Considering the facts that modular homes are highly customizable, stronger, more energy efficient, and are identical in appearance to regular homes, it may come as a bit of a surprise to know that modular homes may actually cost up to 20 percent less than comparable stick-built homes.

How is this possible you ask? Here’s how:

• All Excel modular homes are built with a process that allows us to save money by purchasing materials like wood and drywall in bulk and passing this savings on to the homeowner.

• The factory assembly line process allows us to create an extremely efficient process, with significantly less material waste than a standard home building site.

• The factory setting also means no weather delays which means no extra labor costs and no extra costs to repair weather damaged materials.

• In areas with high construction labor costs (like many parts of the Northeast), building a home in modules in a factory setting can result in significant savings in labor costs and time.

• Finally, the shorter construction times of modular homes often mean more money saved on insurance during the construction process.

Just like a site-built home, there are a few different ways to make your modular dream come true.  You can either build your own modular home on a plot of land you already own or you can buy a modular home that is already built. There are advantages to both scenarios, but the choice is yours!

That’s the topic of this month’s poll. Would you build a modular home on land you already own (or will own) or would you purchase a modular home that is already built? Feel free to sound off on the right.

Of course, there are pros and cons of each. In purchasing a modular home that is already built, you have the luxury of being able to move in right away, but the disadvantage of having no control over the location of the house and its design (unless you decide to do some building and remodeling).

By purchasing your own land and building a modular home on it, you can choose a parcel of land wherever you’d like and consult with a builder to select and customize a home that suits your needs. Of course, this option does require more time, as the process of preparing the plot of land and building the modular home can take a few months.

But no matter which option you choose, you’ll have the peace of mind of knowing that you’re living in a modular home, which is stronger and more energy efficient than most standard built homes!

The rise in popularity of modular homes has spawned no shortage of reading material on the subject. In August we reviewed a great book called The Modular Home and gave away copies here on Modular Musings. This month, we’re doing the same thing with a book called Modular Mansions. At the end of the month, we’ll send a copy of the book to one commenter chosen at random.

Modular Mansions is written by Sherri Koones, author of another modular book, “Prefabulous,” which we’ll review in December. In Mansions, Sherri takes a closer look at 20 modular masterpieces, from cozy 1,300 square foot California abodes to sprawling 12,700 square foot castles that truly live up to the book’s title.

The book is packed with photos and, while it doesn’t offer the “nuts and bolts” perspective on modular homes that other books have, Modular Mansions is a good introduction to what modular construction is all about and provides many visual examples of how modular homes can beat traditional stick built homes when it comes to design and appearance.

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 site-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!). These materials include bigger, stronger wall studs and floor joists, which means a sturdier frame overall.

The stricter inspection process behind each home also contributes to modular’s superior staying power. Not only is each module is inspected prior to leaving the factory, but the home is inspected again by independent local inspectors after it arrives and is placed on the foundation at its final destination.

It’s no secret (at least it shouldn’t be) that modular homes are more environmentally-friendly than most other homes. There are lots of reasons for that, many of which were mentioned previously on Modular Musings.

Green construction is something Excel Homes is passionate about and it’s something we strive to improve on in every detail of every home we make. That includes customizable features like the Merillat cabinets, which are a standard feature in Excel homes. (That’s some of Merillat’s finest on the right.) Like most Earth-friendly products, the material is the biggest part of what makes it green. For Merillat cabinets, that material is recycled hardwood.

Merillat cabinets have the dual distinction of not only being greener, but also higher in quality than most other cabinet options. The hardwood used by Merillat undergoes a strict inspection process, which ensures that only the best wood is used to make the cabinets.

The quality of the cabinets and the hardwood that goes into them is actually quite fitting when you consider the fact that modular homes as a whole are stronger and subject to a more intense inspection process than stick-built homes. A lot of people think that quality only applies to the house itself, but the components inside, like cabinets and fixtures, are important too.

The wide selection of options is another reason Excel chose Merillat as a cabinet supplier and why the cabinets are a standard feature in all Excel homes. Merillat’s three product lines – Essentials, Classic and Masterpiece – offer an almost limitless array of choices for homeowners hoping to customize their kitchen. The Masterpiece line-up alone is available in 26 different door styles, 41 finishes and six different wood species, including birch, cherry, hickory, maple, oak and laminate.

In the first ever poll here on Modular Musings, we got right to the point about which benefits of modular construction readers find most appealing. After all, there are many perks, from energy efficiency to greater customization options to environmental friendliness. But in the end, it was virtual tie for the top benefit, with “quicker build times” and “stronger structure and inspection standards” coming out on top in the poll with 41 percent each.

Thanks to everyone for sounding off. September’s poll is a little different, and it’s our attempt to get to know a little more about our reader audience. Feel free to weigh in on the right.

For various reasons, modular homes are popular in New England (more than 10 percent of all new homes in the northeast U.S. are modular). Even new homeowners in upscale areas like Martha’s Vineyard are taking notice of the benefits of modular construction.

Martha’s Vineyard Magazine did a feature on the rise of modular homes in the island community for its spring/summer 2008 issue. The modules for the home at the center of the story were pulled across Vineyard Haven’s harbor on a barge and transported by police-escorted flatbed trucks to their final destination.

The article discusses the many benefits of modular construction, including the financial perks that have led so many Vineyarders to go modular:

What makes the Vineyard a hungrier modular market than most? Follow the money: Certainly, modular customers everywhere benefit from the economies of scale realized by big factories that purchase basic materials, from drywall to grout, in bulk. For Islanders, the resounding cost differential is labor. “Sixty dollars an hour is what I have to charge for labor here versus fifteen to twenty dollars off-Island,” says builder Ray Maciel, one of several Vineyard contractors whose business today is all modular all the time. After adding the expense of shipping boxes across land and water, and renting a crane to move them into place, Vineyard homeowners report shaving a quarter to nearly a half off the budget for an equivalent stick-built home.

It’s a long article, but one of the best we’ve seen about the modular housing boom. Check it out on the Martha’s Vineyard Magazine website and don’t miss the mention of Excel Homes/Avis America and the helpful how-to section at the end.

Last week, we wrote about the research phase of the modular home buying process. It’s one of the most important steps. Luckily, there’s no shortage of information available online, but if you’re a more traditional learner, you’ll be happy to know that there are several books available that will shed some more light on the modular home buying process.

One of those books is “The Modular Home” by Andy Gianino. Andrew is the president of The Home Store, which is the largest modular home builder in New England. (Many of the homes they build are Excel Homes, but that’s not why we love this book!) 

The best thing about The Modular Home, aside from the wealth of information included in it, is how the information is presented. Andrew goes into an incredible amount of detail in each chapter, but he does it in a way that is clear and understandable for those who might not know much about modular homes or the building industry in general. To make his point, Andrew uses checklists, sketches, hints and even throws in some “what not to do” case studies.

The book includes 11 chapters, such as “Why Build Modular,” “Selecting a Dealer,” “Finding and Preparing a Building Lot,” and “Financing a Modular Home.”

We’ve read a lot of books about modular homes over the years, and whether you’re a home builder or a potential home owner, Andrew’s is by far one of the best resources out there. In fact, we like the book so much, we’re going to purchase three copies and give them away here on Modular Musings to three commenters chosen at random. If you can’t wait to get your hands on a copy, they’re also available on Amazon.com.

Boston Globe blogger and real estate guru, Rona Fischman, wrote last week about her recent modular epiphany. Rona admits that she once confused modular homes with manufactured homes. However, after some research and witnessing some “very attractive” modular homes being built in her neighborhood, Rona is now a tried and true believer in the value and beauty of the modular home.

Rona goes on to list the many reasons why modular homes are smarter choices than stick built homes, including the facts that modular homes are higher quality, less expensive, better for the environment and quicker to build.

Journalists are only human, which is why so many of them harbor the same misconceptions about modular homes that many other people do. That’s why it’s refreshing whenever influential voices like Rona see the light about modular construction and why we’ll feature those  breakthroughs here on Modular Musings whenever we encounter them.

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 modular home experts like Robin Gamby, VP of M&T Bank, Mortgage Division. M&T Bank is a leader in modular financing, having financed over $1 billion in modular construction loans. Click on the “Ask the Experts” link on the right to ask one of our listed experts a question of your own.

HOW IS SECURING A MORTGAGE FOR A MODULAR HOME DIFFERENT FROM A MORTGAGE FOR A TRADITIONAL SITE-BUILT HOME?

This is a common question, and rightfully so. The dream of owning a home often begins with a mortgage. The truth is, there are very few differences between a modular home and a regular site-built home and therefore very few differences in mortgage options. In fact, standard site-built homes and modular homes are the same in the eyes of the bank. These similarities include appraisals and insurance as well. This is in contrast to mobile homes, which require different financing.