Tidewater Custom Modular Homes Blog

Modular construction is one of the fastest growing forms of home building in the market today. Increased efficiency and our ability to apply modern technology to the needs of the market place are what make it so desirable. Tidewater Custom Modular Homes offers designs that encompass the entire spectrum of the market; from affordable single-family designs to high end luxury homes to vacation getaways. The combination of reduced construction time, more efficient construction and unlimited customization are the primary reasons why many home buyers are switching from traditional stick-building to modular home construction.

One question always seems to come up in our conversation with people as they contemplate their choice between a stick built home and a modular home.  “Which type of home is stronger, modular or traditional?” The general consensus is that modular homes are stronger. They are built in a controlled environment where outside elements cannot add wear and tear. Modular home builders also use screws instead of nails and add glue to all the joints to increase the strength of the home.

Today’s modular homes rival any site-built home in design and functionality. Advancements in computer design and factory technology allows almost any custom home plan to be constructed as a modular home. For buyers interested in a fine-crafted home that can be built and completed in a fraction of the time of a conventional home, modular homes have become the preferred type of construction by many.

There are many different home styles and floor plans to consider when you are building a new modular home. You have the option of a standard floor plan or you can have your house customized however you would like, in the actual layout, or in the interior set up. Further customization can be done as well. In the kitchen an island or wine rack could be added, columns could be added to the living or dining area and transoms and side lights could be added to the front door. Perhaps you are interested in entertaining, a rock surround can be added to the fireplace and an opening for the television could be added to the wall above. There are so many special features to add to your new modular home, inside and out, we can’t even discuss them all here. But rest assured that your new home will be personal, and built just the way you dreamed it.

With Modular homes, the construction process is dramatically shortened. Your new home arrives to your property in the form of modules, which are then assembled on site. The on-site construction process itself is a wonder to watch as modules for your new home are removed from flat beds and erected with a crane. The process takes weeks instead of months, and sooner, rather than later, you are moving into your new home.
 
Prior to this process, you meet with Tidewater Custom Modular Homes and discuss floor plans and design. You have unlimited options, from colonials to cottages, and ranch homes to Cape Cod style, and each style home has their own individual flare. You get to decide everything you would with a traditionally built home such as cabinet styles and finishes, hard wood flooring and recessed lighting. In the end, you have a custom built, custom designed home of your dreams in much less time.

1. State-of-the-art home building– Modular home companies are able to produce custom modules for custom homes. They have the ability to take any design and build it in pieces in a factory, to be assembled into a custom home in the field. Look at a stick built job site in the rain and you will appreciate that modular homes are built in climate controlled plants monitored by quality control.

2. ENERGY STAR- This does not just mean appliances.  In order for a home to have the ENERGY STAR logo and certification, it has to pass a series of inspections to prove that it was built to certain tolerances, AND performs well. The certification ultimately tells you that the home consumes 15% less energy than a home built to today's building code. Tidewater Custom Modular Homes is energy star certified.

3. Shorter, more predictable time line-The modular process allows the home to go from foundation to 80% complete in one day. While a stick-built home might go through rain, snow, wind, and heat stages, a modular home is built in about 2 weeks in the factory, and you could be living in your new home in a couple of months.

4. Built stronger- Because modules are transported and placed by a crane onto the foundation, they are built as six-sided structures, 4 walls, 1 ceiling and 1 floor. The home is then made of all the stacked boxes, which is stronger and more stable than stick built house.

5. Reliable Quality Control-The only way homes are built to exacting standards is by having a QC system in place. Modular homes are built in factory settings with quality control checks. Each modular production plant is inspected by third party inspectors and  the modules are inspected in the field once they are set.

Tidewater Modular Construction is safe and sturdy, and are more resistant to natural forces  because of precision cuts that are fit and fastened in the factory. The construction technology for modular homes calls for glue-nailed sheathing and decking plus additional framing members which makes modular homes most likely to endure nature's onslaughts. The structure has to withstand being hoisted by crane and hauled on carriers over roads. The motion and forces that the structure is put under during these processes exceeds that of healthy earthquakes.

We ensure that our modular homes are built with high safety standards in accordance with federal laws requiring smoke detectors, escape windows and incombustible materials around furnaces and kitchen ranges. Our modular homes assure the buyer that all electrical, plumbing, mechanical and structures are built to a HUD national code, which exceeds any local standards.

Stick- built homes are sometimes constructed in areas where local building codes may be less, and the safety of the homeowner and family may be compromised. We make sure our modular homes are built in a safe environment and according to HUD standards. We go above and beyond to make sure you have the home of your dreams. Tidewater Custom Modular Homes researched modular construction for several years to ensure we offered the highest quality homes from a manufacturer with a history of quality construction, experience, potential for growth and, most importantly, a solid reputation. Contact us today to learn more about modular homes and how you can get your custom built dream home today.

Today, the educated consumers that are seeking to have a new home built to their specifications are increasingly turning to modular construction to achieve a higher quality of construction without sacrificing architectural style, open floor planning and quality finishes. Invariably, when clients initially call us, one of their first questions is "how do I get started?"

If your interest is having your new dream home built with modern modular technology and you, too, want to know "how to get started", we offer here the most important element to insure a successful project: selecting the right manufacturer of the modular housing components.

The modular components of your new home will be manufactured in a factory and those components will be shipped to your home site and finished to turnkey by the builder. Be sure to check out our selection of custom floor plans here. In addition to having floors plan readily available to our customers you can specify which kind of additions you would like to have added on. In our design gallery we show some popular additions such as our kitchen and bathroom ideas. As you can see we are very committed to the modular home industry and to helping out our customers in any way possible, so if you have any other questions feel free to contact us.

Winter is here and you will be using a lot more energy in your modular home, from having lights on longer to a furnace working overtime.  Here is an easy check list to follow when you are trying to reduce your monthly energy bills. You should seek professional assistance in each of these areas to assure the proper corrections have been made.

• Have an energy audit- can be conducted by your local electric co-op or a private party.
• Seal air leaks- check around windows, doors, and any other seams/joints in your home.
• Check mechanical systems- change furnace filters regularly and systems for proper working order.
• Heat efficiently- replace old systems with new efficient ones.
• Use a programmable thermostat- this helps heat only when you need it.
• Control hot water use- change to a low flow shower head and lower the temperature on your water heater.
• Replace light bulbs-  use CFL’s (Compact Fluorescent Lights) as they will save you a considerable amount on your bills over time.
• Use outlet switches-  this is where you have a way of shutting power of to small appliances, televisions, etc.
• Install timers/motion light-  these work well for frequently used lights and others that are in hard to reach areas.
• Buy ENERGY STAR products- these products are there to save you money.

Saving energy and being more energy efficient is what modular homes are all about. When you buy a custom modular home you are already saving money and helping the environment. If you have been thinking about modular homes and have any questions about how they are constructed or why they are so popular contact us today. Be sure to also check out our floor plans page and inventory to see which homes we have already in stock for you.

Are you looking to expand your home?  Additions are typically the most common way to expand your home's footprint.  But additions can be costly, take a long time, and finding the right contractor you can trust can be difficult.  Fortunately, there is better, faster way to build your home addition: a modular home addition. It doesn't matter what type of home you currently have.  You can easily add an addition to your home with modular construction.

We know how it is.  You contact a builder, scope the project, see the price tag and time line, and then frustration sets in.  Fortunately, home renovations with with modular home additions can be completed much faster, less expensively, and with fewer headaches.

Why modular home additions?

Here are a few points our customers have discovered. Modular home additions:

• Are more economical.
• Have no sudden cost surprises.
• Are more energy efficient.

The bottom line:  modular construction is the answer.  Contact Tidewater Custom Modular Homes to see if adding a modular home addition is right for you.  Tidewater is more than happy to work with an existing home owner.  We can expand your existing home and deliver to you the space you need.

There’s no denying it, we’re in a serious economic crisis. Financial organizations are collapsing under the weight of bad debt that they have taken on and consumers are experiencing uncertainty and a lack of confidence in the market. As a result, lending companies are lending less money and the average person is watching their expenses very, very closely.

In spite of the crisis, life goes on. People still need to buy homes to live in. And to do that, they need to get a mortgage. Rather than buy a brand-new stick-built home, a preferred solution for consumers (and the institutions that lend them money) might be a custom-build a modular home.

At first, those unfamiliar with the concept might wonder two questions: “aren’t modular homes just like mobile homes?” and, “isn’t custom building usually expensive?”

Custom modular homes are not mobile homes. They look just like regular homes. The difference is that they are built in units in a factory-like setting by professionals and those units are shipped to the site and put together within just a few days. This method is actually cheaper to build in general AND it allows for customization, because prospective homeowners can select different units and put together the floorplan they want at a price that is lower than a conventionally built home.

Custom built homes at a price that is lower than a conventional home is attractive to anyone thinking about having a home built. But modular homes are attractive for other reasons, too:

• Because modular homes are faster to build than stick built homes (taking weeks instead of months to build and erect), there is less money required in a building loan and it gets paid back faster.
• Modular homes cost less to live in because they are more efficient to run and they come with a 10 year warranty.
• Consumers need to spend wisely on a solution but they also need to consider the future. How will they leave the earth for their children? Custom modular homes are more environmentally friendly because they are faster to build and there is less wasted building material.

The benefits are clear: In today’s tight economic times, custom modular homes are the right answer for consumers who want to spend less now and in the future, who want to enjoy the home they live in, and who want to still make purchasing decisions that are good for the environment. And with so many different floor plans to suit each individuals needs there is virtually no reason why to not choose modular. Contact us to find out how you can get started on building your custom dream home today

The sub-prime mortgage crisis has affected just about every form of housing within the country. Lending is more restrictive, current home inventories are still tremendous, and a large percentage is unable to make their current mortgage payments. And while the modular home industry has felt the effects, the impact has been much less than on the site-built housing industry.

Recent trends at the end of 2009 and thus far in 2010 has seen new customers considering modular homes in greater numbers. The largest group is those that normally spend $200,000 for a home but are looking to maximize their value while keeping the price within their budget. Modular homes boast greater value through better durability, larger square footage and more amenities compared to most equally-priced site-built homes. Given the continued pricing instability of new and existing homes, modular homes give a more stable value.

Fortunately, lending practices for many banks have now loosened enabling easier financing for modular homes that had met resistances previously. This will likely continue for both new and existing modular homes as incentives to banks to make these loans become more accessible to the home-buyer. Because some people are selling their existing homes out of necessity, getting into a new home at a lower price is their eventual goal. For the same amount of money, modular homes offer more than traditional site-built structures.

In addition to modular homes offering a better value solution, modular home manufacturers and retailers are expanding their markets. By being more creative, those in the modular home industry have found new customers who benefit from this technology. Virginian residents are starting to look more and more at modular homes as well. With the tidewater area being a huge construction type area, TC modular has definitely been on the rise of success. Contact us today should you have any questions regarding modular homes or if you'd like to take a look at our custom built homes we have to offer.

Today, the educated consumers that are seeking to have a new home built to their specifications are increasingly turning to modular construction to achieve a higher quality of construction without sacrificing architectural style, open floor planning and quality finishes. Invariably, when clients initially call us, one of their first questions is "how do I get started?"

If your interest is having your new dream home built with modern modular technology and you, too, want to know "how to get started", we offer here the most important element to insure a successful project: selecting the right manufacturer of the modular housing components.

The modular components of your new home will be manufactured in a factory and those components will be shipped to your home site and finished to turnkey by the builder. We are so confident that our modular homes will be perfect for your dream home that we’ve comprised a list of our best qualities.

• We have a reputation for building a quality product.
• We are capable of integrating architectural flexibility and custom design into our homes.
• Our reputation for strong customer service is outstanding.
• We have some strong financial capabilities
• We can also provide construction financing, if your project so requires in this difficult financial market.

Be sure to check out our selection of custom floor plans here. We also have a video of our factory process to show our customers just how modular home construction works. As you can see we are very committed to the modular home industry and to helping out our customers in any way possible, so if you have any other questions feel free to contact us.