Clayton's new I-House

[andrew3d]

[quote]
Clayton Homes plans to price the "i-house" at $100 to $130 a square foot, depending on amenities and add-ons, such as additional bedrooms. A stick-built house with similar features could range from $200 to $300 a square foot to start, said Chris Nicely, Clayton marketing vice president.
[/quote]

This new offering from Clayton was in the news. I thought it was quite interesting although I am not sure why that is considered affordable? Is is truly affordable? $130k for a 1000 square feet house sans the land itself does not seem very affordable to me. Is there anyone with thoughts about this? Anyone with other thoughts about the house itself. Anyone here that has actually been inside the I-house? Please share with us.

Click HERE to read the entire news article about the I-house.

[Celtlund]

I don't see that house as being "moderately" priced. We purchased a Southern Energy EZ439 last November for about $100k with several upgrades including upgraded insulation and dual pain windows. That's only $46.51 a sq. ft. With set up, land, etc. the total price came to about $135k which comes out to $62.79 a sq, ft. Now, that's moderately priced.

I think the big hype with the i-house is "it's green" and any time they start doing that it adds $$$. Personally, I think the design is well...ugly.

[David Oxhandler]

I have heard comments on the I-House on both sides of the beauty debate but beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so that is a personal decision. Price however is a mathematical total and can be easily dissected. You are correct they are including many "green" features, including solar panels and numerous other energy-saving products. Warren Buffett, wrote his shareholders. "Estimated costs for electricity and heating total only about $1 per day when the home is sited in an area like Omaha.

The "i-house's" metal v-shaped roof — inspired by a gas-station awning — combines design with function. The roof provides a rain water catchment system for recycling, supports flush-mounted solar panels and vaults interior ceilings at each end to 10 1/2 feet for an added feeling of openness.
The Energy Star-rated design features heavy insulation, six-inch thick exterior walls, cement board and corrugated metal siding, energy efficient appliances, a tankless water heater, dual-flush toilets and lots of "low-e" glazed windows.

To reduce your energy cost to the $30/mo range in any home today is a HUGE savings. To reach that savings the expensive features like solar panels are included but will bring up the price. I have looked into going solar at my home and the cost would be in the area of $40,000 just to retrofit this one feature. So, while you are starting out with a higher per sqft price than the low end manufactured home, the ultimate cost of ownership over the years you live in that home would be dramatically reduced.
It is like that ad I just saw on TV that asks of you want the heartburn now or later? You can pay for green, energy-money savings features upfront or you can pay out more each month FOREVER. If you can take the initial hit the savings over the years will be significant.

Clayton Homes plans to price the "i-house" at $100 to $130 a square foot, depending on amenities and add-ons, such as additional bedrooms. A stick-built house with similar features could range from $200 to $300 a square foot to start.

[Jennifer]

I'm not sure if I like the design of this house, but I love all the attention it is getting for our industry! I think our industry has been 'green' before 'green was cool. (Like the country song). This article has been printed in many magazines, not just specifically in the M/H magazines. I think any positive press we get promoting our products does go a long way in dispelling some of the negative myths.

[admin]

You can now catch a Virtual Tour of the I-House Here

Popular Mechanics reviewd the home and said...

"The I-House looks like a house you'd order from Ikea, sounds like something designed by Apple and consists of amenities–solar panels, tankless water heaters and rainwater collectors–that one would expect to come from a offbeat green company out of California selling to a high-end market. But Clayton Homes, one of the largest manufacturers of mobile homes out of Maryville, Tenn., is looking to enter the market of environmentally friendly, prefab homes with a model that is seriously affordable.

The I-House's impact is likely to go beyond this particular home. What was learned in the process of designing and building this energy-efficient home has fed back into the rest of Clayton Homes' product line.... An ordinary mobile home that gets much lower energy bills may not be as exciting as the I-House, but multiplied by millions, it's likely to have an impact....likely to encourage other builders, including the makers of traditional site-built homes, to add green features as well. In coming years"

[andrew3d]

I was wondering if anyone has bought one of these homes? Could you share with us about your experiences? If you are now living in the house, tell about that also please.
Thanks!

[andrew3d]

No one here has bought this home yet? I am disappointed as I wanted to hear from someone who is actually already living in it.

I plan to talk to a Clayton dealer and perhaps see one of the I-houses on the sales lot.

I'll certainly be back to share what I find and what my thoughts are.

[andrew3d]

I finally managed to find an I-house which was set up at a dealer. It is a very nice house, but probably small for a family. It is, the salesman said, being sold to many people who are looking for a 2nd home on the lake. The configuration I viewed would cost $187,000. This exceeds $130 a sq. ft. The salesman actually said he had far better deals on the lot...a 1700~ Karsten for $89,900, and another 1700 sq. ft. by another manufacturer for under $60k. The salesman actually told us that the I-house made no sense unless someone had money to burn. He wanted to sell the Karsten model, and kept referring to the high quality and low energy costs required to heat and cool it. He referred to the Karsten as the best of manufactured homes. All the homes on the lot were from a Clayton owned company. All the appliances were GE. This, we were told, was because Warren Buffet owns significant GE shares.
The Manufactured homes, other than the I-house, that we viewed seem to be on the cheap side. Particle board for flooring, etc. When we mentioned this, the salesman said OSB particle board is improved now over years ago. We're feeling some disappointment because we have looked at manufactured homes for at least 4 years now. It seems we never find the one that we can look at and know in our hearts that we are home.

[andrew3d]

Since the I-house is, apparently, not doing so well, Clayton has come out with
an e-home. Here is the link to their web site talking about the e-home. CLAYTON'S E-HOME

Does anyone have any thoughts about this? The price is quoted online...as you change or add features in building yours, the price changes.

[Celtlund]

I'm not overly impressed as they don't give much information on the construction such as type of floor, 2x4 or 2x6 exterior walls, amount of insulation, etc.