PIECE BY PIECE MODULAR HOMES GO UPSCALE

When it came time for Errol Eley of Denver to choose a builder for his retirement home on Lake Norman, he made an unconventional choice. A retired excavator from Ohio, he had purchased the land 10 years before and had given it much thought.

He and his wife, Cathy, wanted a well-built house that would complement their sloping lakefront lot. They also knew that quality construction, attention to detail, timeliness and cost savings were important considerations. Rather than select a conventional builder and have the house built on the site, the Eleys chose a modular from R-Anell Homes and began enjoying their home in a fraction of the time traditional construction takes.

According to Jones, there are many advantages to modular home construction. “Since each home is built in the controlled environment of a centralized manufacturing facility, building materials don’t sit outside on a building site exposed to the weather,” he explains. “We utilize volume purchasing in a construction process that has been honed for 35 years to eliminate 70 percent of subcontractors’ work. These economies of scale result in a considerable savings of 10 to 25 percent to the customer on an average-size home.” Experience and specialized employees also make a difference. “Our core team has been with us for a long time. They know what they are doing and have made so many advances in the construction process over the years,” Jones says.

R-Anell is a pioneer in the hinged-roof system and was one of the first manufacturers in the country to provide finished drywall in homes that meet U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development codes. As a result, a larger variety of people now consider modular homes when they buy. “It is difficult to put a label on our typical customer,” Jones says. “There are not as many first-time homebuyers as the market has shifted to include second homes at the beach and mountains and even families who want to build homes on old family land.” Jones says the average base price of an R-Anell modular home is $250,000, with an increasingly large number of homes now being sold in the $500,000 price range. A typical R-Anell house is nearly 2,000 square feet, with three bedrooms, two full bathrooms and an attached garage. Jones adds that modular options also are available for condominium, town home, duplex, apartment and commercial uses.

In selecting a modular home, customers have most of the same options as in traditionally built houses, including island kitchens with granite countertops, cherry cabinets, expansive walk-in closets, larger family rooms, smaller dining rooms, ventless peninsula see-through fireplaces, ceramic tile, crown molding and hardwood flooring. The five-acre R-Anell factory that opened in 1997 employs more than 300 craftsmen who deliver more than 500 homes per year. The factory even includes a custom cabinetry shop. Modular construction also offers flexibility for customers who are looking for customization and room for expansion. Rick Eagle is a general contractor who has worked in the commercial and military sectors for 32 years. In early 2007, he began looking at options for a house on his nine-acre lot in Catawba. Eagle selected a modular home. “We actually purchased a base model home but completely redesigned the interior and even modified the roof pitch,” he says. “The flexibility is one thing I liked about these types of homes. Even in a shop-built home, you have the flexibility to tailor it to your needs and your wants.” The Eagles selected a base model named the Biltmore from R-Anell and set it on a full basement. They also added a three-car garage, bonus room, custom siding and expansive decks. With more than 3,400 heated square feet and 8,000 total square feet under roof, Eagle is satisfied with the process.

“I had built a custom home before and was somewhat skeptical about buying a factory-built home going in, but when I saw the construction process firsthand and learned about the quality, inspections and customization options, I knew there would be tremendous advantages for us, right down to the savings on building permits,” he says. For customers who research the modular home option, the Internet is a popular starting point. “We found that our typical customer begins researching modular homes on the computer,” Jones says. “A recent J.D. Power survey revealed that over 80 percent of our customers start shopping on the Internet. The research showed us that a year ago, there were approximately 200,000 searches per month, and this year the number is up above 450,000.” Over time, modular construction may prove to be an even bigger value to the homeowner. “It’s a commonly held belief that the typical home buyer is happiest when they first move in,” Jones says. “For us, we have found that the longer the customer has been in the house, the more satisfied they are.”

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