Question:
I am retiring from the Marine Corps in about a year. I am looking to have a
modular construction, Cape Code style house built. I will retire in
Virginia.
I am interested in the costs that the owners have incurred.
Some specifics: (My future house)
2 "boxes" 13'9 X 44' each.
1st floor 1186 square feet.
2nd floor 700 square feet.
3 Bedroom, 2 bath.
1st floor would be finished by the modular builder.
2nd floor would be finished by the owner (me) who will be the contractor
hiring subs.
House will be built on a standard basement.
House will have a covered front porch
Siding will be cedar clapboard.
"High End" or "Upgraded" cabinetry.
"High End" or "Upgraded" windows.
Assumptions:
I will pay for the land
I will pay for the hookups, well, septic.
I guess I am looking for the cost per square feet that you have paid for
your house. I am hearing $55 to $75 per square foot. I believe the low
price is the house with the cheap siding, paper-thin cabinetry and shoddy
windows.
Please advise me on any pitfalls, any advice, how to deal with the salesmen,
etcetera. This is my first house, my biggest investment, and I don't want
to screw this up.
I really need your help please.
Answer:
I don't know if the prices have gone up or not (our quotes are all 2003
vintage) but modulars in our area definitely don't provide the cost savings
we were told they would.
We've gotten quotes for both modular and stick built construction for our
cape-style home in the upper mid-west. While the advertised base price for
the modular looks very good on paper, the number (and cost) of things that
aren't included in that base price are shocking when compared to a
traditional builder's initial quote for standard features. Things like duct
work, ultra-basic cement entry porches, gutters and downspouts, stairs and
handrails are not included (for the entire house, not just the unfinished
area upstairs). The prices we've gotten on the site built models have
typically included those things and more as standard (everything but the
land, site prep, util hookups, driveway, and some/all appliances).
The modular builders' quotes for a full basement and a garage typically came
in about a third higher; too. As for upgrades to the carpeting, fixtures,
cabinets, windows, etc.,... none were too outrageous in and of themselves
(we were quoted $545 for better cabinets), but you can be nickel and dimed
to death PDQ because on the low end, nearly everything needs upgrading. Of
course, the same is true of stick built.
All in all, after factoring in the amount required to make the modular
move-in ready, it's less expensive for us to go site built. We've found a
builder that will allow us to decrease our costs by doing work ourselves
where we can, (we'll save a bundle in painting alone), and we can still
leave the upstairs unfinished for the time being to save money if we decide
we need to. Modular dealers heavily discouraged (or flat out said no to)
owner participation on all but the unfinished upstairs.
If you're determined to go modular, shop around carefully & get detailed
quotes from several of them before you make a decision. We found that the
amount different builders charged for the same exact model to the same specs
varied by as much as 9k, with delivery charges jacking that differential
even higher. Of course, the cheapy guy blew his advantage in the basement,
but there ya' go. Get prices for site-built while you're at it, though. Your
area & situation may be different, but for us it's a much better value.
