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Facts About Modular Home Building

Modular Homes – What’s the Difference?

Style and design possibilities are endless when constructing a modular home.  Anchor Homes specializes in custom modular homebuilding and we have chosen Excel Homes as our preferred modular company for their flexibility.  Whether you already have a house plan you love, or you would like Anchor Homes to design a modular home plan that is unique to your needs, you will be happy to discover over 90% of the homes built from Excel Homes are custom designs – not stock home plans. Alternatively, for your convenience, Excel offers an extensive portfolio of plans already designed.  Either way, you have a quality home built to your specifications.

Modular housing is constructed of the same materials as traditional homes built on-site. The critical difference - and advantage - is that each modular home is built in a controlled factory environment and then delivered and set on a foundation with a crane. This controlled environment allows for all of the following advantages.

• Make the healthy choice when choosing a modular home. With all of the concerns that homeowners have today regarding the “health” of their home, modular built homes are individually engineered and built in an indoor environment, eliminating the chance of mold and mildew. You and your family can choose a modular home and breathe easier knowing you’re living in a healthy environment!
  
  
• Building Standards: Each home is built to the same codes and building standards as site-built homes; however, the construction process for the manufactured home is much more rigid.
  
  
• More Materials; Stronger Home: In the construction of the modular home, you will find a minimum of 20% more lumber used.
  
  
• Improved Energy Efficiency: Because the walls are built from the outside in, everything is sealed in a superior manner. The more tightly sealed your walls are, the more energy savings you will see.
  
  
• Attention to Detail: In the factory setting hundreds of people are involved in building your home. This means every detail is being covered individually by specialists, whether it involves electrical work, carpentry work or small finishing tasks. No detail is too small in this controlled environment.
  
  
• Engineer Review: Each modular home design is put through an engineer review. This guarantees that the materials used in each unique design are appropriate and ensure that your home will be built to last a lifetime.
  
  
• Third Party Factory Inspection: Although the factory conducts their own inspection, they don’t stop there. A third party inspection is conducted on every modular home and must pass the tough standards and be approved by this independent inspection.

Modular Homes – Not to Be Confused with Manufactured Homes

Manufactured homes are constructed to a different building standard. The standard is the Federal Construction Safety Standard or HUD code. It requires manufactured homes to be constructed on non-removable steel chassis. Many times, there are restrictions on where these homes can be located. A modular home, just like a site-built home, is constructed to the building codes required by your state and local authorities. They are not restricted in where they can be constructed.

Modular Homes – All the Style in the World

Custom Plans. Today’s modular home looks just the way you image it. That’s right. Have a particular look in mind for your home? Let our design professionals work with you to achieve the appearance and comfort level you desire.

Modular Homes – No Surprises at the End

Because you make most of the decisions regarding your home – things such as the interior/exterior finishes and floor arrangements – before the construction of your home begins, we are able to give you an estimate of cost for a completed home, including the finish work.  This eliminates those cost overruns and unexpected expenses that crop up so often in traditional site-built homes.  You are able to budget and then sit back and relax.

The Build Process

Your home can be constructed as quickly as 3 to 4 months, from start to finish. A typical schedule requires 6 weeks from the time the order is placed until the time the house is delivered. This allows for scheduling and ordering any materials needed for the house. During this time period, the lot is cleared and the foundation is built. Once the house is set, your home is completely finished in another 1 to 2 months.

Anchor Homes will complete these major tasks once you have chosen your home:

Foundation
We will complete the initial site clearing and construction of the foundation.

Setting the House
Your home is shipped in units and set on the foundation – and connected together. The set crew also constructs all panelized components; shingles and roofing to make the units completely weather-tight. Most framing, drywall, electrical, cabinetry, trim and plumbing fixtures are completed in the factory.

Finishing Your Home
Finishing your modular home is aprocess very similar to a traditional site-built home. Perhaps you will want a porch, garage or a deck. Or you may like to include exterior brick, siding or shutters. Anchor Homes will perform all of these tasks and more, including landscaping, for the completion of your home.

For more information on how your house will be built in the factory, click here.

What Anchor Homes Can Do

Standard Home Plans

In addition to our custom designs, we offer standard home plans as well. Visit the Excel Homes website to view the select home plans. These designs can be quickly modified to meet your individual preferences – at no additional cost.

Ready to build but don’t have the perfect location for your dream home? Coordinating the two will give you the best end result. Anchor Homes can assist you in finding the building lot that best fits the house you want to build.

Floor Plans and images of these types of homes can be found on the Excel Homes Website: