Are you thinking of building your own dream home but have no idea where to start? Well, it can be overwhelming and for good reasons too. To begin with, you have a choice of building a modular home as compared to a conventional home. So, where does the difference between modular and site built homes begin to arise? Well, this is what we will look at in the following few sections.

Let's start off with modular homes. These are built using the same construction codes and materials as conventional homes. However, modular homes are usually constructed off-site in a factory pretty much the same way vehicles are manufactured. Once the homes have been finished, they are then transported to the site and installed on top of the ready foundation. The modular home is then connected to services, given the finishing touches and you are ready to move in.

For the most optimal solution for your needs, be sure to take the following factors into consideration when making the decision on whether to build a modular home or a conventional one.

Modular homes are never delayed because of the weather. Weather, especially incremental, can have a huge effect on the construction time on conventional sites. Consequently, because modular homes are built in a factory, the project always goes on schedule no matter how the weather is outside. 

In order to ensure that homes are built to strict standards in terms of quality, supervision by a construction manager is very important. The manufacturing environment for modular homes means the manager can guide the people in a controlled environment meaning better building standards and quality. 

These features can be added to both modular and conventional homes. In modular homes, features such as orientation, ventilation, insulation, and shading; in addition to grey water systems and solar power can be easily included in the design and building stage. Additionally, since modular homes are built in the factory and come ready to go, the amount of site disruption and waste is greatly reduced thus making modular homes more sustainable. 

Both modular and traditional homes are built according to the relevant building codes. Above and over that, modular homes also have added enhancements which include bracing and steel chassis. The buildings can thus withstand the stress imposed on them while being transported.

When your land is in a remote place and you are building onsite, the costs can go up very quickly as a result of high costs of delivery, long term travel and accommodation costs for the builders. Since 90% of modular home building is done in the factory, remote locations can be installed for just a fraction of the time and cost of traditional homes.

As your dream home is being built, you will naturally want to have your eyes on the progress. Conventional building sites don't typically allow for this to happen but with modular homes, you can always visit the factory to see your home at any time of the construction progress. 

Flexibility is a very important factor when you are designing your home. You want the final result to be perfectly right for you. Generally, builders of modular homes are more flexible in terms of design than volume home builders. Often, the modular builders will give you a range of designs before taking the time to work with you to achieve the best outcome possible. Usually using furniture that is multipurpose or can fold away such as sofa beds. 

A crucial factor when building is where you or your tenants will live while it is all going on. Since time on site is greatly reduced, a factory built modular home means that you could still be living in your old home for much longer. This is definitely something to consider when you are weighing your option. 

At the end of the day, modular homes are not the right option for everyone. There are other scenarios where you are better off opting for a conventional site built home over a modular building process. Here are a number of examples.

Some areas usually have covenants on the land meaning that only a brick home can be built. This is usually in new housing estates. Though it is possible to build modular homes with a brick facade, the effort involved will raise the cost hence making a conventional home the better option in these situations.

In case your goal is to build a high-end luxury home, the modular process might not be the right one for you. This is not to mean that a modular home cannot be a luxury home, but such extremely large homes would need plenty of modules and lots of extra features which is not ideal with the modular process. In such a situation, you are better off going with a traditional site built home.

While modular homes become more popular in urban areas, there can be some challenges to building modular homes in the city. For instance, an area or street with a lot of power lines can make it very difficult to deliver the home to the site. This could lead to an escalation of the installation costs, meaning a conventional home will make more sense.

Ultimately, the choice between building a modular or a conventional home boils down to a range of factors. You will have to weigh the pros and cons in order to see what is appropriate for your needs.