Modular Home Construction for Beach Front Properties - Cape Cod

Modular home builders have long battled a perception. People used to think modular homes were cookie cutter, generic and somewhat boring. However, they have now become popular charming beachfront communities.

In the past few months, modular builders say they are seeing an uptick in demand, especially as new federal flood maps and insurance rates force more homeowners to elevate structures. Because many older beach bungalows won't survive being raised, owners are choosing to replace them with new, efficient, faster to build modular beach front homes that are fabricated in factories and shipped in sections to the building site.

Modular homes looked typically suburban but can be custom designed with custom features, like a deck and large windows.

Architects said the modular construction industry's improved quality control and ability to use materials in different ways have helped bring its buildings up to design standards. "The day of modular housing is dawning," said the executive director of the American Institute of Architects New York.

Modular homes can be built on stilts and are popping up in beach communities as replacement homes and as retirement or vacation homes. Modular homes can be made to evoke beachside bungalows or modernist vacation homes. That has helped allay concerns about identical new, cheap-looking homes.

Modular single family homes can be but aren't necessarily less expensive than traditional construction, but they do save time because they can be built in the factory while owners are waiting for demolition and foundation work. Once the modules are built and transported to the building site, it takes a day or two to bolt the pieces into place.

For more information on beachside modular homes, contact Avalon Building Systems.

Excerpts - WSJ