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.