Another month, another book. This one is written by Rich Binsacca, a journalist who’s written several books on homes. “Kit Homes” takes a look at, well, kit homes. Modular homes are sometimes called kit homes, though most traditional kit homes are typically smaller one-story homes, whereas modular homes can be sprawling, two-story mansions.

According to the book’s back cover, Rich’s latest effort “introduces you to the full range of kit home choices. This hands-on and accessible guide offers advice and guidance, provides essential tools, suggests additional resources, and walks you through the process of planning for and purchasing a kit home. Kit homes include houses derived from catalogs as well as modular, manufactured, and factory-built homes. These houses can provide greater design flexibility, cost and time efficiencies, and, often, a higher-quality finished product.”

What we like most about this book (besides the stellar photography) is the rich history it uncovers when it comes to kit and modular homes. All of chapter one is dedicated to history, while chapter two covers steps to take before you build your home, including “financing options” and “finding and developing land.” Later chapters are dedicated entirely to “homes in a catalog” and “homes in a factory.”

Either way, this book is a valuable resource for anyone considering the purchase of a kit or modular home or anyone who’s simply a fan of housing history!

One of the biggest benefits of building a modular home is the speed with which the home can be built. But don’t confuse faster with lower quality. Not even close. We already know that modular homes are stronger than stick-built homes and have stricter inspection standards.

So how can we do all of that and still do it faster than other construction methods? For the answer, we’ll turn to Harry Odum, general manager of Excel Homes’ Liverpool, PA plant.

“It’s hard to believe that a modular home contains more materials and is therefore stronger than traditional homes, yet still takes less time to build. Depending on the model and the number of customized options, a typical modular home can be built in the factory, installed on the foundation and made ready for move-in in as fast as five or six weeks. Typically, though, 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 reason is because 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 materials are wasted. Less material waste also means lower costs for the homeowner.

“The other main reason for the quicker build time is the fact that while the modules of the home are being built in the factory, the foundation can be built at the same time. Obviously, in a stick-built home, the foundation must be built first before the rest of the home can be completed.

“Lastly, because modular homes are built indoors, there are no weather delays and workers can work more efficiently and cleanly.”

Last month, we took a look at some of the features of a new home that men are more likely to focus on. That includes home offices (40% of men versus 33% of women), recreational spaces and, of course, a garage. But what do women look for in a home?

According to the same 2008 study by ZipReality that we referenced last month, women were more focused on practical spaces and dining related spaces, including:

• Women placed more emphasis on dining spaces like a gourmet kitchen (61% to 55%) and a dining room (33% to 30%).

• Storage space was important to women, with large closets or walk-in closets as the number one home feature for women versus men (73% to 64%).

• While men were more likely to prefer a home with a view (32% to 27%), more women demanded a larger yard (49% to 45%).

The ZipReality study was based on a survey of 2,620 active home buyers and is proof that while we may not differ much on what we want out of a home, men and women do have their own opinions about what matters most – and that’s not likely to change any time soon.