They are a well built unit, but were ahead of their time then. I'm with Joe, I'd live in a Nationwide. The difference in modular homes is as varied as in automobiles. Nationwide likes to say with their units you get a bill of sale, with some of their competitors you get a title (like a car). Customs are no problem for them, and the only problem I had with the units was with the glue used on the drywall. There was a bad design in it somewhere and the vinyl wall coverings in the kitchens & baths were stained by the out gassing of the glue making a yellow stripe along every wall stud. Nationwide made it right in all cases, though.
Keep this in mind; a true modular home must be built in accordance with NC (or SC) Residential Building Code the same as stick built, whereas a doublewide is constructed in accordance with NC (or SC) Manufactured Housing Code, a lower standard to be sure. I believe SC & NC have both adopted IBC standards with their own modifications making them pretty much equal.

[Keye]

From what I have learned today I think you guys are right on the money.

My wife is hot for R-Anell because of a friend of hers. Two of you guys spoke up for Nationwide. Anyone have anything negative to say about either.

Oop's, forgot newtowood said he used R-Anell and is real happy with their product.