Can You Get a Modular Home that Doesn’t Look like a Trailer?
Modular homes are gaining massive popularity in real estate circles.
Their affordability and distinct manufacturing process make them instantly appealing for people looking for a faster switch of dwellings.
What is a modular home?
A modular home has its construction in a factory instead of the home’s location. Once the components are completed, the factories send them to the site for assembly.
It is vital to acknowledge the difference between a modular home and a mobile home.
Modular gets constructed off the site in a factory setting.
On the other hand, the term mobile home originates from house trailers. These are the tiny units with wheels used for extended living arrangements or camping.
People may mistakenly use the title of a prefabricated home or a mobile home for modular homes. However, these terms haven’t been in use since the 1970s.
Differences between the modular home and a trailer
There are stark differences between modular homes and mobile homes (trailers). Some of which are:
Construction
A trailer is lightweight with thin walls. They have a steel frame with wheels, and there is little or no insulation in these structures.
On the other hand, a modular home follows all the zoning codes as stick-built homes. Most companies focus on producing top-quality modular homes that oblige with the building codes in every vicinity.
Delivery
The sellers will deliver a trailer to your place by driving it on its wheels. But the modular home delivery completes in segments. They transport one piece after the other for final attachment to the foundation.
Foundation
After wheeling them to the desired location, the trailer wheels are replaced with jacks. These jacks are fixed over the pads on the ground. Gradually, they lower the structure on the floor.
In the case of a modular home, the foundation resembles brick-and-mortar homes. It is established beforehand, and then a crane lifts the house to place it on the foundation.
Can you get a modular home that doesn’t look like a trailer?
Yes, you can get a modular home that doesn’t look like a trailer by following specific steps.
Those are:
A high roof pitch
A 4/12 roof pitch will modify the image of a modular home, making it look like a traditional house.
Apart from the aesthetics, this roof type ensures that rain and snow don’t accumulate atop the structure.
Hence, the combination of feasibility and appearance compels homeowners to heighten their roof pitch.
Extended eaves
Building wider eaves in the site-built homes is to distance water from the windows. In these case scenarios, the typical eave size is 12” to 16”.
A modular home has an eave that is around 6”. This needs extension if the modular structure resembles a stick-built home.
Opt for bigger doors
One of the main reasons behind modular homes resembling a trailer is their small doors.
Increasing the length and width of a door means that your modular structure spaces from a trailer outlook.
You should also integrate insulation methods in the door to make it look like a permanent setting, not a trailer that moves.
When you replace the tan boards with plastic doorknobs, it will bring a significant change in the overall outlook of your home.
Build a garage beside the structure
Trailers don’t have garages. If you want your modular structure not to resemble a trailer, you should opt for a garage beside the home.
It is not necessary to get this garage securely attached to the home. Instead, a well-covered shed will look fantastic.
You can also choose to have an entryway from the home to the garage.
Enhance the curb appeal
Some landscaping and a narrow porch in front of the house enhance the complete look of your home. Trailer owners barely work on this element.
Adding a deck to the modular home is the best way to perceive it as a permanent structure, not a mobile home that gets going after some time.
What does a modular home look like?
Modular homes today are different from the ones produced in earlier times. The manufacturers are offering customization options to the clients.
Moreover, they can choose from various accents and sliding options.
The choices for the interior of the home are also varied. This is because the homeowners are increasing their demands.
They want a unique blend of modern structure and functionality.
You can choose from a rustic, farmhouse-like structure, an open floor plan, or a luxurious exterior coupled with a sleek internal design.
The trailers are a thing of the past. Even though some people may presume that a modular structure is the second name for a trailer, it isn’t.
The developments in real estate have brought substantial changes in modern-day prefabricated homes.
FAQs
Does every modular home resemble the others?
No, there are several elevation options for the modular homes provided by manufacturers.
There are no design barriers, and you can go up and beyond your creativity to bring your architectural ideas to life.
Can you get a modular home that doesn’t look like a trailer?
The difference between a modular home and a trailer lies in their production, delivery, functionality, and placement.
A modular home follows the local zone codes, and the architecture also looks like stick-built homes. But the trailer is movable and often covers less space than the modular home.
How to differentiate between a modular home and a stick-built home?
A modular home has steel beams, but a stick-built home is laid on the concrete foundation.
Final Thoughts
The residential preferences of people are changing with time. Not everyone can afford a brick-and-mortar home that is built from scratch.
More people are inclining towards the modular structures for the high resale value, enhanced appeal, and a touch of modernity.
Presuming that it will look like a trailer without observing models in the market leads you to a bias.
One should examine the market closely and figure out how to have a modular home that looks like a site-built home and not a trailer.
The final product will be a fantastic setting if you follow the steps above.
