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.

Building modular homes is not new. Yet there is still the challenge to change the perception of modular homes.

Gone are the days of cheap, boring designs. Today, companies are using smart factory-built technologies to speed up the construction process, while hiring leading architects to deliver open, multi-use spaces.

Searching for a modern, environmentally friendly home, but can’t find anything? If you are interested in building an affordable, custom designed home then modular homes are perfect, built in a controlled setting where the weather is not a factor.

Modular homes are modern, green and delivered already built, yet you still have the ability to use your creativity with the designs, finishes and floor plans.
 
Modular homes are perfect for buyers who want a newly built home fast, who plan on construction timetables of three months and not the 12 to 18 months it takes to build a conventional stick built home.

These new prefab home designs are sleek, ultra-green performers,

The cost of buying a modular home is similar to a stick or site-built home, usually about $10  to $30 less per square foot, but the main advantages comes down to quality control (because it's built in a factory) and in the speed of construction.

Modular construction is a disciplined way of building because the price is locked in near the start. No surprises

It makes so much sense to build modular because the home is built quickly and you don't have to worry about weather. Contact Tidewater Custom Modular Homes for more information.

Excerpts from Vancouver Sun

Modular home construction has been around for some time, and more and more are fully appreciating the benefits and exploring the opportunities it has to offer.

Some of the pros include:

Reduced Site Labor and Lower Overall Costs

The same quality materials are used as with site-built construction, but since up to 80% of the building is built and inspected off-site, the amount of time required for completion is dramatically reduced. With modular home construction, less construction site time reduces waste, the chance of weather delays, and material damage. Fewer subcontractors on site reduce site supervision costs, as well as often overlooked costs such as waste removal. Reduction in construction time frames of 30%  to 50% are easily achievable.

Reduced Risk

Safety issues are significantly minimized with modular construction since the majority of the labor force works in a controlled environment, rather than on a traditional site. Even if the modular home is two or three stories, workers can work on the ground and then crane the module once completed. Beyond health and safety concerns, security risks related to theft are also reduced, cost overrun risks are minimized, as are insurance and other “hidden cost” liabilities.

With modular home construction there is still the ability to be creative and design floor plans that are customized.
 
In addition, to the reduced on-site waste and reduces costs during construction there is another advantage to modular construction. Through proven manufacturing processes, modular factories are able to construct tighter homes with less air infiltration. As a result, modular-built homes will typically outperform similar site built or traditionally built homes in energy efficiency.

Design Build Source

Modular construction is not new. the individual modules, which are assembled once delivered, can be 90% complete when they are shipped from factory to building site, with walls, flooring, ceilings, stairs, and even finishes complete.

Typically, a two-story, 2,500-square-foot house can be constructed in a factory in a week.

Modular construction begins with the design process. When the floor plans are complete, they are sent to the state or municipality for review, to ensure that building-code requirements are met.

While stick-built homes take five to six months to build, modular homes can be completed in eight to 10 weeks on site. Many in the building industry believe that modular construction could reduce housing costs.

On average, it costs $128 a square foot to build a traditional house. The cost of construction in a city is $35 per square foot more than in the suburbs, studies show. So in the suburbs, the average cost of a stick built home is $160.

A study found that modular construction of a 16-foot-wide house in a city reduced square-foot costs by $32; for a 20-foot-wide house, the saving was $12 a square foot.

For information on a faster built, less expensive and custom designed new modular home, contact Tidewater Custom Modular Homes.

Excerpts from the study found in Philly.com

The housing market is heating up, but many people in Virginia are looking to downsize. The trend to downsizing has been spurred on for many reasons. Many are empty nesters, many are retirees, and many realize that it just costs too much to maintain a large home with space they don’t use.

Are you interested in downsizing? If so, downsizing should not be synonymous with compromising. Moving into a new home should always be a treat, and when you build your own new home it is. A new modular home is the perfect solution for those looking to downsize. You can remain in comfort with the space and amenities that you need and want, but you can still move into a smaller home.

With modular homes, the floor plans can be customized, so even if you are an empty nester and the kids old bedrooms were used as office  or storage space, you can incorporate that functionality into your modular floor plan just on a smaller, more economical scale.

If you are downsizing to save money on maintenance, utilities and taxes, modular homes also fit the bill. Modular construction is energy efficient construction. With energy star appliances, energy efficient windows, better insulation and efficient lighting you will pay less for the utilities in your home.
 
Most importantly, with a well built, well designed, brand new home, your new modular home will retain its resale value. When it comes time to sell, your home will retain its value. For more information on downsizing to a modular home, contact Tidewater Custom Modular Homes.

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.

Green construction, or green building, has become the new trend. However, what started as a potential fad has now become the standard for what many homeowners are looking for. Energy Star, LEEDS Certified, and Green Seal, are just some of the terms and qualifiers people are looking for when building a new home.

Building a modular home is a green way to build a home, using less energy, fewer materials and creating less waste. In fact, Tidewater Custom Modular Homes is a "Green Seal Certified" modular home construction company.  Not to mention, less waste equals less cost, another major advantage of modular home construction.  

The Green Seal™ is given to products, in this case homes, that have a low environmental impact and that work efficiently. All of our modular home styles are Green Seal certified and that means they are the most environmentally preferable products currently available. We also use energy star products in the homes.

We have earned the Green Seal™ by meeting the environmental standards in the home construction category. These standards are determined by intense evaluation and testing. Tidewater Custom Modular Homes are the leadership standard.

Modular construction has been widely misunderstood. Custom designed homes that are made with strength and quality is what you get when you opt for modular construction. We think you won’t be able to tell the difference between a modular home and a traditionally built home. Look at the two photos below. Which is stick built, which one is a custom modular home?  


Both homes are homes were built by Tidewater Custom Modular Homes.  The casual observer cannot tell the difference between custom modular homes and stick-built homes.  If you were a builder, and if you really inspected the construction, you would be able to tell the difference. And you would find modular homes are better built. Contact Tidewater Custom Modular Homes for a factory tour and we will show you the difference.

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.

If you are in the market for a new home, consider building a new home; but not just any new home, build a modular home. There are many pros to consider when contemplating whether to buy or build a new home.

Even though building your dream house may seem a lot more difficult than looking for a house that is already built and ready to live in, it can actually be very rewarding.

Consider the following when thinking about building a new modular home:

• You can customize
• Your home may be more resalable in the future
• The most up to date building codes
• You can hire a professional to oversee the day to day issues of building a new home.
• With a modular home you can move into a new home in a couple months.
• Choose the modular floor plan that works for you and your family

Contact Tidewater Custom Modular Homes for more information.