Things to Know Before You Get Your Dream Modular Home

Getting the ideal forever home is the dream of many, and even so, it often remains a dream for most people considering how big an investment it is. Compared to other investments a person makes throughout their lifetime, it’s usually one of the biggest. Things get even more complex if you decide to build a home from scratch instead of moving into a pre-existing one.

things to know before you get your dream modular home

The answer lies in choosing a modular concept over a traditional one if you care about your time and money when trying to make your dream come true. Still, it’s best to consider the entire scope of things, like what to look for and what to avoid, to get the ideal outcome. After all, your time and money are at stake!

Find a Trustworthy Builder

trustworthy builder

Nowadays, more people are choosing the prefab concept for their houses, so it’s not surprising that there are more builders of modular homes on the market for you to pick from. This, however, doesn’t mean they’re all equally trustworthy and worthy of your investment. You need to do your own research to make sure you know who you’re signing up for.

Some factors that can help you in your quest are experience and price. When you focus on a company, take a look at its previous projects to see how experienced they are, what they offer in terms of designs, and how much they charge for all its services. If they have a website with photos of previous projects, that would further help you.

When you try to find reliable modular home builders be sure to carefully consider the price they mention. This doesn’t only come down to the modules, but all the extras too. This could be the overall design, optional design upgrades, building and town planning permits, consultations, soil testing, work on the site to prepare and set the foundation, electricity, water, and plumbing, plus the logistics that would cost to transport and set up all the modules and equipment from the factory to the site.

Avoid falling prey to low costs because cheaper can mean they don’t calculate anything other than the modules per square metre, and won’t want to put their creative thoughts into coming up with the ideal solutions for you and your lifestyle. Lower prices may also be at the expense of customisations, besides not including services like help with permits for the state, local, and regional building codes.

It all depends on the specifics of your design, what you want in terms of features, and the kind of location you choose for your dream home—specifically, whether or not it requires a lot of prep work, so you’d have to consult the company to see the exact price. Be sure to discuss your wants and needs with the builder to check if they’re on the same page with you on making it happen. 

If not, you might as well conclude they sell one in the same home. And, if they happen to be on the same page, that’s one sign more that they’re modular builders who deserve your trust.

Be Aware of the Design Options

design options

One of the mistakes many people make is believing modular to be boring due to the limited design options. While this was true decades ago when modular homes looked more or less like the same boxy structures, this image now remains in the past considering the advancements in technology the prefabrication process has gone through over the years.

What this means is your dream home can be anything you want it to be. The right modular home builders can make anything happen, whether it’s a retreat by the coastline, a cabin in the woods away from civilisation, a manor or a mansion, in any style you can imagine both for the exterior and the interior. In other words, you won’t be able to tell a modular and traditional house apart.

This is because the prefab is made to look standard, with all the bells and whistles, like a sturdy foundation, durable structure, quality architectural components like roofing, flooring, siding, windows, and outstanding features. Being aware of everything you can get is one step closer to getting your dream house with all the custom elements you’ve always wanted.

Know What You Get with the Modular Concept

modular concept

You may already have an idea about the concept itself, that it takes weeks to construct a house thanks to the precise and timely manufacture of the modules and as a result you get to move in quicker than you would expect to do with a standard home. This would certainly be true but it wouldn’t be complete since the benefits of these homes of the future don’t end here.

If you aren’t sure yet whether this is the best course of action for you, perhaps you’d get a better idea with the fact modular is the solution to cut down your carbon footprint and make your life more sustainable. The eco prefab homes are more than a reality, especially if we take into account the endless possibilities to be more sustainable.

For a start, the whole process is more eco-friendly, from the shorter manufacturing time to the smaller amount of waste, and the chance to reuse, repurpose, and recycle some of the materials and modules. These houses can be built with systems for utilising sun and wind power as well as collecting rainwater to further make you self-reliant and eco-friendly.

In addition to being energy-efficient, they also come with warranties.

Due to the fact they’re created in climate-controlled environments in factories and warehouses, they don’t suffer from the common problems of on-site homes like mould and mildew which diminish the indoor air quality and poorly impact one’s health. 

With a boost in the ventilation, insulation, and careful choice of materials that are low in toxic VOCs, they’re not only good for the environment but your own happiness and well-being too.

About the author

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Brad Smith

Brad Smith is an experienced interior designer and the founder of OmniHomeIdeas.com. With a Master's degree in Interior Design from Pratt Institute and a passion for creating safe and healthy living spaces, Brad shares his expert insights and innovative design ideas with our readers. His work is driven by the belief that home is where every story begins.

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