As a manufacturer of custom modular homes, Excel takes its responsibility to give back to the community very seriously. Shelter is, after all, one of the foundations of life and when you build shelters for a living, you can’t help but want to build them for the people who need them – or deserve them – the most.

That’s why Excel is extremely excited to announce that we have been asked to provide a home for one very deserving recipient on ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.” We’re sworn to secrecy regarding specific details of the home and the recipient (several families are being considered), but we can tell you that the project is taking place in the Baltimore area from July 10-16, and the episode will air on ABC in the fall (Sundays at 8 pm/7 pm Central).

We should take some time to recognize our very important project partners – the Maryland Community Builders Foundation (the charitable arm of the Home Builders Association of Maryland) and Artisan Fine Homes (the local builder and Excel Homes partner who will be helping to complete the project).

The modules for the home will be built in Excel’s manufacturing plant in Avis, PA. We recently reopened the Avis plant and hired more than 100 team members to staff it, which makes this project a nice way to get the plant firing on all cylinders again. Excel will then deliver the modules to the site and supervise the assembly while Ty Pennington and the “Extreme Makeover” team work feverishly to complete and customize the home.

It’s not the first time “Extreme Makeover” has used modular construction to make a family’s dreams come true. They used modular homes last season, and because the modular method fits so well with their hectic construction schedule, they decided to call on modular construction once again. There’s no doubt that modular construction is quicker, but the best part is that it frees up more time for the “Extreme Makeover” team to work its magic with some custom features.

Stay tuned for updates – we’ll have lots of them throughout the summer.

Today’s entry on the Excel Drawing Board takes a page out of the Frank Lloyd Wright playbook and his prairie style designs. It’s one of the homes in our Starting Line Up series, a collection of smaller homes with all the style of what is typically found in a larger floor plan designed specifically with the first-time home buyer in mind.

The Excel Drawing Board is a blog showcasing some of Excel’s more forward-thinking designs, which readers are encouraged to comment on. Check out today’s entry for yourself and let us know what you think.

Over the past year, our product guide, which is used by builders to help home buyers choose the many interior options of their future home, has undergone a remodeling like never before.

The old product guide was simply a collection of brochures in a binder. There were brochures for Merrilat and Wellborn cabinets, Corian and Silestone countertops, Kohler bath fixtures, Armstrong flooring, and KitchenAid appliances, as well as dozens of brochures for various windows, doors, lighting and fireplace options.

Just like your grandfather’s table saw, the old product guide got the job done, but it was time for an upgrade.

Enter the new product guide. The updated guide also showcases our many interior and exterior options – from Anderson to Pella to Whirlpool – but it also fits within the new look and direction of Excel Homes. The table of contents was revised, an ENERGY STAR section was added, and the paper quality was improved to give the guide a longer shelf life. Images were updated, options were clearly labeled as “standard” or “upgrade,” and the “About Us” page for each supplier was enhanced.

Overall, it’s simply a much better guide and it’s yet another example of Excel’s commitment to continuous improvement. To view our suppliers’ updated product guide pages, visit the Products & Programs page of the Excel website.

Coach (aka ModCoach) is the mind behind the blog, Modular Home Builder, which paved the way for blogs like ours. In a January 24 entry, Coach offered praise to Excel Homes for the three new initiatives we unveiled in the past year. In a more recent entry, Coach took note of some of our designs for rest facilities.

Thanks, Coach! It’s always nice when people take notice of the things you’re doing to improve your company and your product. And to return the favor, to anyone interested in modular construction we’d recommend adding Coach’s blog to your reading list.

Today’s entry on the Excel Drawing Board is a small bungalow that draws its inspiration from the kit homes of the 1940s. It’s one of the homes in our Starting Line Up series, a collection of smaller homes with all the style of what is typically found in a larger floor plan, designed specifically with the first-time home buyer in mind.

The Excel Drawing Board is a blog showcasing some of Excel’s more forward-thinking designs, which readers are encouraged to comment on. Check out today’s entry for yourself and let us know what you think.

We’ll be the first to admit that buying a new home on a budget isn’t easy. And building a new home on a budget? Almost impossible – until now.

That’s because Excel Homes is very proud to announce the launch of our Starting Line Up series of homes. The five designs in our Starting Line Up were created with first-time homeowners in mind, with each home costing less than $100,000 (some as low as $60,000, depending on the region). Of course, this doesn’t include the cost of land, but even after that purchase, a Starting Lineup home still costs less than most other options.

And you don’t have to sacrifice style or quality either. The one- and two-story Starting Line Up designs feature smaller dwellings (less than 1,000 square feet), but with all of the style typically found in a larger floor plan. The homes are also energy conscious, arriving ENERGY STAR ready and green ready.

For us, the Starting Line Up offers a change to prove what we’ve known all along: that durability and quality can be had for less than $100,000. Specific design elements in some Starting Line Up homes include hardwood floors, vaulted ceilings, and sunken living rooms. It’s important to note, however, that unlike most other Excel modular designs, the Starting Line Up designs are sold as is, with no modifications or customization options. This helps to keep the cost of each home low, which is central component of the Starting Line Up Series.

In addition to lower cost with all of the style of other homes, the Starting Line Up offers these benefits:

• VERSATILITY – Some designs, like our 556 square foot “Trailblazer,” can be used as guest houses, pool houses or a backyard office.
• EASE OF COMPLETION – Starting Line Up homes require less work by the builder and finishing team, with some homes shipping 95 percent complete from an Excel Homes manufacturing facility, with only minimal work required to finish the unit on-site.
• SPEED – The smaller size of the Starting Line Up options also means a quicker turnaround for builders and anxious homeowners. With the modular construction process, homes can be built, delivered and set in under six weeks.
• ONE TRUCK – The Starting Line Up homes can be shipped on a single carrier and, in most cases, can be finished by the set crew.
• NO CRANE – Some designs, like the smaller Trailblazer, can be roll set on a foundation, eliminating the need for a crane, and come complete with the exception of a small portion of the roof and the final utility connections.

Each of the five Starting Line Up homes will be featured over the next several months on Excel’s Drawing Board blog, along with floor plans and interior and exterior renderings (check out the first design here). To give you a taste of what’s to come, below is a rendering of the Frank Lloyd Wright inspired 945 square foot Prairie View home.

Last month we announced here on Modular Musings our plan to stay one step ahead of legislation that will require all new single-family homes built in Pennsylvania after January 1, 2011 to be built with fire suppressing sprinkler systems. (We’re actually staying one year ahead of the legislation, because starting immediately, sprinkler systems will be an option in all new single family homes Excel builds.)

Last week, Central Pennsylvania’s local CBS affiliate paid a visit to Excel’s manufacturing facility in Liverpool, PA to get an up-close-and-personal look at the sprinkler systems and to chat with Excel President Steve Scharnhorst. Feel free to check out CBS’s coverage on their website (the video is on the right).

Like we said in last week’s look at male home buying preferences, the following was posted previously here on Modular Musings, but we thought it was worth a second look.

Last week, 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.

The following was posted here on Modular Musings about a year ago, but as the New Year kicks off and would-be homeowners begin shopping for a new home, we thought it was worth a second look. Coming up next: A look at what women want in a new home.

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.

Recently, the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code Review and Advisory Council voted to mandate the placement of sprinklers in all new one- and two-family residences and townhomes built in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania beginning January 1, 2011. Good thing builders have a little over a year to get ready, right?

While waiting until the last minute might be an option for some builders, it’s not an option for Excel. Instead, the team at Excel Homes has decided to start installing sprinkler systems a little earlier. In fact, we’re going to start right now.

Beginning today, all Excel Homes will include an optional sprinkler system designed to protect a homeowner’s investment and make each home a lot safer. Of course, for now, these sprinkler systems are only optional. But after January 1, 2011, they’ll be mandatory in Pennsylvania (and soon thereafter in many other states). The good news is, that by the time that deadline rolls around, the Excel team is ready.

Our enthusiasm for the new sprinkler law should come as no surprise there many reasons to support the use of sprinkler systems, here are just a few.

• According to the National Fire Sprinkler Association, the addition of sprinklers to homes could prevent more than 3,000 fire-related deaths and 60,000 serious fire-related injuries each year in the United States.
• The typical home fire can reach deadly proportions in just three minutes, while in many cases, it may take 10 or more minutes for the first fire truck to arrive. With a sprinkler system, the fire can be controlled or even extinguished before loss of lives or property.
• The average damage from a fire in a house with a sprinkler system is less than $2,000, compared to more than $17,000 in damage in homes without sprinkler systems.
• In addition to the peace of mind that having a sprinkler system can provide, sprinkler systems also decrease insurance costs and increase a home’s value.

For more information about Excel’s sprinkler system program, check out the brochure on our website.