(Pre)Fabulous

I wanted to write about modular homes for a bit this week.  It’s just time.<br/><br/>I always refer to our home as a modular home, but our type of home is also called a prefabricated home.  However, that name has connotations which are not so flattering... Not fair!   Prefab is an abbreviation for prefabricated. The word prefab is often used to describe any type of home that is made from easy-to-assemble building parts that were manufactured off-site.  And, prefabrication isn’t at new concept.  In fact, most everything around us is prefab: the desk you sit at, your printer, even the light on your desk. Prefab simply means an item that is pre-assembled in a factory before the final product gets to you.  It doesn’t mean cheap, it means efficient.  And why not?!  If we pre-assemble most everything, why not pre-assemble homes in a nice, dry environment?<br/><br/>Prefab homes have been around for billions of years, alright, maybe only <em>decades</em>. But, modular housing is incredibly waste-efficient compared to the on-site building processes, which can waste more than 30% of building materials!  I’m not saying, “get out there and hug a tree”, but think about it!<br/><br/>Yesterday I happened to drive by a gigantic landfill.  In the middle of this beautiful countryside, nestled between the fingerlakes, it loomed like a gigantic trash mountain, and quite frankly, it disgusted me.<br/><br/>And rather than overload our landfills even MORE, some architectural firms and design companies are rethinking what prefab means for waste-conscious consumers.  But, before you think you will have to <em>SETTLE </em>if you build a prefab home, modular or prefab home builders combine modular concepts with a customized plan, allowing you, the home builders, to select a basic design and alter it according to your tastes.  As I’ve mentioned in the past, we chose the floor plan of our home and worked on the design room by room. We chose everything from the floor plan, dimensions of the rooms, and ceiling heights, to the flooring, the light fixtures, and the closet inserts. Just like we would have if we built a traditionally built home, BUT, we didn’t add to that huge landfill, and we got exactly what we wanted!<br/><br/>Here’s the only difference from building a traditionally built home:  Once we had a firm idea for the home we wanted, our modular home company outsourced most major construction to the factory, where large portions of our house (walls, beams, flooring, etc.) were assembled. The chunks of house were shipped by truck to our property, where contractors pieced them together quickly - and by quickly, I mean 3 days.<br/><br/>As you can imagine, carefully planned prefab homes make very little waste. Many prefab homes reduce waste to 10% or less, which conserves the environment and saves money for the buyers.<br/><br/>Because homes are factory-made, measurements are precise. Large pieces fit together exactly, and therefore, the house is sealed tightly to conserve energy and potentially save a hundreds, maybe thousands of dollars every year.<br/><br/>(I have to say, the weather is changing rapidly here in CNY, with rain and wind, and we don’t have ANY drafts.) So, that all being said, if you’re thinking of building, please look into modular or prefab homes.  The concept may be new to you, but I think you’ll be love what you see.

(Pre)Fabulous

I wanted to write about modular homes for a bit this week.  It’s just time. I always refer to our home as a modular home, but our type of ho...

Read more »

Build an Addition!

<p style="text-align: center;">I recently read an article written in the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/realestate/2012/08/23/45a84ca6-e55b-11e1-8741-940e3f6dbf48_story.html">Washington Post </a>about modular home additions.  I just built a modular home (you should see the blisters it gave me!), and am in no position to put on an addition, but I love the idea.  And yes, I've written about modular home additions before.  Sorry, I'm addicted!  So many people want to add on to their homes, and this is the perfect solution.  The beauty of this plan is that it's so much faster than a traditionally built addition, and it's cheaper.  And in keeping with my theme of late, it can add huge value to your home!</p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><em>(MOM, are you there?  You know how you and Dad want a new master suite?)</em></p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><em>C</em>heck this out!</p><br/><em>On a cold day in January, homeowners Nick and Catherine Swezey stood in their kitchen looking up at the sky. The roof of their 1923 bungalow in the District’s Kent neighborhood had been torn off to make way for a prefabricated addition on top of the house.</em><br/><br/><em>“That was one of the most dramatic moments presented by this project,” said Nick Swezey, advertising director for the Weekly Standard magazine. “We crossed our fingers it wouldn’t rain that day.”</em><br/><div><article sizset="6" sizcache09880264381142331="37"><em>Fortunately, the weather cooperated and three prebuilt structures were hoisted by crane the next morning and assembled into a second story within the day. The new 900-square-foot level adds a bedroom, a bathroom and a walk-in closet for the homeowners, and a pair of bedrooms and a bathroom for their daughter Charlotte and son William. “Our kids were thrilled when they could look into their rooms on the ground before they were lifted into place,” said Swezey.</em><em>This type of construction, made off-site and transported to a property, is still a rare sight in D.C. neighborhoods. Called modular, manufactured or systems-built, it accounts for only about 1 or 2 percent of the national residential and commercial construction markets, according to Tom Hardiman, executive director of the Modular Building Institute, a trade association based in Charlottesville.</em><br/><br/><em>But pre-made modules, once considered formulaic and flimsy, are becoming more common as a faster, cheaper and less wasteful alternative to conventional stick-built construction, experts say.</em><br/><br/><em>“Perhaps because of the recession and certainly as a result of heightened awareness of sustainability, many owners, developers and architects are demanding more efficiency from their contractors,” said Hardiman. “This, in turn, is forcing contractors to reexamine previously ignored methods such as modular.”</em><br/><br/><em>Proving his point is Case Design/Remodeling Inc., the Bethesda-based company responsible for designing the Swezeys’ addition. “This was our first modular project,” said Bill Millholland, a Case executive vice president. “We got into this type of remodeling to do it in a less expensive and faster way.”</em><br/><br/><em>Once the addition was designed, Case tapped Icon Legacy Custom Modular Homes LLC of Selinsgrove, Pa., to fabricate the structures. Windows, wallboard, crown and base moldings, bedroom carpeting, bathroom vanities, mirrors, toilets and tub were already set into place when the structures arrived on a flatbed truck. Roof rafters and sheathing were pre-built and hoisted into place, and roof shingles were installed by the end of the day.</em><br/><br/><em>The control over construction quality in the factory and accelerated construction schedule convinced the homeowners to try the modular method. “It’s a very efficient process. We were able to get the square footage we were looking for in a shorter period of time — six months of design and construction versus the nine to 12 months it would have taken to stick-build the second floor,” said Catherine Swezey, who works for HotelMe.com, a hotel review Web site. ((End story))</em><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><em></em>Here are a few pictures of modular additions.  This first one is just so cool.  It reminds me of when we had the cranes on our property!</p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/modular-addition-being-placed.jpg"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-511" height="225" src="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/modular-addition-being-placed-300x225.jpg" title="modular addition being placed" width="300" /></a></p><br/><p style="text-align: center;">I really, really think I could handle an addition with a fireplace like this one.</p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/addition.jpg"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-512" height="225" src="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/addition-300x225.jpg" title="addition" width="300" /></a></p><br/><p style="text-align: center;">I adore the vaulted ceilings in the addition below.  Big A and I would love to have a sun room addition some day!</p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Room-Addition-Bergen.jpg"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-513" height="201" src="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Room-Addition-Bergen-300x201.jpg" title="Room-Addition-Bergen" width="300" /></a> It's hard to believe these additions go up so fast, so, for a real eye opener, check out <a href=" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IVGNkJ30y0">THIS YOUTUBE VIDEO</a> !  The Washington Post story mentions a 6 month process, but I would be willing to wager, that was very time consuming compared to most modular additions.  Of course, you have to wait for a sunny day to set your addition - especially if it involves removing a portion of your existing roof.</p><br/><br/></article></div>

Build an Addition!

I recently read an article written in the Washington Post about modular home additions.  I just built a modular home (you should see the bli...

Read more »

Modular Home Extensions or Additions

No hair extensions here, only house extensions!  In the housing world, you may have the option of building a modular addition to your existing house.   I had a couple of comments recently about additions and garages, and there are modular home dealers that offer additions.  Waaaaaay cool!<br/><br/>In-law suites<br/><br/>Master bedrooms with bathrooms<br/><br/>Dining rooms<br/><br/>Garages<br/><br/>Garages with bonus rooms<br/><br/>Full second storys<br/><br/>From what I can see, the modular extension is just like a modular home.  It’s well-built, green, less expensive.  But the real, true, obvious beauty of the modular addition is the <strong><em>time</em></strong> savings.  Assuming you want to stay in your home while renovations are completed, the modular addition will take only days to set!  While renovations done the “stick-built” traditional way could take months.<br/><br/>Years ago I had a large addition put on my old house.  The addition was a full kitchen renovation, with the addition of a dining room/sun room combination.  It was beautiful when it was finished, BUT getting to that point was a long and arduous journey!  While the addition was being stick built, we had several weeks with no access to our kitchen.  Furthermore, construction took place in late winter (our thought was it would be done by Spring), and we had days that our only wall on that side of the house was heavy plastic sheeting.  In mid-winter in Central NY, with two young children, that was not comfortable. In the end, the entire process took about 6 months to complete.  We were cold, we were tired of noise and dust, we were sick of the invasion of privacy, and we just wanted our house back!<br/><br/>With a modular addition, just like a modular home, you are meeting with the builder and designing your addition.  The modular addition dealer will help you with all permits you will need, and checking your existing house before the addition project.  You will be advised along the way, and will order your addition and all the fixin’s.<br/><br/>Obviously your new addition will need siding, which will usually be left off the module and assembled at your property.  The module itself will be built in a factory and delivered to your house on a flat bed, and set with a crane.  The builders will handle all of the finishing touches, with the roof and walls all doing their jobs, so a freak storm can’t rain on  your parade!  Just like a modular home.  There will be minimal disruption to your life. How amazing is that?  It makes me want one!<br/><br/>If you actually need an addition and are looking into the process, I suggest you call various dealers in your area, or visit the following sites for a dealer in your neck of the woods:<br/><br/><a href="http://www.nahb.org/">www.nahb.org</a>  or <a href="http://www.modularhousing.com/">www.modularhousing.com</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/module.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-153" height="150" src="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/module-150x150.jpg" title="module" width="150" /></a><br/><br/> <br/><br/> <br/><br/> <br/><br/>(Module in the factory, ready to be delivered.)<br/><br/>Information or pictures are always welcome!  I would love to share more about modular additions!

Modular Home Extensions or Additions

No hair extensions here, only house extensions!  In the housing world, you may have the option of building a modular addition to your existi...

Read more »

Prefab Home by IKEA

<span>Have you seen the Aktiv, prefab home for sale that was in the news a couple of months ago?  Aktiv is being marketed as 'your own personal Euro designer flat… only where you want it!'  </span>For a mere $86,500 you can have a modular home from IKEA!<br/><br/>Actually, this prefab home is designed by Oregon-based Ideabox with help from IKEA designers.  The "Activ" features 745 sq. ft. of living space, complete with a kitchen, bathroom, washer/dryer, fridge, flooring, and two storage areas that are accessible from outside. However, I'm pretty sure you're gonna need more than the weekend and an allen wrench to put it together!<br/><br/>I do think this is an interesting idea, and I appreciate a furnishing giant like IKEA is helping to draw attention to modular homes.  But for those of us who have done a little homework on the subject of modular homes, you can buy a much larger modular for that price.  That cost doesn't include the land, the foundation, a builder, etc...<br/><br/>Anyway!  Thought that was interesting.  Now back to your regular programming!<br/><br/> <br/><br/> <br/><br/> 

Prefab Home by IKEA

Have you seen the Aktiv, prefab home for sale that was in the news a couple of months ago?  Aktiv is being marketed as 'your own persona...

Read more »