Tidewater Custom Modular Homes Blog

Modular home construction is gaining in popularity because of its high quality construction, architectural style and fast building process.

Once the decision has been made to choose modular construction, we have found that one of the first questions is “how do we begin?”

If you have chosen modular technology to build your new custom designed home, the most important step in the process is to choose the right modular home manufacturer. Your modular home is built from modular components, or modules. Those modules are built in a factory and then shipped to your  building site and assembled.

At Tidewater Custom Modular Homes, we know that our homes are the right choice. Our reputation for building quality homes is well established. For custom homes, we are very flexible in incorporating your design elements and floor plans. If your project requires construction financing, we can help provide that in this difficult financial market.

For more information on quality custom designed modular homes, contact Tidewater Custom Modular Homes.

Many questions about concerns in financing modular homes, assessing modular homes and insuring modular homes come up in our conversations with people who are contemplating building.
 
Rest assured you will have no problems or issues. Many banks (and we have great relationships with many in Virginia if you would like the names of a few), like to finance modular homes. Why? The building process is so much shorter, and the system is so defined that there is little to no risk to the banks.

As far as assessing the value of modular homes; modular homes are assessed in the same way as traditionally built homes. Here is the good news: modular homes cost about 10-15% less to build, but they sell at the same price as a stick built home. Why? Custom modular homes are appraised with the same standards of a traditionally built home; therefore, both types of homes are assessed at the same amount.
 
Banks and insurance agencies both say there is no difference between stick-built homes and custom modular homes in terms of approval ratings, and cost.

Banks and insurers are well aware that modular home construction strength and building standards exceed that of traditional stick built homes.  There may even come a time where insurance companies take into consideration the higher structural integrity of a modular home and insure them at a lower rate.
 
However, until then, you can rest assured, modular home construction financing will not be a problem; modular homes hold their value in the same way as a traditionally built homes; and insuring your modular home will be no different either. Now that those questions have been put to rest, contact Tidewater Custom Modular Homes for more information.

It is true, interest rates are very low, there is no better time to buy a new home. But it is an even better time to build a new home. House hunting can be stressful and time consuming, why put yourself through it. Build the home that you are searching for instead. Modular construction can make this experience a pleasant one.

There are so many floor plans to choose from. But you can even customize your floor plan as well. Add your personal touch to any of the floor plans we offer. That is why we have the word “Custom” in your name. One of the best parts of building a modular home is the fact that you can custom build your entire home from the bottom up.  Custom modular homes are what we do! Need help visualizing? Take a look at our design gallery.
 
We know that buying and building your new home is the biggest investment of your life. Contact us for information.

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.

You need a larger home, so you are going to all the open houses looking for a new house. But you only like some of the things about the house you may spend quite a bit of money over the next 30 years for? Why not build a home? But there is an even better solution than that, build a modular home.

When you are spending this kind of money on a new house, why not be sure the house has everything you need? With custom modular homes, not only can you design the floor plan the way you want it, but the house gets built faster than traditionally built homes. In fact, from the design of the home through the completion of construction is only around 3 months.

Finding a home then going through the closing process could even take longer than that. When you build a modular home, you can also add design accents to your custom designed floor plan. A fireplace, garage, custom deck, kitchen island or wood floors. Your home is only limited by your budget. Contact Tidewater Custom Modular Homes to find out more about the modular home construction process.

You have probably heard that building a new home is very stressful. Tidewater Custom Modular Homes would like to change that idea. Modular homes are more easily built, more efficiently built and more consistently built.

But more than that, there are no hidden surprises. During the design process, we want you to have fun. Create the home you want, with the floor plan you have dreamed about, with a budget that makes you happy and won’t change part way through the process. The only surprise you will get when you build a modular home with us is our level of customer service.

Tidewater Custom Modular Homes offers a superior product, unparalleled service, and competitive pricing. We know lasting relationships are earned through complete customer satisfaction. Let Tidewater Custom Modular Homes build your next home; contact us.

Modular homes are all built in factories under controlled environments. Therefore, there are no weather issues to interfere with the building schedule or to damage building materials. Modular home floor plans can be customized in many respects to meet energy efficiency, accessibility and lifestyle needs.

Modular homes (or factory-built homes) are pretty much the same as ones built on site.

Modular home building tips

• When you begin your research, know the difference between modular homes and mobile homes. Today's "mobile homes" are called "manufactured homes.”Modular homes" are built to state and local building codes.
• Figure out if you want a custom modular home or if you can buy "off the rack" and use a factory standard.
• Visit some modular home factories and learn about the construction and the quality controls.
• Do your planning, Then do it again. You can't change later.
• Better Homes and Gardens-Home Designer Suite software is great for planning — and inexpensive at $60.
• Visit you modular home under construction at the factory
• Set a realistic timetable tied to the payment schedule.
• Shop around; there are many deals but, most importantly, be sure you are comparing apples to apples.
• Get a builder that is familiar with your building jurisdiction because you still have local code issues.

Daily Press

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