Avalon Building Systems Blog

Just as site built homes are constructed according to a specific building code to insure proper design and safety, Avalon’s prefabricated homes are constructed in accordance with the HUD building code. What is this code? Well in 1974 under the National Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards Act, the United States Congress laid the foundation for the HUD Code. This Act directed the Secretary of the Department of Urban Development to establish appropriate manufactured home construction and safety standards that meet the highest standards of protection, taking into account existing State and local laws relating to manufactured home safety and construction. Every HUD Code modular home is built in a factory under controlled conditions.

The modular homes then must have a special label affixed on the exterior of the home indicating that the home has been designed, constructed, tested and inspected to comply with the stringent federal standards set forth in the code. This label certifies to the home buyer that the home has been inspected in accordance with the HUD enforcement procedures. Only when all inspection parties are satisfied that the home complies with the code will the certification label be affixed to the home. A consumer seeing one of Avalon’s modular homes for the first time will have the assurance that the home has been thoroughly tested and inspected from the design stage through final construction and found to be built according to the approved design. Quality is assured at Avalon and we take pride in the construction of our homes.

Avalon’s modular construction is safe and sturdy, and are more resistant to natural forces  because of precision cuts that are fit and fastened in the factory. The construction technology for modular homes calls for glue-nailed sheathing and decking plus additional framing members which makes modulars most likely to endure nature's onslaughts. The structure has to withstand being hoisted by crane and hauled on carriers over roads. The motion and forces that the structure is put under during these processes exceeds that of healthy earthquakes.

Here at Avalon we ensure that our modular homes are built with high safety standards in accordance with federal laws requiring smoke detectors, escape windows and incombustible materials around furnaces and kitchen ranges. Our modular homes assure the buyer that all electrical, plumbing, mechanical and structures are built to a HUD national code, which exceeds any local standards. Stick- built homes are sometimes constructed in areas where local building codes may be less, and the safety of the homeowner and family may be compromised. We make sure our modular homes are built in a safe environment and according to HUD standards. We go above and beyond to make sure you have the home of your dreams.

Being Prefabricated—Are Modular Homes Strong?

We know the process of which modular homes are built, but what about the sturdiness of them? Stick built homes go through Mother Nature when being built, how are modular homes stronger? Well first off Avalon uses the strongest of all construction methods based on the 2x4 platform framing system. This is the same system that a conventional stick builder would use, but the differences in the construction process and materials differ. Most modular homes have the reputation of being over built, which is a good thing. The process of building in a factory allows the structure to be open while being built. Workers are able to access the inside of the walls and ceilings, between the wall board and framing members, to glue and seal the wall board from the rear, before the outer sheathing and insulation are attached. These types of extra applications to the building process make a very ridged structure. Precision cuts, which are fit and fastened in the factory, along with the technology of glue-nailed sheathing and decking, additional framing members, and metal strapping insure less movement in the structure. This process makes modular homes about 30% stronger than stick built.

A Modular home’s strength speaks for itself when one considers that the structure is moved by truck carriers over road and then hoisted by crane for setting. These forces of movement on the structure, in most cases, are far in excess of what Mother Nature can produce.

Modular homes are the future of home building. Yes its true, Factory-built homes offer precision, cost effectiveness, and state of the art building tools; and are also subject to a more rigorous inspection process. Manufactured homes also avoid damage to the materials that building on site, in the elements, creates. Making prefabricated homes a more affordable and smart choice.  Avalon's modular homes come in various floor plans for your preference. Here are a few of the most common floor plans in detail for modular homes so you can have a broader idea of what they are.
 
First of is our ranch style home. It is a single story home that is commonly used as a starter home, or for those that prefer all rooms on a single floor. These home styles also have a basement, which can be finished for added home and entertaining space. The benefit to the ranch style is affordability and a simple floor plan. The disadvantage of this style is limited space, especially if it is in an area without the option of a basement.
 
Another choice we have is the cape cod home. It is also commonly referred to as a New England style home. These homes are typically one and a half stories with numerous windows, and have a cottage ambiance. Kitchens are typically large and include a great room. The cape cod style provides a clean, symmetrical look and offers a lot of floor space. The second has a bedroom and a bathroom.
 
One other we offer is the colonial. The colonial offers more square footage than with the other styles here. And the master bedroom is typically on the first floor and this home offers a formal dining room, great room, large first floor, a master bath, and much more. With the exception of the master bedroom, the other bedrooms in the home are located on the second floor, which opens up room for a spacious kitchen and great room. Inquire about one of these great floor plans or take a look at the other floor plans that we have to offer and contact us today with any questions.<\p>

At Avalon Building Systems we take pride in our  magnificently built modular homes. Frankly, it's the state-of-the-art in home building. There have been some articles on modular homes but let Avalon fill you in on this increasing trend in home living.

For centuries, yes literally centuries, human beings have built their shelters and homes the old-fashioned way, one board at a time, one nail a time. In the past two decades, the modular industry has taken giant leaps forward in both focus and capability to the point where virtually every modular plant is able to produce modules for custom homes. But still many traditional production builders are still stuck with their old-world ways of individually framing the same structure by hand. These old time builders place the frame over and over again on different lots. So the modular industry has left their former one-design-fits-all approach and created the means to take any design and build it in pieces in a factory, to be assembled into a custom home in the field.

For years, the modular home industry had a problem.  Its Achilles heel was the inability to customize product offerings. However, due to increasing efforts and vast improvement in the industry, modular homes, including us here at Avalon, are producing fully customized dream homes.  In an age where we're all using the internet as a means of choosing a product, paying for it on the web, and receiving it in a few days, it's fitting that the modular industry can finally provide the speed and quality we all expect. And with this growing advancement, Avalon is here to fit all your custom built needs.

How are modular homes constructed?

Most people know how homes are built; slowly and costly. And people know about modular homes, but how are they built? What are the tools needed?  Well modular components are typically constructed within a large indoor facility on assembly lines much like Henry Ford originally began with his automobile company. Facilities such as these use an assembly line track to move the module components from one workstation to the next. This is a quick and cost effective way to get many module components together. However it’s not just modules by themselves there are independent building inspectors on site to supervise the construction and ensure that all building codes are taken care of during assembly.

The modules that will combine to form the house are assembled in a different factory. The construction of these modules can take one to three months to be completed but only take as little as 10 days actually to construct when they are first started. Afterwards, the modules are transported to the building site where a crane is brought in to assemble the modules together. The placement of the modules generally takes several hours or days to do so. A great thing about modular homes, once assembled, are that they are essentially indistinguishable from typical site-built homes. While mobile manufactured buildings often decrease in value over time, our  modular built homes have the same longevity as its site-built counterpart, increasing in value over time.

Here’s a short process in which the modular home goes through:

• First you have the bulk material
• The walls are attached to the floor
• The ceiling dry walled in spray booth
• Roof set in place
• Roof shingled and siding in stalled
• Then it’s ready for delivery

The development of a household budget is a must activity both before you build a home as well as during your ownership of that home. By preparing a budget you can better focus on mortgage payment goals and how the new house will affect your total expenses. Maintaining a budget during the time you own the home can help to prevent potential financial disasters as well as point you in a money saving direction so you have more funds available for those things that you need or want.

You will need a little time to develop your budget but it should not take longer than a few hours if you gather the necessary information first. Get everyone who will be involved in spending involved in developing the budget.

Some of the items and information you will need to develop your budget are:

• All current monthly loan payments.
• All other monthly expenses (such as child care, dues, etc.).
• Records of variable expenses (for example, utilities, food and car repair) from the last 12 months. This will give you an estimate of your monthly expenditures.
• Records of annual or semi-annual expenses (such as insurance and taxes).
• An estimate of what your new mortgage payment will be.
• Records of other non-fixed expenses (for example, medical expenditures) for the last year. This will give you an estimate of average expenses of this type.
• Records or an estimate of personal expenses (entertainment, travel, etc.)
• Having a current copy of your credit report can be very helpful. Not only will it reveal any inaccuracies in your credit history, it will also give you a clear picture your monthly obligations. You can get a free copy of your Credit Report.

“On-Site” Modular Home Costs

The costs of a modular home are considered off site construction costs since up-to 90% of the home is completed at the factory.  These other costs you will/may incur are the on site costs which include but may not be limited to the following:

• Building Lot
• Financing and Closing Costs
• Legal Fees
• Building Permits
• Utility Connections
• Water and Sewer/Septic
• Site Preparation
• Excavation
• Foundation
• Crane
• Porches, Decks and Garages (if not included with your modular home package)
• Exterior Completion—siding, gutters, etc
• Plumbing Tie–Ins
• HVAC
• Electrical
• Interior Completion
• Temporary Housing