The Modular House: Good for the Earth, Good for Everyone
Modular construction is an excellent option if you want a custom-designed and energy-efficient house built in a fraction of the time it takes for a traditional stick-built home. However, before you embark on this journey, you need to know some important things to ensure a smooth and successful experience. Here’s some essential information about the innovative modular building process.
What You Need to Know Before Building a Modular House: Good for the Earth, Good for Everyone
How to Pick the Right Land
Choosing the land is the first step when you design your future home the modular way. There are three integral factors to remember: location, zoning regulations, and land’s topography.
Firstly, you should choose a location that suits your lifestyle and meets your needs. It could be near schools, work, or amenities like shopping centers. Next, you need to check the zoning regulations of the area in which the land is located. Lastly, the land’s topography is also crucial – you want to ensure the land is level, as it will make it easier to build your modular home and save you money in the long run.
Ideally, the land should be relatively level, as building on a sloped surface is typically more challenging and costlier. The topography can impact the foundation of your modular home and the overall design, so consider this before purchasing. If buying land on a slope, you may need construction project scheduling software and some grading or excavation work, which can add to the cost of your project.
Freedom to Customise
One of the benefits of the modular house is that you can customise it to your preferences. You can choose from a wide variety of floor plans, finishes, and fixtures to create a home that’s uniquely yours. The modular building process allows for greater flexibility in terms of design so you can create a space tailored to your specific needs and desires.
For example, when you design your future home, you may want a larger kitchen for entertaining or a master suite with a spa-like bathroom. You can also choose your preferred type of flooring, cabinets, and countertops and select your paint colours and lighting fixtures.
Additionally, these buildings are often more energy-efficient, with features like high-quality insulation, efficient HVAC systems, and Low-E windows. You can also decide to include sustainable materials and technologies, like solar panels and rainwater collection systems, to reduce your environmental impact.
In short, modular houses offer a unique opportunity to create a custom space that meets your exact needs and preferences. With a wide range of options and the ability to tailor the design to your requirements, these houses are an excellent choice for those who want a functional and personalised living space.
A House That’s Entirely Built Off-Site
One of the main advantages of off-site construction is that it saves time. Since the modular house building process takes place in a controlled environment, there is less chance of weather delays or other construction-related issues. Modules house construction happens simultaneously, significantly reducing the build time compared to traditional, site-built houses. In many cases, the completion time is half the time it takes to build a site-built house.
Off-site construction also offers greater quality control. In a factory setting, the modules are constructed using precision machinery, ensuring that each piece fits together perfectly. Quality control standards are higher in a factory environment. This results in a higher level of quality and consistency in the final product. Additionally, the building of the modular components uses the latest construction techniques and materials, which can lead to a more energy-efficient and durable house.
Another benefit of off-site construction is that it’s less disruptive to the surrounding environment. With modular homes, the construction mostly takes place in a factory. This means there’s less traffic and noise in the neighbourhood. This is especially beneficial for those buildings in rural or sensitive areas.
Modular vs. Manufactured Homes
People often confuse modular and manufactured houses, but there are some differences between the two. Here are a few of them:
- Construction location: Constructed entirely in a factory, modular homes are then assembled on-site. On the other hand, manufactured homes are completely built and assembled off-site before being delivered to the location on a chassis.
- Building codes: Modular homes are constructed to meet local building codes, while manufactured ones are built to the federal building code, known as the HUD code, which is less stringent;
- Quality: Modular homes offer greater quality control due to the precision machinery used in the factory setting and the higher quality control standards. People often view manufactured houses as lower quality due to the perception that they are of lower quality and less sturdy;
- Mobility: Typically, modular building placement is on permanent foundations and considered permanent structures, while manufactured ones sit on chassis’ and can move from one location to another;
- Sustainability: Modular homes are often more sustainable due to the controlled environment of the factory, which allows for more efficient use of resources.
Modular vs. Stick-Built Homes
As we’ve already mentioned, modular house building happens off-site in a factory and then assembled at the desired location. In contrast, stick-built house construction happens entirely on the building site. So with this in mind, are modular homes better than stick-built homes?
One advantage of modular over traditional construction is that these houses can be built faster than stick-built ones due to the controlled environment of the factory and the ability to work on multiple parts of the building simultaneously. Stick-built houses, on the other hand, can be subject to weather-related delays and other on-site disruptions.
Modular houses also offer greater quality control, as the precision machinery used in the factory setting and the higher quality control standards resulting in a more consistent and higher-quality finished product. Stick-built homes, on the other hand, may experience quality control issues due to on-site disruptions or errors by the workers.
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