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’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.

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.

Most people understand what a site-built home is (a house built on-site and outdoors using traditional methods), but when it comes to the differences between a manufactured home and a modular home (like the one on the right), well, that’s where some people have a little trouble. It’s okay though. It’s something the modular home industry has been working on for many years. The good news is, we’re making progress!

Like a modular home, a manufactured home (sometimes known as a “mobile home” or “trailer”) is built in the controlled environment of a factory, sometimes in pieces, and delivered to its final destination. Other than that, the two residences are actually quite different.

1. CODES – Manufactured homes conform to Federal HUD building codes while modular homes are built to the state and local standards as traditional site-built homes (state and local codes often hold new houses to higher standards than federal codes).  
2. VALUE – Manufactured homes may decrease in value over time while modular homes follow the same housing market value trends as site-built homes.
3. APPEARANCE – Manufactured homes – though they’ve come a long way in recent years in terms of options and design – have a distinct appearance (often single story). Modular homes, available in single or two story varieties, are often indistinguishable from site built homes.
4. INSPECTIONS – In manufactured homes, building inspectors check the home but aren’t required to approve it. Modular homes, however, are held to much higher standards, with inspections in the factory and by local inspectors on-site. Modular homes are also built using the same materials as site-built homes.
5. QUALITY - 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.

Those are just a few of the ways manufactured homes and modular homes differ. We’ll discuss other dissimilarities in part two of this entry next week.

A few weeks ago in our “Modular Process” series, we talked about the first part of the finding a builder process: how to assemble a list of builders for consideration. In this second part, we’ll talk about what to do with that list once you’ve got it.

As we noted previously (and can’t stress enough), finding the right builder is critical. While Excel Homes builds the modules that will eventually become your home, your local builder is the one who will put the modules together to complete your home. It might only be 10 percent of the home building process, but it’s a very important 10 percent.

In the end, you have to trust your builder, the same way you’d trust a babysitter or a family doctor. Only instead of taking care of your two-year-old or treating an outbreak of measles, your builder will be putting together your dream home. Armed with your list of local builders, here’s what you need to do to determine the best builder to make that dream come true:

1. Call each builder and ask for a list of references.

Once you’ve got three or four references (people for whom the builder has built homes in the past few years), call them and ask some of these questions:

• Was the builder professional?
• Did the project run smoothly and on schedule?
• Did the builder stay on budget?
• Was the builder helpful and responsive if problems arose?
• Have there been any problems with the home since it was built? If so, how has the builder responded to those problems?
• Would you recommend the builder?

2. Check the builder’s industry affiliations and credentials.

Ask builders if they are members of any industry organizations and contact those organizations to inquire about the builder’s standing within the organization and the industry. It’s okay if a builder isn’t a member of one or more industry organizations, but membership helps. Also perform a background check on each builder with the Better Business Bureau.

3. Interview the builder.

Meet with your builder face-to-face and ask the following questions:

• How long have you been in business?
• How many homes do you build each year?
• How much time will you spend supervising the building process, and who will do the supervising?
• How much work is performed by your crew and how much is sub-contracted?
• Have you ever filed for bankruptcy?
• Can you provide a bank reference and a copy of your insurance certificate?
• Have any lawsuits been filed against you by former customers?
• What warranties do you offer and who performs the work under the warranty?

As you can see, finding the “right builder” may not be an easy process (executed properly, it can take several months) but a little extra effort and homework up front could make all the difference in the end. As always, if you have any questions about the process, feel free to use our Ask the Experts feature on the right for more insights.