We’ll be the first to admit that building a new home – whether you’re a builder or a home owner – isn’t easy.  The Excel Homes team does its best, however, to simplify the construction process, starting with the detailed “12 Step Process” outlined on the builder section of our website. In this monthly entry, we’ll take a closer look at one of those steps.

Step two of the 12-step modular construction process is probably the least exciting part of the entire undertaking. We’re not afraid to admit that. It’s a lot of paperwork, signing stuff, and more paperwork, but all of it is vitally important before we’re able to move on to some of the more interesting stages.

Highlights from step two include the following:

1. Select modular home model and options
2. Develop and finalize prints, plans, options, finishes and specs
3. Sign contracts
4. Sign off on plans and specs
5. Secure financing
6. Set target occupancy date
7. Issue deposit
8. Establish construction activities/schedule
9. Obtain and post permits (building, electrical, plumbing, etc.)
10. Submit application for gas/electrical service
11. Conduct site survey (stake out)

One of the most important of the 11 “boring” functions above is the creation of a construction activities schedule. Put simply, this document will guide the entire construction process, and details the proper sequence of building activities, including which activities can happen simultaneously – like the construction of the modules and the laying of the foundation.

The “Second Story” series offers another look at a past Modular Musing blog entry. Why the reprieve? In most cases, like this one, it’s because the topic at hand is too big to cover in just one story.

“What’s the biggest difference between modular and stick-built homes?” That’s a question we hear daily because it’s a good question with a very good answer.

The answer depends on your interpretation of “the biggest difference.” For the sake of this answer, we’ll assume the biggest difference means the most significant benefit that modular construction offers over the stick-built method.

There are many differences between modular and stick-built homes. After informally polling some of the team here at Excel to see if there is a consensus about which difference is the “biggest,” we came to the conclusion that two differences rise to the top of the list when comparing modular and stick-built homes. Those differences are:

MODULAR HOMES ARE STRONGER

After Hurricane Andrew struck Florida in 1992, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) studied the performance and strength of various buildings and found that modular homes stood up to hurricane-force winds much better than standard stick-built homes.

The secret to modular homes’ strength lies in the manufacturing process. To help the modules withstand the demands of the transportation process, modular homes are built with an average of 20 percent more materials than regular homes and often at less cost, but more on that later.

MODULAR HOMES CAN BE BUILT FASTER

Depending on the model and the number of customized options, a modular home can be built in the factory, installed on its foundation and made ready for move-in in as little as five or six weeks. More typically, it might take two to three months, and larger homes might take five months, but that’s still much faster than a stick-built home.

There are several reasons for this efficiency. The main one is that the process we use to build the homes in the factory is much like an assembly line. Each station has staff who are experts in specific tasks, which is one of the reasons modular homes are higher in quality. Our manufacturing process is extremely streamlined, and very little time or material is wasted. Less material waste also means lower costs for the home owner.

The other main reason for the quicker build time is that while the modules of the home are being constructed in the factory, the foundation can get underway at the same time. Obviously, in a stick-built home, the foundation must be built before the rest of the home can be started. Lastly, because modular homes are constructed indoors, there are no weather delays, and builders can work more efficiently and cleanly.

So there you have it. Not one, but two big differences between modular homes and stick-built homes. Of course, those aren’t the only differences, just the biggest ones. We could list all of the others, but then we’d look like we’re just showing off.

We’ll be the first to admit that building a new home – whether you’re a builder or a home owner – isn’t easy.  The Excel Homes team does its best, however, to simplify the construction process, starting with the detailed “12 Step Process” outlined on the builder section of our website. In this monthly entry, we’ll take a closer look at one of those steps.

The modular construction process starts where every new home construction project starts, with a piece of land. The land/lot development stage includes steps ranging from the obvious (purchasing the land and clearing the title) to the slightly more technical (surveying the land and conducting a perc/probe tests for septic planning purposes).

Those steps apply to the construction of just about any home, but one step specific to the modular construction process is the completion of a site accessibility study to ensure that the modules (and the trucks transporting them) are able to access the site where the home will eventually be built.

The accessibility study determines the best route for the delivery of the modules and whether the roads are wide enough to accommodate modules up to 16 feet wide. Other factors, like sharp turns in roads and the overhang of trees and power lines, are also considered.

For obvious reasons, the site accessibility study is usually done before the home owner purchases the land. With proper planning almost all sites are deemed accessible for modular construction. Of course, some sites pass the test, but include more than their fair share of obstacles. Still, it’s no match for our skilled drivers, who always seem to find a way to deliver a half dozen oversized modules on time and unscathed.

NEXT MONTH: Step Two – Forms, Procedures and Permits

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Like any good company, a good website is always a work in progress. That was true earlier this year when we announced some upgrades to the model browser section of the Excel Homes website, and it’s even truer today when we unveil an updated version of the model browser, which is housed on our website’s homepage.

The last upgrade to the model browser, back in the fall, included mainly cosmetic changes. This latest overhaul offers much more, including easier navigation, the ability to zoom into floor plans and photos, and higher quality plans for many of the homes. Our web team asked us to also mention the new browser’s “persistent search listing function and advanced filters.” Essentially, that means searching for homes is a whole lot easier than it used to be.

Check out the new browser for yourself and let us know what you think by leaving a comment below.

It’s almost a month into the new year, and we hope everyone is having a Happy New Year.

And yes, we do believe it will be a happy one. When it comes to real estate and construction, 2011 probably won’t go down in the record books as one of the most flourishing years in history, but it was at least better than 2010 and 2009. That improvement makes us optimistic that the coming year will continue this upward trend. If you agree or disagree, feel free to register your opinion in our poll in the sidebar on the right.

We’d also like remind you to take some time to make a few New Year’s resolutions. Perhaps they include building a new home or making a few renovations to an existing one. Whatever your resolution, if there’s anything we can do to help, just let us know.

In July, the Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN) stopped by our Liverpool facility to shoot an episode of the behind-the-scenes factory show, PCN Tours. The episode aired in August, but it’s available online for the first time and we’re happy to offer that video on our website.

Highlights from the first half of the video  include:

• 3:42 – Excel Homes director of architectural design and innovation, Steven Saffell, discussing the critical role that our builder partners play in the modular home construction process and how they work with the customer to create the home they want.
• 6:28 – Excel Homes Sales Manager Dave Reed offering a glimpse of the raw materials that go into building a modular home.
• 8:09 – Using an automated four-head saw to create precisely cut floor joists.
• 9:27 – Making floors, including the use of floor glue (in addition to nails) to add strength to the floors.
• 11:26 – Building interior walls, which includes mounting drywall with both glue and screws.
• 16:00 – The advantages of building indoors, including the ability to caulk and seal all plumbing penetrations
• 16:50 – Using lags to keep interior walls square and true and using spare sheeting behind drywall to provide support for shelving and reinforce drywall seams to make the walls stronger.

The following was posted here on Modular Musings back in 2009, but it’s good insight, and good insight is always worth a second look.

Builder magazine gets passed around a lot here at the Excel offices, and for good reason. It’s chock full of insight into the things builders need to know about how to succeed (or at least stay above water) in today’s tumultuous economic climate. Excel Homes works with more than 600 builder partners throughout the U.S., so any nugget of information we can absorb and pass along is good for both us and them.

Recently, Builder magazine published an article entitled “6 Lessons For Builders From the Housing Bust.” It contained suggestions for ways builders can change the way they work in order to maximize profits and make better homes.

Though all the tips are valuable (feel free to read them here on the ProSales website), the first tip was perhaps the most relevant to today’s climate (no pun intended). It was called “Build Smarter,” and it talked about the need for builders to create homes that are more energy efficient, especially as regulations on new homes becomes stricter.

As the builder of modular homes, we couldn’t agree more. In fact, we’ve been shouting this advice from the roof tops for the past decade or more. Modular homes are among the most energy efficient homes available, and much more efficient than comparable stick-built homes.

The same “Build Smarter” tip also suggested building smaller homes (yet still energy efficient) to lower pricing and remain competitive. This again falls right in line with the teachings of modular construction. Modular homes can be purchased in various sizes, from smaller two-person dwellings to massive mansions capable of housing a small army. The good news about small modular homes: They’re easy to upgrade later on.

It’s almost as if Builder magazine was reading our minds.

The following was posted earlier this year, but we thought it deserved another look. A full set of photos from the construction of the project can be seen here.

Last year, Excel delivered five custom-designed cottages to The Madeira School, an independent all-girls boarding and day school, grades 9–12, located 12 miles outside Washington, D.C., in McLean, Virginia.

Known as the “Griffith Cottages,” the energy-efficient one-story, 3-bedroom / 2-bath homes were designed to blend into the existing rural setting and have been designated as housing for Madeira faculty and their families. The cottages feature energy efficient design, small footprints, standing seam metal roofs and hardwood floors throughout.

The project was made possible through a grant from the Mary Mae Foundation, a private foundation with the goal of rewarding academic excellence at secondary, independent schools. The grant funds, secured by Headmistress Dr. Elisabeth Griffith, must be used to provide faculty housing, and periodically one school is selected to receive a $500,000 grant for construction. The $2.1 million project fulfills Dr. Griffith’s vision of The Madeira School as “a residential learning community in which adults live on campus and act as teachers, advisors, coaches, role models and friends and are committed to educating girls.” The remainder of the funding was provided by the school’s capital campaign, “Cottages for Community.”

According to Excel sales representative Andy Scholz, the company was introduced to the Mary Mae Foundation directors through a referral from Mary Gaiski, executive vice president of the Pennsylvania Manufactured Housing Association (PMHA). “They became convinced that modular construction offered the most cost-effective, time-efficient solution – without sacrificing quality or design options,” says Scholz. The Foundation’s funding requirements now mandates that, while the housing design may change to fit an individual school’s needs, the housing itself must be built via modular construction.

Excel worked in tandem with the Mary Mae Foundation, general contractor Great Falls Construction and project manager Advanced Project Management, which dealt exclusively with the school.

Recently, The Madeira School held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Griffith Cottages. “Everyone from the Foundation and The Madeira School is absolutely delighted with the outcome,” says Scholz. “The general contractor, Great Falls Construction, did an excellent job with the project, and more importantly, they were all extremely pleased with the quality of the design and workmanship from Excel. The one comment that was consistent from just about every official who had anything to do with this project was, ‘We would do another project with this team anytime.‘”

Scholz also notes that the Madeira project can be easily replicated at almost any location. “Projects of this nature and size are generally small enough that all the parties can stay involved and make sure everything flows smoothly,” he says. “We’re ready to do this again.”

In this photo taken at our Liverpool, PA, production facility, we see two modules ready to hit the road enroute to their final destination.

The red markings on the wrapper provide valuable information about each module. The five-digit number is a serial number unique to each and every home which links the module to the builder and homeowner. The same number is also posted in the cabinet under the kitchen sink in all homes to make it easier for the homeowner to do home repairs or order replacement parts in the future. For example, if the home buyer wants to replace a shutter or find out the exact color and make of the kitchen counter tops, they can contact their builder and reference this number, which will allow the builder to access the necessary information quickly and easily.

The letter below the number – B on the left and A on the right – indicates the order in which the modules should be placed on the foundation. The “CT” and “ME” markings denote the state each modular will be delivered to. In this case, both modules are bound for New England – Connecticut on the left, and Maine on the right.

In July, we wrote that the Pantone Color Institute had named Honeysuckle as its 2011 “Color of the Year.” Those of you who hope to incorporate the hottest colors into your home (but would prefer something a little less pink) will be happy to learn that the Paint Quality Institute has issued a statement identifying earth tones as the inspiration behind the 2012 paint palette.

The Paint Quality Institute expects various shades of blues, greens and violets to star as predominant interior design colors in the coming year, but PQI also makes some predictions for exterior hues. The following is an excerpt from the Institute’s report:

Shutter colors will begin to shift away from the traditional look of high-contrast green, red, or black to a more monochromatic palette. “You’ll see more shutters that are painted just a shade darker than the siding,” says (Paint Quality Institute color expert Debbie) Zimmer. “Owners of homes with stone exteriors can get in on things by matching the shutter color to the dominant color of the stone.”

Despite all the new colors and trends, Zimmer says some things in the paint world will remain the same in 2012: “Top quality 100% acrylic latex paint will continue to provide the best performance and the best value to budget-conscious homeowners,” she says.