Avalon Building Systems Blog

There is better, faster way to do your home addition. Rather than the long process of traditional, stick built construction, think about a modular home addition. Regardless of how your existing home was built, you can upgrade or expand your existing home with a modular addition.

Oftentimes, after meeting with the contractor and planning out your home addition you can get disheartened about the length of time it will take for the project to come together. With modular home additions your home renovation will be completed much faster, and you will be enjoying your new space much sooner.

Not only are modular home additions more economical, with no sudden cost surprises, but they are more energy efficient as well.  Modular construction is the answer. Contact Avalon Building Systems to discuss the option of a modular addition on your existing home. With the right plan most homes can be expanded modularly. Avalon is more than happy to work with an existing home owner. We can turn your existing home into your dream home.

There are many things to consider when deciding whether to buy or to build a new home. Even though building your dream house may seem a lot more difficult than looking for a home that is already built, it can actually be very rewarding.

Pros for Building a new home:

• You can customize your new home to meet the needs of your family. You can feel free to add an exercise room, a home office, or surround sound.
• Your home may be more resalable in the future because of the modern customizations.
• Your home will have the most up to date building codes and materials, therefore it may be more resalable down the line.
• You can hire a professional to oversee the day to day issues of building a new home.
• And, keep in mind, when building a modular home, the move in time line could be the same as buying a new home. With modular construction, you could be in your new home in a couple months.
• If you already love your neighborhood and schools, but just need more space, why move? Build your new home in the environment you already love.
• With a newly constructed modular home, you know you will have a more energy efficient home that any home you would buy.
• With your home buying budget, you can build a home built with the floor plan you want and need.
• When buying a new home, you are also stuck with the problems you bought in the home unless you spend money and time fixing them.
• If you buy a home planning to renovate in the future, you have to pull permits and live in the mess until you get it done.

Modular construction is one of the fastest growing forms of home building in the market today. Increased efficiency and our ability to apply modern technology to the needs of the market place are what make modular homes so desirable. Avalon Building Systems offers designs that encompass the entire spectrum of the market; from affordable single-family designs to high end luxury homes to vacation getaways. The combination of more efficient construction with reduced construction time, and unlimited customizations are the primary reasons why many home buyers are switching from traditional stick-building to modular home construction.

There is one question that always seems to come up in our conversations with people as they contemplate their construction choices. “Which type of home is stronger, modular or traditional?” The consensual answer is that modular homes are stronger. They are built in a controlled environment where outside elements cannot add wear and tear to the process or materials. Modular home builders also use screws instead of nails and add glue to all the joints to increase the strength of the home.

Today’s modular homes rival any site-built home in design and functionality. Advancements in computer design and factory technology allows almost any custom home plan to be constructed as a modular home. For those interested in a finely crafted home that can be built and completed in a fraction of the time of a conventional home, modular homes have become the preferred type of construction by many.

Modular “SIPs” or Structural Insulated Panels were first designed by Avalon Building Systems. These panels are used in their modular homes. SIPs are prefabricated insulated sides of the modules which make up the walls, ceilings, floors, and roofs. They provide more superior and uniform insulation than stud or "stick frame" construction, with energy savings of 12%–14%. Because of their insulating qualities, SIPs also make the home quieter. These modular homes easily exceed "Energy Star Standards" and are certified to meet LEEDS platinum standards for new residential construction. LEED certification is based on a point system in which a building can obtain a Certified, Silver, Gold or Platinum level certification and is an internationally recognized certification system that measures how well a building performs in energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor air quality, and more.
 
Structural Insulated Panels are made in a factory and shipped to the manufacturing facilities. Manufacturers then connect them together to construct a house. When using SIPs, the speed of construction is much faster than stick built residential construction. Shells can be erected quickly, saving labor time and money, without compromising quality. These savings help compensate for the fact that SIPs usually cost more than other construction systems, but through the modular manufacturing process which is far more efficient than traditional construction, the overall costs are much lower, so the higher costs of SIPs are negated. 

How can you reduce the construction cost of your new house? There is an easy way to save up to 30% on the cost of construction...buy a custom modular home! Avalon's modular homes are factory-constructed which are then delivered and assembled at your home site. Once assembled, your new home looks like any other home in your neighborhood, however, it exceeds all other homes in the neighborhood in terms of quality, strength, and durability.

The homes are obviously not built with bricks and mortar which take lots of time and labor. The material for the homes consists primarily of wood, steel, vinyl and weatherboard. Factory owners buy the material from their original manufacturers and suppliers at wholesale rates which are heavily discounted. We cut and mold the components and modules as per pre-set designs which reduces large amounts of waste that occurs at the individual home builder's sites. And left over material is never wasted; we use all of our material and help protect the planet by constructing homes this way. The factories transfer these savings to their customers to attract buyers in a competitive market. The savings to a buyer of a factory built home can be as large as 30% which bring your home within much easier reach.

The home is then be transported to site on one or more trucks. The end result is a quality home, built in less time and for less money! Contact us to learn more about our modular homes and how you can get started on your dream home today.

We like to offer a wide variety of floor plans for our customers and because of this our customers usually find the floor plan that directly matches their needs. Some of our customers choose to customize floor plans and we are happy to work with you toward this end. We enjoy being a part of our customer's dream for a magnificently built modular home. If you select one of our standard modular home plans, it will save you time and simplify the home building decision process since the design, engineering, and pricing have already been done by us. If you're having trouble selecting a floor plan, then you’ve come to the right place. We would like to share with you some insider tips to select a floor plan that is right for you.

When looking through our selection of modular home plans, do not be misled by the pairing of modular home floor plans and exterior drawings into thinking that you cannot make adjustments.  In fact, each of our floor plans for modular homes can have a multitude of exterior looks, and each exterior look can be applied to many different modular house floor plans. All of our standard modular home plans typically include a floor plan and an exterior elevation. The modular floor plans show the location and size of each room, while the elevations provide an idea of what the finished house will look like on the outside.  You can adjust the slope of the roof, add dormers and decorative gables, and opt for over-sized roof overhangs if you choose, regardless of what you see in the drawing. There are a multitude of additional items you can add to your modular home.

Avalon works with all of its customers to ensure happiness and quality in its design. Remember, we won’t be offended if you are not interested in our floor plans, we will work with you to design your home. Contact us today to get started on your dream home.

Green building, or construction that is environmentally responsible, is becoming increasingly popular as more and more people have become conscious of the impact that construction has on the environment, both while the structure is being built, and for years afterward. Homeowners who wish to build a green home are to be commended for making the commitment to construction that works in harmony with the environment. However, for those in rural areas or smaller markets, finding both the materials to build a green home, and contractors who are familiar with green building techniques can be a challenge.

Modular homes can be an excellent solution for homeowners who find it difficult to build green with local materials and builders. Not only are modular homes as attractive both in appearance and in financial terms as traditionally-built homes, but they offer just as many customization options; everything from the floor plan to the green building plan can be chosen specifically by the homeowner.

Unlike traditionally-built homes, modular homes are by design an environmentally conscious choice. From the ground up, a modular home’s impact on the environment is smaller than that of a traditional home. The home site isn’t the only aspect of the modular home that ups its green factor. The construction process of a modular home is much less wasteful – and has a smaller environmental impact – than that of a traditionally-built home. Be sure to contact us today to learn more about modular homes and our green efforts in building safer and more eco-friendly homes.

Building and buying a new modular home is exciting and there has never been a better time to build! There are many details to consider as you begin this process. Whether you’ve built several homes or this is your first, we’ll strive the make the experience a pleasant one. With the coming of springtime it is perfect weather to start thinking about building a dream home for you and your family.

We offer many different floor plans for you to choose from or we can build a custom design home for you. With our integrated SIP panel technology, building sturdy, reliable homes is what we have to offer for all of our valued customers. We also offer a vast array of information regarding modular technology and its benefits.When decided for a modular home please consider the following:

• What budget you are trying to stay within?
• Your time-frame for building your new home.
• The style of home you are looking to build.
• The area or area(s) you have interest in.

Contact us today should you have any questions regarding modular homes and their benefits. Be sure to navigate through our site to learn more about modular construction how you can have your beautiful dream home this coming spring.

In today's time, making the decision to open up a new business or even facing the need to build additions to existing location in order to meet the growing demands of a company's increase in productivity can cause tremendous concern for most any company's finances. It is also a business decision that numerous companies must make every single day. Thanks to the turn-key solutions provided with the construction of modular office buildings, company owners have the ability to save a large amount of money and time that it would otherwise take for more conventional modes of construction.

To list just a few of the reasons why modular office buildings are such a cost-effective solution for a wide variety of businesses such as health-care facilities, educational classrooms, commercial and governmental offices include the following:

• The amount of both money and time that is required for construction can literally be completed in half the amount of time and cost that that it takes for traditional methods. Not only does this mean less money required for the overall construction, but it also means less down-time in the production of a company's services or products.

• Maintenance requirements are very minimal. Over time and with exposure to elements of the weather, you can almost guarantee that offices built using other construction modes will begin needing different types of maintenance requirements that can be extremely costly and time consuming. A large portion of future maintenance requirements are eliminated with prefab buildings, which is another benefit that can save money and time when a businesses uses modular office buildings.

• The relocation of a company is never a worry with prefab buildings. It is often much easier just to completely rebuild a business instead of trying to move it when business owners would like to move to a different area or location. Relocation is an easy achievement when modular office buildings are used.

• More can be achieved using less space. While a company can save large amounts of money and time using modular office buildings, they can also save on construction space requirements. With unique design plans, the area for production can be obtained using a lot less space with prefab buildings than what is required from conventional methods to obtain the same amount of production area.

No matter how you look at it, the bottom line is that business owners that use modular office buildings for new construction, additions and relocation requirements, are making a sound financial move that will save money and time for their business. Contact us today to learn more about our modular office buildings and be sure to check out our floor plans as well.

Recent trends at the end of 2009 and thus far in 2010 has seen new customers considering modular homes in greater numbers. The largest group is those that normally spend $200,000 for a home but are looking to maximize their value while keeping the price within their budget. Modular homes boast greater value through better durability, larger square footage and more amenities compared to most equally-priced site-built homes. Given the continued pricing instability of new and existing homes, modular homes give a more stable value.

The sub-prime mortgage crisis has affected just about every form of housing within the country. Lending is more restrictive, current home inventories are still tremendous, and a large percentage is unable to make their current mortgage payments. And while the modular home industry has felt the effects, the impact has been much less than on the site-built housing industry.

In addition to modular homes offering a better value solution, modular home manufacturers and retailers are expanding their markets. By being more creative with the usage of SIPs, Avalon Building Systems has found new customers who benefit from this technology. Residents in MA, CT, RI, ME, NH, VT and NY area starting to look more and more at modular homes as well. Contact us today should you have any questions regarding modular homes or if you'd like to take a look at our custom built homes we have to offer.