Top 5 Driving Forces Behind Manufactured Home Quality and Affordability
Affordability is cited by 71% of manufactured home buyers as being the driving force for choosing a manufactured home according to the Manufactured Housing Institute.
A comparison between the average cost of site-built home construction in 2021 was $119 per square foot, compared to the $57 per square foot cost of a new manufactured home comparably equipped and sited.
Unfortunately, there are those that will not consider purchasing a manufactured home, mistakenly believing that a manufactured home must not be built as well as a site-built home, otherwise the sales price would be much higher. Also, unfortunately, that assumption is often not broached when salespeople fail to understand and convey how the manufactured home assembly line construction process not only enhances quality, but also the value-added aspects accounting for the lower homebuyer cost as compared to the traditional on-site construction process.
In all respects of quality of construction and all other requirements, a new manufactured home is equal or superior in every aspect to a site-built home at a cost of 50% less. It may seem odd to “justify” quality and affordability, but sometimes you must, especially when there is such a large disparity in the comparative costs of a home.
The following are the top 5 “justifications for savings derived from modern manufactured home production processes that create value, allowing more Americans to realize quality affordable home ownership, even in the face of an ever-widening housing affordability gap versus traditional site-built homes. A manufactured home salesperson that grasps and conveys these and the aforementioned attributes will be emboldened in the sales of America’s only truly quality-built affordable homes.
Top 5 Driving Forces Behind Manufactured Home Affordability
1. Measurable Savings in Reduced Completion Expediency
“Time is money.” Greater flexibility and efficiency of the manufacturing process allow for customization of each home to meet a buyer’s lifestyle and needs and are preplanned before the home begins the construction phase and does not delay completion. Typically, under normal conditions, a customized new manufactured home can be built and ready for occupancy on-site in a matter of weeks, as compared to months for a home built on site. This expediency accounts for much of the savings in becoming a manufactured home owner.
2. Controlled Environment And Assembly Line Techniques
The controlled construction environment and assembly-line techniques remove many of the problems encountered during traditional construction, such as weather, theft, vandalism, damage to building products and materials, and unskilled labor. Manufactured home factory employees are well trained and managed more efficiently than the system of contract labor employed by the site-built home construction industry.
3. Benefits From The Economies Of Scale
Much like other assembly-line operations, manufactured homes benefit from the economies of scale resulting from purchasing large quantities of materials, products, and appliances. Manufactured home builders can negotiate substantial savings on many components used in building a home, with these huge savings passed on directly to the homebuyer.
4. Evolution in Factory-Built Technology
Today’s manufactured homes have experienced an evolution in the types and quality of homes available to buyers. Technological advances allow manufactured home builders to offer a variety of architectural styles and exterior finishes heretofore not available on-site, that will suit most any homebuyer’s dreams while allowing the home to blend seamlessly into most any neighborhood.
5. Efficiencies Of The Factory Building Process
The affordability gap in comparison to traditional site-built homes continues to widen and is primarily due to the efficiences of the factory-building process. Manufactured homes are constructed with standard home building materials, and are built almost entirely off-site in a factory. Building materials are pre-cut to exact specifications with little or no waste.
