Removing the old window blinds on small modular homes and replacing them with new window blinds would change the room ambiance. Window blinds give a covering to the home window, much like window curtains, and homeowners have lots of options to choose from when picking new window blinds. There are many types of window blinds […]
Recessed lighting is an affordable modern alternative to traditional lighting, which is one of the major reasons why they are the most preferred lighting choice of modular homeowners. Recessed lighting comes in a wide variety of trim and housing options. So, you will be easily able to find the perfect recessed lighting for your modular […]
If you have not conducted routine inspections on your modular home roof till now, contact a home appraiser for goodness sake. In fact, you need to consider prior inspection done and dusted on modular homes for sale for you. Roof overhangs can prevent ice dams during the fall season. Most homeowners use an inspected roof, […]
Building a new home will be one of the most important projects that you will undertake in your life, which means that you should do a little bit of research and take your time to find the best housing options that are available to you. If you are planning to build a home in three […]
Rather than looking for conventional site-built homes for sale, most prospective home buyers these days are looking for modular homes. This is mainly because modern modular homes are highly affordable. Also, they allow the homeowner to enjoy all the comforts and convenience of a site-built home.
However, finding affordable modular homes for sale in a location you desire is no easy task. You will have to meet with several manufactured home dealers to find the best prefab home for your family. If you can’t find a modular home you like, you have the option to build an affordable prefab home to your own specifications.
The construction of most modern modular homes happens inside a climate-controlled factory setting. However, this doesn’t mean you can skip the building inspection requirements and standard regulations put forth by the local house building department. It is significant to note that all modern modular homes in the country must comply with the same building codes of site-built homes.
Inspecting small modular homes during the construction process, however, will help you to ensure that you are building one of the best modular homes. Below are a few facts you should know about the inspection of prefab homes.
Permits and Inspections
You will have to submit the blueprints of the small prefab homes that you are planning to build for inspection and approval before even starting the construction process. Many municipal building departments in the country have separate inspections norms and permits for different phases of construction of prefab homes such as building, mechanical, plumbing, and electrical.
Power, Water, And Sewer
In most cases, the initial inspection of modern modular homes happens inside the factory itself while the final inspection of small modular homes usually takes place at the building site. The best prefab homes manufacturers advise their customers to carry out a thorough inspection of their home before installing the house on their land, as it will help them to find any faults and damages in the new modular home easily.
Factory Inspections
Even though most modern modular homes are not site-built, they often look a lot like conventional site-built homes. Inspections on these small mobile homes happen during each stage of the construction process in order to ensure that the home is capable of withstanding adverse conditions. Roofing, insulation, plumbing, and framing of affordable prefab homes also undergo through inspection.
In California, officials assign a state of California Department of Housing and Community Development label temporarily to small modular homes after the inspection. This label contains an exclusive control number, which is normally issued by an approved third-party inspection company. With such a label on the newly built small modular homes, prefab home dealers will be able to gain a better offer when selling the modular home to a potential buyer.
Power, Water, and Sewer
The local building jurisdiction usually requires a building permit for small modular homes, which allows the homeowner to set a prefab home on their site. This involves the exact same type of inspections as that of a conventional site-built home. The local authorities will also carry out an inspection for a temporary service panel and hookups to public wells and private distribution systems and to the utility service pole.
Affordable prefab homes with wells usually need a well permit, which is issued by the state health department and filed by the well contractor after drilling. This permit should meet the minimum gallons per minute output, as suggested by the concerned health department.
Grading and Foundation Approval
You might also have to do soil engineering tests and submit the results to the building jurisdiction for grading process. Remember, you can continue with your dream of building the best modular home for you and your family only after the grading is approved. The building department may also inspect the foundation of your modern modular home in order to make sure that it meets with the specified standard codes.
You should also talk to your homebuilder about modular homes prices and other information, as it will give you a clear idea of how much money you will have to spend for building a prefab home. Modular homes prices are usually affordable but you will have to ensure that you have enough money at hand before starting the construction process. If you lack the funds, it would be wiser to get in touch with a lending institution that finances the building of modern modular homes.
Installation Inspection
On-Site Installation Inspection
Make sure that all hookups to power, sewer, and water are complete after installing small modular homes to the foundation. This inspection is crucial since it ensures that the house is structurally sound and meets with the necessary building codes. However, there will be a few more inspections on the affordable prefab homes such as deck inspections and wood stove hookups inspection.
If the local authorities are not satisfied with newly built modern modular homes, then they will ask the homeowner to make necessary changes to the structure. In this particular scenario, you will have to spend a few more dollars than you had earlier estimated. However, you can easily eliminate the possibility of such a scenario by hiring experienced home builders who build the best modular homes.
If building a new affordable prefab home isn’t economical for you, or if you cannot find affordable modular homes for sale in your area, don’t worry. There is a viable option for you, which is to buy a used, small mobile home that is listed for sale. Make sure to compare modular homes prices from different dealers, as it will help you to acquire the best deal when you are looking for an affordable prefab home.
Buying or Selling a Used Home
Get in touch with people who currently live in modular homes in your neighborhood, as they will be able to redirect you to the best modular homes dealers in your area. You could get in touch with a park or community that has the best prefab homes as well. If you are fortunate, you will be able to find used modular homes in the park or community itself. In fact, buying a used small prefab home, which is located in a neighborhood or park filled with affordable prefab homes, will bring tons of benefits to you.
On the other hand, if you are a person who is planning to sell his/her prefab home after living in it for a few years, make sure to check the rules and regulations of the modular home community regarding that. You also need to consult with the local authorities before signing an agreement to buy modern modular homes in that modular home community. Yet again, you should not be hesitant to buy used mobile homes from a park or community because most of the affordable modular homes located in the park are usually built by experienced modular home manufacturers.
Make sure to thoroughly inspect the affordable prefab home that you are going to buy. Look for any damage or structural issues. If there are any serious structural issues to the prefab home, then you will have to spend money to fix them. So, it would be better to skip that house and look for other affordable modular homes for sale in the neighborhood. If you are ready to do a little bit of research, you will easily find the best prefab homes in your area. However, make sure to compare the modular homes prices before buying a home.
A person can live in a manufactured home either by rented occupancy system or by owning it. People look for value for money when they purchase a modular home or a manufactured home. Let us dwell further and find out why manufactured homes are an excellent investment proposition to real estate builders. Economies of Scale […]
Many professional modular homebuilders advise modular homeowners to conduct regular inspection of their house and to follow good maintenance practices. This is because these preventive measures will help you to protect your investment on the property. It is true that a regular and consistent schedule of seasonal maintenance is capable of solving all the common […]
If you planning to have a modular home for you, the first thing that you need to do is to decide on the style and size of the home that you need. There are many small modular homes designs, which perfectly suit for small families. Read on to know more about the various modular home […]