I love watching those half hour reality shows where an amateur house flipper purchases a house and expects to flip it in a week. Nearly 99% of the time, their budget and timeline shift. Partly it’s because of their inexperience, but partly that’s the nature of home construction. There is the expected cost and the […]
As a proponent of the benefits of modular homes, I get frustrated when I hear about the misconceptions that people have when they think of modular homes. That’s because, when some people think of modular homes, they think of mobile homes or of the poorly build modular homes of the 60’s and 70’s. But modular […]
As I pointed out yesterday, a modular home is cheaper to build than a home built onsite and it is cheaper to live in. In my last post I talked about why it’s cheaper to build. And in this post I’m going to talk about why it’s cheaper to live in.
First, the home comes with […]
Modular homes are custom-built homes that are put together in large units, transported to the site, and attached together. They are not mobile homes. They are regular homes, custom built, but they just happen to be built somewhere else.
This concept may be new to some and one of the biggest benefits that always surprises people […]
Last summer, someone in my neighborhood decided to build their own home. They were a block over, so I couldn’t see the equipment, but I could hear them. As soon as the local noise bylaw said they could start up their equipment, they did. It was as if they all stood around with their fingers […]
Have you ever been involved in building a site-built home? If there’s one word that sums it up, it’s “unpredictability”. It’s actually quite frustrating.
o The weather is unpredictable. Some projects can be completed in the rain or wind, others cannot. A build schedule can be completely thrown off with just a day or two of […]
I was in a conversation with a neighbor recently about building homes. He had built his own house years ago and he was quizzing me on custom built modular homes. At first he thought I built mobile homes but I quickly clarified that these are real homes, just built in sections and transported to the […]
A friend of mine was relating a story to me the other day. When he was 16 years old he helped his uncle build a stick-built home. It was a custom home and his uncle intended to build it then sell it for a profit, so he was conscious of the bottom line. The home […]
Problem: “I take care of my aging parents. They are mobile and want some privacy, but I want to be close to them so I can provide them with some level of care… and so they can spend time with the grandkids.”
Solution: Modular homes can help. Rather than buying an existing home and retrofitting it […]
Problem: “I want an eco-friendly home”.
Solution: I remember a time when eco-friendly was a nice little add-on in any company’s marketing. Today, it’s an essential part of nearly every company’s value statement. As a society, we’re becoming increasingly aware of the importance of the health of the earth on our lives and on the […]
Problem: “I want to build my own home, but I want a home that is priced right. Frankly, I can’t find the home I want at the price I’m interested in paying”.
Solution: Modular homes may offer the solution you’re looking for. Custom-built on-site homes usually cost much more than a modular home. That’s because […]
In this series of blogs I’ll be exploring a number of trends in the marketplace and discussing how modular homes support the trend. In this blog, the trend I’m talking about is the growth in home-based businesses.
It used to be that people went out to work. They’d work a 9 to 5 shift from […]
In this series of blogs I’ll be exploring a number of trends in the marketplace and discussing how modular homes support the trend. In this blog, the trend I’m talking about is the change in today’s definition of “family”.
In the “Leave it to Beaver” days of America, everyone had a white picket fence, 2.5 […]
In this series of blogs I’ll be exploring a number of trends in the marketplace and discussing how modular homes support the trend. In this blog, the trend I’m talking about is cocooning.
Trend guru Faith Popcorn predicted the concept of cocooning. Essentially, she suggests that modern people cocoon in their homes because work is busy, […]
In this series of blogs I’ll be exploring a number of trends in the marketplace and discussing how modular homes support the trend. In this blog, the trend I’m talking about is retiring baby boomers.
By 1946, after 2 world wars and a depression, people were eager to have life return to normal. The economy was […]
“Davis Square has a nice cultural mix of people,” said Attila Javor of ZN Development, which has done many of the square’s high-end condo conversions. “The access to public transportation is a huge draw, as is the bike path. It’s becoming a bedroom community for urban professionals.”
With housing costs on the rise and the market moving steadily downward, ZN Custom Building, made the decision to switch from the traditional stick-built construction to modular homes, which have proven to be more environmentally-efficient along with cheaper to build.
Modular homes do require detailed site work so that smooth delivery and set-up can take place once the modular home arrives. The best thing is that all of this can be completed while your home is being constructed in the factory. Generally, the process includes three major areas which are excavation and grading, foundation formation, […]
Despite the advent of new environmentally friendly construction materials, use of these in new home construction lags behind. Modular homes may offer the greatest potential in putting these greener materials into practice.
Ok. Your modular home has been set in place. It has been bolted and secured, and basic buttoning up and tie in procedures have been completed. Now it is time for finishing up the job. What exactly entails the finishing aspects of your home’s construction? Basically it details some additional interior and exterior work that […]
You may think of landscaping as only grass, plants and trees; but in reality it is so much more. As with landscaping for a site-built home, your modular home also requires advanced planning to meet your wishes and needs. Items that need attention include the grading of your lot, “soft” landscaping, “hard” landscaping, soil characteristics, […]
As with any home, maintenance is important to ward off the unexpected catastrophes from neglect. Remember, even though your modular home is better reinforced than a site-built home, this does not preclude the need for maintenance. Depending on whether you just moved in or whether you have lived in your modular home for years, different […]
Because modular homes are built in part in the factory setting, and because components of the building process are split between your builder and the manufacturer, the timeline for modular homes can be a little different than site-built homes. In an effort to help you anticipate what to expect, a typical schedule of events will […]
Yes, it is a novel concept to imagine your soon-to-be mansion being built inside a warehouse and then shipped to your building site. Who would have thought this would make such great sense? Factories offer tremendous advantages in the home building process. They are sheltered from the effects of weather; they provide a single environment […]
While you may not suspect the currency market could affect the modular home industry, it actually does. The impact of this currently has been regionally, but as time moves forward, modular home competition may occur in a global market. As a result, the strength of the U.S. dollar would determine how strong the modular home […]
If you have suffered through the process of site-built home construction, you very well may have witnessed some delays in the construction waiting for building inspectors to arrive and approve a phase of building before moving forward. Or worse, maybe there was a deficiency, and something had to be fixed and re-inspected before proceeding. Either […]
You may feel like you are dressing up for your new modular home’s arrival, but in fact, it is dressing up for your’s. After your modular home has been set in place on its foundation and secured, there is still some finish work that must be completed even though your home is sealed tight and […]
Modular home construction has been around for a few decades now, but the technologies and designs continue to improve. Particularly in the last decade, the explosion of designs and the increase in availability of modular homes have rapidly increased the modular home as a wise choice of new home construction. But what is on the […]
Are you considering placing your modular home on a site where a current structure exists? Then you will be facing a demolition process before it arrives. Demolishing an old home or building can be time consuming in itself, but the nice benefit with a modular home is that the preparation and actual demolition can happen […]
So you’ve heard that modular homes are better built and are superior to site-built homes, but can modular homes back it up? Absolutely. Warranties are routinely available for modular homes. At ZN Custom Homes, we utilize the knowledge and experience of Bonded Builders Warranty Group. In general, your warranty for your new modular home covers […]
If you have built a site-built home before, you are not likely familiar with what a set crew does or why a crane operator is important. These facets are unique to the modular home industry; and they are extremely important. The set crew is important in placing the modules onto the foundation and securing them […]
As with any new home purchase, the first task is to define what you can afford. This saves a great deal of inconvenience later if you realize what is within your budget. In order to figure this out, meet with a mortgage broker or lender. This defines the pre-approval process. If you are serving as […]
One of the misconceptions about modular homes is that they have design limitations. Some of this misperception come from the assumption that modular homes are the same as manufactured (mobile) homes. Also in the decades past, designs have been more limited. But today, hundreds, if not thousands, of modular home designs exist, and most manufacturers […]
Because about 85 percent of a modular home is built in the factory before it arrives to your lot, many homeowners opt to be their own general contractor. This indeed has many advantages in additional cost savings and as well as control. By applying for a “sweat equity” finance loan there is a degree of […]
Resources are becoming scarcer, the environment is more polluted, and the icecaps are melting. These are legitimate concerns that affect everyone and every industry. In selecting your preferred home, you should also take into consideration these factors which make modular homes one of the best options. From waste management, to resource allocation, to energy efficient […]
Indeed you can save money by choosing a modular home, but how much are the savings? It depends on your design complexity, the size, and the number of options that are added to your modular home plan. Compared to a site-built home, savings are significant, but you are still paying for high quality construction that […]
Aren’t modular homes the same as mobile homes? Not by a long shot! Modular homes are a revolutionary new product for the new home construction industry. Have you seen videos or television depictions of a state-of-the-art automobile manufacturing plant? If you have, imagine a brand new home being built the same way. But instead of […]
It seems like a question that is becoming more popular as more people hear success stories from choosing this form of new home construction. There are several reasons why modular homes are becoming more popular and increasingly taking over a larger segment of the new housing market. Here are the key reasons.
Higher quality - Modular […]