Do you need improved accessibility in your home? Accessible Modular Homes Offer a Great Solution

With a new home every room can be designed to be accessible and located where you want it. With a remodeling you may be forced to make many compromises to get the features and functions that you need. Because remodeling will likely require you to work within your existing structure, you may not be able to change your home sufficiently to give you enough of what you need.

No Demolition and Shoring Up Expenses

When building a new home you avoid demolition costs and the structural shoring up of your home which will be needed to accommodate the remodeling.

It can be surprisingly expensive to remodel an existing home. You can likely determine the cost of the features and capabilities that you require. However, you have to add in the cost of demolition to the construction. In many cases, the required changes to the home may uncover unwanted surprises such as water damage, termites, etc. Additionally adding larger doorways, bathrooms, and hallways can add up to significant shoring up of the existing structure. It is usually not possible to determine all of these expenses precisely during the initial estimate. This is handled in one of two ways; a significant amount added to the estimate to cover the unknown or a possible cost-overrun whose amount cannot be predicted.

Efficient Use of Space

Accessible modular homes allow you to efficiently plan the layout of the space to meet your specific needs. When you remodel a home it is often akin to putting “a square peg in a round hole”. If you hit it with an expensive enough hammer you can make it fit. However, many times in a remodel bedrooms are lost to make space for larger, more accessible bathrooms, hallways, and closets. Often times this is the space you can afford to lose the least.

Attractive and Functional Landscaping

With a new accessible home the site can be graded and landscaped in such a way as to still maintain an aesthetically pleasing exterior while making the home accessible. When remodeling your home, you may have to settle for site work and landscaping that is less attractive. Because your grade level, foundation, driveway, and walkways are already in place, expensive excavation and new sidewalks may be required. Wooden ramps that appear to be an “after-thought” may be needed.

Home and Lot Size are Matched

You can match the home you need to the lot that best fits your ability for access and performing maintenance. All of this can be balanced with your allowable budget.

An existing home may be constrained by lot size or elevation if additions are needed. This is especially true for small lots in many towns where lot size or restrictive setbacks may excessively limit the ability to expand existing structures.

Right Sized Home

If you sell your existing home and build a new accessible home with no unnecessary rooms, you may have less money tied up in building your new home than you will have tied up in keeping and remodeling your old home. In many two story remodels that require the addition of a first floor master bedroom, additional space must be added to accommodate the new requirement. However, the existing space on the second floor may become inaccessible and therefore wasted. Not only is the space wasted but the heating, cooling, and cleaning of the space is still needed. Additionally you may be paying taxes on a significant part of home that you can no longer use.

Lower Energy Costs

Today’s accessible modular homes are very energy efficient. In many cases, they can be Energy Star Qualified.

Depending on the age of your remodeled home, it will usually have higher energy costs. Older homes were not built to be as energy efficient as new homes are today. In addition to the remodeling budget to meet the need for accessibility, significant additional costs are incurred to update windows and insulation to improve energy efficiency.

Brand New and Fully Featured

With a new home typically everything is brand new. This includes heating and cooling systems, appliances, carpet/flooring, cabinets, countertops, etc.  With remodeling the budget is typically needed just to accomplish the needed changes for accessibility. Remember, it is the net cost of a new home (which has exactly the features and benefits desired) vs. the cost of retrofitting an existing home to meet the need as closely as may be allowed given limitations of the home, its structure, and its location.

Lower Maintenance Costs, Extended Warranty

Today’s new modular home is constructed utilizing the newest and best materials. Many materials may be specified which are either no or low maintenance. The need for accessibility may be coupled with the requirement to reduce or eliminate maintenance; or to increase the durability of products because of new wear requirements. Because of today’s new finishes and improved manufacturing methods, today’s materials are better able to withstand non-typical/heavy duty uses. A new modular home will come with a ten year structural warranty.  The un-remodeled portion of an existing home will still require the same maintenance and be susceptible to the same wear issues of an older home.

Architect Fees, Design Fees, & Custom Design

Whether you want to customize one of our standard plans or design a completely new custom plan to meet your accessibility needs, Impresa Modular’s fees (if any) will almost always be substantially less than any fees you would have to pay for a sizable remodeling project.