Difference Between Manufactured and Modular Homes

When you start searching for the perfect home there are several terms that you might hear quite often including manufactured, modular, and site built. It’s important that you understand what each means before you decide to purchase a house or to build a house on a plot of land. Most home owners need to know the difference between manufactured and modular homes as it can affect the price of the house and its overall resale value.

What are Modular Homes?

Every home builder needs to use different components to create the entire structure, whether it’s a piece of wood or an entire room. With modular homes, they are comprised of individual sections that are made in a factory. These homes are created to adhere with all local, federal, and regional building codes that your area might be subjected to. Each section of a modular home will be transported on the bed of a flat bed truck and brought to a single location. At this point, your hired contractors will take each of the pieces and join them together to create a full house.

After the joining process has been completed, you will be required to hire an inspector to ensure that all of the structure’s properties meet legal requirements. They will also make sure that all of the finishing touches have been done to standard. One of the main reasons as to why more people opt for modular homes is because they can be less expensive than your average site built house.

What are Manufactured Homes?

Manufactured homes are typically referred to as mobile homes or trailers, but in today’s day and age they offer far more benefits and style options than ever before. With manufactured homes, the entire building is created inside of a factory and it will have to adhere to the HUD code, a list of rules that the federal government have in place. This means that they don’t have to abide by most building codes in the area that you’re putting the manufactured home.

Depending on the size of the manufactured home that you choose, it may be transported in several different pieces and joined at your final destination. You’ll find that manufactured homes are far less expensive than modular homes and it can be easier to get an approval from an inspector, as they don’t worry about the structure itself. The most important thing to remember is that a manufactured home will have the tendency to decrease in value.

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