Sirs:
My husband and I are shopping for our first modular home. They all look great in appearance but what lies beneath? I am trying to find the best constructed, best warranty, and the best quality for our money. Who do you reccommend? I have looked at these until I was ready to cry and I am tired of looking. We are going to have our home in Kentucky and that is where I have looked. All makes and models from Princeto to Paducah. HELP!
Undecided / Confused,
Sandy
Whitch One
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Bob(OH)
Re: Whitch One
Sandy,
Your feelings are well warrented. You are very correct in your statement about how nice they all look and the thought of what lies beneath. An educated consumer is the best.
Now, the first think you should do is to relax. Take a couple days off from looking around and just do some thinking. Think about what is important to you and your family. Think about how you want to live as far as what comfort zone you'd like to be in on price and anything special you'd like to have built in. Think about how long you plan to live in the home and think about where your going to put it. If it is going into a community, be sure it's a place you can live in as far as the rules go and how your children are going except the environment.
I can not recommend a paticular home or manufacture but, I would suggest you go to the manufactured home web sites and look around there. Once you gather the information you are looking for, you should be able to make a better informed decision. If you have a specific dealer your working with, ask very specific questions and dont settle for half an answer.
You will want to know the "normal" stuff. Like insulation R- factors for walls, floor and roof.(of course, the higher the better) You will want to know the direction of the floor joists. Most people dont think about that one, you do not want the joists to run lenght ways of the home. They should cross the width just like a stick built home.(easy to make repairs) Look at everything. The quality of the cabinets, avoid a fiberglass kitchen sink(they take a lot of abuse and they will break, go with stainless steal) Upgrade the carpet pad (especially if your getting a double wide). They are begining to use a lot of raw dry wall. The more you can get in a home the better..in the long run. The reason is, if you have a wall get damaged, it is easier to repair drywall than the decorated stuff. Most have real good windows, be sure to check them over and find out about upgrades. The roof shingles should be upgraded also. I think they come with 15 or 20 year. If thats the case, go for the 25 - 30 year. Efficency of the furnance and size of the hot water tank are important also.
The salesperson at the display site should be treated the same way you'd treat a car salesperson. Dont settle for something you dont want or wont use. You have to deal and dicker with them. When your all done and you got your best deal, ask them to throw in a free central air unit or patio doors or even a fire place. Keep these items in the back of your mind while your are negoiating. Dont feel obligated to buy from one dealer, you can always walk if you dont like a deal.
Not all homes are built the same and you will see that in price..i.e. Chevy, Buick, Cadilac. The better quality homes will have a better warrenty but most go for five years.
I guess a lot will depend on how much you are willing to spend. You can easy (depending on size) get up and over $70,000 for a home with about 2300 Sq.Ft. but keep in mind, if space is not a major concern, put your money in quality.
For the most part, these homes are built very well. In some cases, better than a stick built home. These homes are inspected by HUD. Stick built homes are not. As a home owner, they can require a little more maintenance but with that in mind, it should last you a life time.
Ok, I think I gave you a starting point. Maybe not exactly what you were looking for and I'm sure I forgot something.
I will be more than happy to help with your buying advise if you need it.
You can e-mail me at anytime.
I am not a salesman and I do not work for a manufacture so my opinion is not bias...it is only an opinion.
Good luck!
Bob(OH)
Your feelings are well warrented. You are very correct in your statement about how nice they all look and the thought of what lies beneath. An educated consumer is the best.
Now, the first think you should do is to relax. Take a couple days off from looking around and just do some thinking. Think about what is important to you and your family. Think about how you want to live as far as what comfort zone you'd like to be in on price and anything special you'd like to have built in. Think about how long you plan to live in the home and think about where your going to put it. If it is going into a community, be sure it's a place you can live in as far as the rules go and how your children are going except the environment.
I can not recommend a paticular home or manufacture but, I would suggest you go to the manufactured home web sites and look around there. Once you gather the information you are looking for, you should be able to make a better informed decision. If you have a specific dealer your working with, ask very specific questions and dont settle for half an answer.
You will want to know the "normal" stuff. Like insulation R- factors for walls, floor and roof.(of course, the higher the better) You will want to know the direction of the floor joists. Most people dont think about that one, you do not want the joists to run lenght ways of the home. They should cross the width just like a stick built home.(easy to make repairs) Look at everything. The quality of the cabinets, avoid a fiberglass kitchen sink(they take a lot of abuse and they will break, go with stainless steal) Upgrade the carpet pad (especially if your getting a double wide). They are begining to use a lot of raw dry wall. The more you can get in a home the better..in the long run. The reason is, if you have a wall get damaged, it is easier to repair drywall than the decorated stuff. Most have real good windows, be sure to check them over and find out about upgrades. The roof shingles should be upgraded also. I think they come with 15 or 20 year. If thats the case, go for the 25 - 30 year. Efficency of the furnance and size of the hot water tank are important also.
The salesperson at the display site should be treated the same way you'd treat a car salesperson. Dont settle for something you dont want or wont use. You have to deal and dicker with them. When your all done and you got your best deal, ask them to throw in a free central air unit or patio doors or even a fire place. Keep these items in the back of your mind while your are negoiating. Dont feel obligated to buy from one dealer, you can always walk if you dont like a deal.
Not all homes are built the same and you will see that in price..i.e. Chevy, Buick, Cadilac. The better quality homes will have a better warrenty but most go for five years.
I guess a lot will depend on how much you are willing to spend. You can easy (depending on size) get up and over $70,000 for a home with about 2300 Sq.Ft. but keep in mind, if space is not a major concern, put your money in quality.
For the most part, these homes are built very well. In some cases, better than a stick built home. These homes are inspected by HUD. Stick built homes are not. As a home owner, they can require a little more maintenance but with that in mind, it should last you a life time.
Ok, I think I gave you a starting point. Maybe not exactly what you were looking for and I'm sure I forgot something.
I will be more than happy to help with your buying advise if you need it.
You can e-mail me at anytime.
I am not a salesman and I do not work for a manufacture so my opinion is not bias...it is only an opinion.
Good luck!
Bob(OH)
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Drew Pierce
Re: Whitch One
ALL I CAN SAY IS NATIONWIDE HOMES! NEED SAY NO MORE, THEY ARE OUT OF MARTINSVILLE, GEORGIA, AND YOU SHOULD ASK FOR A REP NAMED FRANK MARROW.
DREW PIERCE
LAKESIDE BUILDERS
PRESIDENT
DREW PIERCE
LAKESIDE BUILDERS
PRESIDENT
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jean
Re: Whitch One
dont get a fleetwood if u have a choice. we have had nothing but problems and we've only been in our home 1yr. they are NOT customer friendly and never seem to have anyone to make necessary repairs...nuff said!
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Linda
Re: Whitch One
Make sure you understand your warranty, get EVERYTHING in writing, do not sign an arbitration agreement, make sure the setup crew is certified, know your state Manufactured Housing Guidelines such as an immediate danger issue/defect is to be corrected in 5 days, other repairs have a 45 day limit. If you have repairs, make copies of the work orders and make sure you understand what you are signing and review the work completed on your home. Call, fax and mail all requests for service as well.
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