How To use "Building Systems" in the Carolinas to Save Your Money
The Use of building systems can save you money and create beautiful homes.
The housing industry has grown exponentially in step with our country’s population growth, and these days there are plenty of options for the type of home you can build. You hear terms like mobile and manufactured, modular, panelized, and stick-built. What’s the difference in the way these houses are built and their costs?
We’ll start with an easy one, Stick-Built Homes. These are your traditional homes. They are built on site, piece by piece, stick by stick. They are highly customizable, versatile, and the most common type of home built. They also take the longest time to build, and are typically more expensive per square foot. As a result of being built on the site and the time it takes, the home is open to the elements and is subject to delays. Anyone who has passed a construction site in the middle of the winter, with a half built home on it, realizes the problems this may pose. Now, imagine that home was yours. Not too pretty, huh? When you build in the Carolinas, weather plays less of a role, as winter isn’t as severe and many building crews work late into the year. However, even in North and South Carolina you’ll have to worry about rain, especially near the coast. When building materials get wet, they start to warp and develop mold. Concerns about weather damage, innovations in factory-line production, better availability of materials, and a greater desire to control costs have led to the growing popularity of the building systems described below. All the remaining types of housing are constructed indoors, and shipped to your building site in one way or another. Most present some type of cost or time savings over traditional stick-built homes, but may have other drawbacks.
The term pre-fabricated came into use in London after World War Two, as a housing solution for displaced families. Pre-fabrication is a term used to refer to all the types of housing that follows, as all are pre-fabricated, in a factory, off-site and put together on-site. The most important thing to remember is these styles of homes are built inside, with climate control and levels of quality control in place. This style of home building is starting to be referred to as “systems built homes” by the National Association of Home Builders. Building systems are used to save time, achieve more consistent quality, and decrease the need for specialized labor. The company, Carolina System-Built Home, builds All American Homes (which has a plant in Rutherfordton, North Carolina), and is based out of Lexington, South Carolina. You can find them at www.carolinasystem.com.
Mobile Homes and Manufactured Homes are married in history. When a person says mobile, typically negative connotations are thought of: hurricanes destroying large tracts of homes, value depreciation, and poorly built homes. The term mobile home actually refers to homes, built on a chassis with wheels for transportation, prior to 1976, when US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regulations were put in place. After 1976, this type of home, one with a chassis, has been referred to as manufactured homes. So, you wonder, even with the fancier name and regulations, will these homes still blow away in a heavy storm? These days, with the regulations set upon them, manufactured homes are of much greater quality. There are still concerns regarding stability under high wind, and value depreciation. But overall, manufactured homes are of better quality, safer, and more accepted than they used to be. Nowadays there are double-wides and triple-wides, further enhancing the livability of manufactured housing. In addition, as manufactured homes are subject to Federal regulations, they are exempt from local building regulations. This may make getting the home on the ground easier and faster, but can enable people to sacrifice quality. Local building regulations are good because they make sure homes are built to withstand regional influences of weather and other variables. Manufactured homes are subject to local zoning regulations. Some properties are restricted from putting manufactured homes on them. If you are looking for a first home in North Carolina or South Carolina, buying a manufactured home is a great way to get your foot in the door. You can live in the area for a while, get to know it and then move to a different location you like, without the full investment a traditional home would entail. If you have the money to spare and the inclination, you might consider renting the manufactured home after you move.
Modular Homes, which are often confused with manufactured homes, are quite close to stick-built homes. These types of homes are now being widely accepted throughout North and South Carolina. The sections of the home, referred to as modules, are constructed in a factory, and assembled on site, with the help of a crane and construction crew. Because the home is transported via highway in set pieces, there are limits to the design configurations the home may take. Some people are adverse to the idea of their home being subjected to the bumps and bruises of hundreds of miles of highway travel. In the past, securing loans for modular homes was difficult, but that problem has been largely reduced, as banks are becoming more familiar with the process. Typically with modular homes, all of the finishes are included in the factory construction. Some home owners object to this practice, as there may be a high mark-up and a limit on the options available. Modular homes must adhere to the local building regulations where they will be sited. Overall, modular homes are of good quality, and very similar to stick-built homes. A North Carolina based modular home builder is Professional Building Systems, based out of Mount Gilead. You can visit their website at www.pbsnc.com.
