Designing your own home comes with exciting opportunities. If you have unique needs or a hobby that’s hard to accommodate, for example, a custom home may be the best way to get what you need. You’ll also be able to skip all the renovations so common in the post-purchase period. On the other hand, custom homes are expensive and, structurally speaking, your home is likely to be similar to much of what’s on the market, so should you really commit to the expense?
In today’s real estate market, it may make more sense to opt for a modular home rather than a custom one, but only you can decide. Whatever you choose, though, it’s important that you do your research so you know if you’re making a wise investment.
Modular Meets Custom
The first thing you should understand when trying to decide between a custom home and a modular one is that, in many ways, modular homes are also custom construction. Rather than starting from scratch, though, modular homes choose from a catalog of available components to meet your specific needs. This makes them more affordable.
Modular home designs are, of course, more restrictive than custom homes, but they do still allow you to decide how many bedrooms there are, how the different rooms are arranged, and other features. Some companies, like Adenbrook Homes, even allow owners to customize the exterior, choosing from among a variety of facades. Just because you have a modular home, doesn’t mean it has to look like every other house on the street – or that it will be ugly and stick out like a sore thumb.
Prefabs Get Smart
Another benefit of going modular at this moment in time is that modular home companies have to be highly responsive to market trends, and right now that means incorporating smart home technologies. In fact, there’s even a small movement of “#GreenLuxHomes” – homes in which the modular construction industry has partnered with tech companies to support each other’s growth. This makes integrating new technology more affordable compared to custom construction. Many people are surprised that modular homes can have this kind of luxury feel and such high-end features, but this is the new normal.
A Matter Of Speed
Anyone who has ever built a custom home can tell you that it takes time. There are a lot of moving parts, from the architect to the various subcontractors of the construction company that all need to be coordinated. Furthermore, factors like bad weather can slow down the construction of on-site homes since there are certain tasks like pouring concrete that can’t be completed if it’s too wet or cold outside.
If speed is a concern for your family, modular homes are much more reliable because the components are built in a factory – wiring, plumbing, and all – and shipped to your home’s location. Not only does the factory specialize in such construction and have all the workers and materials on hand already, but you also don’t have to contend with bad weather or souring issues. All the pieces are simply put together on site, quickly and easily.
Modular Makes It Big
Custom homes were trendy for years, but modular homes are increasingly popular now – so popular that New York City recently announced that they would be partnering with a major modular construction company to build apartments for low-income New Yorkers and formerly homeless individuals. Talk about making it big.
While the average homeowner isn’t looking for a space that resembles New York City’s upcoming micro-apartments, the city’s engagement with such a construction process suggests just what a powerful force modular construction is today. Affordable, efficient, and still made to fit the individual homeowner, custom homes no longer have a corner on the market.
