If the term “modular home” brings to mind a boxy, plain-vanilla manufactured home, then it’s time you took another look - and prepare to be surprised.
Today’s modular homes are anything but simple and cookie-cutter in design; as with traditionally built homes, the designs available for modular homes are limited only by your imagination. Want a two-story home? Two – and even three – story modular homes are common, and even more easily constructed than a multi-story traditional home. Want a basement? No problem. Modular homes can be built to accommodate any type of home foundation. Want custom windows, doors, cabinets, or even faucets and hardware? You got it. Just as with traditional homes, each detail of a modular home can be customized to your personal taste.
Many people assume that because modular homes are built of factory-assembled units, that they must all adhere to a similar design. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, once assembled, it is often impossible to tell with the untrained eye that a modular home is any different from a traditionally built home.
In fact, there are as many designs for modular homes as there are for traditionally built homes, and just like traditional home designs, floor plans, exterior surfaces, foundations, or even placement of fireplaces can be customized by the homeowner. Modular home designers and builders are willing – and have the technology – to assist homeowners in creating a home design that is not only customized, but personalized, as well.
The exterior of a modular home will often be indistinguishable from a traditionally built home. All the same exterior finish options that are available to those who are building traditional homes are also available to those who choose modular homes. Brick, stone, wood, vinyl, stucco – any exterior finish imaginable is possible with a modular home. Whereas manufactured mobile homes often belie their assembly-line origins with uninteresting or cheap-looking exterior finishes, modular homes’ exteriors look exactly the same as traditional homes, because they are crafted of the same materials.
The interior of a modular home is also just like that of a traditional home. It is a common misconception that modular homes, like manufactured and/or mobile homes, have interiors finished with low-end stock materials, such as thin, paperboard walls and light, hollow doors. This is a myth. Homeowners can choose their cabinetry, floors, fixtures, and other particulars just as they would if building a traditional home. Unlike manufactured homes, those who build modular homes have unlimited options when it comes to interior finishes. And unlike those who build traditional homes, homeowners who choose modular homes may find that they actually pay less for higher quality interior finishes, due to the fact that modular home manufacturers can buy these items in much larger quantities, and then pass the savings on to the homeowner.
Perhaps the most attractive aspect of the modular home is not its appearance at all – rather, it’s what’s underneath. Modular homes designed as much for function as for form; i.e., not only do they look great, but they are also built to last. They use the same brand-name, high-quality building materials as traditionally built homes, but what’s more, because the factory-built sections are built to withstand the process of being trucked to the home site, they are actually built sturdier than traditionally built homes. And just as with interior finishes, because the modular home manufacturer purchases these high-quality materials in much larger numbers than the individual homeowner would, they are often able to get them much cheaper, which brings down the modular home’s cost when compared to that of a traditionally built home.
Modular home designers and builders, just like traditional home designers and builders, are trained to design and build homes that are not only attractive to look at, but that are also capable of growing and changing along with the families who build them. Modular homes can be remodeled and added on to as the homeowner sees fit. And, just as with traditional homes, remodeling and adding on to modular homes will result in higher home values.
Still skeptical? Still not convinced that a modular home can be just as attractive and versatile as a traditionally built home? Then take a look at some of these modular homes featured on the Modular Homes information website. Or, if your taste is a bit more, shall we say, upscale, then peruse these “modular mansions”. As you can see, not only are these beautiful homes anything but boxy or uninteresting, but they are also indistinguishable from traditionally built homes.
If you are considering building a home, but want your home to stand out from the neighborhood crowd, or would just like a home that is tailored to your specific needs, take a look at today’s modular home – you may be surprised, but you will not be disappointed!
Tags: home design, manufactured homes, modular home floor plans, modular homes, prefab homes