What’s a Good Timeline For The Manufactured Home Building Process?
Well, provided you’ve done your due diligence (read: homework), a good timeline for the completion of the manufactured home building process from start to finish is typically 2 to 3 months.
As most already understand, manufactured homes are very similar to their slightly more traditional cousin – the site built home. Indistinguishable in both appearance and performance, manufactured homes have two distinct advantages over their stick built competition – a shortened construction timeline and reduced cost.
What Should I Know about the Manufactured Home Building Process?
Delivering greater savings in a shortened timeframe, the individual pieces of a manufactured home are conveniently built in a climate-controlled environment. This improved workspace removes the constant threat of weather delays and theft while streamlining the overall construction process from start to finish. By providing a safer work environment with increased efficiencies, today’s modern manufactured homes are built more efficiently, faster and for significantly less than your standard stick built home. An additional benefit to having your manufactured home built off-site is the ability to advance parallel agendas simultaneously. In other words, as your manufactured home is meticulously constructed by skilled craftsmen in the factory your building site can also be worked on; grading and leveling the building pad, setting up the foundation, putting in the septic tank or attaching the city utilities, can all be accomplished while your home is under construction at the factory.
On average, a manufactured home buyer can expect the entire process to take anywhere from 60 to 90 days before they can officially occupy their new residence.
As is common with most red-blooded Americans, there’s a good chance you’ll probably need some type of financing for your manufactured home/building project. A good rule of thumb for most consumers, get educated before speaking with a lender. By learning first and asking informed questions about your individual financial situation, the lender will be able to provide more detailed specifics on the different loan products available for your unique situation. Make sure to check your credit report online (free on specific sites), assuring there are no errors. Check the current mortgage rate, this will help you calculate just how much “home” you can afford. Once accomplished – it’s time to start contacting the lenders. Make sure to mention to each one of the brokers you speak with that you’re shopping for the best interest rate and terms available. Competition works.
Decision Time
Singlewide, doublewide, or triple-wide… it’s time to decide what type of manufactured home you want? Do you want a modern prefabricated home or a more traditional modular home? In your new home, how many square feet would you like? What about the second story? Do you need more than two bedrooms? And how many bathrooms would work best for your family? And, last but not least where will you place this home? Understand that some manufactured builders stay within specific geographical areas.
Find the Best Builders
This is where nimble fingers, a fast Internet connection, and lots of Google searching come in handy. By performing a simple Google search for “manufactured home retailers in (your location)” you’ll have an opportunity to view the different reviews provided for each retailer and/or builder. Find the best, ditch the rest, and save yourself a headache.
Floorplans
Once you’ve identified the builder/manufacturer you’re interested in using, your next step is easy. It’s time to think about which of their existing models you would like, or if there are any upgrades to their floor plans. Dependent on your specific requirements and choice, the manufactured home builder will prepare unique floor plans and architectural renderings in approximately 2-6 weeks.
Financing revisited
Back to the bank: Once the total costs are compiled and you’ve got your floor plans in hand, it’s time to head back to the bank that provided your initial approval. Before a bank will provide final approval for the loan, it’s customary for the lending institution to require a copy of the final blueprints/architectural drawings, in addition to a written furnishing any construction bids.
Acquire Building Permits
Once you’ve received the proverbial “green light” on your financing, you then need to work with your manufactured home builder to apply for any necessary building permits that are mandated by the state or local governments. If all goes smoothly, this should take no more than one or two weeks for the typical building site. Provided your own site is located in a historic area, environmentally sensitive or other protected zone, it can take considerably longer.
Site Preparation and Construction
Cost-effectively killing two birds with one stone, the prefabricated home construction process enables homebuyers to save both time and money by simultaneously allowing work to commence on both your site and home. With the necessary permits in hand and the foundation under construction, the modular home is being skillfully built at an environmentally controlled off-site location. Once completed, the home is shipped to your building site in sections and assembled by the local builders.
Built with a solid combination of energy-efficient principles, modernized building techniques, and eco-friendly technologies, these modern manufactured homes prove significant energy savings are the product of thoughtful design and implementation.
Welcome to the future of housing…