February Price Increase

The good news is that at long last the construction industry is turning around.  I am busier than I have been in years and have more active clients than in the last four years combined.

But with this increase in traffic - and obviously not just my business - an increase in the demand for materials and labor in the construction industry.  We have observed the price of lumber and lumber products rise slowly but consistently week after week.  And it is anticipated that these increases will continue during the upcoming months.

If you are interested in building this summer now is an excellent time to start the plans and get your building project underway.  The energy codes are going to change on January 1, 2014 as California as well which will again increase costs just to meet the new codes.

For more information go to www.northcoastpackagedhomes.com

Annual Meeting with Pacific Modern Homes

Today was our annual PMHI meeting.  In addition to our normal financing news and marketing tips, we had an excellent presentation my Dave Morgan who prepares the Title 24 and CalGreen checklists for the clients who use our home building kits for their framing.  As their are going to be major code changes next January it is imperative that we work together to hopefully get your permit prior to that time.

But if not, we at North Coast Packaged Homes will be prepared to work with you on design options to make this transition for your panelized framing package and the overall design as painless as possible.

For more information please contact us at info@northcoastpackagedhomes.com or visit our website at www.northcoastpackagedhomes.com.

Cut Roof or Manufactured Trusses ?????

One of the most common questions people typically request is about either having a vaulted ceiling or an attic.

First, most of our packages typically are built with manufactured trusses:

Manufactured trusses are a cost effective way to support a room.  They can come in a variety of shapes:

Using a scissor truss can create a vault although it is not as deep as a cut roof - it is a less expensive alternative.  It does though require that the exterior roof pitch be steep enough to allow for a scissor or studio vault type roof.

An attic truss can create a small attic for storage or for the heating unit - but it does not create a second story like a cut roof can create:

We can design an open rafter roof to allow for an attic or an "open beam" vaulted roof but the cost difference and labor involved to build a cut roof as opposed to rolling manufactured trusses must be taken into consideration.

 

For more information go to www.northcoastpackagedhomes.com

Holiday Building Crew

Holiday Crew The Santa Claus Crew (Can be quickly built after package delivery.) Info@northcoastpackagedhomes.com www.northcoastpackagedhomes.com Build Your New Home With Your Own Crew 1 lb large strawberries 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened 3-4 Tablespoons powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1. Rinse strawberries and cut around the top of the strawberry. Remove the top, (enough for a hat). Clean out the whole strawberry with a paring knife, if necessary (some of them are hollow already. Prep all of the strawberries and set aside. 2. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until creamy. Add cream cheese mix to a piping bag or Ziploc with the corner snipped off. Fill the strawberries with cheesecake mixture. 3. Once strawberries are filled, top with the ‘hats.’ Decorate according to photo. Happy Holidays from North Coast Packaged Homes

Building the Wall Panels

After the plans are completed either by us or your own architect and engineer the plans are converted into a three dimensional model.  With custom plans errors are frequently found when the plans are quoted and more are discovered as the home is built by the computer.  Answering questions at this stage of the building process is a large cost saving factor in using one of our home packages or kits.

 

The wall panels are then built in the factory, the shear sheathing nailed and the windows are installed.

 

 

The wall panels are then delivered to the job site.

 

 

A simple wall panel diagram is included showing where the individual panels are to be placed.

 

 

And the panels are lifted into place.

 

 

Along with the panel plan a computerized inventory also helps to identify the different parts of the home building kit and what they are used for.

 

 

For more information go to www.northcoastpackagedhomes.com

 

 

 

 

 



DIY Building Kit

Although many clients at least consult with a framer or general contractor - it is not unusual for a client to participate, supervise or even do the basic assembly of the package.  As our framing packages are conventional construction any qualified contractor or framer can easily assist as no special qualifications or experience are required.

Using this garage as a simple illustration, the wall panels are laid out in order and lifted into place:

 

 

For more information go to www.northcoastpackagedhomes.com

What is the difference between a stick-built, panelized, manufactured or modular home?

What is the difference?

Stick-built Homes – The term “stick-built” or “site built” refers to a home that has not been pre-assembled.  Stick built homes take longer to construct than the other options and are normally more expensive to build but they do offer the option of complete customization.

Panelized, Packaged, Pre-cut, Pre-fab or Kit Homes –These terms refer to a “stick built” home constructed of factory-built wall panels with the windows installed and roof trusses which are shipped to the site on trucks and lifted into place.  When finished, a panelized home will be indistinguishable from a “site-built” home but as any custom home they must comply with the local building codes.  But unlike a “site-built” home construction time is greatly reduced and is less expensive to build.

Modular or “Off-frame” Homes – These terms refer to a factory-built house constructed to the HUD Code and the regulation of factories producing these homes is strict.  Modular homes can be single- or multi-sectional and are typically built on a 2 x 10 platform designed to be placed over a crawl space.  Modular homes have completed finishes so the design choices are limited but this is a comparatively quick and less expensive method of construction.

Manufactured or “On-frame” Homes – These terms refer to a house built on a permanent chassis and presently are not built to the HUD Code and do not meet the standards for conventional financing.  These homes are completed in the factory and offer few design options but construction is quick and they are the least expensive method of construction.

Deciding which type of home is better than the other depends on the individual situation:

Transport  - Since all but site-built homes are built to be transported accessibility of the site is critical.  As panelized homes are in smaller bundles unloaded from a larger trailer they are deliverable to all but a few sites but no special license is required as with a manufactured home.

Selling – A panelized home sells and finances as any other custom stick built home.  The State’s manufactured housing board regulates and licenses persons selling manufactured and modular homes. A real estate license is not required to sell a panelized home package, modular or manufactured home not affixed to real estate.

When planning on installing a manufactured or modular home on a property, it may be necessary to see if there are any subdivision covenants or zoning codes that may prevent the presence of a manufactured or modular home on the property.  Additionally, when selling manufactured or modular homes this fact must be disclosed.  A serial number and label is permanently attached to these homes showing compliance with building code standards (modular) and HUD code (manufactured) or both.

Simply put a panelized home package has all of the benefits of a custom site-built home providing higher quality at a lower cost.  It allows the home owner complete freedom in the design of the home and choice of materials and it sells and finances and appreciates in value as a normal house would.  Although the quality of modular and manufactured homes has increased tremendously, one should still consider the long term value when constructing your dream home.

For more information go to www.northcoastpackagedhomes.com