If you’re shopping around for a new home that is also environmentally friendly, consider a modular build. Modular homes are highly customizable and are built almost entirely in a factory setting, saving both home owners and builders time, effort and money.
Once the main modules of a new home are constructed — complete with attached walls, floor, ceiling, wiring, plumbing and interior fixtures — they are transported to the home owner’s chosen lot and placed on a permanent foundation by a crane. Each home is designed and constructed to meet all state and national building and fire codes, and a local builder does the final finish work.
Consider the following features and benefits of modular homes:
Modular Homes Are Eco-Friendly
Modular homes are green by their very nature. Assembly in an enclosed indoor environment allows them to fulfill key components of green building certifications, including the ICC 700 National Green Building Standard. During modular home construction, material waste is reduced at the factory and the job site. As a result, the environmental impact on the land and the community is lessened. In addition, modular homes are often more tightly built and thus more energy efficient, which can result in lower heating and cooling costs for the home owner.
Modular Homes Offer Flexible Designs
While most manufacturers have a portfolio of home plans to choose from, computer-assisted design (CAD) allows limitless design and customization possibilities when planning a new modular home. Also, modular construction allows for a quick turnaround between groundbreaking and occupancy. A typical modular house can be move-in ready in about three months. And more often than not, the finished product is indistinguishable from a site-built home.
Modular Homes Save Time and Money
Modular homes are designed and constructed to meet or exceed local building codes and allow nearly 90% of a home to be constructed offsite. This type of home is built in a controlled factory environment while the building site is also being prepped. Most work is done in the factory, so weather delays, missing materials and subcontractor no-shows are all but eliminated, saving time and money.
Modular Homes Offer Quality Construction
Homes in a factory setting allow for more consistent quality due to uniform construction processes, training techniques and inspections. Before leaving the factory, all homes are inspected by an independent, third-party home inspection agency. Once on-site, they are again inspected, this time by a local building inspector. As a result, these homes meet and often exceed all requirements of locally adopted building and fire codes.
To learn more about modular homes or new homes available in our community, visit your local association, here.
