Modular Homes Under $100K
dwellito.com
dwellito.com
We looked at modular homes before we built last year. The biggest problem I had with them was that I couldn't find a floor-plan I liked, and you always had strange, extra wide walls at the seams. Connect-Homes looks like they use a steel frame to increase the maximum span and reduce the requirement for thick seam walls. If I ever have to move again for some reason I would probably look at modular homes again.
Somewhat made up, but these are a bit out there.
I don't understand the economics of these things.
This isn't an interesting submission about non-conventional home construction. This isn't a noteworthy example of website/ecommerce design. This isn't an editorial piece promoting interesting conversation.
The hotel-rooms-in-a-box on the linked page are like saying that a single 2x4 LEGO block, with all the studs filed down flat and holes cut in the sides, is a modular building system.
Even double-wide manufactured homes are more modular, in that they come in left-half modules and right-half modules, that get joined together at the build site.
The curation has somehow left out all the manufacturers that can crank out four 53' x 8.5' modules in 60 days, deliver them all to your flat-slab foundation, and bolt them all together to make an 1800 sq.ft. ranch-style home that meets code and actually has enough space for your kids to have their own rooms. And most of those are less than $140k for the structure. Cost average is $50/sq.ft. for stock structure designs, $10-$20/sq.ft. for customizations, $5-$10/sq.ft. for delivery, maybe $15-$25/sq.ft. for site prep and foundation, $20/sq.ft. for utility connections, permits, finishing, and everything else.
This is boutique-style homes manufacturing. If you want to make a business of it, as implied by the AirBnB rental prices, skip this curated list, and go with a larger manufacturer with a factory within 100 miles of your build site.
If your modular home is pushing past $150/sq.ft. with all costs but site purchase included, you are not competitive in your market, and are approaching being uncompetitive with custom site-built homes. At $400/sq.ft., your business will die shortly after selling to the 50 customers that want to spend $100k and yet still live inside a shoebox.
Other than that I agree with what you've said.
The only way $200/'' modular competes anywhere connected to the US highway network is if their customers don't know anything about the market they're buying into. Or if they have legal protection from competition.
The only reason I can think of to explain why SV isn't already absolutely infested with offsite-manufactured homes is that all the municipalities are pulling out every type of local government shenanigan to halt their importation. Perhaps the homes shown on the OP site somehow exploit a loophole that otherwise keep the bigger manufacturers out. That stuff happens even in vanilla American suburbia, to keep the trailer-park atmosphere from invading the town, so I can easily imagine the comfortable California NIMBYs pulling their sharpest knives on anyone threatening property values.
Quick search returns: Cereal Ventures is an experimental product incubator by Ben Adam and Caleb Barclay
Webpage returns: 'Investment Calculator' and 'Day of the Dead'.
OP 'calebbarclay' has only three submissions to HN: Investment Calculator, Day of the Dead, and Dwellito
I think HN is a great place to see people's work, but users need to be upfront about their association to what they submit. This is should clearly be listed using 'Show HN:'
In my part of Floriduh they're novelties and in built up areas exist only in trailer parks. As myroon5 suggests, zoning approval in places approved for conventional residences is going to be a challenge.
Where in the heck can you (all) 1. Legally put one of these on your property given zoning laws, 2. Fit it on your property and 3. Actually earn that kind of income?
Much better value IMO.
When you can build modular roads, shops, offices, pubs, schools, utilities, communities and transport links to other areas, we'll need cheaper buildings. Until then the cost of land in any location that anyone wants to live in makes the building cost almost neglible.
Don't have one myself, but they're fun to look at.
The "AirBNB income" line under each picture is touching.