Everything you need to know before buying a manufactured home

In the context of an overheated real estate market, more and more buyers are exploring another option: buying land on which to build a house or a cottage that perfectly meets their tastes and needs. However, embarking on this kind of adventure requires patience, knowledge and time, a lot of time. This explains the interest in pre-fabricated homes, a solution that is gaining in popularity.

Marathon visits, one-upmanship, sales without guarantees, fear of hidden defects: buyers currently have to overcome many challenges. Nothing to do with the experience of those who turn to the acquisition of a factory-built home from a well-established builder. From the selection of models to the personalization of living spaces and the choice of finishes, all stages of the design of the property take place in the same place, with the support of the same team. Want to know more ? We go around the question.

THE EXPERIENCE
You can “visit” your future home
It is not given to everyone to grasp what a residence will really look like by looking at plans. The advantage of the prefabricated house: no need to trust your imagination, because you can literally enter it to appreciate its proportions, its volumes and its configuration. A sensory experience charged with emotions, which allows buyers to project themselves into a place of life. A way, too, to make sure there are no surprises when discovering the final product.

CUSTOMIZATION
Everything can be adapted to the tastes and needs of the client
Cottage, bungalow, chalet, tiny house or luxury model: the menu of options is vast. After making their choice based on their lifestyle, buyers move on to personalizing their home. Number of rooms, their configuration, windows, floors, coverings, kitchen and bathroom design, all of this requires an investment of time that may surprise some, because every detail counts. For this step, fortunately, buyers are accompanied by experts.

QUALITY CONTROL
Weather-proof construction
The myth that manufactured homes are of lower quality than those built on site seems to persist, and yet nothing could be further from the truth. Factory-built homes are built in modules, which move along a well-honed production line, and meticulous quality control is carried out at each stage. The efficiency of the whole process means that the houses are built in ten days maximum, depending on the number of modules. Another major advantage: the work takes place indoors, which eliminates the risks associated with the vagaries of the weather and temperature variations. The construction teams, who work full time and who are specially trained to meet high quality standards, work in ideal conditions to preserve the integrity of the materials, which will not suffer deformations. In addition, strict assembly rules in a controlled environment ensure that joints and windows are sealed, making homes more energy efficient.

THE BUDGET
Modular, like houses!
Well-established factory-built home manufacturers offer excellent value for their customers, particularly because of their buying power for materials. The price of the residence varies depending on the area, of course, but also on the materials chosen and the complexity of the configuration. Good to know: in the long term, due to the quality of construction, maintenance costs are lower, and the sealing of joints and windows helps to reduce heating and air conditioning costs.

WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED
Land and outdoor facilities
Clients are entirely responsible for the selection and purchase of their land, and this will obviously have a major impact on the type of house and how it will be modulated. While some insist on first finding the ideal plot of land, then configuring a house that will adapt perfectly to it, the majority, on the contrary, prefer to design the house of their dreams before choosing its location and checking whether it meets the requirements of the municipality. Balconies and terraces, like anything not factory-built, are also buyers’ responsibility.

Our mission: to create, build and offer unique housing concepts that defy new trends, with avant-garde construction techniques.

This content was produced by Le Devoir’s special publications team in collaboration with the advertiser. Le Devoir’s editorial team had no role in the production of this content.