Tidewater Custom Modular Homes Blog

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 want to know what type of construction is of higher quality, modular construction or stick built? Modular homes are built in factories to very specific specifications, with quality checks regularly on the assembly line. Of course the modules have to be sturdily built, they are transported via truck and put in place via crane.  

We could tell you all this or you could go into a modular home factory and then walk onto a stick built construction site. There you would see the difference.  On stick-built sites, builders are using air guns and nails to assemble walls, floors, and ceilings.    You may even see construction materials, the future walls and ceilings in the rain or snow.

In a Modular home factory and construction site modular home walls, floors, and ceilings are screwed and lag-bolted together.  They are also glued.  All of this adds another level of construction integrity and strength.  

Contact Tidewater Custom Modular Homes and we will be more than glad to give you a personal demonstration of the differences.

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

Choosing to downsize your home does not mean you have to compromise. Regardless for your reasons for deciding to move to a smaller home, this is an exciting time.

If you have decided to downsize because your kids have moved on, you are retiring or you just want a smaller space, build a new, smaller yet custom modular home.

Custom modular homes are an exciting way to move into the new home you need, with all the details and customizations you have always wanted.

Choose your modular home floor plan, or design one yourself. Modular homes are customizable, quickly built with quality materials and high standards, and there are no cost surprises.

Quality engineering and modular construction significantly increase the energy efficiency of your house and you can move into your house anywhere from 2 to 3 months after signing the contract as compared to conventional site-built homes which range from 6 months to 1 year.

Moving? Downsizing? Contact Tidewater Custom Modular Homes.

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.

Often there are questions regarding the value, appraisal or retail value of a modular home. Modular homes appreciate in the same way as a traditionally built home, and sometimes there value is higher than a traditional home of comparable size and layout.

Modular Homes are built to more consistent, high standards than traditionally built homes, they are also built more sturdily, using screws and glue. Because of this, often times the wear and tear on a modular home is less despite being in the same geographic location. However, for simplicity, and because home value depends on how the home is maintained overtime, we say that modular homes retain value consistent with stick built homes.

Banks and mortgage companies consider modular homes to be the same as traditional homes. Most modular home factories are well known to lenders, and the construction time is faster therefore, lenders often like to initiate construction loans. But for the homeowner, the interest generated on the loan is less too because of the shorter construction period.

Contact Tidewater Custom Modular Homes if you are interested in learning more about the value or appreciation of modular homes to help you in your decision making process.

Many people in North Carolina and Virginia experienced firsthand the wrath of Hurricane Irene.  Thousands of homes were damaged or destroyed.  For victims, this may be a great time to buy a home from Tidewater Custom Modular Homes.  Not only are we offering the current Factory tour rebate of $1000, families rebuilding due to disaster damage can take advantage of a $2000 credit from Tidewater Custom Modular Homes, Inc, the manufacturer of our fine modular homes.  But we will match that credit! That gives you a total “disaster credit” of $4000.

This credit will be given out at the completion of your modular home construction project. Receive the credit  in the form of cash rebates if you purchase your new home prior to December 2011.
 
All we need from you in order to issue the $4000 credit, other than proof of loan approval, is that you are a confirmed Hurricane Victim.
 
Join us at one of our "Plant Tour Events" every Saturday to receive the factory tour $1000 credit. Like we always say, you have to see it to believe it. And believe it; Tidewater Custom Modular would like to give you $5000 in total credits. Contact TCMH if you are a victim of the hurricane.

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.

There are many homeowners who are contemplating downsizing their homes. There are many reasons for downsizing, the most common being the children have moved out. Perhaps you are looking to stay in the same town or remain near the community you have grown to love over the years, or perhaps you want to move to the waterfront.

Building a modular home may be a great choice for you. Thereare many styles and floor plans that will fit your needs. And building a modular home is cost effective, efficient. Also, downsizing can save you tax dollars.

A ranch style home, our favorite being the Austin, single story living at its best! This quaint three bedroom, two bath home offers a large master suite complete with a walk-in closet and a master bath featuring a garden tub. The foyer opens into a spacious living room/dining room combo, providing an abundance of space for entertaining or simply relaxing.

If it is the waterfront that draws you, we have vacation home floor plans to suit your needs as well. The Southport is one of our most popular vacation home floor plans. This quaint Cape Cod home with its charming front elevation features almost an entire wall of glass, bathing the great room in the front of the home in natural light, thanks to a towering vaulted ceiling. The large master suite is to the left rear of the home and offers privacy while an extremely open great room, dining room and kitchen area on the opposite side offers a gathering place for family and friends.

Then of course, we have the traditional cape. The Kingston, has a combination breakfast nook/kitchen design makes this area of The Kingston the gathering spot of the home. A bathroom, two bedrooms and an expansive living room complete the first floor. Two bedrooms and the home’s second bath complete the suggested second floor.

Feel free to ask us about any of these style homes or any other styles that we offer. And remember, at Tidewater Custom Modular Homes, we can create the home you are looking for within the price parameters you require.

Many homebuyers assume that the primary advantage of modular homes is lower home prices. However, that is the third most important reason for building a modular home. Faster construction time is the second, and superior quality is the first.

The construction applications that strengthen a modular home include:

• The window and door casings are reinforced with metal splines in the corners
• Drywall is bonded to the wall studs and the ceiling joists with super adhesive
• Larger sheets of drywall are used on the walls and ceilings
• The first-story ceiling and second-story floor systems are separate on two-story homes
• Floor sheathing is both glued and nailed
• The basement ceiling is flush with the main carrying beam built into the floor system
• Double or triple perimeter joists are used at the marriage walls (marriage walls are where wall meet)
• The modules are joined together at the marriage wall with bolts in the basement and attic
• Corners of the perimeter floor joists are also strapped