Let’s face it, when it comes to buying a home, men and women are often on two different blueprint pages when it comes to features they want. Sure, some features are important no matter who you are, but what do men typically want when it comes to choosing and customizing their modular home?

According to a 2008 study by ZipReality, men and women don’t differ much on certain features, but some differences are worth pointing out:

• Men preferred a home office more than women did (40% to 33%)
• Men placed greater emphasis on recreational spaces, like a home theater (12% to 6%), exercise room (13% to 9%), a swimming pool (22% to 20%), and an outdoor entertainment area (57% to 55%).
• On a surprising aesthetic note, more men than women demanded a home with a view (32% to 27%).
• As expected, men need their garage more than women, with 74% of men saying they wouldn’t purchase a house without a garage, versus 71% of women who made the same claim.

We’ll cover what women want in a future Modular Musings blog entry. Until then, let’s try to find some common ground when it comes to deciding what to do with that new addition off the living room.

We already know that modular construction is faster, more affordable and more energy efficient which makes modular homes better for the environment, but did you also know that modular homes are also stronger and higher in quality than site-built homes?

There are two main reasons why modular homes are stronger and higher in quality: the materials they’re made from and the inspection standards they are subjected to. As we’ve reported previously on Modular Musings, modular homes typically use 20 to 30 percent more materials (and are therefore even stronger than site-built homes) in order to ensure a safe trip to their final location. FEMA studies conducted after Hurricane Andrew have confirmed that modular homes are indeed stronger than manufactured or site-built homes.

Modular homes are also held to much higher inspection standards. These checks begin with quality and strength inspections in the factory (Excel uses independent, third-party inspectors in our plants) and are conducted again by local inspectors on-site to make sure the homes meet state and local building requirements.

Both factors add up to a home that not only feels stronger, but one that actually is stronger. As for the lifespan of a modular home, 100 years from now, the homes Excel is building today should still be standing.

Though it may seem as though modular homes exploded onto the scene in just the past decade or two, the art of modular construction has actually been around in the U.S. for more than 100 years. Of course, the predecessors to today’s modular homes, which are identical in appearance to site-built ones, are a bit simpler than modern attempts.

The first mainstream use of modular building methods began in the early 20th century when Sears Roebuck began selling pre-fabricated houses. Between 1910 and 1940, Sears sold more than 70,000 modular homes through Sears’ mail order catalogues, which featured more than 400 designs ranging from $450 to $4,500. The Elsmore model pictured below sold for $1,945 in the company’s 1921 catalogue. An optional mantel on the fireplace cost $39. (This website features modern day photos of some of the many Sears mail order homes still in use.)

Later, when soldiers returned home after World War II, the demand for new housing reached an all time high, which forced builders to once again consider the benefits (faster construction times and more affordable housing) to keep up with the post-war demand.

Today’s custom homes are very different from those earlier attempts, as improvements in the assembly line process have helped to create larger, stronger homes and put modular construction on the same playing field as site-built houses. The ability to customize your modular home has also helped to separate the new versions from their cookie-cutter cousins.

Jason Valalik is a certified usability engineer who has worked with companies like Nike. He does a lot things with product development and design research, but recently, Jason took a shot at designing a prefab dog house. It’s proof that prefab and modular construction methods aren’t just for people anymore!

If you’re interested in building one for your pet, you can check out an instructional video here.

In June, we wrote about Sherri Koones’ modular reference “Modular Mansions.” This month, we’re looking at another Koones modular reference, “Prefabulous.”

The books subtitle, “The house of your dreams delivered fresh from the factory,” skims the surface of modular home building’s allure but the rest of the book dives much deeper. Inside, Sherri gives us an up-close-and-personal look at the advantages and disadvantages of several types of modular homes, including custom log homes, concrete and steel-framed homes, and traditional bungalows.

The Cincinnati Enquirer had this to say about Sherri’s book:

“Prefabulous will shatter your misconceptions about small, boxy and modern structures. These prefabs are customized and so rich in detail and style they are hardly distinguishable from “traditionally” built homes. It’s hard to believe after seeing the photos, but each featured home was manufactured partially or completely in a controlled factory environment then moved to the site.”

Like Sherri’s Modular Mansions, Prefabulous is more of a coffee table book than a detailed reference. It’s packed with beautiful photography of several homes, both inside and out, and offers some very compelling reasons to join the modular movement.

As always, we bought a copy and will give it away to one Modular Musings reader chosen at random from this month’s comments. If you don’t want to wait that long and you’d like to pick up a copy for yourself (or as a Christmas gift perhaps?), the book is available on Amazon.com.

Jack Gizienski joined the Excel Homes team in October 2007 as our vice president of operations and immediately began making plans to build his modular dream home for himself and his wife. It took a little while for Jack to finalize the specific plans for the home – the initial concepts were designed by Jack on a napkin! – but last month, his dream became a reality in the form of a 3,300 square foot ranch style home in Mechanicsburg, PA.

The home has four bedrooms, three full bathrooms and a three-car garage. Although modular homes are typically more energy efficient than stick-built homes, Jack designed his house to be even more efficient through the use of advanced insulation methods, geothermal heating and air conditioning, ENERGY STAR rated appliances and thermal pane, Low E windows.

The seven modules that make up Jack’s house were delivered to the site and lowered into place by a crane and a team of workers known as the “set crew.” The first module was set into place just after 9 a.m. and the last module (one of two that would make up Jack’s three-car garage) was set at 6:10 p.m. Not bad for one day’s work! While the modules were being built in our AvisAmerica facility in Avis, PA, construction was underway on the foundation and basement of Jack’s house.

Jack (in the red shirt) was on hand throughout the day to oversee the construction of his new home. Like most new modular homeowners, he was understandably excited about the process. Here, he goes over some details of the home’s plans. Since he designed the home himself over the course of a year, he pretty much knew every square inch like the back of his hand.

Here, the first module is lowered onto the foundation. The entire process of backing a module in front of the crane, hooking up the crane’s cables to the module, lifting it into the air, lowering it into place and securing it onto the foundation takes about one hour.

Module number three, which makes up the front portion of the house, is lifted off of the flat bed it arrived on (the metal platform in front of the two workers) and onto the foundation. As the module is slowly moved into place, the member of the set crew (in orange) holds a rope to prevent the module from swaying or bumping into the other modules.

After each module is set on the foundation, the set crew makes sure the edges are perfectly aligned with the foundation. Here, a member of the set crew makes some minor adjustments (with the help of the crane) to the smaller module on the back of the house.

The day after the modules were installed, the crane lifted the roof into place. After that, the crew from CB Homes took over, connecting the utilities and putting the finishing touches on the exterior and interior of the home. That process took about 10 weeks to complete and the Gizienskis were in their new home for Thanksgiving dinner.

A full set of photos from the day can be seen here. We also videotaped the installation of all seven modules and, through the miracles of time-lapse editing, have boiled the nine-hour process down to three minutes. We’ll post that video here on Modular Musings in the near future!

We’ve already talked about how modular homes are better for the environment because they yield less construction waste, but modular homes are also better for the environment because they’re more energy efficient than standard stick-built homes. Of course, that also makes them better on your monthly energy bills, which is always a good thing.

Here’s why modular saves more energy: Most home energy loss is due to air infiltration and heat loss. This occurs through cracks, holes and insulation gaps in walls, ceilings and floors. These cracks and holes are unavoidable, even in new homes, but they’re much less common in modular homes. That’s because modular houses are built from the inside out, whereas stick-built homes are built from the outside in.

In other words, the exterior of a site-built home is built first, and then the drywall is installed because installing the drywall first would subject it to weather conditions. Later, the plumbing and electrical sockets and wiring are installed, but the builder cannot seal these holes between the drywall and the exterior sheathing, thus creating unavoidable opportunities for energy loss. But with modular homes, working indoors allows us to create the drywall and all the plumbing and electrical connections and seal those connections tightly before installing the exterior walls. This is what we mean when we say that modular homes are “tighter” than site-built homes.

Because of this, we are able to offer more options when it comes to producing ENERGY STAR homes. Getting the ENERGY STAR label isn’t easy. The distinction is only given to homes that operate at least 15 percent more efficiently than a standard home.

Because there are fewer air gaps in a modular home, a fire would spread slowly, outside moisture is blocked, and more bugs and rodents are kept out.

Last month, we talked about some of the many differences between manufactured homes (a.k.a. mobile homes or trailers) and modular homes. When we started writing about it, we discovered there were so many key differences that it warranted two separate entries here on the Excel Homes blog.

You may recall we discussed similarities between the two options (mainly that both are built in a factory) and how they differ in terms of building codes, value, appearance and inspection requirements. Here are a few more key points of differentiation:

• REFINANCING – Most manufactured homes aren’t placed on a permanent foundation. This makes them more difficult to refinance. Modular homes have a permanent foundation (and often a basement), making them as easy to refinance as a site-built home.

• RESTRICTIONS – Many communities have restrictions against manufactured housing while most communities allow modular homes. Those municipalities that still have restrictions on modular homes are often confused about the differences between the two housing options. (Don’t worry, the industry is working on clearing that up, too!)

• TRANSPORT – A manufactured home is built on a non-removable steel chassis and transported to the home site on its own wheels. Modular homes are transported on a truck bed and placed on a solid foundation just like site-built home.

• CUSTOMIZATION – Manufactured homes typically arrive with interior options like flooring, cabinetry, fixtures and appliances pre-installed. Modular homes allow homeowners to hire local contractors to install these options after the home arrives on-site or choose from a wide range of interior options to be installed while the modules are built.

• SIZE – Manufactured homes are typically smaller – often delivered in one to three pieces. Modular homes vary greatly in size and are often much larger than manufactured homes.  Larger varieties, like a recent 3,300 square foot ranch style home built for one of the newest members of the Excel team, are delivered in as many as seven pieces - and sometimes more!

As you can see, modular homes and manufactured homes are actually very different, which makes it funny (sort of) that the two options are often confused. In reality, a modular home has more in common with a traditionally built home than it does with a manufactured home. The challenge for the modular home industry is getting more people to realize that fact.

The home buying process requires a lot of homework and is full of questions. That’s why we’ve created this recurring “Ask the Experts” feature here on the Excel Homes blog. It features real questions with simple answers from Excel’s team of experts. Click on the “Ask the Experts” link on the right to ask one of our listed experts a question of your own.

WE’RE INTERESTED IN BUILDING A MODULAR HOME AND WE KNOW THAT WE CAN CHOOSE FROM A CATALOGUE OF OPTIONS, BUT I’VE GOT SOME IDEAS OF MY OWN FOR OUR HOUSE. CAN I DESIGN MY OWN MODULAR HOME?

Absolutely! Excel’s own vice president of operations, Jack Gizienski, designed his dream home, which he then turned over to Excel’s architects to bring it to life.

You can meet with a builder or architect to design your own home from the ground up, but what most modular homeowners prefer to do is choose one of our existing modular home designs and then customize as little or as much as they’d like.

Hope this helps!

Harry Odum
General Manager
Excel Homes, Liverpool plant

Michael Zenga knows a thing or two about modular homes. After all, he’s a licensed construction supervisor and the founder of ZN Custom Building in Boston, MA. We’ve long been fans of his website and its wealth of useful modular information, which is why we were glad to learn that Michael teamed with ZN Vice President Attila Javor to write “Modular Homes: The Future Has Arrived.”

We like the book mainly for its ability to take a sometimes complicated subject like home buying and make it simple and understandable for readers of all backgrounds. Michael and Attila do a great job of explaining what modular homes are, their benefits, and how they differ from traditional stick-built homes.

Said one Amazon reviewer:

Michael and Atilla do a fantastic job of giving the “30,000 foot view” of the industry, and they do it in a way that clearly conveys their status as subject-matter experts, without ever lapsing into jargon or insider-speak that would make the message harder to understand.

Bottom line: If you’re thinking about building a new home – even if it’s not a modular home – you owe it to yourself to read this book. We purchased a copy for ourselves, but we also bought an extra copy, which we’ll give away as this month’s prize to one commenter chosen at random.