Avalon Building Systems Blog

Modular homes are built using an engineered approach to produce buildings more efficiently and cost effectively that can deliver lower home prices per square foot. Rather than built with traditional construction methods, sections of the home are pre-fabricated at an off-site climate controlled factory. As the modules are finished they are brought to the construction site and assembled. The GC then completes the finishing touches which create a beautiful, custom designed home that match and often exceed the quality and appearance of stick built homes.

According to industry statistics, homes built by modular construction has more than doubled in the last ten years. This is because the modular building process saves time and money. They are built similar to an assembly line, to deliver more efficiency and quality. Also because they are built indoors in a factory, the weather does not cause delays or defects which greatly reduces labor and materials costs. With the fabrication for all homes done in one place, the factories can buy bulk quantities of supplies at lower rates.

Modular home prices will vary depending where you live but a general guide is that modular homes pricing will be about $20-$30 less per sq. ft. than stick built homes which can really add up on a 2000 square foot home.

Sometimes it’s not that easy to buy a new home. Paying rent in New England and New York is equal to, or in some cases higher than, a monthly mortgage would be. But looking for a reasonably priced home, in a town where you want to put down roots sometimes can be disheartening. Often times, homes in the affordable price range means there is a lot of fixing up to do. Really it is often more than just fixing up, it’s tearing down, remodeling or adding on. Once you figure in all of that, it may be easier to buy property and build your own new home.

This may seem daunting to many. Paying rent while paying a construction loan for a year or more! Not when you build a modular home. Modular homes provide to you better quality than a stick built home, with competitive and budget friendly costs, in a fraction of the time. Additionally, you can design your new home to meet your family’s needs.  Modular homes are customizable, with no construction delays. Approximately 4-6 weeks after your home is set on its foundation, you are ready to move in.

Modular homes are built to the toughest construction codes required by the state, and are built out of the same type of building materials and name brands you would find in site-built homes. If you qualify for a home mortgage, you will almost certainly qualify for a construction loan to build a modular home. And modular homes are built in a fraction of the time. Contact Avalon Building Systems for more information on the modular building process.

There is more and more interest in creating and buying new environmentally green homes. Green is in, and modular homes are green, but even better, their designs are versatile and appealing. Their popularity is definitely on the rise. With new methods of construction and transportation, designers and builders are cutting waste and energy consumption, and cutting production costs while achieving greater methods of sustainability.

Because modular homes are prefabricated, the modules allow you to design a home that will complement the space you are placing it on. You can change the design and make it fit the space rather than make the space fit the home. This allows for lesser cutting of trees and the use of less machinery on your lot.

The modules are built in a factory which saves time and energy. Much of the waste is recycled; however, modular home factories produce less waste than on-site construction. Modular home production generates around 2% waste whereas stick built homes generate 30-40% waste. Everything is cut with more exactness and applied and assembled more accurately. This extends the life of the home and cuts down on upkeep of the home over time. Also, less time is spent constructing modular homes resulting in lower production costs, including utilities. Ultimately, modular homes allow eco-friendly construction at a fraction of the cost to a larger consumer base.

Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) are prefabricated insulated structural elements for use in building walls, ceilings, floors, and roofs. Avalon Building Systems, Inc. was the designer and builder of the very first "modular SIPS" home in the United States. Potential home owners often have the initial perception that SIP modular homes are “kits” that you buy out of a catalog with predetermined floor plans. This is not the case. Modular home floor plans can be and are most often custom designed.

In doing research regarding building a new home, a homeowner will try to seek out ways to speed up the building process while lowering labor costs and energy bills. Structural insulated panels are the answer to this search.
Avalon Building Systems and the homeowner design the plans. Those plans then go to the SIP manufacturer who custom builds all the SIP components needed to build the home. So the home is a modular home, but a custom one. However, you can purchase actual predesigned homes where speed is increased and the costs are even lower.

SIP’s provide superior and uniform insulation compared to stick built homes, offering energy savings of 12%–14%. When installed properly, SIPs also provide a more airtight dwelling, which makes a house more comfortable and quiet. A home built using SIPs are typically airtight. Therefore families are not affected by seasonal allergens. Additionally, in the summer cool air stays in, in the winter, cold air stays out with no cold or drafty spots.

For a new modular home which is custom designed and energy efficient, contact Avalon Building Systems.

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.