FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS - MODULAR HOMES
Where are you located?
We have local offices in both Keene and Winchester, NH.
What are your hours of operations?
Because we schedule meetings by appointment, we
do not have set office hours. We are generally
available to meet with you at your convenience,
seven days a week.
Does where the
houses are built make a difference to me?
It
should. Most modular home companies, especially
the ones in Pennsylvania, started out life
building double-wide manufactured, or mobile,
homes. Not the case with the two modular home
companies we represent.
Preferred Building Systems is owned by LaValley
Lumber Company, a second generation business
founded in Newport, NH in 1962. Starting out
manufacturing roof trusses, wall panels, door
units and kitchen countertops, LaValley
purchased and renovated an old photo album
factory in Claremont in 2006 and retooled it to
manufacture custom energy efficient modular
homes. As a member of the Lumberman’s
Merchandising Corporation, La Valley Lumber
combines their purchasing power with over 300
other independent lumberyards and home centers,
which allows them to pass on these savings to
the modular home end of the business.
Huntington Homes was founded in Berlin, Vermont
in 1978 by Henry Huntington to serve the central
Vermont area with quality custom modular homes,
built by Vermont craftsmen to withstand the
harsh New England weather conditions. Since
that time they have designed and built their
current 100,000 square foot manufacturing
facility in East Montpelier, Vermont, servicing
all of New England and Eastern New York State.
Huntington Homes is proud of the fact that most
of their sales come by way of referral from
satisfied customers.
What areas do you
build in?
We
build in southwestern New Hampshire (Cheshire
County), northern Massachusetts (Franklin
County) and southeastern Vermont (Windham
County).
Are modular and manufactured homes the
same?
No.
Modular homes are constructed to the same state,
county and specific local building codes as site
built homes. Keep in mind that your new modular
home is inspected at the factory during each
phase of construction and an independent third
party inspection agency approves each home
before it is delivered to the home site.
Manufactured homes, sometimes referred to as
mobile homes, are constructed to the Housing and
Urban Development (HUD) Code, which differs from
state and local building codes.
How long does it take to build a modular home?
One
of the most popular benefits of modular
construction is quick turnaround between
groundbreaking and occupancy. On average, a
home consisting of four modules can be completed
in the factory in just a few weeks. Once the
modules are set on the foundation at the home
site, final completion by the Beaman Land & Home
Sales crew can be completed in roughly one
month, depending on the size and scope of work
of the project.
What do modulars
look like?
Modular homes look like any other home. The
design flexibility of modular construction
allows our manufacturers to build from the
simplest to the most complex designs in
residential, multi-family and commercial
construction.
Is
financing a modular home different than
financing a site-built home?
There
is no distinction between modular and site built
homes as far as appraisal or financing. Banks
and lending institutions treat both types of
construction the same. In fact, they like
modular construction better because there is a
shorter time frame involved and all costs are
known up front. Likewise, there is no
difference insuring the modular property.
What
are the prices of your homes?
Because we custom design and custom build each
home, we do not have set house plans and a set
price list. Each home will be priced out
individually. However, a Beaman Land & Home
Sales modular will price comparably to any of
our competitors, both modular and site built,
when compared side by side.
Do I need to hire a contractor to finish the
house?
Not
if you don’t want to. We sell our modular’s two
ways – “drop shipment” and “turn key”.
Drop
shipment is just that, we drop the house on your
foundation, finish the shingling, make it
weather tight and the rest is up to you. If you
are a contractor, or have one in the family, and
are able to do some of the work yourselves, this
may be the option for you. Otherwise, a turnkey
home would probably fit you better. All you do
is turn the key and move in, we do the rest.
How
much work is there
to do to finish a modular?
Although the homes come 90% complete directly
from the factory, there is a lot of work to be
done on site. A foundation has to be poured and
a bulkhead or walk-out installed. There will be
no siding on the gable ends of the house when it
arrives and trim boards, soffits and fascias
need to be installed. Heat pipes, plumbing and
wiring is stubbed down through the floor so all
of that has to be connected, the panel box needs
to be installed and wired to the outside meter,
a boiler installed and vented, marriage wall
trim and doors need to be installed, flooring
laid, toilets set and a million other little
details that turn the house into a home. Every
one of these details is dependent upon another
detail – the boiler can’t be fired until the
electrician wires it and until the mason builds
the chimney (if that’s how it’s vented) and on
and on. Having built over 100 modulars, we are
completely familiar with this process and our
subcontractors, all of whom have been with us
for years, know and like each other and work
very well together.
Do I need to hire
an excavating contractor to do site work?
Another part of our company, Beaman Logging,
clears land, installs septic systems, digs and
backfills cellar holes, provides for underground
utilities, builds driveways and everything else
that’s necessary to turn a plot of earth into a
home site. You are welcome to hire your own
contractor, as well.
Do
I need to have my own land?
Not
necessarily. If you don’t already have a
building lot, we usually have land available,
and, as Realtors, we have access to all land
listed in the Multiple Listing Service. We can
assist you with a search for your special place.
OK - Let’s go…………
How do I get
started?
The
first thing to do is to call or email us to set
up an appointment at our offices. There we will
get to know one another, talk about house plans,
budgets and schedules.
Our
next step will be a home tour and/or a factory
tour. We have a variety of homes at our
disposal to bring potential clients to and
encourage everyone to visit the factory. It is
most interesting an impressive. After that,
we will start working on your house plan and
pricing.
Do
I need to have my own plan?
Most
people have a general idea of what they want –
how many stories, square footage, etc. It is
very helpful to start with a basic modular plan
and customize it from there. It doesn’t have to
be one of our plans – any plan will work – as
long as it fits into the modular concept.
Maximum length of each module is ___feet,
maximum width is _______feet. Multiple modules
may be put together in multiple ways to form
unique designs.
Do you do custom
design?
We
do. I, Kathy Beaman, am a Certified Kitchen
Designer (NKBA) and a Certified Green
Professional (NAHB), schooled in Integrated
Design. I will take your basic plan, add your
wants and wishes and weave it into a total
package for you, within your target budget, or I
will custom design a home for you from scratch.
We have not built a house from a stock plan
without changes in many years. Having built
over 100 modular homes, Kathy is very well
versed in what works and what doesn’t and is
able to make visitors to one of her homes say “I
CAN’T BELIEVE THIS IS A MODULAR HOME”.
Does a custom
designed modular cost more?
No,
each house is priced out as planned and as
requested, according to what the price of
building materials is at the time.
Do I need to get a building permit?
Yes,
you do, but we will provide you with everything
you need to get one.
What is the company motto?
TURNING THE ORDINARY INTO THE EXTRAORDINARY |