Building a Home

When Big A and I decided to move, because we just needed more room for the kids, we had to decide whether to look for a larger older home, or take the plunge and build.  We, obviously, chose to build, because of the following reasons:<br/><br/><strong>1. Everything is new.</strong> I know, duh!  But at risk of sounding obvious:  We lived in an old home, which was built around 1850.  It was beautiful, had original wood floors, high ceilings, secret passageways and storage areas.  There’s no denying it had charm.  It also had uneven floors, antiquated plumbing, dangerous electrical, leaky windows and doors, lead paint, steep stairs, and a long, long list of other problems. The home we built is brand new.  The walls are straight, the floors are even, and the plumbing and electrical are new, and up to code.<br/><br/>AND, with a modular home, our builder took care of all the details, right down to installing the new carpet, the cabinets, and the lighting.<br/><br/><strong>2. New Windows and Doors.</strong> This deserves a mention, because, rather than a steady fresh breeze (that’s a nice way of saying a “constant damp draft”), our new house is air tight.  If I want a breeze, I’ll open the window.<br/><br/>With a modular home, the modular home builder walks you through all of the options they have available and recommends based on your needs.<br/><br/><strong>3. Better energy efficiency.</strong> The furnace is new, the appliances are new, and the windows and doors are new (and don’t leak).  I’m not paying to heat or air-condition the yard.  Just my house.<br/><br/><strong>4. I did it my way.</strong> Yup, now the song is stuck in my head.  But we did it our way.  Every time I walk in the house I think “we chose that counter top”, or “we thought of making that room bigger”.<br/><br/>We had help, because our modular home dealer had suggestions.  But essentially it was Big A and I who brainstormed and made all of the decisions. Nothing feels better than knowing you built your home the way you wanted to.<br/><br/><strong>5. No wondering where things are.</strong> You know when your Mom (very generously) puts your dishes away for you, and you’re very grateful, but the next day you can’t find your cheese grater <em>ANYWHERE</em>?  In an old home, if you want to do any work on a room, you wonder “where is the wiring?”.  You don’t get that with your new home.  You chose where to put your cable wires, your phone jacks, wiring and outlets.<br/><br/>We even put some outlets in our kitchen cabinets so that we could use them to hide the wires for Christmas lights. Our modular home builder let us sit down and outline exactly where we wanted everything to go.<br/><br/><strong>6. It (may be) a once in a lifetime opportunity.</strong> I know <em>we</em> will never have this opportunity again, and building is certainly going to be a happy memory every time I walk in the front door. As I mentioned, there’s an undeniable charm to older homes, and I’ve loved and appreciated their value.  However, there are some big advantages to building, and especially in building a modular home.<br/><br/>(And because we both like the feel of an older home, we didn't choose a modern look - we chose antiqued hardware and cabinets, and doors with a more classic look. It kind of feels like we got the best of both worlds.)

Building a Home

When Big A and I decided to move, because we just needed more room for the kids, we had to decide whether to look for a larger older home, o...

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Planting a Front Garden

Time marches on.  <em>NO</em>, time <em>FLIES</em>!   It's already the end of June, and there are still a lot of things not crossed off on my To Do list!  However, the summer means birthdays in our family, and one really good thing to having another birthday is that my Mom and Dad surprised me, telling me that I need Big A and his truck in order to get my birthday present!  I need a truck for my present?!  How exciting!<br/><br/>It turns out they bought me a bunch of plants, that are waiting for me at the local garden center, <a href="http://dickmanfarms.com">Dickman Farms</a>.  And that means I'll be able to cross another task off of the dreaded To Do list.  Cuz now I can plant a garden around the foundation!<br/><br/>I've been googling: foundation plants, gardens, container gardens, easy gardening, and more...<br/><br/>So pretty!  This picture below has 3 levels, and I love all the green.  I know day lillies will spread quickly and fill in a lot of space.<br/><br/><a href="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/garden1.jpg"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-290" height="194" src="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/garden1.jpg" title="garden1" width="259" /></a>I love the next garden below.  I love hostas, and I love the hanging baskets with a pop of color.<br/><br/><a href="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/garden2.jpg"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-291" height="194" src="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/garden2.jpg" title="garden2" width="259" /></a><br/><br/>Hostas and lillies below look really lush and full.  And I like the bricks edging the garden.<br/><br/><a href="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/garden3.jpg"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-292" height="183" src="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/garden3.jpg" title="garden3" width="275" /></a><br/><br/>And this one is so pretty - I love yellow!<br/><br/><a href="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/garden4.jpg"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-293" height="300" src="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/garden4-300x300.jpg" title="garden4" width="300" /></a><br/><br/>So now I have some ideas.  Time to grab my Mom and pick her brain for ideas on what is actually feesible in our space, and get to work.<br/><br/> <br/><br/> <br/><br/> <br/><br/> <br/><br/> 

Planting a Front Garden

Time marches on.  NO , time FLIES !   It's already the end of June, and there are still a lot of things not crossed off on my To Do list...

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Painting pictures

Yesterday was a complete deluge, so I wasn't able to take any pictures of our handiwork!  The Master Painter and I wanted you to see what we had accomplished, so here are a few pictures.<br/><br/><a href="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/DSC_00032.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-240" height="199" src="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/DSC_00032-300x199.jpg" title="DSC_0003" width="300" /></a>This is the unpainted lattice.  We chose a black stain, in hopes that it would look good with our black shutters.<br/><br/> <br/><br/> <br/><br/> <br/><br/><a href="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/DSC_00071.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-241" height="300" src="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/DSC_00071-199x300.jpg" title="DSC_0007" width="199" /></a>Here it is stained.   I think it looks pretty good, and when I finish the whole porch (rather than the 1/2 that is done), I will post a picture of the front of the house.<br/><br/> <br/><br/> <br/><br/> <br/><br/> <br/><br/> <br/><br/>We also managed to paint our second-hand steps to the back of the house.  Yesterday I posted a picture of the stair treads I'd like to buy too.  However, my lab decided she would decorate the steps for me.  Wasn't that thoughtful?<br/><br/><a href="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/DSC_00044.jpg"><img alt="" height="199" src="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/DSC_00044-300x199.jpg" title="DSC_0004" width="300" /></a>

Painting pictures

Yesterday was a complete deluge, so I wasn't able to take any pictures of our handiwork!  The Master Painter and I wanted you to see wha...

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Painting

When you build your new modular home, your dealer will be back in one year to check on your home, and because of the house settling, they will fill in any cracks in the walls or ceiling.  They will ask you to wait that year before you paint, so that you don't have to re-paint where the cracks have been filled.  Houses settle, and new houses settle a lot.<br/><br/>I was sitting in our living room one day, about a month after living in our home I noticed a big line across the ceiling. Of course being all house proud and surrounded with the comfort and bliss of my new home, I was shocked and horrified!  But no need to worry, the builders will fill that.  However, this exactly why they suggest you don't paint.  You're gonna have to paint over the filled in cracks.<br/><br/>We couldn't live without any color on the walls for a year, so we decided it would be worth it to paint before we moved in, and just touch up after the inevitable settling.  It's really no big deal - we've had to touch up the paint around the house all of our lives. Paint gets dingy and scratched and cracks appear all the time.  All it takes is a little fresh paint and about 15 minutes of your time to touch up.  Just remember to save your left over paint, and save the paint chips, and label which room they belong to so that you can always get a (nearly) perfect match for patching up.   I have a kitchen drawer that has all of my paintchips, labeled, and neatly stored.<br/><br/><a href="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/DSC_0001.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-175" height="199" src="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/DSC_0001-300x199.jpg" title="DSC_0001" width="300" /></a>Okay so I exaggerated when I said "neatly stored", but I know where they are if I need them!  See them there on the left?  I just write on them which room they belong to, and keep them there in a pile, next to the binoculars and Christmas ribbon!<br/><br/>Personally, I want, need, loooove color on my walls.  If you want all white or monochrome, I think that looks awesome too, but it's not for me.<br/><br/>I specifically have a thing for yellows, golds, and brown, with hints of maroon.  I love sunsets.  Think about the colors you wear, think about a favorite curtain pattern or throw pillow.  What are the colors you gravitate towards?  Of course, you need to go light if you don't have a lot of natural light, and you want it bright.  Go warm if you have tons of light and want your home to seem more cozy.<br/><br/><a href="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/DSC_00081.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-177" height="199" src="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/DSC_00081-300x199.jpg" title="DSC_0008" width="300" /></a><br/><br/>Sunset picture inspires my color choices.<br/><br/> <br/><br/> <br/><br/> <br/><br/>And here are two pillows - I'm not particularly fond of the patterns, but the colors are my colors.  I wanted my wall colors to match these pillows.  It sounds goofy, but it's true -  go for colors that you love having around you.<br/><br/><a href="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/DSC_00061.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-178" height="199" src="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/DSC_00061-300x199.jpg" title="DSC_0006" width="300" /></a><br/><br/> <br/><br/> <br/><br/> <br/><br/> <br/><br/><a href="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/DSC_0005.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-179" height="199" src="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/DSC_0005-300x199.jpg" title="DSC_0005" width="300" /></a><br/><br/> <br/><br/> <br/><br/> <br/><br/> <br/><br/>Next, armed with your favorite color pillow, shirt, painting, etc... go to your home store of choice.  When it comes to picking paint, you'll no doubt be advised to look at the color wheel. Is it me, or is that thing totally overwhelming?  Doesn't it seem too much like hard work?  Well, it does to me.  So rather than tangle with the color wheel, just grab the paint chips that tickle your fancy (those little pieces of cardboard with all the examples of color on them) and stuff 'em in your purse.  They're free!  I like to choose the larger square pieces with one color, rather than the strips with 5 colors per strip.<br/><br/>I usually choose chips that match my colors, then grab lots of the same color, although in slightly different shades.  Take them home and carry them around to each room, because those small variances in shade and hue, look different in all rooms, and at different times of the day.  I once chose a beautiful medium gray for my old dining room and painted the whole room before I waited for the light to change or really let the color grow on me.  It was a lovely gray, until the light changed in that room, and then the paint (and my whole dining room) was no longer grey, it was purple!  Not quite ugly, but definitely NOT what I'd had in mind!<br/><br/>So once you've looked at all the colors in each room, you'll definitely have narrowed it down.<br/><br/>If I'm selecting different colors for each room, I want my colors to <em>flow</em> from one room to the next.  You want the color in the kitchen to go with the color in the dining room, and with the color in the halls... Think about this:  take the colors you like for your various rooms and put them all together on a white piece of paper, would they make a nice color combination for a curtain or a throw pillow? If they all go together nicely, your rooms will flow.<br/><br/><a href="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/DSC_00091.jpg"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-181" height="199" src="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/DSC_00091-300x199.jpg" title="DSC_0009" width="300" /></a><br/><br/>(In the above picture, you can see I have two gold/yellow tones. That white strip of ceiling where you can see a recessed light, will be a reddish/maroon color eventually.)<br/><br/>* Note: kids bedrooms are different.  I believe in letting them have their own space and choosing their own colors, no matter how awful you think those colors are.  As I mentioned my affinity for sunset colors, my kids have completely different tastes. Our kids have bedrooms in electric blue, frog green, denim blue...  Our only rule was the flooring had to be our choice (a neutral gray carpet), and they could choose any paint they wanted.  After all, it's their space, and walls are easy enough to change.  While their rooms are now electric hews, with Eminem and David Beckham posters, I just close their bedroom doors and go to my happy place.<br/><br/><a href="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/DSC_0011.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-180" height="300" src="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/DSC_0011-199x300.jpg" title="DSC_0011" width="199" /></a>This is a happy place...<br/><br/> 

Painting

When you build your new modular home, your dealer will be back in one year to check on your home, and because of the house settling, they wi...

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Happy Memorial Day!

<a href="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/DSC_0004.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-171" height="300" src="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/DSC_0004-199x300.jpg" title="DSC_0004" width="199" /></a>

Happy Memorial Day!

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Porch Railings...

Day two of staining the porch railings on our new modular home, and it is coming along.  After two full days of work, with the stain scented wind in my hair, and bees around my ankles, I think I have finally cracked the code to painting quickly and efficiently.<br/><br/>I had to cover the composite decking, because I do not want to have to deal with cleaning stain droplets off of the deck floor.  So I bought 4 large plastic sheets from Home Depot, which set me back all of $4.  I taped the plastic down and got to work.<br/><br/><em>Not so fast!</em>  It was windy and the plastic was paper thin.  You can probably imagine the wind blew the flimsy plastic, slapping it into the wet stain, and then wrapping it around my bare calves, thus staining my legs.  <em>Not</em> what I call a good look for summer. And not my finest hour.<br/><br/>To add insult to injury, I inevitably dripped stain on the plastic, and managed to step in it every time.  Then worried about tracking it around and had to constantly check the bottom of my flip-flop. This clearly wasn't gonna work.<br/><br/>So I rummaged around in the basement and found a large piece of cloth.  My first thought was the stain will bleed right though it to the flooring. Despite my worry, I folded the cloth into a 3 ft long square and placed it under the railing where I was working, moving it as I went.  This worked much better.  It was heavy enough that it didn't blow in the wind, and there were not wet drip marks to step in!<br/><br/>So, my advice is: save yourself $4.  Wahoo!  Just enough for a RedBull! (I hate them, but you're gonna need one!)<br/><br/>Regardless of your drop cloth, staining is sloooow going.  If you have wooden balusters and they're turned, as opposed to smooth, I feel for you!  Here's my advice:  choose smooth balusters if you're going to end up staining them.  Better yet, choose plastic so you don't have to stain them at all!  Only joking!  But for two days I can tell you I was thinking "<em>Curse choosing the turned spindles!</em>", only the version in my head had some more colorful words in it...<br/><br/>Here's what I advise for staining, provided you have turned balusters:<br/><br/>The porch posts are the easy part.  The surface is larger and smoother. The porch posts or columns extend from the porch ceiling to the floor of the porch and support the porch roof.  To stain the porch posts I used a 2" foam brush.  This seemed to work well, and foam brushes are so cheap you can use as many as you need.<br/><br/>The turned balusters are a serious snore-fest to stain. Balusters are usually 36 inches tall and are offered in different widths and styles. We have a <em>turned</em> baluster, which means more nooks and crannies than an English muffin, to paint in.  Balusters are placed between top railings and the bottom rail and are usually spaced 4 inches apart.  What that means is: even if you have a small porch, you'll still <em>LOTS</em> off balusters to stain!  *Caution: May cause marked drowsiness and irritability.<br/><br/>So, the posts go pretty quickly.  But if you get stuck, I mean, volunteer to stain the balusters, like I did, here's the fastest way I found to get it done:<br/><br/>Start by using a 1" foam brush.  Get the brush wet in the stain, but not dripping wet.  Squish it into all of the nooks in the turns first.  Don't worry if it's a little thick, you can even it out after.<br/><br/><a href="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/DSC_00031.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-162" height="300" src="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/DSC_00031-199x300.jpg" title="DSC_0003" width="199" /></a>Then slather the stain from the top down, like you're slathering on BBQ sauce, and even out any drips.  Just make sure you get a <em>good cover</em>.  But within reason...<br/><br/>It's really easy to be a perfectionist and get caught up in going over every little tiny weeny crack and bump on the wood.  Don't bother!  Just put the stain on fairly thick, even it out and keep moving.  I did an experiment and stained several of the balustrads really, really carefully, and a couple the fast, efficient way. Guess what?   Can't tell the difference when they're dry!<br/><br/> <br/><br/>Well that's it for staining the porch railings.  And one thing off my "to do list".  Only 19 to go!

Porch Railings...

Day two of staining the porch railings on our new modular home, and it is coming along.  After two full days of work, with the stain scented...

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Air Conditioning

Yesterday I was sitting in my office writing about how I’m not particularly fond of Air Conditioning.  I like the windows open and the smell of the cut grass!  As I sat here, the breeze was blowing in the windows, and my husband was out mowing.  It was lovely, except...<br/><br/>I couldn’t stop sneezing!  I confess, it occurred to me: if the windows were all closed and I had AC, I probably wouldn’t be suffering from allergies as badly.  Because of all the sneezing, and the itchy, watery eyes, this is my second week without mascara (<em>I know!</em>).  And they say it’s going to be a long allergy season, since our winter was so mild.  And the weatherman says it’s going to be <em>HOT</em> too!  Perhaps I should have given the whole house AC a little more thought...<br/><br/>Seriously, besides keeping us cool, and me grumbling about my allergies, there are some definite health benefits to Air Conditioning.  In hot climates, or on scorching hot summer days here in Central NY, we’ve all worried about our elderly or very young family members and neighbors during heat waves.  Excessive heat can cause fatigue and dehydration, which are both dangerous.  It goes without saying that an air conditioning system can reduce symptoms of fatigue as well as the risk of dehydration.  A <em>CLEAN</em> air conditioning system can help with external allergens (ie. pollen!) and can help with your overall air quality too.<br/><br/>Also, let’s not forget the importance of a good night’s sleep.  I feel for my kids when it’s really hot.  They have to sleep with covers on them at night (<em>it’s a known fact that bad guys can’t get you if your under covers</em>).  Of course that gets hot, and sleeping is a lot easier when you’re cool.<br/><br/>Air conditioning systems are expensive, and often need repairs - so depending on the systems your builder offers, it’s a good idea to check out Consumer Reports for the most reliable brands.  If you do end up putting in an air conditioning system, there are ways to reduce your monthly bills and to keep your house cooler in general:<br/><ul><br/> <li>Keep blinds and shades closed in the windows that get the most sun.  This really, really keeps the temperature down in your house.</li><br/> <li>Use a ceiling fan to circulate the cool air around you.  This way you can turn your AC thermostat up a few degrees, and still feel just as cool.</li><br/> <li>The new Energy Star light bulbs produce less heat, so there’s less hot air to cool down, thus reducing your cost.</li><br/> <li>AC units have programmable timers so that you can set cooling times around your schedule.  Just set the AC to come on about an hour before you get home, rather than cooling an empty house.</li><br/> <li>Cook on your grill.  And if you get sick of grilled food like I do by the end of summer, can you plug-in your crock pot outside?  Do anything but use the oven, which adds tons of heat to your house!</li><br/> <li>Make sure the AC filter is clean.  Periodically have a professional check your duct work , vents and registers for leaks.</li><br/></ul><br/>If budget is an issue, ceiling fans can be effective, as are window AC units.  And there’s always the stand-by of placing the underside of your wrists under cold running water for a few minutes.  That’s what we are doing, at least for this summer.

Air Conditioning

Yesterday I was sitting in my office writing about how I’m not particularly fond of Air Conditioning.  I like the windows open and the smell...

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Ceiling Fans

One of the options we chose <em>not</em> to include in our modular home was central air conditioning.  We do have a furnace, so if we decide we need central air down the road, we can certainly install it.  I’m hoping that we wont need air, because it gives me a headache, and because I love the windows open and the smell of fresh air and cut grass in the summer.  We have our house closed up all winter, and I don’t want it closed up in the summer.  Of course we live in Central New York, not central Texas, so that at least allows me the option of choosing fans.<br/><br/>We're also hoping to realize some savings with the fans, both in summer and in winter.  Central air costs about seventy times more to run than a fan.  And, according to the fan experts, a ceiling fan can make you feel 3 to 8 degrees cooler.  That's not too bad.<br/><br/>(Today I’m using the term “we” loosely.  My husband would love AC.  So, I will post on AC tomorrow, and consider his opinion).<br/><br/>Our modular home builder wired every room for ceiling fans.  Yesterday it was 91 degrees, which is hot for May, but the house was nice and cool, with just the fans going.  I’m hoping that’s a good omen, but I’ll have to let you know how we’re doing come mid-July when every day is 90 degrees.<br/><br/>If you do want central air, you can still use a ceiling fan and raise your AC temperature, which will also enable you to save money.<br/><br/>I did a quick look on The Home Depot website and there are about 15 pages of ceiling fans, ranging in price from $34.97 to $1908.09 .  Of course loading your house full of 2000 dollar fans, it may take a while to realize any energy savings!<br/><br/><a href="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/cheap-fan.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-130" height="300" src="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/cheap-fan.jpg" title="cheap fan" width="300" /></a>This is the least expensive fan:<br/><br/> <br/><br/> <br/><br/> <br/><br/> <br/><br/> <br/><br/> <br/><br/> <br/><br/><a href="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/exp-fan.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-131" height="300" src="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/exp-fan.jpg" title="exp fan" width="300" /></a>This is the most expensive:<br/><br/> <br/><br/> <br/><br/> <br/><br/> <br/><br/> <br/><br/> <br/><br/> <br/><br/>You don't have to go to those extremes - as I remember ours cost around $90.  If you decide to buy a couple of ceiling fans, either to help keep the AC temperature up, or to use on their own, you need to get the right size.  Here is a guide to buying the right size fan (from The Home Depot):<br/><br/><strong>Fan Size</strong><br/><br/>Select a fan that is sized to match the dimensions of the room where it will be installed. Fan size is determined by measuring the width straight across from blade tip to blade tip. While a fan may be larger than necessary, as long as it has enough room to rotate properly, a fan that's too small will not effectively circulate the air.<br/><div dir="ltr"><br/><table><colgroup> <col width="65" /> <col width="110" /> <col width="135" /> <col width="313" /></colgroup><br/><tbody><br/><tr><br/><td>Fan Size</td><br/><td>Room Size (Sq. Ft.)</td><br/><td>Room Types</td><br/><td>Points to Consider</td><br/></tr><br/><tr><br/><td>32"</td><br/><td>Up to 80</td><br/><td><br/><ul><br/> <li>Bedroom</li><br/> <li>Bathroom</li><br/> <li>Kitchen</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/><td><br/><ul><br/> <li>Matching fan size to room ensures greater energy efficiency</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/></tr><br/><tr><br/><td>42"</td><br/><td>80-120</td><br/><td><br/><ul><br/> <li>Bedroom</li><br/> <li>Office/study</li><br/> <li>Porch</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/><td><br/><ul><br/> <li>Outdoor areas require specially-designed fans</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/></tr><br/><tr><br/><td>44"</td><br/><td>120-144</td><br/><td><br/><ul><br/> <li>Bedroom</li><br/> <li>Living room</li><br/> <li>Patio</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/><td><br/><ul><br/> <li>Downrods and angle mounts allow installation in tall ceilings</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/></tr><br/><tr><br/><td>52"+</td><br/><td>144+</td><br/><td><br/><ul><br/> <li>Family room</li><br/> <li>Great room</li><br/> <li>Patio</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/><td><br/><ul><br/> <li>Remotes and wall controls make adjusting fan speed easy</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/></tr><br/></tbody><br/></table><br/></div><br/>I’m not trying to play favorites here, but The Home Depot really does have a huge selection of fans.  I bought mine from the store, rather than online, and it was easy to get the right sizes, and I had a fun afternoon looking at all the fans and lights with my Mom!   All of the ceiling fans I bought had lights.  I needed the lights, but certainly, they come without lights depending on your taste and budget.<br/><br/>Here is our ceiling fan in the living room. The light is not very bright because the shade is a teracotta color.  We don't need a lot of light in our living room because it gets a lot of light from outdoors in the day, and at night we want it ambient rather than bright.<br/><br/><a href="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/DSC_00211.jpg"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-134" height="199" src="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/DSC_00211-300x199.jpg" title="DSC_0021" width="300" /></a><br/><br/>That <em>WAS</em> in our bedroom, because I <em>thought</em> I wanted it to be nice and dim and romantic in there.  But it turns out I don't!  I want to read at night!  So we took this out of the living room:<br/><br/><a href="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/DSC_0020.jpg"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-135" height="199" src="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/DSC_0020-300x199.jpg" title="DSC_0020" width="300" /></a><br/><br/>Not only can I read at night, I find my outfits actually match nowadays!<br/><br/>When you use your ceiling fan, and this may seem obvious, but sometimes I like to state the obvious - in the summer months, make sure the blades are blowing down.  We generate heat, and fans push that hot air away from our bodies.  When we sweat, the moving air cools us as well.  Ceiling fans do not make the air cooler, they just cool <em>YOU</em>.  To be clear, no need to leave ceiling fans on if you're not home, they cool people not the air.<br/><br/>Ceiling fans are also efficient during the winter.  Almost all ceiling fans have  a switch to change the direction of the blade.  In winter, your heat rises, so all your heat heads up to the ceiling.  I’ve read that the air at the ceiling is 15 degrees warmer than the rest of the room!  <em>What?! </em> If you change the direction of the blades and keep them  on the lowest speed, you will gently force the heat back down to the floor, where you are!<br/><br/>Now here’s a tip:  When winter is over, and you decide to switch the direction of the ceiling fan blades, stop and think.  What is that long handled duster I own used for? Why don’t I use it on the ceiling fan blades?  Because, according to a friend of mine, not <em>ME</em>, if you skip this step, and just switch the direction and turn the fan on, you will walk back into a room full of little tiny dust bunnies.  That must have been really funny for my friend.<br/><br/>You have to get your ceiling fans up.  I’m lucky.  I have a live-in electrician.  And he’s tall.  So, he hung our ceiling fans in the blink of an eye.  One day this Spring we even decided to switch the ceiling fan  in the bedroom with the one in the living room, and by the time I had a cup of coffee he had the fans switched.  Good job, darlin!  <em>BUT</em>, if you don’t know what you’re doing and don’t have someone handy in your life, hire someone.  The fans can be heavy, you have to stand on a ladder a fool around with wires.  <em>Not</em> a good idea.<br/><br/>Well, that’s it for today and ceiling fans.  Now I’m off to help my hubby with cutting the poison ivy vines from our trees - <em>no, not really! </em> That’s not a good idea either!

Ceiling Fans

One of the options we chose not to include in our modular home was central air conditioning.  We do have a furnace, so if we decide we need...

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Tray Ceilings

Look up!  Isn't that what your mother always told you? Oh, no, that was stand up straight, anyway...  The ceiling is sometimes referred to as the fifth wall, and although I'm not big on painted ceilings in every room, I do believe they have their uses!  Keeping rain out is always handy.  In our modular home, the ceiling in the dining room is very useful in another way.<br/><br/>If you've decided to build a modular home ask your dealer about the possibility of a tray (or trey) ceiling.  FYI: A tray ceiling is a recessed area like an inverted tray, cut into the actual ceiling, so that the center of the ceiling is higher than the surrounding edge, by about 12".  It’s easy to add during construction and creates architectural interest galore!  I’m not saying add one to each room, but a tray ceiling in your master bedroom or dining room would be very dramatic.<br/><br/>AND tray ceilings are perfect for modular homes because they are very modern looking, and, modular homes are generally modern!  Deep, huh?<br/><br/>Our floor plan is fairly open. As I mentioned we have a very large family and we needed the kitchen, dining room and living room to be open, so that we can all eat and still see one another.<br/><br/><a href="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/DSC_0054.jpg"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-121" height="199" src="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/DSC_0054-300x199.jpg" title="DSC_0054" width="300" /></a><br/><br/>In these two pictures you can kind of see what I mean.  Where the two stools sit, is a bar area to the kitchen.  And below, the view from the bar to the living room and dining room.<br/><br/><a href="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/DSC_0057.jpg"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-122" height="199" src="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/DSC_0057-300x199.jpg" title="DSC_0057" width="300" /></a><br/><br/>However, for nights when its just a few of us, or two of us (yeah right!) we wanted our dining room to have it’s own feel.  The modular home we chose came with a tray ceiling (Shown, but not Included!).  This was the answer to our dilemma.  The tray visually separates the dining room from the rest of the house.  And this makes me happy!<br/><br/>A really pretty way to enhance the tray ceiling is with lighting.  The kind of lighting would depend on you design and decor.  We chose recessed lights in the tray, which are on a dimmer.  We can use either the chandelier, or the recessed lights, or both.<br/><br/>As you can see, I haven’t finished painting my tray ceiling.  I want to highlight and paint the area of the tray where the lights are, a contrasting color to the golds we currently have. And, I am going to, I mean with my husbands blessing, I <em>would like to</em> paint some sort of glaze or mottled look on the actual ceiling.  However, convincing him that this will look amazing, is another story!  I may have to wait til he’s working late, and plan my attack... When that actually happens I will post an update.<br/><br/> 

Tray Ceilings

Look up!  Isn't that what your mother always told you? Oh, no, that was stand up straight, anyway...  The ceiling is sometimes referred ...

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My Modular Home Pictures

I took a couple of pictures to show you some of the changes we made to the specifications or inclusions in our modular home:<br/><br/><a href="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/DSC_0511.jpg"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-108" height="300" src="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/DSC_0511-199x300.jpg" title="DSC_0511" width="199" /></a><br/><br/>This is the front door.  The original door came with a very ornate window, and we chose the lead, with no colored glass.<br/><br/><a href="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/DSC_0515.jpg"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-109" height="300" src="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/DSC_0515-199x300.jpg" title="DSC_0515" width="199" /></a><br/><br/>Here is our back door/laundry room/mud room!  And here are the muddy shoes!  SO, we put a pocket door from the kitchen to the mud room and VOILA!  (See below!)<br/><br/><a href="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/DSC_0517.jpg"><img alt="" height="300" src="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/DSC_0517-199x300.jpg" title="DSC_0517" width="199" /></a><br/><br/>Ha ha! See, isn't that nicer than looking at muddy boots and laundry!  I'm a problem solver, not a cleaner!<br/><br/><a href="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/DSC_0519.jpg"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-112" height="199" src="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/DSC_0519-300x199.jpg" title="DSC_0519" width="300" /></a><br/><br/>This is a picture of one of the pendant lights that hang over the island.  The original pendants came with plain white glass shades, but we found these as Lowe's, and looooove them!<br/><br/>For now, that's it!  Have a wonderful weekend!<br/><br/> <br/><br/> <br/><br/> 

My Modular Home Pictures

I took a couple of pictures to show you some of the changes we made to the specifications or inclusions in our modular home: This is the fro...

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Modular home inclusions

When you have chosen the modular home you are most interested in, your dealer will more than likely be happy to accommodate any changes you wish to make.  We were given a list of the specifications that were included in the modular home we wished to build.  Most prefab home dealers will give you a list of what is <em>SHOWN</em> in the modular show house, and what is actually included!  Essentially, we took that list home, crossed off certain inclusions we had no use for, and added features we wanted.  We added ideas we had seen in the past, or had seen in other modular show homes.  Our dealer then gave us a new price based on our specifications, and he gave us new blueprints reflecting our changes.<br/><br/>Here is a list of <em>SOME</em> of the changes we made.  I hope this list might give you some inspiration.<br/><br/>Things we added to our specifications:<br/><br/>-Added a door between laundry room and kitchen.  There was an arch way between the two rooms, so to eliminate noise from the laundry, we added a pocket door.  (Note: the laundry room is also a "mud room" of sorts, so it's nice to shut the door and not have to look at muddy boots!  You know, rather than put the muddy boots away...)<br/><br/>-All rooms wired for ceiling fans. We did not opt for central air, but may add that in the future.<br/><br/>- We had TV jacks put in all rooms.  Better to have the TV jacks and outlets there than have to add them at a later date.<br/><br/>-13 course basement.  I guess my husband didn’t want to have to duck while he was hiding from me when I ask him to help me in the kitchen...<br/><br/>-TV jack and outlet in cabinet above fridge - we hide a small tv in this cupboard, so that it’s not out on the counter or mounted on the wall.  I like having a tv in the kitchen, but I don't want to see it when I have company over!  (We wanted the have the cabinet doors slide in, like a tv cabinet, but our dealer couldn't do that - no biggie in the scheme of things).<br/><br/>-Plumbing stubs and conduit chase to 2nd floor for possible later use. Again, better to have this done than have to do this years later when you want to use rooms for something different. (BTW email me if you know what plumbing stubs and conduit chase are!)<br/><br/>-Lights either side of front door and extra external lights.  We live in the country and don’t have street lights, so lighting outside was essential.<br/><br/>-Fill in space between bath and shower.  There was a gap of about 6” between the tub and shower in our master bath, so we had them fill that with decorative tile - why clean the floor in that tiny space?<br/><br/>-Reversed floor plan so driveway was to the side door.<br/><br/>-Added a 3rd dormer and made the dormers themselves larger.  This was my husbands idea, and our dealer showed us what that would look like with a CAD.  It just looked so much better, so we went for the extra cost. (There was also additional cost for the freight the extra size).<br/><br/>-Added 2 feet to the living room and dining room area.  The dining room really needed the extra room to fit our large table.<br/><br/>-Roof pitch.  We changed the roof line to give us more room in the upstairs.<br/><br/>-9 ft ceilings.  My husband is tall.  I now have my very own step-stool.<br/><br/>-We had the builder add a ½ wall in the master bathroom, next to the toilet, for privacy reasons. (Don't ask, it just works!)<br/><br/>-Had grids put in windows, on the top half only.<br/><br/>-The glass in the front door was too ornate for our taste, we chose a different door.<br/><br/>-Interior doors chosen from another modular show home, we liked the cottage-feel.<br/><br/>-Laminate for kitchen floor.  We wanted laminate floors for the entire kitchen, living room and dining room, but cost kept it to kitchen only.  However, now I love the carpet throughout the rest of the house.  In the winter it was so warm and cozy.  It just feels good!<br/><br/>-Dining room tray ceiling.  Because of the open floor plan, I think the tray ceiling makes the dining room feel distinct.<br/><br/>- We had a wood shelf put in the in master bedroom closet. It's not as if I can reach it, but it is extra space for jeans that will fit <em>next year</em>!<br/><br/>-Lights in all closets, except...  Strangely, we forgot to have a light put in our linen closet, and I think we use that the most!  (Eye roll).<br/><br/>-We had pendant lights hung over the island in the kitchen, which look amazing.<br/><br/>-The kitchen had tons of cabinets, but we had them also include a revolving corner cabinet.  This is great for large, hard to store items like vases.  Furthermore, we had a cabinet included just for cookie sheets, pizza pans and cutting boards. It just makes me happy.<br/><br/>-We chose a kitchen island from a different modular show home, and chose bead board for the island. It is beautiful.<br/><br/>-The house came with some recessed spots, but we doubled up, and added under cabinet lights in the kitchen.<br/><br/>-All of our hardware and cabinetry was different from what was shown in the modular show home.<br/><br/>As you can imagine, with all of these additions, we also got rid of a lot of features that we didn’t feel we needed.  I won’t give you a complete list, but for instance:<br/><br/>-We did not keep the wine refrigerator, bar sink and faucet.<br/><br/>-The original specs included a wall stove, and I wanted a free standing stove.<br/><br/>-There was a circle window in one of the peaks, and a half-circle window above one of the windows, that were both omitted.<br/><br/>As you can see the possibilities are endless.  If you think of and idea you like or you see something in a magazine, or <em>whatever</em>, just ask your modular home dealer! If you have a good dealer/builder I'm sure they will be happy to help you!  And, as usual, if you have any cool features in your home, please comment!<br/><br/>I will post some pictures tomorrow.

Modular home inclusions

When you have chosen the modular home you are most interested in, your dealer will more than likely be happy to accommodate any changes you ...

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Porches and Decks

I love our covered front porch which we altered slightly from the original, which you can see at <a href="http://www.keymodularhomes.com">www.keymodularhomes.com</a> .  (Our house is based on the "Waterbury").  We chose to have a composite material for the flooring, and in an effort to save a little we went with the traditional wood railings.  There’s plenty of room for seating, and our little one even has enough room to ride his scooter back and forth.  In the future, we plan to wrap the porch around to the back of the house to incorporate a deck and patio area.  I’ve been buying lottery tickets with no luck so far.<br/>Regardless, most modular homes come with the option of decks and porches and there are different floor materials for one to consider. Obviously you want your porch or deck to look good for years to come.<br/><br/><strong>Wood</strong> is the most common choice for a porch or deck floor.  Of course it looks natural, cuz it is!  Maintenance is essential, and you will have to treat the wood so that it doesn't crack or change color due to weather and sun.  I had a wood deck on my old house that I had to stain and weather proof every spring.  We had a large tree that provided essential shade over one side of the deck.  When it rained, the area of the deck under the shade of the tree stayed damp and would grow a fine moss, which was very slippery and had to be power washed frequently.<br/><br/><strong>Pressure Treated Wood</strong> is treated with preservatives.  It is inexpensive and is resistant to rot from the elements and insects, but it will still warp and bend. It has to be treated as wood to prevent the warping.<br/><br/><strong>Composite</strong> is another option. Composite is a combination of wood and plastic. When composite decking/flooring first came on the market it wasn't without problems, but the technology has come a long way.  Today composite decking is very durable and will last a long time, and is very low maintenance.  It won’t warp or crack and is ideal for uncovered areas, as it won’t fade (as much) in the sun.  You will have to clean it, but a power wash now and again is about all there is to it.  The downfall, is composite is expensive!<br/><br/>Here’s a picture of our porch with the composite floor and the wood railings (that still need to be stained).<br/><br/><a href="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/497.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-85" height="199" src="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/497-300x199.jpg" title="497" width="300" /></a>It is very simple to make your porch and extension of your living space.  In the summer, I sometimes <em>miss my house</em> because we spent so much time on the porch or deck!<br/><br/>Now, I’m not big on gardening, much to my mother’s chagrin, but I do like container gardening.  Porches and decks let you create miniature gardens in outdoor containers, or container gardens.  As soon as we are out of the danger of frost, I will be planting a lot of pots for the front porch.  Not only is it easier than gardening, you can move the containers anywhere at any time.  Hanging plants not only look beautiful, but they can act as natural privacy shield if hung in the right place.  I also like the look of evergreen shrubs or small trees planted in pots.  Year round color!<br/><br/>If you need a little privacy from neighbors, or just like the look, there are all kinds of outdoor curtains and blinds to hang from either end of your porch.  Or, do as a friend of mine has and head to the fabric store to pick out a fabric you love.  Hang it up using furniture tacks.  Use table cloth weights at the bottom of the fabric to keep it from blowing too much.<br/><br/>You can decorate a porch just like you would inside.  There are indoor/outdoor rugs that look beautiful on a deck or porch.  Throw pillows, candles, vases, bowls - all can have a home outside.  And I love white twinkle lights on the porch all year round.  You don’t have to string them up, just put them in plants or cluster them in a big bowl. Happy porch sitting!<br/><br/><a href="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/4901.jpg"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-86" height="199" src="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/4901-300x199.jpg" title="490" width="300" /></a>

Porches and Decks

I love our covered front porch which we altered slightly from the original, which you can see at www.keymodularhomes.com .  (Our house is b...

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Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all of you moms out there!<br/><br/>I spent part of today cleaning up the front porch and hanging my (new) hanging baskets.  It's looking pretty good out there, so I will take some pictures and post about front porches and decks tomorrow.<br/><br/> 

Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all of you moms out there! I spent part of today cleaning up the front porch and hanging my (new) hanging baskets....

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Choose your Foundation

This single most exciting day during the whole process of building our modular home was the day I arrived at our property and the foundation had been completed.  It might not have looked like much, and our beautiful piece of land looked in need of <em>disaster relief</em>, but I was happier than a kid in a pumpkin patch!  Looking at the foundation told me that this was real, and we were building a house.<br/><br/><a href="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/foundation.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-57" height="225" src="http://www.fyimodularhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/foundation-300x225.jpg" title="foundation" width="300" /></a><br/><br/>Choosing a foundation for a modular home largely depends on your budget.  You can choose between a slab, crawlspace, or a basement.  Of course your modular home dealer can advise you best based on your budget and any geographical considerations.  Because we have billions of children, and my husband has several big-boy toys, like motorcycles, we needed the extra space and the convenience of a full walk out basement. We had a natural slope to our land, so that made the walk out option fairly easy for us.<br/><br/>Here are a few details on the options for consideration:<br/><br/><strong>Slab:</strong><br/><br/>A concrete slab is a flat, concrete pad that is poured directly on the ground. It typically consists of three to five inches of concrete. Simply because it takes little labor, a slab is the easiest foundation to make, and therefore is the least expensive. This is ideal for warmer climates, but would not work where the ground freezes in the winter.<br/><br/><strong>Basement:</strong><br/><br/>We chose to have our home placed on a basement foundation. Though a basement is much more highly-priced than a slab, it is a good investment. Not only does the basement give you valuable storage, but it is possible to convert a basement into living space in the future. Not to mention, well-constructed basements are typically regarded a positive selling point for most buyers. Our basement walls are so well insulated that it is very comfortable and warm. (Warmth is nice when you have to go down to the basement to let the kids out, I mean to get a hammer.)<br/><br/><strong>Crawl Space:</strong><br/><br/>A crawl space will be the space between the ground and the bottom of a home. Even though it will not supply livable space like a basement, a crawl space keeps the home up off the ground, and this is beneficial in areas that are prone to the damp. However, a crawl space is not going to offer much storage space.<br/><br/>Of course your budget will determine what you can afford for a foundation, and your dealer/builder will advise you.  Let me know if you have any advice on choosing a foundation.  And, I apologize, one of these days I will endeavour to put up some pictures, however, the ability to do that escapes me!  Some days I wish I'd married a computer guy - then again some days I wish I'd married a hair dresser, a massage therapist....  anyway, we will figure out how to post pictures soon!<br/><br/> 

Choose your Foundation

This single most exciting day during the whole process of building our modular home was the day I arrived at our property and the foundation...

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So many questions...

<h1 id="internal-source-marker_0.12699794639675133" dir="ltr">Be an Educated Buyer when Choosing a Modular Home Dealer!  Ask questions!</h1><br/><ul><br/> <li>What does the modular home builder include in their base price?  We had a lengthy list of inclusions based on the floor plan we had chosen.</li><br/> <li>Are there any additional fees for modifying or drawing your own modular home floor plan? There were some charges for changes we made to our floor plan.  For instance there was a charge for us to "mirror" the floor plan.  And, I can’t tell you how many times we changed our “inclusions”, and had to have the price adjusted.  Sometimes we saved money, and sometimes we did not!  I <em>had</em> to have a certain kitchen island that was not included in our original price, and my husband <em>had</em> to have a certain layout to the bathroom that was not included. We spent more money on these particular options, but we saved some cash by choosing carpet instead of Pergo in our living room, and by .. uh, well, I guess we didn't save much money!</li><br/> <li>Does the modular home builder offer a "Turn Key" construction package? If so, what does it include, or do you have to find your own sub-contractors?  We did not want to deal with sub-contracting!  When we moved into our house, everything was done, all we had to do was “turn the key” to move in.  The carpets were down, the mirrors were up, the walls were primed.  One of the reasons we chose our dealer was because of the turn key service.</li><br/> <li>How much upfront or down payment cash is needed to receive blue-prints or to order the modular home? Is any part of the down payment refundable?</li><br/> <li>When looking at a modular home model, is the quoted cost "as shown" or is it the base price without options included?  The show homes we saw were quoted as shown.  However, because we had so many changes, the dealer ended up giving us a base price and provided us with a list of all the inclusions with prices.</li><br/> <li>How long have sub-contractors been with the builder?</li><br/> <li>Does the modular home builder have a field supervisor?  The field supervisor we met oversaw the house being set on the foundation, and he made sure the house was as we expected before we moved in.  In fact, I realized (much to my horror!) our kitchen island was made of the wrong wood when we had our walk through, and the supervisor had it delivered and changed that week.  Total freak-out averted!</li><br/> <li>Is the building site inspected for potential additional costs prior to signing a purchase agreement? Our site was inspected and we were warned about several additional costs, such as trees that needed to come down, which although it was more money, it was much better to have the warning than to be surprised!</li><br/> <li>Is the modular home builder quoting you allowances or actual costs? (example: lighting, cabinets, flooring - we chose all of this and were aware of the actual costs.)</li><br/> <li>Is a sump pump included in the package? (Our package did, but we chose not to have one, more on that later!)</li><br/> <li>Is there an additional delivery charge for the modular home, or extra cost for blueprints for basement or house?</li><br/> <li>Is there an additional charge for the crane used to place the modular home on the foundation?</li><br/> <li>Is trash removal included in the cost?  Is the modular home cleaned when construction is finished?  When we had our walk through of our newly set home, the house was very dusty, and there was a fair amount of trash, such as carpet remnants, inside. However, our house was spotless when we moved in.</li><br/> <li>How is the service and warranty work handled (by the company or sub- contractors?).  In our case, the warranty is all handled by our builder.</li><br/> <li>Is repairing drywall cracks included as part of the service warranty? After one year of living in our home, the builder returns to repair any drywall cracks.</li><br/></ul><br/>My hubby had A LOT of other questions, some regarding the plumbing and electrical work, which I will have to interrogate him about at a later date (because all I heard at the time was "blah, blah, blah, blah?  nah, nah, nah?" !  However, this list of questions should be a good starting point for now!<br/><br/>Our dealer, Key Homes, <a href="http://www.keymodularhomes.com">www.keymodularhomes.com</a> , has a lot of information on their website, including this list of questions.  Feel free to check them out!

So many questions...

Be an Educated Buyer when Choosing a Modular Home Dealer!  Ask questions! What does the modular home builder include in their base price? ...

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Check out the local modular home dealers!

Modular home manufacturers supply the home modules to your local builder, who then set your home on your chosen permanent foundation.  You will want to find a modular home builder or dealer in your area.  As I mentioned before, we found several modular home dealers by driving around our area and dropping into the various show home sites.  However, if you haven’t noticed any local modular home dealers in your area, go to the following websites to click on a map to find a list of dealers or builders for you to call.<br/><br/><a href="http://www.nahb.org/">www.nahb.org</a> Use this website to find modular home builders in your state.<br/><br/><a href="http://www.modularhousing.com">www.modularhousing.com</a> Use this website to find modular home builders in your area.<br/><br/>In our area, I’ve noticed many modular homes being set, and the builder will have a sign posted on the building site.  If your timing is right, you may be able to see someones house being set.  Alternatively, call your local builders and they should be happy to give you a list of people in your area who have built modular homes for you to drive by.  When we were building our home, many people stopped by our property to ask questions about our modular home building process and which dealer we used.<br/><br/>Just like I mentioned earlier, most importantly, choose a dealer you feel comfortable with.  This is one of the biggest events of your life and you don't want to be giving possibly hundreds of thousands of dollars to someone who makes you uncomfortable!

Check out the local modular home dealers!

Modular home manufacturers supply the home modules to your local builder, who then set your home on your chosen permanent foundation.  You w...

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What IS a Modular Home?

Modular homes should not be confused with manufactured homes (which are mobile homes or trailers). You cannot tell the difference between an off-site built (modular) home and a stick built (on-site) home, because they are exactly the same thing, just built in two different places!<br/><br/>A modular home is constructed of pre-made parts and unit modules. They are built in sections, in a factory where, most importantly, they are never subjected to weather. (Imagine! No delays or damage because of good old Mother Nature!)  Each module is built on a track that moves it through the factory, where quality control inspectors check them every step of the way. Wall units, trusses and other pre-fabricated parts of the house are then wrapped and transported to your building site on a flatbed truck.<br/><br/>When they arrive at the site, the modules are lifted by crane onto the load bearing, permanent foundation where they are then anchored.  Your modular home is set with bathrooms, cabinets and siding already in place.  Once on the foundation, the builders put the finishing touches on the home, such as installing carpets, and putting in screens.  When you move in, even the primer is on the walls, so for the most part, all you have to do is paint!<br/><br/>Modular homes must conform to local building codes, and more than often exceed those standards.  They are built to the same state building codes as conventional site builders.  In fact, it is believed that modular homes are stronger than traditional homes because, for example, in modular homes, nails are replaced with screws and glue is added to joints. Furthermore, modular homes are built with 10 to 20% more lumber than traditional stick-built homes.<br/><br/>Just like any traditionally built home, a buyer is able to customize their home: the floor plan, the amount of stories, bedrooms, ceiling height, add extra insulation, etc.<br/><br/>Additionally, modular homes are financed in exactly the same way as conventional built sites, and they appreciate at the same value as a conventional site-built home.<br/><br/>Back to that weather thing!  Recently I saw the following written about modular homes and thought it was fair to include it here:  Consider buying a new car.  You wouldn’t want a pile of parts delivered to your driveway and then put together outside!  So, why are we still building our homes outside, with rain, heat, cold, snow, ice, and mud compromising the construction materials and creating tons of work delays? We should be building our homes the way we build our cars – in highly controlled factory conditions with a strict quality assurance program and dozens of inspections (in addition to the mere handful of inspections required by the city) throughout the construction process.<br/><br/>And, that, is that!  In my humble opinion, modular homes are the same as traditionally built homes, only BETTER!

What IS a Modular Home?

Modular homes should not be confused with manufactured homes (which are mobile homes or trailers). You cannot tell the difference between an...

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Got land?

You’re gonna need some land!<br/><br/>Having a <strong>real estate agent</strong> to help you find a suitable plot of land is <strong>vital</strong>.<br/><br/>The most important thing to consider when choosing a plot is making sure the land is zoned for this type of home. A real estate agent can look into if the land is flood zoned, if the land has any bylaws or zoning ordinances prohibiting the erection of modular homes, and whether the land is suitable for a modular home at all.<br/><br/>There are a number of costs, that vary significantly from lot to lot. For example, the costs to excavate the foundation and bring water and sewage capability to a home can vary significantly from one lot to another. Will you have to drill a well?  How big of a septic system will you need? Is utility hook up available?  These questions will have to be considered when buying your land as well, and will be covered individually and more in depth in the near future.<br/><br/>As I mentioned we had a piece of land prior to choosing a modular home. Although we are located in “the country”, we were able to utilize city water and did not have to dig a well (phew!).  However, we did not anticipate that we had to pay the city to run a water line under the main road to our property (dang!).  This was an additional cost that we didn’t necessarily prepare for!  As you can imagine, thes variable costs can add up to some jaw-dropping numbers. They will only be surprising, however, if you are unaware of what is involved in developing land into a building lot.<br/><br/>Again, a good real estate agent, and your modular home dealer/builder should be able to help you in this process.<br/><br/>However, one thing your real estate agent may not think to warn you is that you want to consider the delivery route to your property, as well as its size and shape, as this can occasionally pose delivery difficulties. And it goes without saying that for those on a budget, the price of the building lot will affect how much money is left over to build a house!

Got land?

You’re gonna need some land! Having a real estate agent to help you find a suitable plot of land is vital . The most important thing to con...

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Modular Homes?

Modular Homes?  Isn’t “modular home” just a fancier way of saying “trailer” or “double wide”?  Well, as it turns out, no.  I was completely misguided and fell prey to a fairly common misconception.  Modular homes are exactly the same as a traditionally built homes, except they are built in a factory (off-site)  and then assembled on your property on a permanent foundation.<br/><br/>First let me say this: I don’t work for or represent any modular home builder or dealer.   But, here’s why I’m going to write about them:  They say that moving (read: building a house) is one of the top stresses in life, right up there with losing your job, or the death of a family member.  But I’m here to tell you, it doesn't have to be, and it shouldn't be!  This blog is intended not only to tell you about our experience building a modular home, but also to inform you about the advantages, the disadvantages, and the whole process involved with building a modular home.<br/><br/>When my husband and I first started googling for information about modulars I wished there had been an informative blog about the process, but I couldn’t find one.  Having been through the experience and having spent several years researching modulars, I simply hope this blog will help others with their projects.<br/><br/>Ten years ago my husband purchased four acres of land, two miles from the nearest town with no neighbors in sight, and only the sound of a creek nearby.  The property was largely brush and undergrowth, but somehow, he saw through all the mess, and pictured a beautiful sweep of land, dappled with sunlight peeking through the trees.  It took him several years, two tractors, a brush hog, and three bouts with poison ivy to clear it fully.  But when it was cleared, it was obvious that we had a beautiful place to build a home!<br/><br/>My husband had looked at modular homes in the past, and wanted me to give it some thought.  I was less than enthusiastic about the idea, but I did a little research.  It wasn’t long before I was very interested in the idea of modular homes.  Not only were the modulars more affordable, but they looked every bit as beautiful as anything we’d ever seen stick-built.<br/><br/>There were several modular dealers in our area so we began to have a look around.  We made it our ritual on weekends to hit a diner for a big breakfast and then drive to the various dealers.  We’d browse through the different show homes, and collect their literature.  We had  a house to sell, so we had plenty of time to do our homework. In fact we spent two years "shopping"!  (That's A LOT of breakfasts my friends!)<br/><br/>Several of the local dealers were eliminated from the running almost immediately. Not only was obvious that some of the homes were better looking and had better floor plans than others, but some dealers turned us off immediately with their “used car salesman” demeanor.  However, just like looking for a car, you know when you feel comfortable with a dealer.  Finally we found a modular home dealer (Key Homes) that we felt really comfortable with.  The salesman we met was very knowledgeable about his product, and my husband was impressed that he could answer anything about construction or plumbing or electricity, and he was honest and helpful.  (My hubby is a licensed electrician and plumber). And, to our relief, this modular home salesman did not trying to hard sell us!    *Take note here salespeople... we all HATE the hard sell!<br/><br/>We had been through one particular show home of Key Homes that we loved, but we had a LOT of changes we wanted to make.  We were assured that we could take our time and make all the changes we wanted. It took us over a year to finalize what we envisioned as our dream home, and our dealer happily accommodated all of our changes, providing CAD drawings along the way until we were happy.   Once we were completely finished with the floor plan - blueprints!  Of course, we then had many weekends picking out flooring, paint, hardware etc.  Once we finished with all of our changes, additions and deletions, it only took a matter of months - from putting down the initial deposit, to the foundation being dug, to the house being built and set!  Because of Key Homes, the whole building process was stress-free and even FUN!<br/><br/>With this blog will I hope to help you with your project and that you will find the experience as happy as we did! Future posts will cover everything from getting a mortgage to  picking out paint colors!  Please feel free to comment and let me know about your experiences with building a home.

Modular Homes?

Modular Homes?  Isn’t “modular home” just a fancier way of saying “trailer” or “double wide”?  Well, as it turns out, no.  I was completely ...

Read more »