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...

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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 »