Alternative Housing

Affordable Prefab Cabin Kits

  If you've got a piece of land in the mountains or on a lake and you've wanted to build a home on it, you probably know how expensive custom construction can be.  An affordable alternative is pre-fab or modular construction, and yes, you can even get cute little cottages and cabins. 

Summerwood, for example, is a pre-fab cabin company that has everything from little storage sheds for your yard to cozy ski cabins for your slope-side property.

Because most of the construction is done at the factory, these cabins can be assembled on the site within a week or less, depending on how much help you have.  It's even possible for handy DIY types to do most or all of the work themselves (there are how-to videos you can get with the kits).  This can save you a lot of money over custom construction, but the end product is sturdy enough to stand up against the elements and last for decades to come.

Pros and Cons of SIPs

SIPs or Structural Insulated Panels are becoming more and more popular in home construction.  SIPs are made of two structural skins over an insulating structural core (usually expanded polystyrene--EPS).  They're built in a factory and shipped to the construction site where the crew can quickly attach them to a house's framework.  This can make building a home less expensive than with traditional stick-built methods, and it can also give you higher quality since everything is handled in a factory instead of on the job site.  Here's a closer look at the pros and cons of SIPs:

Pros

• Since SIPs arrive to the construction site already built, building time is greatly reduced.
• SIPs are naturally resistant to mold and mildew.
• They are strong enough to resist wind, snow, and earthquakes.
• They have a high R-rating, which reduces the homeowner's energy costs.
• They're well insulated and reduce the amount of outside noise that gets inside.
• SIPs can be built to exact specifications.
• They don't warp or lose their shapes over time.

Cons

• After the panels are constructed, it's hard to make changes.
• It's hard to change wiring after the home construction is complete.
• If the factory is far away, SIPs may be costly to ship.

Further reading: Kit Homes: Your Guide to Home-Building Options, from Catalogs to Factories

Modular Homes Can Be Customized to Your Specifications

Though modular homes are becoming more and more popular (in 2005, 42,000 new modular homes were constructed in the U.S. alone), many people don't realize just how customized they can be.  If you want your dream home built, you can absolutely have it done in a modular way (meaning it's pre-assembled in chunks at a factory, then shipped to your building site and assembled... this is opposed to the traditional stick-built method where everything is done on site, weather can delay the process, and everything just takes longer).

Wondering about cost?  Well, with a modular home you'll know the price up front, and it turns out that the overall price tag ends up being 3-5% less than with a traditional stick-built home.  When you're talking of home prices in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, that's not an insignificant chunk of change.

More information: Modular Homes Are Shedding Their 'Square' Reputation

Modular Home Additions

Just because you didn't go modular on the house you live in now, doesn't mean you can't still make use of this up-and-coming technology.  For example, you could add onto your house with something like this modular sun room addition. 

Adding a room is an excellent way to get some extra square footage in your house (if you live in your ideal neighborhood and don't feel like moving), but usually it's a huge home improvement chore that involves exposing part of your house to the elements while the workers spend months getting the add-on done.  With modular technology, the time schedule gets a lot smaller.  You could have an addition secured to your house within a couple weeks instead of months.  This is because, as with all modular technology, most of the construction is done in the factory.  The only work that remains when the contractors receive everything is to put the parts together.

Benefits of Modular Homes

When people hear about modular homes, they may think of those old-fashioned ugly mobile homes, the ones continuously being smashed by hurricanes in the South.  Manufactured homes have come a long way, though.  Today, there are whole communities of homes based on modular construction.  All or the US, and in other countries, modular homes are on the rise.  There's a good reason for that.  Here's a look at just some of the benefits:

Since modular homes are constructed in manufacturing plants rather than on a lot somewhere, the cost of the building materials can be better controlled, so the overall construction costs are cheaper.

Because these homes, in pre-build modules, assembly at the building site is much quicker than with stick homes.  Again, this saves money because it saves time.

As housing costs skyrocket in many parts of the country, first-time buyers and low income families cannot afford even the small traditional houses.  However, since modular homes are more affordable, there will always be a market for them among those who desire a home cannot afford an expensive one.

As manufacturing techniques and modular home designs improve, their popularity and acceptance is improving.  These days, it is difficult to tell at a glance whether a home is stick built or modular in design.

Quality and productivity are easier to control and monitor in a factory setting than on site, so you are assured a modular home will be of sound quality.

The stigma that only seniors purchase modular homes is quickly becoming a fallacy.  These cheaper homes are appealing to many age groups, including young families, empty-nesters, and single people.

Source: Builder's Guide to Modular Construction

Another Perk of Modular Homes

A couple of modular homes were showcased in the Wall Street Journal today, in their real estate blurb where they look at three homes from around the country every day.  They ranged in price from $400,000 to $2.9 million, so these weren't exactly your low-end models.  (I should note that the houses looked just like regular stick-built homes--if the article hadn't mentioned modulars specifically, I wouldn't have known the difference just from looking.)  The main perk that was highlighted was the length of time it takes to put them together (modular homes, because they come in modules that were already assembled in a factory, go up much faster).  A side perk that I had never considered was how this cuts down on vandalism at the build site.  I didn't realize this was a problem in the construction industry, but apparently it does happen.   So let's hear it for another reason to go modular.  (The article finished by noting that 1 in 10 houses built in the northeast are modular today, so they've really come into the mainstream.)

Modular Homes Aren't for Everyone

There are a lot of benefits to modular homes, which we've talked about before, but at the end of the day, they're not for everyone.  Who should consider them and who shouldn't?  Let's take a look at some of the details, so you can decide.

First off, not every style and design of home can economically be built by a modular manufacturer.  The biggest limiting factor is that the modules have to be driven from the factory to your land.  Because of this laws limit how wide and long each piece can be.  14-16 foot wide modules is about the maximum.

Aside from size, style is an issue.  Many contemporary designs are too expensive and impractical to work as a modular home.  For such designs, you'd be better off going with stick-built.  If you're wondering if your design is too fancy, just remember that if a design can't be built out of rectangular boxes (i.e. there are multiple bump-outs and roof angles), it'll be hard to do as a modular.  In fact, it'll be expensive to build no matter what building style you go with.

Lastly, you'll need to consider your building site when you decide if a modular home will work for you.  Though most sites can handle delivery of modules, there are some locations where it wouldn't be practical.  For instance, narrow approaching roads consisting of many hairpin turns would make it hard to deliver 14-foot-wide modules.  Also, lots on steep hills or very narrow properties will make things difficult.  The best way to find out if the building site you have will work is to have a modular dealer come out and look at it.

Source: The Modular Home

Modular Mansions?

Modular homes look just like regular stick-built homes these days, and they can come in any size.  Yes, you can even have modular mansions.  According to Andrew Gianino in the Modular Home, architects are borrowing designs from both classic and contemporary styles to create plans for these large homes.  They can be three or more stories tall with exteriors with all sorts of unique trim and flourishes.  The interiors, also, can be custom-designed with open floor plans.  Designer touches and finishes can be added by local craftsmen.  The author writes "these homes are no 'McMansions'--all size and show with poor quality--since they are built with modern modular technology."

But how does such a big modular home get delivered to your house, you wonder?  The same way as other modulars--in pieces.  A modular mansion can have as many as 20 modules that are transported to your building site where they get pieced together into your dream home.

Source: The Modular Home

Modular Home Facts

Here are a few interesting facts I found in a book on modular homes (it's called Prefab Home, and it has a lot of wonderful pictures of a modular home being built, in case you're looking for something to check out from the library):

• Factory-built, modular homes meet or exceed state building codes.  Then they are transported to the site where assembly is completed.
• Modular homes have been around a lot longer than you might think--the first American one was shipped from England in the 1600s.
• In the mid-1900s, people ordered affordable modular housing from the Sears Roebuck catalogue.
• Builders have long thought the idea of assembling houses in an industry assembly line (like automobiles) would be a productive way to do business.
• Today, more than 22 million Americans live in modular houses.
• There are 275 manufactured home facilities in the U.S.
• One in eight new single-family homes is modular.
• The cost per square foot for modular homes is 10-35% less than comparable site-built homes.

Modular Homes Explained

What's the difference between a manufactured home and a modular home?  What's the difference between a modular home and a stick-built house?  Can you put up a modular home in any neighborhood or are they frowned upon?  How are modular homes built?  If you've been looking for answers to these questions because you're thinking about buying a modular home, here are a couple sites you can check out:

Modular Home FAQ

Why Modular Homes Make Sense