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rwalton624

How Do I Find Out Cost of a Complete MH?

rwalton624
17 years ago

I would like to build a modular home on a lot that I would have to purchase in the near future. I haven't been able to find out any information or estimates about how much the other incidentals like the basement/foundation, septic, gas, and all the other things required to complete the build cost and how they are financed. Do banks lump the house and the lot into one mortgage? About how much should I expect the incidentals to cost? Any info or leads to any info would be greatly appreciated.

Comments (5)

  • adirondackgardener
    17 years ago

    The bank should be able to arrange a mortgage that includes all the site work you mentioned. As for costs, you are really going to have to do some homework as any figure you receive here (or even from a builder or modular manufacturer) is going to have to be seen as a wild guess.

    The costs are going to be dependent on the house that you want to build, the conditions peculiar to the lot that you buy and the prevailing construction costs in your area. A full basement for an 1800 square foot T-split home will be considerably more than for a 2000 sq ft. 2 story. If your excavator encounters ledge rock or other hidden problems, the costs of excavation could increase. Your perk test will dictate the design of a septic system and its costs. The cost of drilling a well is almost always a surprise that hits you when the driller hits water. All the other things, such as utilites, driveways, sidewalks all have their own local and site-based costs.

    All this is to explain why builders and modular manufacturers do not give a price online or in their literature for building and finishing your home. If they do, make sure you read the fine print because they will not absorb the costs for the unforseen bedrock, sinkholes, etc.

    When you have a house plan and homesite in mind, then that's the time to start getting firm prices from builders in your area. You might start by off by visiting a few builders before then and get a feel for what they offer. They may be able to point to some examples of homes they're building and the expected costs, but for all the above reasons and more, they're going to be unable to commit to a price until your site is purchased, inspected and the perc test done.

    Plan for some unforseen expenses due to site "surprises" no matter what estimate you are given.

    I know it's frustrating when no one can give you a quick answer of "how much does it cost" and in the past 16 years of working in the modular industry, the best I can do is say "it depends."

    Wayne

  • lynxville
    17 years ago

    You can get some prices from the person who sells them. They know how much a basement cost for that size home, how much to dig the foundation, how much an attached garage costs.

    But there are many out of pocket expenses and they add up quick. I looked at a $130.000 modular home and expect the finish price to be $200,000 on my lot.

    You can also ask someone who completed one in the area you want and ask them the bottom line, and don't forget to ask what there taxes are. Ask the dealer for references and check there construction costs. But there can always be unexpected problems.

    My friend has the equipment to dig his own basement and ran into bedrock, took him a month to complete the basement. Normally it cost about $4000 to dig the hole, but not in this case.

    Good Luck

  • christopherh
    17 years ago

    You can figure the cost of a modular will be about the same as a site built home.
    Septic costs can vary from state to state. Here in VT our septic was $2500. A friend in NJ had his septic cost $20,000! The well costs can vary as to how deep it is. X dollars per foot.

    But when we had our modular done it cost the same as the homes around us. The ONLY advantage was that we were in the home in 90 days as opposed to 9 months. And that's a pretty neat advantage.

  • efoptmst
    17 years ago

    I am new to this. I found a 26 by 40 modular for 30k that I like, and plan on buying two acres in deerfield, ohio. There is already a mobile home from the 70's on it without a foundation. I wanted to put a basement foundation in with the modular on top. I also wanted to get a two car garage. How much am I looking to spend. Here is my estimate: land=35k, modular=35k, basement=10k, garage=10k. Am I in the ballpark here? What hidden expenses am I looking at? Is there a depreciation? What kind of loan do I need? Any help with my decision would be appreciated.

  • jca1
    17 years ago

    Not knowing prices around your area it will be hard for anyone to say really, but I'd guess your off on the basement and garage. There is(so they say) no depriciation with true modular homes but the market is smaller, around here anyway.

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