So you think you want to expand your existing home with a well planned out of addition. You’ve looked at all the possibilities, spoken to several contractors and gotten your estimates. But when you look at the figures on the page you instantly go into shock thinking there’s no way you’ll ever be able to afford the addition to your home.

Modular construction to the rescue, have you ever thought about contacting a modular home construction company to see if they can provide you with a modular upgrade to your existing home. What you find may surprise you. Most homes regardless of their original type of construction module or old school conventional construction can be expanded modularly if the right plan is implemented. Most modular construction companies are more than happy to work with existing home owners to make their

Implementing the right plan begins with you and your idea of what you want in a home addition. Once you have in mind how you want to expand your home and where you want the expansion to occur you need to make a few notes to keep the idea fresh. Now with the idea in hand you can contact modular home designer or a modular home construction company.

A qualified modular home designer or modular home construction company can usually help you with preparation of a blueprint for the construction of your new edition. If they are located relatively close to your existing home, they will usually have all the necessary information needed to be able to plan your addition to meet all existing local building codes, which will usually be a plus in the cost department for you.

During your first meet with the company or designer, you will probably discuss your initial idea for the addition. The designer will normally make a CAD design of any sketch you might have or from your verbal or written dimensions and design Ideas. From the CAD or computer aided design program the designer can help you to better visualize what your addition will look like. In the beginning this drawing may only be a very rudimentary mark up of the overall plan.

The next step would be for the designer or modular construction company to accompany you to your home to investigate the area that is to be expanded upon. They will have the expertise to actually validate your plans for expansion. It is very important at this stage to be sure that your overall plan is valid and that no major problems can be seen that might eliminate your home from the possibility of modular expansion.

The onsite inspection will also give the designer the opportunity to see the work area first hand giving insight for later use in the actually design process. The designer may see details that will allow for better design recommendations or that might have been overlooked in your original simple design plans. Those recommendations might be as simple as how and what type of lighting is used to wall construction, layout and window placement.

If the addition will contain plumbing there may be hidden consideration for routing of pipes and drains that may not be overtly evident. Or it may be necessary to put a routing pump into the design to handle waste water issues. Many times home owners have ended up with nightmare problems due to poor overall addition planning from conventional construction contractors using outdated plan development practices.

One thing that a good modular expansion designer will always look for is proper access for needed construction equipment to the area in which the addition will be placed. Another issue that the designer will deal with, one of the most difficult in many expansion projects is the roof line. It is purely an art form to design and construct an addition in a manner that it cannot be detected as an addition. The roofline is usually the giveaway. Good modular designers incorporate special techniques that allow for adjoining roof lines to flow into or be modified and joined in such a manner as to make it all look seamless to the casual viewer.

Adding the addition modularly will ultimately save time and money in the overall construction process. Your addition will be constructed off site then hauled to the location and put into place. This cuts down on overall disruption to your day to day living. Helps to keep the neighbors happy, and minimizes the inevitable damage to surrounding landscaping. So if it’s time for a new home addition, make it a modular upgrade. Contact a modular design or modular construction company for your new addition.

Scott Best is a freelance Author in association with New Modular Info.com. Scott Writes for many websites. With his unique perspective on many issues and topics Scott lends a high level of professionalism to the topics he writes about.

Copyright © 2009 Scott Best

Even the mainstream press which normally follows suit with official government versions on the disaster of the day, heralds this as close to a global economic meltdown.   So why it is so hard for those in powerful political office to admit that there is a problem.  Maybe it’s time they wake up and smell what it is they are standing in and call it by its rightful name.

The housing industry was the first to show the signs, and has been hard hit by this “economic downturn”.  Modular housing is no exception to the rule.  Many modular home manufactures may have to close their doors and lay workers off until a rebound is felt.  It’s a sure thing that conventional construction of homes in the US is at a near standstill.  

James B. Lockhart, federal regulator for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac said recently that restoring home affordability was key to a turnaround in the housing market. Despite home prices being down by over 50% in some areas there are still many potential home buyers “on the fence.”  And most economists would agree that the cornerstone of bringing to an end this downturn is for the housing market to stabilize. Economists say affordability in the housing marketplace will bring back buyers.

Modular homes are every bit as much tied to mortgage rates and loan availability as any other type of home. Without capital available to the barrower to begin home building projects, there seems no clear way to bring about any meaningful change in the housing market in a time to avert disaster for many businesses directly tied to the housing market.

Those that do survive will be in position to take the reins and be the new driving force in the housing industry. Modular housing has the potential to become the new front runner in the new construction housing market.  The advantage that some modular home manufactures will have over conventional construction type companies is the ability to return to present infrastructure and resume production, whereby other type construction companies may be left at the mercy of their workforce and equipment having been thrown into the four winds with no tangible way to pick up the pieces.

No one knows for sure when the economy will stabilize, or how much damage will be done before it does.  And it may be that the boom market of past years may never return, it is a sure bet that as time passes new housing will be needed.  How it gets constructed could well play a large role in how much healing if felt early on in the new global economy.

Modular construction offers a much more controllable and concise method of construction allowing for more precise cost analysis.  This can help greatly when the number crunching begins.  Cost overrun on conventionally constructed housing has put many buyers into an over extended situation with lenders who in many cases had no choice but to lend the additional amount to keep the mortgage loan alive.

And if this present crisis has taught us anything, it should be that borrowers need to be more astute in borrowing for a mortgage.  They should be well informed as to their options and possible downsides of different types of mortgage loans.  They need to be realistic about their ability to accept the responsibility of a home mortgage and not overextend themselves.

Lenders need to better analyze their lending situations to better help those applying to qualify within their current financial means in a stable manner.  Modular home building can help both parties meet these criteria by allowing them to have a better, more realistic basis from which to work together in bringing about affordable new housing.  Placing the industry one step closer to stability, and a bit more stability we could all use these days.

Scott Best is a freelance Author in association with Rental truck Center.com Scott Writes for many websites. With his unique perspective on many issues and topics Scott lends a high level of professionalism to the topics he writes about.

Copyright
© 2008 Scott Best

There are many reasons to consider buying a modular home these days. Today people are looking for value for every dollar spent, and modular homes offer just that. With the improvement in quality of modular homes, they can be a better choice then conventional construction in most areas. And don’t think that modular homes can’t live up to that dream house of fantasy. Today modular homes are built to more varied specifications and architectural designs then ever before including multi level, split level, post modernistic and many traditional styles. If it can be envisioned, more then likely there is a company that can modularize its construction. Here are some of the reasons that modular homes are such a great value.

They can be completed Faster

Modular homes from start to finish can be built faster because the greatest portion of construction, including HVAC electrical and plumbing are completed under what are usually controlled climate conditions in a factory. Most everything is completed at the factory including the installation of cabinets and doors. Most fixtures, plumbing and electrical are in place before the modular home leaves the factory. When the modular home arrives on site ready to set on its foundation, there is less for contractors and subcontractors to complete. This saves a lot of time due to weather and scheduling issues that always seem to arise with traditional construction. That means savings of time and as everyone knows, time is money, especially in home construction

Saving on construction time saves big interest

With a typical construction loan, the first payments are basically interest. A common construction loan for a conventionally constructed home can be anywhere from 6 to 12 months long. With that in mind, consider how much will be saved in interest on the loan before it is converted to a conventional mortgage, if the construction time is cut from 6 months to 2 months. On bigger projects, the savings will be even greater. If you are required to carry the construction insurance modular homes can save even more. Because the structure is not exposed to acts of nature during critical stages of framing and construction, insurance rates are much more reasonable as well.

Less Wasted Material

Because modular homes are constructed under climate controlled factory conditions, material loss is kept to a minimum. On conventional construction sites, losses can add up to big dollars, due to poor weather, theft, and over all poor construction conditions, making modular home construction again more cost effective.

More durable construction

Because modular homes must be transported sometimes many hundreds of miles from the factory to where they will be placed on a foundation, they are held to a much higher standard in most areas of construction, to be able to withstand being moved. Better flooring which can be varied may include engineered floors on top of thicker nailed AND glued sub floors. Double and heftier constructed rim joists and thicker wallboard on ceilings and walls. Many of the added supports and bracing that are required for transportation can be left in place upon arrival which makes for a stronger more durable structure that holds up to the forces of nature better then do most conventionally constructed homes.

So if it’s time to consider a new home, its time to consider a modular home. The advantages are many the savings are great and the risks are few to none. Lending institutions are aware of modular home advantages and many times are more willing to process loans accordingly. Modular homes have come a long way since first conceived of. Modular housing is no long to be considered second class housing as it once might have been. Today it is top quality and rivals any home construction method available.