One of the most exciting times of your life is when you get a new home.
Especially if you design it yourself.
Pratt Homes in Tyler, Texas, believes that pre-built modular homes are the perfect option for an inexpensive, energy-efficient, designer home with hundreds of custom and craftsman options.
What do you want in your dream home?
Do you want a charming tiny home?
A home with craftsmanship details in the cabinets, kitchen, and flooring?
A home with all the latest amenities, including a big garage for your DIY projects?
A home in the middle of the countryside where all you can hear are the crickets or a nice urban lot where you’re close to all the town amenities?
A home with a spacious porch where you can watch the sun go down?
A modular home is ideal for all these scenarios and many more.
Pre-built homes offer you turnkey home options while saving you money. Turnkey homes are houses that are completely finished and ready to live in. Not only that, but they come with a warranty!
Once you’ve decided on a pre-built home, you’ll work with your experienced home builder to create a wonderful new home for you and your family.
Once you’ve designed your dream home and your trusted local prefab home manufacturer begins building in a secure, weather-proof environment, it’s time to get your home site ready.
If you haven’t yet chosen a site for your home, it’s a good idea to work with your modular home builder to find the best location. A professional will be able to give advice on everything from drainage, to zoning restrictions, to potential hazards like floods. Even though some home sites might look perfect, you want to be sure the site preparation is as trouble-free as possible.
Here are five tips for preparing your site for a modular home:
1. Survey the Property
One of the first things you’ll need to do is have your land surveyed and marked. The survey is important on many levels, and having it done ahead of time will save you a lot of potential upset and expense down the road. For example, if you don’t have the survey done or do it later, and your neighbor disputes the property line, it could be a real headache and cost you a lot of money.
It’s worth every dollar to have a certified, professional survey crew survey and flag your property in preparation for your new modular home. This step is also very important for the professionals installing your home, as the markers indicate what can go where. Once you have your home site, call in a professional survey crew and get your land home-ready as soon as possible!
2. Land Modification
Every homesite is different, which means the preparation for each site will differ depending on the land.
If you’ve chosen to live in a wooded area, it might be necessary to cut down and remove trees and stumps. Make sure to remove trees within falling distance of your home. East Texas is known for its wind storms and tornadoes. So, save yourself trouble in a storm, and keep open space around your home to prevent downed trees and branches from doing expensive damage.
It’s also important to look at the soil and how it will fare against the weight of your home.
Once these steps have been taken, you can start the fun job of figuring out the layout of your house. For example, what views do you want from the windows? Where do you want the front door?
3. Don’t Forget Water and Sewer
The manufactured home company you’ve chosen to work with will help you determine your home’s septic and water needs. You will need to figure out whether you’ll be connecting to a municipal/public sewer and/or water system, or whether you’ll have your own well/septic system.
4. Pour the Foundation
The pouring of the foundation of a home is a symbolic moment. It’s the beginning of the structure and the thing that secures the home in place.
Once the hole is dug and the concrete foundation is poured, you’re getting closer to your move-in date.
5. Get Ready for Your Home Delivery
Talk with your modular home consultant about whether they have any concerns about transporting the home to the site. For example, are there any overhead lines in the way? Low-hanging tree branches? Are there weight restrictions on the road? Will your driveway accommodate such a big load?
Once these factors have been addressed, you can look forward to watching your dream home arrive at the lot and go from design fantasy to home reality.
If you have any additional questions about preparing your home site for a tiny home, give us a call at Pratt Homes!
