People are often confused about what makes a Modular Home and a Manufactured Home different. There are many similarities between the two but also many differences. Both cost much less than site built houses but the two are not the same thing.
Characteristics of a Modular Home
A modular home consists of pre-made prefabricated materials. These parts are made up of the wall, floors, and ceilings already pre-manufactured. Since everything is already made, all that is left to do is to have the items shipped to the housing lot and assembled together by the contractor in according to the local housing laws.
It varies between a few days or hours for these to be constructed. This is an ideal choice for those who need to move in somewhere quickly. These homes are most efficient and cost effective also because it doesn't require as much manpower to build or funds.
What is a Manufactured Home?
These are also called mobile homes and are produced and constructed in a factory of some sort that moves them down an assembly line, more or less building the exact same house over and over again. They are entirely put together in the factory and then shipped over to the purchaser. Originally built for people on the go, now the current fashion is to buy them for stationary living as well. The houses are then either made immobile by cementing a foundation underneath it, using some sort of anchoring device, or set up upon blocks to keep it immobile, another good thing about the blocks is it prevents flooding. Not all will choose to keep their homes stationary in case they wish to move their house or simply bring their house with them for vacation.
The Differences between the Two
There are many differences between the two, but the two largest are that the Modular home (while still made in a factory) is shipped in parts to the new destination to be assembled there whereas the Manufactured Homes (or Mobile Homes) are built in a factory entirely, where the product is finished, and then the entire product is shipped ready to be lived in at the new destination. Even though both types of housing are cheaper to produce than typical on-site construction housing, certain states do not consider these types of homes "housing" and therefore certain restrictions are met with claims to deeds and what not.
These restrictive covenants on certain sites could prevent some of these houses from being constructed. Usually, the Modular homes do not have restrictions placed upon them because of their size and their more amiable appearance to a typical on site house building, the ones that resist the laws more openly would be the Mobile Houses. Before you decide to buy either one of these types of housing, do some research in the area you plan to move to, to see what sort of restrictions are in place.
