I’m considering going to a modular home for my next spec project. This will be a starter home in the $125-135K range. I’ve starting researching the Internet but thought it would be a good idea to ask what suggestions you all might have as to selecting a manufacturer, etc. I work in western Montana off the I90 corridor and am guessing that proximity to a plant is a good thing to reduce transportation costs.
In case you are interested, I am thinking about going this route primarily for the savings in time. Thanks for any suggestions.
Replies
What savings in time ,if the plants not busy 90 days if its busy how long
If its not busy how good is the local market fora spec
To make a profit you need to own the land and need to have gotten it cheap to make a profit which is the whole purpose in doing it
We have a modular plant 4 miles away from my developement and we put in 12 modulars all presold a few years ago .
Some of the problems in doing the entire design build were sure due to the supplier ie. house to big for foundation , crane knocked in part of garage foundation , 100ton crane tore up road surface, garages not suited to homes in that no allowance was made to get from home to garage floor and still get car in
The modulers here currently cost more tha stick built and the local factory will no longer do a turn-key package
I show a number of these units on my web site : foxfireridge.com
Thanks for your comments. The lead time is certainly something to think about. Also, your comment about the crane gives me pause as the lot location is not the most ideal.
One question - What do you mean by a turnkey package? I'm guessing this means fully finished - kitchen appliances, cabinets, trim, etc. If so, is it just the shell that you get?
Turnkey aaround here means ready to move into usually not including appliances.
Anything to do with building the house has been done
Here in PA we set about 15/yr. The things I look at is what kind of warranty they have for travelling damage. I don't mind a few drywall cracks but I want paid to fix them in the field. Most of mine ship out with trim and cabinets already installed, no problems with that ever.
Other than that, find one that builds what you want with the quality you want. Never had problems with cranes other than maybe having to remove a few trees I didn't want to.
I suggest finding a good "set crew" to set the house on the foundation and structurally tie the roofs and house sections together. They can save you alot of aggravation. Here they can start about 8 AM, set the house, stand the roof, and usually have the shingles tied in by 3PM.( most of the roof is shingled when it ships, just have to tie in where the roof panels hinge).
Greg Werner- Werner Building & Remodeling
Huntingdon PA