Tidewater Custom Modular Homes Blog

The name of our business is Tidewater Custom Modular Homes. Do you know why we included the word “Custom”? Because the homes we design and build for you are Custom Designed by you with the help of our designers and architects.

Often when people think modular homes, they think “cookie cutter homes”. This could not be farther from the truth for us. We have, on staff, architects and designers who work with you to design FOR you the home YOU need.

Do you need a laundry room upstairs with the bedrooms? Do you want a mud room designed for your school age kids? Want a home office with built in shelving? We can do that. Tidewater Custom Modular Homes is a Custom modular home construction company.

You are not locked into any architectural design. We have standard floor plans and floor models if you’d like. But if you have ideas or even designs that you want to use for your modular home because you know that modular means: faster, more efficient and less expensive with higher standards; let us see your plans.  

The professional satisfaction of building dream homes is what motivates us.  Dream homes start with a basic plan and are then customized to turn that plan into a dream for your family.  Contact us; we'll be glad to show you how we can surround that dream with the quality of a modular home.

Homes built as boxes in factories and assembled on site never subjected to construction delays or bad weather problems.

When Jack and Gina Sheehan wanted to demolish and replace their 1952 built waterfront home in York County, they didn't choose the custom-built route.  Instead, they went with a modular home.

"I did a lot of research online, looking at modular homes, the pros and cons, and visiting a couple of factories in Virginia and North Carolina," says Sheehan, a retired aeronautical engineer who is now a business development consultant.

"When you look at the construction methods, you found out the basic factories are all about the same. The difference is what is put into the engineering and quality controls."

By Thanksgiving, the Sheehans hope to have moved into their three-story house with 2,700 square feet of modular-built living space on two floors. They hired John Glover of Tidewater Custom Modular Homes in Smithfield to oversee the construction site. The first level is a custom-built, above-ground basement with garage space and full bath designed by local architect Mike Henry.

Accustomed to damaging storms, the Sheehans are also building their home to withstand 130 mile-an-hour winds; any flooding will be limited to the garage level. Instead of the standard 2-by-6 framing studs, basement walls are done with 2-by-8s, placed closer together, or on 12-inch centers instead of 24-inch centers. Bolts, larger-than-usual hurricane clips and threaded rods that go into the concrete footers help tie the house and foundation together. To access the second- and third-floor modular spaces, the Sheehans installed an elevator.

"The brick mason set the cinder blocks so the rods run through the cavities into the footers," says Jack.

"There's more strength in the first floor of this house than in most whole homes.

"We were lucky, we had earthquake and hurricane tests the same week and the house never even moved."

For home amenities, the house offers quartz counters, hardwood floors, gas fireplace, ceramic tile floors in baths with floor heater strips, tankless hot water heater, energy-efficient heating and cooling systems and 50-year architectural shingles. Elevated front and rear screened porches offer scenic views.

Price to build the entire house: $110 per square foot.

That's considerably lower than many custom homes which usually start about $125 per square foot and can easily reach $200 per square foot.

"All areas vary," says Glover. He has a mechanical engineering degree from Virginia Military Institute, has been refurbishing and remodeling homes since 1998 and has been in new residential and commercial construction since 2003.

"In our area, we find that there is typically a 10-20% savings versus comparable site-built construction. This savings can vary from plan to plan. We have a 3,000 square plan we provide turnkey, excluding site activities like well, septic, clearing, driveway to our published standards for $77 per square foot."

Glover and his wife Tammy, an interior decorator and real estate agent, live in a modular home they built in 2004. Since that time, they have built more than 50 modular homes from Virginia Beach to Richmond.

"Modular homes contain 30% more material because they are built as individual boxes. When the boxes come together, they create interior walls of 2-by-8s versus standard 2-by-4s and add extra insulation qualities.

"Construction is quicker, meaning you move in faster, and you eliminate any exposure to weather or moisture problems in the process.

"Nowadays we can virtually design the modular home on the spot, whether we modify a standard plan, or start from scratch. You can build totally modular or partially modular and customize the rest, it's your choice," Glover adds.

Modular, by definition, is a green and energy-saving form of construction when compared to typical stick-built, according to Dan Goodin of Nationwide Homes. The company built modulars for the Extreme Makeover house in Virginia Beach earlier this year.

"Every home we build comes out of the factory both EnergyStar and green 'ready' (some simple on-site items and certification are required for full compliance)," says Goodin.

"We build to meet the wind speeds necessary where the home will be placed, and can build up to 175-mph wind speed requirements for coastal construction.

"Modular offers the same features as stick-built. We partner with the same brands — Merillat cabinets, Pella windows and Whirlpool appliances, so when a customer selects features to put in their home, they can use the same menu as used in stick-built counterparts."

"Our modular homes are bolted, nailed and screwed, built to code for each city or county and made to travel down the road without any damage. Modular homes are the future of home construction in this country."

Original article- The Daily Press

Mortgage Rates have created the perfect storm for modular home construction. Assuming a 20% down on a 30 year fixed mortgage, monthly payments on a median priced home are now the lower than they have been in 40 years.
 
What does this mean to you? It means it is the perfect time to build your dream home. This is a great time to buy a home! Tidewater Custom Modular Homes offers a superior modular home, unparalleled service, and competitive pricing.

Modern technology has enabled modular home designers to create any style house. But modular technology has also enable modular homes to be built in far less time. Modular construction rivals or surpasses stick built homes in quality as well. This means that combined with the lowest monthly home mortgage payments in 40 years, you can have a custom built home in less time and with better quality than traditionally built homes.

Let Tidewater Custom Modular Homes build your next home.

Modular Homes are strong, affordable and elegant prefabricated homes.  Modular homes are easily available within everyone’s budget, and they can be customized by the manufacturer. In recent years, modular homes have become more and more popular over traditionally built homes. 

There are many reasons for the growing popularity of modular homes. The construction process is considerably shorter than stick built homes. This makes buying and building modular homes a great option for home builders and a home owner.

The modules are built indoors. Therefore, the construction process is never hindered by weather. However, this is also a greener way to build a home. The specs are exact and, with no weather issues, construction waste is less.

Also, the cost of building and maintaining a modular home is up to 30% less than traditional homes, which makes these houses more affordable.

If you are interested in building a new home, and would like to talk about the benefits of modular construction in Virginia, contact Tidewater Custom Modular Homes.

In Virginia, the housing market is in a slum. Because of this, many homeowners are hesitant to put their houses on the market for fear they won’t get the asking price or that it will sit on the market too long. What about building your new home?

There are many homeowners out there who think that building a home will take too long, or be too stressful. However, building a modular home takes those two issues out of the equation.

When building a modular home, from the decision and design stage to actually moving into your new modular home, the process can take as little as 10-12 weeks. That is much sooner than it would take to sell your house.

Once you decide on a home style and custom floor plan along with your add-ons (hard wood floors, deck, etc) we will present to you how much this modular home will cost you. Once you have that proposal, there will be no change in the cost of building your home. What you see in what it costs.

When building a stick-built home, the cost of construction is constantly changing. This is one of the main reason why building a home can be so stressful.

Contact Tidewater Custom Modular Homes if building a new home seems like the answer you have been looking for.

Building a modular home is faster, and more efficient than building a home the stick built way. The homes are beautiful, strong and efficient. There has never been a better time to build yourself a new home. And Tidewater Custom Modular Homes if offering you a few more incentives as well. 

Military discount
Any past or present member of the United States Military gets a $2,000 credit towards options or upgrades as a thank you for serving our country. Present your military ID when you order your new Modular Home.

Disaster Relief
This year has been rough on our service area with storms, tornadoes, and wildfires. Families rebuilding due to natural disasters or fires will receive a $2,000 rebate when their Modular Home is completed and funds are received. Proof of loss may be required to qualify.

Free Upgrades!!
Are you ready for a new home from TC Modular Homes? How ready are you? The faster you are; the more you save.

• Order a home in the next 30 days* and get a $2,000 credit towards options or upgrades.
• Order a home between 45 and 90 days* and get a $1,500 credit towards options or upgrades.
• Order a home between 90 and 120 days* and get a $1,000 credit towards options or upgrades.