Not every home has to be constructed on-site. Instead of building a house from the foundation up, brick by brick or board by board, modern technology offers a different way. Modular homes are specific in that way that they are constructed indoors. They begin their life in a factory of pieces, where the products, the parts of the new building are created. Often people would call these types of homes factory-built or prefab homes.

One thing to point out is that modular and manufactured homes are not the same thing. A manufactured home is not built upon permanent foundations. Because of this, they are also called mobile homes. These houses can be picked up and taken to another location.

How are modular homes different from regular houses?

The main advantage modular homes have over traditional houses built on-site is that they are very quick to construct. It takes only a few weeks to assemble a modular house and move in. The reason behind this is that the weather cannot affect the construction process, there are established manufacturing guidelines and rules and so on.

Another important thing to point out is that there is a popular misconception concerning modular homes. People often think that modular houses are all alike. In reality, there are little limitations when it comes to the design of these buildings. You can let your imagination run free and construct the Mediterranean, a Scandinavian or a Colonial house.

Assembling a modular home

Modular homes come to the construction sites in pieces called sections. They are brought to the site using trucks and the assembled using cranes and other machinery. You can think of it like putting children’s’ play blocks together. Manufacturers can personalize houses in many ways, from floors to roof tiles. This way, the customers get a fully customized house.

Price of modular homes

Another myth involving these houses is that they are more expensive than traditionally constructed houses. In fact, they are cheaper because builders use less time to construct them and inspectors also use less time because all the parts are inspected in the factory.

Of course, if you throw in a lot of customized solutions, the more expensive your home will be. If you add a lot of additional features, from electrical to plumbing work, you will have to dish out more cash. However, a typical modular house is, on average, cheaper than a regular house.