Avalon Building Systems Blog

By now we hope all of your realize that Avalon Building Systems here in Concord, MA will custom-build a home based on your exact specifications. The floorplans that you see on our website are starting points for your next custom modular home. The reward really begins when you sit down with us and customize those plans to your exact specifications.

The custom modular Cape style homes you see in nearly every part of Concord (and across the entire New England area) display just how flexible modular floor plans can be. This home style lends itself to having a wide array of options for customization especially on its exterior. You can usually see a Cape home being accented with dormers on its steeply pitched roof but there are yet a lot of things you can add to it to make it look great on the outside and stand out from the rest. You can even have a stunning front porch like what you can see in The Greenwich style of Cape Cod. You also have the option to add a chimney linked to every room thereby adding more charm and convenience to your home.

In case you want more than just a symmetrical appearance and simplistic ornamentation, you always have the freedom to add more features to the standard specification of Cape Style modular homes. You can also check our design gallery to have more ideas of what else you can add if you choose to build and live in a modular home.

To find out more about the modular home style floor plans you can choose from, contact Avalon Building Systems.

Vacation-style modular home construction is now the vacation home buyer’s technology of choice. Why? Well, for countless reasons. So today let’s discuss just two.

First, they are more sturdy than stick-built construction. When vacation homes are most likely to be built in challenging weather regions, it only makes sense to build a home that is bolted together versus nailed together.

Second, they are built and delivered much faster than traditional stick-built homes. This means that your home can be enjoyed much faster. In the event that you are building your vacation home as an investment property, this means it will start producing revenue for you much sooner than our competition. Modular homes can be constructed in as little as four to eight weeks once the design process is completed. A strong reason to choose modular construction for your vacation home.

There are so many other reasons that make modular construction the logical choice for your vacation home buildout. Let us discuss them with you personally. Contact Avalon Building Systems.

Modular home construction is gaining in popularity for a host of reasons. The number one reason is simple. Modular home construction is a value-based buying decision. The number one question arising from smart home buying consumers who have figured this out is, “Where do we begin”? The answer to that question begins with the builder in your area that is proven, can demonstrate their products, has references, and has won awards. Avalon Building Systems can deliver on all of that.

Whether you have decided upon new modular home construction or are investigating options, you owe it to yourself to sit down with a modular home professional and get educated on the overall home buying process. Whether you ultimately choose us as your builder, as your neighbors we feel an obligation to invest in our community and educate any and all of you regarding the lengthy list of considerations that each of you need to make. Of course, we’re confident that custom modular home construction will emerge as the runaway winner when the list of considerations unquestionably favors custom modular home technology over the traditional stick-built home construction option.

At Avalon Building Systems, we invest in you first! We feel we owe this to all of you, our friends and neighbors. Not all real estate agents and home builders will be honest with you. We stake our reputation on full disclosure and our ability to factually defend our entire consultation to you. Start with a quick tour through the long list of custom modular home floor plans and then Contact Us. It will be our privilege to serve you!

If you have ever custom built a new home, chances are it was one of the most stressful experiences of your life. Chances are, also, that it was not a custom modular home that you built. Let us state something severe very simple facts regarding custom modular home construction versus traditional stick-built home construction: Modular homes are more precisely built, stronger, efficient, and more economical than their stick-built counterparts.

Rather than enter a most stressful period of your life by building a home, may we suggest that you can enter one of the more fun and rewarding periods of your life when trusting Avalon’s most celebrated custom modular home building team! We’ll guide you through the entire process starting with helping you translate what is in your mind into a customizable floor plan. Yes, we have countless floor plans to review and choose from, but we want everyone to know that they are merely starting points. We take great pride and professional reward in translating your dreams into actionable buildable works. We’ll help you create the home you want, with the floor plan you dream about, and achievable on a budget that you never thought possible. The only surprise you will get when you build a modular home with Avalon Building Systems is how fast, simple, affordable, and enjoyable the entire process turned out to be.

We’ve built lasting relationships earned via every measure of customer satisfaction. Contact us today.

Avalon Building Systems is proud to have, over the years, built and delivered custom modular homes to the fine people of the Massachusetts and New England area. Over the course of our custom home building history, we have compiled a list of the most common regrets that new homeowners have about what they should have done within their custom design.

Now, we are skilled, prepared, and ready to build your custom modular home to your exact specification, however, some of our proudest moments come when our customers proclaim, “Wow, we never thought of that”! That is what you can and should expect from your home builder.

The things listed below are just some of the things that we will discuss with you. Many are things that our client’s failure to attain from other builders who failed to deliver these things. Anyway, just a few things to consider and seek in your next home:

• Build floor joists at 12-in. on center versus the traditional 16-in. The stability of the floor and the feeling of structural rigidity are simple things and overlooked by most people. The additional cost is fairly small, but well worth it!
• Nine-foot ceiling heights. The feeling of expansiveness is great and the additional cost is value-based.
• Comfort height commodes. Size does matter and a few inches in height contributes to your comfort greatly, hence the term comfort height.
• Upgraded door hardware and solid core doors. Again hollow core doors work just as well, but can't compare in imparting a feeling of quality.
• Using a quiet floor system and gluing the wood flooring in place wherever possible.
• Staggered 42-in. kitchen cabinetry.
• Utilize 18-in. floor tile if space allows. Again, it is a small thing, and more difficult to install, but it's something you see up close each and every day. So prioritize quality here.
• Upgrade the windows as nothing cheapens a house as skimping with cheap windows.
• 2-in. x 6-in. exterior framing. The energy savings created by the increased insulation cavity will pay for itself in no time.
• Ample high hat recessed lighting. Again, the showcase type effect is great and additional cost is minimal at construction.
• Energy Star, Green, or LEEDS Certification... The energy savings are utterly amazing.

Again, these are just a few tips on where to prioritize your new home budget. When it comes for to build your customized dream home, contact us here at Avalon Building Systems.

Modular homes are gaining in popularity because of their various benefits. Cost efficient, time efficient, energy efficient and arguably more durable than traditional construction.

Modular houses are those houses that are built off site. Modules are constructed and assembled in factories and are transported to the site to be assembled on the foundation. Kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms are fully assembled, complete with arrangements for electrical wiring and plumbing then transported.

Modular homes are an environment-friendly way of life. Modular homes are constructed with as much as 90% lesser waste than traditional onsite construction. This is because of the efficiency of factory construction. There is no compromise in the quality of construction or in the design of homes. Those who build a modular home can choose from 100’s of interior designs or they can custom design a floor plan.

Another feature that makes modular homes environment friendly is its recyclable and reusable nature. Modules that together form a house can be dismantled to be transported elsewhere, which is something a traditionally constructed home can never offer. You can literally relocate your house if you move.

Modular homes are highly energy efficient and cost-effective. Modular homes are also much stronger than stick built homes. The parts that together constitute a house are constructed such that they survive the rigors of shipping and transportation.

Contact Avalon Building Systems for more information.

The questions phoned into us on a regular basis are welcomed and an enjoyable aspect of our business. We must admit, however, some of the calls are “head scratchers”. It’s difficult to understand the mystery that, for many, continue to surround the modular home construction experience. So, you might understand why we are mystified about the occasional question: “Can I get a new construction loan for a modular home”? Well of course, the answer is a resounding “Yes”! But let’s discuss new construction loans for a minute.

Home construction loans have different requirements and different sets of rules than other types of consumer loans. New home construction loans are used interchangeably for both old-school stick built construction and new modular home construction projects. We take great pride in helping every single avenue of building out your dream modular home. That includes sharing our vast knowledge of the home consumer loan industry.

A new construction home loan requires the lender to provide the money to build your new home. Firstly, your mortgage provider requires a detailed accounting of the estimated costs to build the modular home; including how much you are going to spend and what it will look like when it is complete. After these initial questions are answered you begin the credit check and annual earnings process.

There are a few different construction loans out there but the most popular one is a “construction to permanent” loan. Instead of first applying for a construction loan and following that up with a typical home loan, a construction to permanent loan is a two-in-one loan which, in most cases, only requires you to pay closing costs once. This loan is a combination of construction loans and permanent financing and can help you save money and time.

Keep in mind that with new construction loans it is very difficult to lock-in a permanent or fixed mortgage rate. This is because, with traditional construction, you usually won't be closing the loan for six months to one year depending on the build time. With modular construction, because the build time is so much shorter, you can more often get a fixed-rate or the fixed rate you close with after construction will be very close to the variable rate you had when you took out the loan.

Of course, you will be required to pay monthly interest on the construction loan amount during the modular construction process, but the amount you owe each month will depend on the amount you have used to date. If you are approved for a construction loan of $100,000 but you have only drawn $50,000 then your interest payment will be based on $50,000.

Sometimes lenders like to interview or see the license of the contractors who will be building your new home, so often it is beneficial to speak with the bank where the contractor has a relationship.

Luxurious custom modular home interior design is one of the most professionally rewarding accomplishments made right here at Avalon Building Systems. The smiles and happy tears that we witness at new home delivery closings is a feeling every business owner should be so lucky to witness. The more you learn about our unique custom modular home building experience, the more you can genuinely look forward to the process.

Modular floor plans vary in style and size. No two are exactly alike as each is uniquely customized to exact client specifications. Wishes and dreams do come true. Now you can conveniently construct your luxurious dream home – one that's best built just for you.

Custom-built modular homes have limited only by imagination. Your architectural modification desires are welcome and integrated into the myriad of Avalon’s floor plans. We will help you customize doors, windows, and walls of your luxurious home. We will help you choose cabinet styles, wood types, and a host of other things that will produce the exact custom home that you envision. Home additions and modifications can also be done for crawl spaces and basements. This way you can maximize your living space at such an inexpensive expense.

Our custom modular homes built here in Nantucket and beyond can be customized to fit even the tightest lots. They offer hundreds of personalized features that are wallet friendly. Through custom-built modular homes, you can customize your dream home in the way you wanted and feel at home in just a few weeks after construction.

Avalon Building Systems' Modular Homes are permanent structures. Thus they are considered real property. In fact, they can be appraised in the same way their on-site built counterparts do. Home loans and home insurance are the same as on-site built houses. So there is nothing to worry about.

We thought we’d address some of the consumer FAQ’s that we receive regarding the modular home buying and construction process. We do this out on our ”why buy a modular home webpage”, but thought it would help many of you by posting them here on our blog. So first, the process:

• You choose your home and options
• A contract is signed contingent on financing and a small deposit
• Plan revisions are made and new engineered floor plans are drawn
• You close on your Construction-Permanent loan
• Your basement or crawl space foundation is built
• We release your home for production
• We set your new home
• Finish work of your new home is completed

How complete is the home when it is set?

Depending on the floor plan and style, between 75-85% complete.

How long does it take to finish the home after it is set?

About 4-6 weeks.

Will you build my garage and/or porches?

Yes. However, this may be at an additional cost.

What is the difference between a Modular Home and a Mobile Home?

Mobile Homes - built to a lax code with generally substandard building products (when compared to modular or site-built homes). Built on a steel frame to hold it together, most have wheels.

Modular Homes - built generally to the toughest codes required in the state, built out of the same type of building materials and name brands you would find in site-built homes. There are no steel frames underneath, only an approved floor system. There are no wheels of their own, they are transported and then lifted off the transporter and set with a crane.

How much do modular homes cost?

As with stick-built construction the cost of a modular home in Newport News will vary depending on what you put in the home and the style of the home you choose. Modular home prices compare favorably with an equivalent site-built home.

Can modular floor plans be customized?

Yes. There are standard floor plans of course; however, floor plans of each style home can be customized, as well as the amenities inside the home.

For direct consult regarding your dreams for modular homeownership, contact Avalon Building Systems.

In many walks of life, speed is of the essence. Those engaged within the home buying process value speed of delivery as one of the most highly desired aspects of the home building process. No form of home building is accomplished faster than the custom modular home process. But let’s consider the other factors highly valued by the future home buyer.

Styling options. There are many different home styles and floor plans to consider when you are building a new modular home. You have the option of a standard floor plan or you can have your house customized to your heart’s content. Almost every home we build addresses our customer’s desire for custom kitchens. We custom design islands, columns, transoms, lighting, and an endless array of other amenities. Custom fireplaces are virtually universal choices for our customers.

Outside, custom porches prove to be one of the most celebrated aspects of custom modular home personalization. Take a look at some of the amazing custom porches that await you!

It all starts with a consult with a team member here at Avalon Building Systems We take great reward in demonstrating our wide array of floor plans and designs.