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My dream is to build a new, small modular or stick-built house on my own land (yet to be bought). Anyone have any experience with modular building and/or small houses? It's just me, and although my only child just got married, I doubt they'll have a big family, so I really don't need room. I just basically want a box with lots of big windows, and Oooo, a "wet room", which sounds kind of risque, but it's just a really big, tiled shower, no bath, but of course with a toilet and sink. Two bedrooms would be fine.
I've not built a modular myself, but my mother has had two. Both of hers, and those that I've been in have been supposedly "high quality" with high price tags, but I can't help but notice they still don't "feel" like a stick built house. The biggest place I see/feel this is the floor. It feels "hollow" underneath, and after a couple years (e.g. 2-3), in both of my mother's houses, I can feel an uneven place in the seems of the floor where the house was put together onsite. I also noted the same in a home I was looking to buy, and that was on the second level of the house, which really worried me about the structural integrity. I know what the industry says about how they're built to the same specs as a stick built house, but I have yet to be in one and it not be obvious due to the construction/materials that it's not stick/site-built. That's just my two cents. I just can't see spending the same amount of money for a home that is modular and not have it feel as "sturdy" as a stick-built one.
VERY interesting information! They're always billed as more efficient and more bang for the buck because they're put together in a controlled environment and materials aren't canabalized for other homes, or stolen. I've never known anyone who has actually lived in one. I find myself leaning to a really small stick-built cabin. A contractor once pointed out that with a modular the foundation has to be absolutely perfect, but with a stick-built the builder can fudge a little bit if they have too. Hmmm, quite interesting. Thanks for the input!
