Modular Versus Stick-built

[Terrel L. Shields]

It depends; some manufacturers provide good quality product;

Some stick builders are equal to similar quality of modular, both Good & OK; if the Contract is not properly designed, then either product can become a "nightmare".

I have seen both Good & Bad in both products; the choice is yours.

Exactly. There are several different kinds of modulars. The pix I posted is indistinguishable from stick built but was faster to erect.

 

[Deleted member 128537]

Ok. I once owned and a modular home business, and I designed and contracted them. And from what I’ve seen on this forum most of you simply have no idea. In fact I’ve lived in modular homes. The biggest reaction when people walk in: THIS IS A MODULAR! YOUR KIDDING! I remember when we built a modular home in a subdivision. Everyone was outraged. Thought it would cheapen the neighborhood. That home sold for more than any previous home in that subdivision. So most of you need to widen your horizons a bit. They are skewed by a very limited experience. Yes there are builders that are one step up from manufactured homes. But there are also builders that make great homes of great quality and at great prices.

 

[Ariba]

Ok. I once owned and a modular home business, and I designed and contracted them. And from what I’ve seen on this forum most of you simply have no idea. In fact I’ve lived in modular homes. The biggest reaction when people walk in: THIS IS A MODULAR! YOUR KIDDING! I remember when we built a modular home in a subdivision. Everyone was outraged. Thought it would cheapen the neighborhood. That home sold for more than any previous home in that subdivision. So most of you need to widen your horizons a bit. They are skewed by a very limited experience. Yes there are builders that are one step up from manufactured homes. But there are also builders that make great homes of great quality and at great prices.

Thank you for your input. That is why I posted the question. Why do so many towns and elected officials ban Modular Homes altogether or restrict them to certain areas and other towns don't? Is it lack of education or is it the stick built lobbyists? Why have the Modular Homebuilders not done a better job of marketing and educating their product?

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

I suspect that as computer aided machinery gets "smarter" and cheaper plants will be able to build modulars better and faster to the point most homes will be partially or mostly fabricated in a factory. It is just so much faster with less material waste.

 

[Jambalaya]

I think the perception that there is a price advantage in modular versus site built is overblown when comparing apples to apples. Adding in the cost of transporting the units and the crane etc erode away at the cost savings if there is any.

I agree, and the time difference is not much either. I just looked into putting a 1500 square foot modular on a site I have, and was told 5-8 months from order to completion. A 1500 square foot stick built home could be put in in that time frame. at $90/square foot, there was no savings over stick built either.

 

[Deleted member 128537]

Thank you for your input. That is why I posted the question. Why do so many towns and elected officials ban Modular Homes altogether or restrict them to certain areas and other towns don't? Is it lack of education or is it the stick built lobbyists? Why have the Modular Homebuilders not done a better job of marketing and educating their product?

A great deal of it has to do with such a variety of modular homes. Frankly the old modular homes were clearly lacking in quality. I think many are having a difficult time getting over the past. And frankly have you seen any modular home builder advertisements? They don't do a particularly good job of marketing their product. They often rely on local dealers and their advertising budgets.

 

[Deleted member 128537]

I agree, and the time difference is not much either. I just looked into putting a 1500 square foot modular on a site I have, and was told 5-8 months from order to completion. A 1500 square foot stick built home could be put in in that time frame. at $90/square foot, there was no savings over stick built either.

I can't tell you how many times I have heard exactly what you said regarding site built cost and modular cost. It's a complete lie. I was in the construction business for a good number of years and I can tell you that whatever a site builder tells you the cost you can add 10% to it. We seldom had cost over runs. The only time we had cost over runs is if the well went deeper than we expected or if the owner added something at the last minute or added a deck or something we hadn't included. But when we quoted a price that was the price. I dare say I HAVE NEVER SEEN that with a site builder.

Also I laugh at the site builders saying they can do it in a certain period of time. Have you never done a construction appraisal? It's a joke. I have yet to see a builder do it within the time frame specified. We seldom ran over our projected date of completion by more than a month (mostly due to weather). Try saying that with a site builder. You will live in fantasy land if you think a site builder will get it done when they say it will be done.

 

[Mark K]

[QUOTE="Terrel L. Shields, post: 2872634, member: 67077]

I don't see that here. See pix above[/QUOTE]

I think we all know there are exceptions; this being one of them.

I've seen many mods that were every bit as attractive and functional, if not more so, as most of the 'cracker box' looking, cookie cutter production/tract homes.

From what I've encountered, a 'nice' mod home in this area costs nearly the same as a modest custom built home. The mod sellers charge a fortune for the extras like driveways, sidewalks, well, septics, crawl spaces, basements, decks, porches, garages, etc. By the time they're finished with you, you've got as much or more wrapped up in the mod. And you still have the 'stigma' of it being a trailer.

 

[Overimprovement]

A great deal of it has to do with such a variety of modular homes. Frankly the old modular homes were clearly lacking in quality. I think many are having a difficult time getting over the past. And frankly have you seen any modular home builder advertisements? They don't do a particularly good job of marketing their product. They often rely on local dealers and their advertising budgets.

But therein lies the rub. Value comes from both factual knowledge, and perception, which may in fact be incorrect. I think in many areas the term 'modular' has a negative connotation to it. It certainly does not help that some manufactured home dealers are now calling their products modular.

Lacking any clear cutoff between the two, it would appear there is continuum from the cheapest lowest quality doublewide to the highest quality modular, like what Terrell posted. But a lot of these quality differences are more hidden.

Perception seems to be winning the war over facts when it comes to modulars. I have been in modulars on a sales lot where I, too, went, "wow, this is a modular?!", but have also been on a manufactured home lot where I have said, "wow, you have the nerve to call THIS a modular"?

 

[Deleted member 130081]

I think a modular or factory built home can be every bit, and even better, than a stick/site built home. I suppose they could also be worse. What about a poorly built site/stick home? Is anyone on the lookout for those? Because few of these homes exist, it is difficult to measure the impact on value or marketability as compared to traditional builds.