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Getting Started

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Yes, the trend in building today is to go with a systems built approach to provide customers and clients with a reliable sound product that is not only comfortable and attractive but energy efficient as well. Factory built homes have a huge advantage over the home that is built in the field piece by piece. That advantage is obviously a controlled building climate. Most home problems today come from a builder's attempt to keep his materials dry during a long build session. Even the most accomplished builder finds it difficult to keep every item dry as the home is being built. It is for this reason that more and more custom builders are promoting affordable homes and large custom luxury homes to be built with the system that has revolutionized home construction industry.

HOME STYLES: COLONIALS, CAPES, RANCHES, CONDOS, CHALETS, COMMERCIAL

Home styles vary throughout the country. In the Pacific Northwest a large mountain view two story chalet may be your home of choice. On the East Coast home buyers favor the classic two story colonial and in the Southwest sprawling ranch style homes with a large veranda are popular. No matter what your home style or taste there is a modular system built product available to meet your needs. The modular home industry started as a true affordable home. Sizes were limited as were options. As modular system built homes got the attention of the custom builder population the industry was put to the test of adding more custom home designs, better specifications and more innovative building methods. The modular industry responded by adding capes homes, colonial homes, duplexes, custom condos, apartment buildings expansive ranch homes and more to meet this demand.

SYSTEM BUILT MODULAR ADVANTAGES

What are the differences between modular and other building methods. First it is important to define the stick building method that was popular for many years. In stick building the name pretty much describes the process. A load of lumber is delivered to the building site. Some of it may be good and some bad. Short of paying framers wages to find out, the default is to wait until the crew got into the pile and sort through it as needed. The downside here is simply a matter of timing and delays. If bad lumber is found the choice becomes using it anyway or sending the crew home until new materials are delivered to the site. The smarter builders got in the habit of buying "extra" so they would have what they need to keep the project going. Today that really does not work well with the Green Home Building Movement. It really does not work too well with the customer either. Writing checks for materials that may not be good or may not be used at all adds to the home's cost needlessly. In a factory setting it is an easy task to have professional material specialists make sure the materials are up to spec and meet or exceed the quality standards for their factory. Believe it or not where a site builder paying for material specialists would be an unacceptable burden on the bottom line in the world of modular homes it actually increases the bottom line. The modular product is successful because it is built to plan, is perfectly square and plumb and carries some very exacting building tolerances. using only the best materials saves the factory money which is then passed onto the builder and the home owner as service costs are reduced, rework in the factory is reduced and believe it or not advertising expenses are reduced. Yes, advertising. The best sales advertising for a modular home factory and a custom builder is a happy customer. Happy customers are earned by exceeding their expectations.

CUSTOM LUXURY HOME BUILDERS PREFERENCE

The custom factory built home approach to building is always impressive to custom home builders that tour a factory when deciding to update their business. Seeing one giant saw in the factory that can cut precisely every framing member to a home in a matter of minutes generally gets some good reviews. On site this requires handling every board multiple times. Some cuts are right on the money and some just off a bit. When building an affordable home or a million dollar mansion the framing cuts are a critical path item to a quality home. Great framing methods make each job operation go faster and easier and results in one of those homes that are superior to others. Better materials, better material cuts and faster build times are really what set modular construction at the top of building system scale.

NEW HOME BUILDING TRENDS

Housing trends are constantly changing. That is a good thing as it creates the industry that drives the nations economy. If everyone was happy with the home they are in now, a major industry engine would not be. The system built industry and custom builders alike rely on the trend shifts for their business and welcome them with open arms. One of the big trends to make its way into the market place is green building. This movement, also called High Performance Homes, Energy Star building, Eco Performance Homes, Green Energy, Leed Building and Green Building are all really the same thing. People today need quality energy efficient homes to meet the rising cost of energy for heating and cooling. These same people also want to be Eco-consumers and favor buying products that are good for the environment and healthy as well.

GREEN ENERGY FEATURES AND SAVINGS

The HERS index is designed to gauge how energy efficient a new home is. The typical site built home generally has a rating of 100. This is the baseline. Homes over 100 tend to cost a lot more to own because of the increased energy demands. Homes below the 100 threshold tend to save the homeowner on energy costs. Building a home to LEEDS and Energy Star specifications will certainly help on your energy bills. Today's modular and panelized homes can all be built to these standards.

SYSTEM BUILT FAMILY OF BUILDING METHODS

Many other product lines make up the System Built Industry in addition to modular building. In factory built homes there actually is a wide selection of options to choose from. In some of the most custom homes there could be a mix of these building methods to accomplish the customers home design and still stay within the house budget parameters. Panelized factory homes have a long history dating back to pre war times. Shortly after the war homes constructed with panelized technology exploded to keep up with the demand for new homes right after the war. Panelized today is stronger than ever for everything from home additions, garages, luxury water front homes, offices, apartment building and a full list of commercial ventures.

SIPs panels are the hybrid of the panelized system built industry. SIP stands for Structural Insulated Panels. The name describes perfectly what they are and do. SIPs panels are conventional building timbers that are factory formed with a plywood or OSB outside skin and a foam filled core. These are very energy efficient and save construction dollars for the custom builder and the home owner because of the "Structural" nature of the product. The framing, sheathing and insulation are all part of the product as an assembled unit. The panels are generally set into place with a crane similar to modular and the number of panels used is determined by the home design.

CONSTRUCTION LENDING AND FINANCE

Builders and home buyers constantly struggle with the choice of features and options verses costs. When financing a new home building project there are many elements involved with the cost of construction formula. The system built industry has what builders, home buyers and banks are looking for when financing a building project. The main element is security. Banks and construction lenders always favor projects that are low risk. The system built industry provide this low risk environment for builders and home buyers by having a fixed price for the product when it is released for production, they provide a specific time table to complete the task and the product is not only inspected with in the factory as part of the quality control process but also by a third party inspector that ensures the housing product or component meets state and national building codes and requirements. So when seeking lending choices for your home building process be sure to mention that you are using a system built solution to your building plans.

GETTING STARTED - BUILDING A NEW HOME

The first thing to do when planning a new home to build is to set up a file for all of your ideas, documents, wishes etc. Let this file serve as your home base for your home building plans. The best part of building a new home is that you get it done exactly the way you want it to be. You do not need to compromise on your design or features. Building a new home is a big task but the rewards are big as well. There is nothing more satisfying than enjoying the holidays or a quite evening in a home that truly reflects your idea of owning the American Dream.