Have you ever thought of building as a type of artwork? If you were to interact with a few construction workers or contractors, and then talk to them about their work, you might come to see it this way. Designing and building a whole structure requires some sort of artistic intellect. It might be a different sort of artistry than one would use to create a painting or a drawing, but it is art nonetheless.
On this blog, we are going to write about construction and contractors. We aim to do that from a range of perspectives, which should keep things interesting.
Buying new home construction is a big deal. Not only are you getting a new house – an accomplishment in itself – but you're getting a home that has never been lived in before. Everything in that home is fresh and ready for your family to make their own. But when you look at new home construction, you may get hung up on the type of house. Several types of homes using different methods of construction are available, and some of those methods are known by more than one name. All the overlapping terms create confusion, and it helps to define the terms before buying that home so you know for sure what you're getting.
Stick-Built
A stick-built home is one that is built on-site, with a foundation and maybe a basement. It's also called a site-build. The supplies are brought in, and the structure is built usually from scratch. The typical home most people think of is stick-built. Most homes you see in new HOA-controlled developments are stick-built, and a good proportion of older homes are stick-built.
Mobile or Manufactured
Mobile homes are constructed completely off-site and brought in, in finished form, on oversized trailers. They're then set down on a special concrete pad. People often think of old RVs and 5th-wheel-style trailer homes as mobile homes, but those are actually not mobile homes. Mobile homes are not considered to be the same as stick-built homes. More people refer to mobile homes as "manufactured" now as it moves the mobile home away from that image of RVs and trailers that isn't so pretty. Mobile/manufactured homes are part of the pre-fabricated, or "pre-fab," family of homes.
Modular
Modular homes are not the same as mobile homes, although you'll come across a few explanations confusing the two. Modular homes are another type of pre-fab home in which the house is constructed off-site in sections or modules. Each module is shipped and then connected on-site into a home that is essentially stick-built.
Kit
Kit homes are interesting, and they're not new. In fact, a lot of older neighborhoods that have smaller Craftsman-style homes may be filled with kit homes, which were popular in the mid-20th century. Sears actually used to sell these (among other sellers), and buyers would order the homes out of a catalog. These are similar to modular homes in that the parts of the home are made in a factory, sent to the site, and then assembled by a construction company as if they were building a model from a kit. The homes are considered to be stick-built. Kit home companies still exist.
Pre-fab
Pre-fabricated homes are just those that have sections constructed away from the home's final site. Mobile/manufactured, modular, and kit homes are pre-fab homes.
Custom-Built
Custom-built homes can be any home that is built more to your specifications. You can hire an architect or structural engineer to design a home for you, to be stick-built from scratch on your land; you can work with a custom home company that has specific models of homes that you choose from, and then they build it; and you can even have a mobile home custom-built (which again, is not considered stick-built).
Knowing these terms helps you navigate the world of new construction. When you know what you're really looking at, you are better able to ask detailed questions to ensure you get a good deal. For more information on new house construction, contact a professional near you.