Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'

(Note:  I’m about ½ done with this post and Nate Berkis came on the TV in the background - isn’t he doing “painting 101”!  Topic of the day I guess!)

I have to admit, painting is a pain in the proverbial.  But, it is a pretty inexpensive change to a room, with a big impact.  I am fortunate that my darlin’ likes cutting-in and edging.  Me - no patience for that!  He hates rolling, but I don’t mind it.  It’s a win-win.  Either way, it’s all gotta be done and there are a few tips to make a paint job look pretty darn good.  I’m not suggesting that you worry that your walls look like you've had a professional paint job.  On the contrary!  I believe in getting the paint up there! Of course you want it to look smooth and nice, but just like anything, any little defects or imperfections probably won’t ever be noticed by anyone you and your own critical eye.  So if you’ve got a wall, a room, or whole house to paint, just jump in.

We moved into our new modular with some painting "experience” (read: mishaps).  I lived in a very old home, built in the 1850’s and I’ve done my share of stripping old wallpaper, priming and painting.  I’ve also been so fed up with painting I’ve sold my own children to pay for a professional.  One of the beautiful things about moving into a modular home, is the walls and ceilings come perfectly smooth and primed!  Compared to stripping wallpaper, or sanding walls, painting a pristine wall is a wonderful feeling.

You may of course paint over a painted wall, and you may or may not need primer.  I judge how dark the existing paint is and decide if I need primer or not.   However, unless the existing color is white, light grey or cream, omitting primer may mean you need 2 or even 3 coats of paint to cover existing color, so in general I’d recommend a primer. I had a very light pink room (child’s) that I wanted to cover with a sort of chocolate brown (man cave), and thought for sure the brown would cover the pink.  Au contraire!  That pink came through 2 coats of the brown before the 3rd coat finally won.  Geesh!

Anyway, let’s assume we are ready to paint. First, make a list of all the things you are going to need and head to your local home store.

A Good Roller.  Cheap is sometimes good, but not for rollers.  Get a decent roller and you will FEEL the difference.  The paint will roll on much more smoothly, and if you wash the roller out correctly it will last you through many paint jobs.

(Note: store brushes and rollers in a plastic bag in the fridge if your going to re-use with the same color paint.)

Bucket and screen (for roller).  Recently I used the roller pan, it’s just a pain.  It’s hard to move, it is flimsy and doesn’t hold a lot of paint.   A large bucket with a screen hung on the edge of the bucket to wipe the roller is just easier.

Edging do-hicky.  Many hate these things.  I personally LIKE those nifty little edgers with the wheels.  You do have to be careful not to get paint on the wheels, but if you make a mistake, keep  a wet cloth nearby to wipe up errors.

Edging brush.  Check any paint store or home store for a 2” short handled angled brush.  They work amazing if you have a steady hand.  My husband loves these!  He holds it like a pen, and just goes sloooow and steady.

Masking tape/blue tape/frog tape.  I hate taping.  Just sayin'.  If you have a steady hand, ignore the tape, but I feel a lot safer when I have the tape down.  Just be very careful not to leave the tape on for more than a day or two or you will find the tape will pull up existing paint.

Drop cloth.  I fold these and move them along with me.  Just be very careful you don’t get any drops of paint on the underside - how that happens I don’t know, but it does, and then you run the risk of smearing paint all along with you.

Paint.  I have no loyalty to paint brands.  I pick a color and then I have Home Depot or Lowe’s match it.  If you can’t find a paint chip you like, just bring in an object of the color you like and the home store will match it.  Cool, huh?  Depending on the room you’re painting, you can use high gloss, semi gloss, satin or flat paint.  In a kitchen or bathroom I would use a semi gloss.  It’s just easier to wipe down.  For any other room I’d use a satin.  I’m just not big on flat.  But, maybe that’s just me...

Okay, so now you have all of the materials you need.  Here comes the b.o.r.i.n.g part - preparing the room you’re going to paint in.  I dislike this step.  When I’ve decided to do something, I’m not very patient, and I just want to get moving.  Tough beans.  You have to prepare the room, or you will regret it.  (That’s me, talking to me).

Clear the room out of all furniture, rugs, curtains, etc.  Remove any light fixtures, smoke detectors, light switches or outlet covers. Take a shop vac or your vacuum and vacuum down the walls.  You don’t want dust or cobwebs in your paint.  That’s not a good look.  When you’re done, take a microfiber dust rag and give the walls a wipe.

Now you can start taping.  Lots of people don’t bother with tape, but in the end it’s easier to peel the tape off than to try and paint over your ooopsies.  Also easier than using a razor blade to remove paint from windows.  Okay, if you have a super steady hand, go for it and eliminate the tape.  But if you’re like me and not too steady, plus tend to get distracted by, say, a bird flying by, or an annoying song on the radio, and you look away...  just tape.

Cover your floors with drop clothes or do as I do and move a folded drop cloth along with you.

Start painting - edges first!  (see above.)  But only edge the part of the room you are going to finish before you take a break, or say, go get a Big Mac.

Once you’ve edged the part of the room you’re going to paint, you can start rolling.  This is the most satisfying part of the job.  SO much color goes up so fast you can really see how your room is going to look.  I LOVE rolling!  I’ve seen there are a lot of complicated ways to “roll like a professional”.  Ugh.  Maybe my walls don’t look professional, but my edges are (fairly) even, and the walls are (pretty) smooth and even.  And, whatever imperfections are there, I choose to ignore, not obsess over!

Here’s how it goes on fast and how you get it smooth.  Roll up in a straight line then down a little bit to the left (or right - whichever direction you’re going), and get as close to the ceiling and floor as you can.  Just keep moving in one direction until you’re at the end of your edging.  Go back over your work and carefully roll over any lines or little bumps, etc.  It will look streaky,don't panic.  Go get lunch, and when you come back in... VOILA!  It’s pretty darn good when it dries!

You may (probably) decide you need a 2nd coat.  Once you’ve done that, let the paint dry overnight or for 24 hours.  That paint needs to “set” before you dare putting furniture near it, or put hinges or light switch covers back on, etc.

And you're done!  I know your shoulders hurt, and you’ve got paint stuck in your arm hairs... but wasn’t it worth it!? How awesome does it feel to have a freshly painted room!

So, as I’m about done with this post, I still have to paint my bathrooms.  I feel like I should perhaps do something about that, maybe I’ll think about it over lunch...

Painting

When you build your new modular home, your dealer will be back in one year to check on your home, and because of the house settling, they will fill in any cracks in the walls or ceiling.  They will ask you to wait that year before you paint, so that you don't have to re-paint where the cracks have been filled.  Houses settle, and new houses settle a lot.

I was sitting in our living room one day, about a month after living in our home I noticed a big line across the ceiling. Of course being all house proud and surrounded with the comfort and bliss of my new home, I was shocked and horrified!  But no need to worry, the builders will fill that.  However, this exactly why they suggest you don't paint.  You're gonna have to paint over the filled in cracks.

We couldn't live without any color on the walls for a year, so we decided it would be worth it to paint before we moved in, and just touch up after the inevitable settling.  It's really no big deal - we've had to touch up the paint around the house all of our lives. Paint gets dingy and scratched and cracks appear all the time.  All it takes is a little fresh paint and about 15 minutes of your time to touch up.  Just remember to save your left over paint, and save the paint chips, and label which room they belong to so that you can always get a (nearly) perfect match for patching up.   I have a kitchen drawer that has all of my paintchips, labeled, and neatly stored.

Okay so I exaggerated when I said "neatly stored", but I know where they are if I need them!  See them there on the left?  I just write on them which room they belong to, and keep them there in a pile, next to the binoculars and Christmas ribbon!

Personally, I want, need, loooove color on my walls.  If you want all white or monochrome, I think that looks awesome too, but it's not for me.

I specifically have a thing for yellows, golds, and brown, with hints of maroon.  I love sunsets.  Think about the colors you wear, think about a favorite curtain pattern or throw pillow.  What are the colors you gravitate towards?  Of course, you need to go light if you don't have a lot of natural light, and you want it bright.  Go warm if you have tons of light and want your home to seem more cozy.



Sunset picture inspires my color choices.

 

 

 

And here are two pillows - I'm not particularly fond of the patterns, but the colors are my colors.  I wanted my wall colors to match these pillows.  It sounds goofy, but it's true -  go for colors that you love having around you.



 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

Next, armed with your favorite color pillow, shirt, painting, etc... go to your home store of choice.  When it comes to picking paint, you'll no doubt be advised to look at the color wheel. Is it me, or is that thing totally overwhelming?  Doesn't it seem too much like hard work?  Well, it does to me.  So rather than tangle with the color wheel, just grab the paint chips that tickle your fancy (those little pieces of cardboard with all the examples of color on them) and stuff 'em in your purse.  They're free!  I like to choose the larger square pieces with one color, rather than the strips with 5 colors per strip.

I usually choose chips that match my colors, then grab lots of the same color, although in slightly different shades.  Take them home and carry them around to each room, because those small variances in shade and hue, look different in all rooms, and at different times of the day.  I once chose a beautiful medium gray for my old dining room and painted the whole room before I waited for the light to change or really let the color grow on me.  It was a lovely gray, until the light changed in that room, and then the paint (and my whole dining room) was no longer grey, it was purple!  Not quite ugly, but definitely NOT what I'd had in mind!

So once you've looked at all the colors in each room, you'll definitely have narrowed it down.

If I'm selecting different colors for each room, I want my colors to flow from one room to the next.  You want the color in the kitchen to go with the color in the dining room, and with the color in the halls... Think about this:  take the colors you like for your various rooms and put them all together on a white piece of paper, would they make a nice color combination for a curtain or a throw pillow? If they all go together nicely, your rooms will flow.



(In the above picture, you can see I have two gold/yellow tones. That white strip of ceiling where you can see a recessed light, will be a reddish/maroon color eventually.)

* Note: kids bedrooms are different.  I believe in letting them have their own space and choosing their own colors, no matter how awful you think those colors are.  As I mentioned my affinity for sunset colors, my kids have completely different tastes. Our kids have bedrooms in electric blue, frog green, denim blue...  Our only rule was the flooring had to be our choice (a neutral gray carpet), and they could choose any paint they wanted.  After all, it's their space, and walls are easy enough to change.  While their rooms are now electric hews, with Eminem and David Beckham posters, I just close their bedroom doors and go to my happy place.

This is a happy place...

 

Happy Memorial Day!

Patio Installation - am I nuts?

This is how I roll:  (Okay, I don't roll, I usually stumble, but anyway...) I'm walking through Home Depot with my man.  We are there specifically to get the stain for the front and side porches.  As we enter Home Depot, there's an easel with a sign announcing that there's a "How to Make a Patio" class on Saturday.

Light Bulb moment!  My mind is racing... We want to expand our porch and add a large deck, but our rather meager budget isn't going to allow this any time in the near future.  So how about I install my own patio?  I'm giddy at the idea, but my husband is looking like a puppy dog left out in the rain.  And I know that look.  He's not thrilled with the idea.  Not because it isn't a brilliant idea - it's because it means he is inevitably going to have to help me, and by "help", I mean "do all of the back breaking labor in his free time".

Now, I feel bad about this.  BUT, it means we can make better use of our back yard for BBQ's, for fires in the fire pit, for coffee with the birds, and lunches with the kids.  And we don't have to wait until we can afford the deck!  And I promise, I will make it up to my hubby - back rubs for a month!

If my handsome, charming, kind husband will agree to help me... The process itself looks fairly easy, although very labor intensive.  I did voice my reservations about how difficult this would be, but the guys at Home Depot assured me that I could do this project myself, without help!  (And I'm a 5'3", 120 lb weakling, with a bad back).  Some of those pavers weigh 40lbs, each!  Okay, so I'm not fool enough to try this by myself, but I believe the HD guys that it's do-able.

So with that belief firmly planted in my (pea) brain, this is a general idea of what the project looks like.  I'm planning on this taking a weekend!

I looked all over and there are all kinds of pavers and bricks you can use for the patio.  Home Depot had them, I know Lowe's has millions, and lots of the local farm stands even have them.  I haven't decided on one yet, but when I do, I will get a square foot size of patio and buy the amount of pavers I need.

Then the fun begins.

1.  Measure and mark the area for our patio dimensions.  You can do this with string and stakes, but the HD guys said to use spraypaint.  Smart!

2. Dig up the ground (call utility companies to be sure there are no underground lines). Edge around your perimeter, and then dig out the entire patio area, 6" deep.  Use plastic edging around the edges.

3. Make sure this shallow hole is level, with, well, a level.

4. Fill the patio hole with 2" of gravel and use a hand tamper to compact it.  Then put in 2" more of the gravel and compact that.

5. Add 1" paver sand and tamp down.

6. Arrange your paver stones or brick in the pattern you want... drop them straight down, don't slide them into place.

7. After laying the paver stones, sweep the paver sand all over the top, filling in the cracks with the sand.

THAT'S IT!!!  Sit down and enjoy the view!  Well, in theory, that's how easy it is.  I'm gonna try it anyway.  What could go wrong?

Don't answer that.

(Details, pictures, and possible swear words to follow... )

Porch Railings...

Day two of staining the porch railings on our new modular home, and it is coming along.  After two full days of work, with the stain scented wind in my hair, and bees around my ankles, I think I have finally cracked the code to painting quickly and efficiently.

I had to cover the composite decking, because I do not want to have to deal with cleaning stain droplets off of the deck floor.  So I bought 4 large plastic sheets from Home Depot, which set me back all of $4.  I taped the plastic down and got to work.

Not so fast!  It was windy and the plastic was paper thin.  You can probably imagine the wind blew the flimsy plastic, slapping it into the wet stain, and then wrapping it around my bare calves, thus staining my legs.  Not what I call a good look for summer. And not my finest hour.

To add insult to injury, I inevitably dripped stain on the plastic, and managed to step in it every time.  Then worried about tracking it around and had to constantly check the bottom of my flip-flop. This clearly wasn't gonna work.

So I rummaged around in the basement and found a large piece of cloth.  My first thought was the stain will bleed right though it to the flooring. Despite my worry, I folded the cloth into a 3 ft long square and placed it under the railing where I was working, moving it as I went.  This worked much better.  It was heavy enough that it didn't blow in the wind, and there were not wet drip marks to step in!

So, my advice is: save yourself $4.  Wahoo!  Just enough for a RedBull! (I hate them, but you're gonna need one!)

Regardless of your drop cloth, staining is sloooow going.  If you have wooden balusters and they're turned, as opposed to smooth, I feel for you!  Here's my advice:  choose smooth balusters if you're going to end up staining them.  Better yet, choose plastic so you don't have to stain them at all!  Only joking!  But for two days I can tell you I was thinking "Curse choosing the turned spindles!", only the version in my head had some more colorful words in it...

Here's what I advise for staining, provided you have turned balusters:

The porch posts are the easy part.  The surface is larger and smoother. The porch posts or columns extend from the porch ceiling to the floor of the porch and support the porch roof.  To stain the porch posts I used a 2" foam brush.  This seemed to work well, and foam brushes are so cheap you can use as many as you need.

The turned balusters are a serious snore-fest to stain. Balusters are usually 36 inches tall and are offered in different widths and styles. We have a turned baluster, which means more nooks and crannies than an English muffin, to paint in.  Balusters are placed between top railings and the bottom rail and are usually spaced 4 inches apart.  What that means is: even if you have a small porch, you'll still LOTS off balusters to stain!  *Caution: May cause marked drowsiness and irritability.

So, the posts go pretty quickly.  But if you get stuck, I mean, volunteer to stain the balusters, like I did, here's the fastest way I found to get it done:

Start by using a 1" foam brush.  Get the brush wet in the stain, but not dripping wet.  Squish it into all of the nooks in the turns first.  Don't worry if it's a little thick, you can even it out after.

Then slather the stain from the top down, like you're slathering on BBQ sauce, and even out any drips.  Just make sure you get a good cover.  But within reason...

It's really easy to be a perfectionist and get caught up in going over every little tiny weeny crack and bump on the wood.  Don't bother!  Just put the stain on fairly thick, even it out and keep moving.  I did an experiment and stained several of the balustrads really, really carefully, and a couple the fast, efficient way. Guess what?   Can't tell the difference when they're dry!

 

Well that's it for staining the porch railings.  And one thing off my "to do list".  Only 19 to go!

Staining the front porch railings, finally!

There's no getting around it.  We've complained and procrastinated - our front porch railings still need to be stained.  Here it is (almost) Memorial Day Weekend and we have 20 people coming over for a clam bake on Monday.  So, it's gonna be done.

Yesterday we went to Home Depot and spoke with the "paint guy with a very deep voice and lots of tattoos" (pretty sure that's his official title). He was very helpful and advised us to go with a semi-transparent stain in California Redwood.  I've seen a lot of houses where people have used a similar color on their porches and decks, and I hope/think/pray it goes well with our siding, because we ended up buying a 5 gallon bucket of the stuff!   (We don't like to mess around.)

Mr. Deep Voice told us that the stain is water based, so we'd better hurry up and get the wood stained before the rain hits Saturday and washes our hard work away.  Great!  Now we only have until Saturday, if we want it done for our party on Monday.

So, here we are at noon on Thursday, and there's a LOT to go.  (At least it shows some progress, and I'm very pleased with the color.)

Bummer for me, the H is off to work, I have a toddler who needs a nap, and two tweens who need to be picked up from school!

How am I going to get this done?  I'll tell you how!  I'm gonna get off my computer, suck it up, and get out there!

Pix of the finished railings tomorrow! (okay, realistically, Monday.)

Modular Home Extensions or Additions

No hair extensions here, only house extensions!  In the housing world, you may have the option of building a modular addition to your existing house.   I had a couple of comments recently about additions and garages, and there are modular home dealers that offer additions.  Waaaaaay cool!

In-law suites

Master bedrooms with bathrooms

Dining rooms

Garages

Garages with bonus rooms

Full second storys

From what I can see, the modular extension is just like a modular home.  It’s well-built, green, less expensive.  But the real, true, obvious beauty of the modular addition is the time savings.  Assuming you want to stay in your home while renovations are completed, the modular addition will take only days to set!  While renovations done the “stick-built” traditional way could take months.

Years ago I had a large addition put on my old house.  The addition was a full kitchen renovation, with the addition of a dining room/sun room combination.  It was beautiful when it was finished, BUT getting to that point was a long and arduous journey!  While the addition was being stick built, we had several weeks with no access to our kitchen.  Furthermore, construction took place in late winter (our thought was it would be done by Spring), and we had days that our only wall on that side of the house was heavy plastic sheeting.  In mid-winter in Central NY, with two young children, that was not comfortable. In the end, the entire process took about 6 months to complete.  We were cold, we were tired of noise and dust, we were sick of the invasion of privacy, and we just wanted our house back!

With a modular addition, just like a modular home, you are meeting with the builder and designing your addition.  The modular addition dealer will help you with all permits you will need, and checking your existing house before the addition project.  You will be advised along the way, and will order your addition and all the fixin’s.

Obviously your new addition will need siding, which will usually be left off the module and assembled at your property.  The module itself will be built in a factory and delivered to your house on a flat bed, and set with a crane.  The builders will handle all of the finishing touches, with the roof and walls all doing their jobs, so a freak storm can’t rain on  your parade!  Just like a modular home.  There will be minimal disruption to your life. How amazing is that?  It makes me want one!

If you actually need an addition and are looking into the process, I suggest you call various dealers in your area, or visit the following sites for a dealer in your neck of the woods:

www.nahb.org  or www.modularhousing.com



 

 

 

(Module in the factory, ready to be delivered.)

Information or pictures are always welcome!  I would love to share more about modular additions!

Air Conditioning

Yesterday I was sitting in my office writing about how I’m not particularly fond of Air Conditioning.  I like the windows open and the smell of the cut grass!  As I sat here, the breeze was blowing in the windows, and my husband was out mowing.  It was lovely, except...

I couldn’t stop sneezing!  I confess, it occurred to me: if the windows were all closed and I had AC, I probably wouldn’t be suffering from allergies as badly.  Because of all the sneezing, and the itchy, watery eyes, this is my second week without mascara (I know!).  And they say it’s going to be a long allergy season, since our winter was so mild.  And the weatherman says it’s going to be HOT too!  Perhaps I should have given the whole house AC a little more thought...

Seriously, besides keeping us cool, and me grumbling about my allergies, there are some definite health benefits to Air Conditioning.  In hot climates, or on scorching hot summer days here in Central NY, we’ve all worried about our elderly or very young family members and neighbors during heat waves.  Excessive heat can cause fatigue and dehydration, which are both dangerous.  It goes without saying that an air conditioning system can reduce symptoms of fatigue as well as the risk of dehydration.  A CLEAN air conditioning system can help with external allergens (ie. pollen!) and can help with your overall air quality too.

Also, let’s not forget the importance of a good night’s sleep.  I feel for my kids when it’s really hot.  They have to sleep with covers on them at night (it’s a known fact that bad guys can’t get you if your under covers).  Of course that gets hot, and sleeping is a lot easier when you’re cool.

Air conditioning systems are expensive, and often need repairs - so depending on the systems your builder offers, it’s a good idea to check out Consumer Reports for the most reliable brands.  If you do end up putting in an air conditioning system, there are ways to reduce your monthly bills and to keep your house cooler in general:

• Keep blinds and shades closed in the windows that get the most sun.  This really, really keeps the temperature down in your house.


• Use a ceiling fan to circulate the cool air around you.  This way you can turn your AC thermostat up a few degrees, and still feel just as cool.


• The new Energy Star light bulbs produce less heat, so there’s less hot air to cool down, thus reducing your cost.


• AC units have programmable timers so that you can set cooling times around your schedule.  Just set the AC to come on about an hour before you get home, rather than cooling an empty house.


• Cook on your grill.  And if you get sick of grilled food like I do by the end of summer, can you plug-in your crock pot outside?  Do anything but use the oven, which adds tons of heat to your house!


• Make sure the AC filter is clean.  Periodically have a professional check your duct work , vents and registers for leaks.

If budget is an issue, ceiling fans can be effective, as are window AC units.  And there’s always the stand-by of placing the underside of your wrists under cold running water for a few minutes.  That’s what we are doing, at least for this summer.

Ceiling Fans

One of the options we chose not to include in our modular home was central air conditioning.  We do have a furnace, so if we decide we need central air down the road, we can certainly install it.  I’m hoping that we wont need air, because it gives me a headache, and because I love the windows open and the smell of fresh air and cut grass in the summer.  We have our house closed up all winter, and I don’t want it closed up in the summer.  Of course we live in Central New York, not central Texas, so that at least allows me the option of choosing fans.

We're also hoping to realize some savings with the fans, both in summer and in winter.  Central air costs about seventy times more to run than a fan.  And, according to the fan experts, a ceiling fan can make you feel 3 to 8 degrees cooler.  That's not too bad.

(Today I’m using the term “we” loosely.  My husband would love AC.  So, I will post on AC tomorrow, and consider his opinion).

Our modular home builder wired every room for ceiling fans.  Yesterday it was 91 degrees, which is hot for May, but the house was nice and cool, with just the fans going.  I’m hoping that’s a good omen, but I’ll have to let you know how we’re doing come mid-July when every day is 90 degrees.

If you do want central air, you can still use a ceiling fan and raise your AC temperature, which will also enable you to save money.

I did a quick look on The Home Depot website and there are about 15 pages of ceiling fans, ranging in price from $34.97 to $1908.09 .  Of course loading your house full of 2000 dollar fans, it may take a while to realize any energy savings!

This is the least expensive fan:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the most expensive:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You don't have to go to those extremes - as I remember ours cost around $90.  If you decide to buy a couple of ceiling fans, either to help keep the AC temperature up, or to use on their own, you need to get the right size.  Here is a guide to buying the right size fan (from The Home Depot):

Fan Size

Select a fan that is sized to match the dimensions of the room where it will be installed. Fan size is determined by measuring the width straight across from blade tip to blade tip. While a fan may be larger than necessary, as long as it has enough room to rotate properly, a fan that's too small will not effectively circulate the air.

Fan Size	Room Size (Sq. Ft.)	Room Types	Points to Consider
32"	Up to 80	Bedroom Bathroom Kitchen	Matching fan size to room ensures greater energy efficiency
42"	80-120	Bedroom Office/study Porch	Outdoor areas require specially-designed fans
44"	120-144	Bedroom Living room Patio	Downrods and angle mounts allow installation in tall ceilings
52"+	144+	Family room Great room Patio	Remotes and wall controls make adjusting fan speed easy

I’m not trying to play favorites here, but The Home Depot really does have a huge selection of fans.  I bought mine from the store, rather than online, and it was easy to get the right sizes, and I had a fun afternoon looking at all the fans and lights with my Mom!   All of the ceiling fans I bought had lights.  I needed the lights, but certainly, they come without lights depending on your taste and budget.

Here is our ceiling fan in the living room. The light is not very bright because the shade is a teracotta color.  We don't need a lot of light in our living room because it gets a lot of light from outdoors in the day, and at night we want it ambient rather than bright.



That WAS in our bedroom, because I thought I wanted it to be nice and dim and romantic in there.  But it turns out I don't!  I want to read at night!  So we took this out of the living room:



Not only can I read at night, I find my outfits actually match nowadays!

When you use your ceiling fan, and this may seem obvious, but sometimes I like to state the obvious - in the summer months, make sure the blades are blowing down.  We generate heat, and fans push that hot air away from our bodies.  When we sweat, the moving air cools us as well.  Ceiling fans do not make the air cooler, they just cool YOU.  To be clear, no need to leave ceiling fans on if you're not home, they cool people not the air.

Ceiling fans are also efficient during the winter.  Almost all ceiling fans have  a switch to change the direction of the blade.  In winter, your heat rises, so all your heat heads up to the ceiling.  I’ve read that the air at the ceiling is 15 degrees warmer than the rest of the room!  What?!  If you change the direction of the blades and keep them  on the lowest speed, you will gently force the heat back down to the floor, where you are!

Now here’s a tip:  When winter is over, and you decide to switch the direction of the ceiling fan blades, stop and think.  What is that long handled duster I own used for? Why don’t I use it on the ceiling fan blades?  Because, according to a friend of mine, not ME, if you skip this step, and just switch the direction and turn the fan on, you will walk back into a room full of little tiny dust bunnies.  That must have been really funny for my friend.

You have to get your ceiling fans up.  I’m lucky.  I have a live-in electrician.  And he’s tall.  So, he hung our ceiling fans in the blink of an eye.  One day this Spring we even decided to switch the ceiling fan  in the bedroom with the one in the living room, and by the time I had a cup of coffee he had the fans switched.  Good job, darlin!  BUT, if you don’t know what you’re doing and don’t have someone handy in your life, hire someone.  The fans can be heavy, you have to stand on a ladder a fool around with wires.  Not a good idea.

Well, that’s it for today and ceiling fans.  Now I’m off to help my hubby with cutting the poison ivy vines from our trees - no, not really!  That’s not a good idea either!

Tray Ceilings

Look up!  Isn't that what your mother always told you? Oh, no, that was stand up straight, anyway...  The ceiling is sometimes referred to as the fifth wall, and although I'm not big on painted ceilings in every room, I do believe they have their uses!  Keeping rain out is always handy.  In our modular home, the ceiling in the dining room is very useful in another way.

If you've decided to build a modular home ask your dealer about the possibility of a tray (or trey) ceiling.  FYI: A tray ceiling is a recessed area like an inverted tray, cut into the actual ceiling, so that the center of the ceiling is higher than the surrounding edge, by about 12".  It’s easy to add during construction and creates architectural interest galore!  I’m not saying add one to each room, but a tray ceiling in your master bedroom or dining room would be very dramatic.

AND tray ceilings are perfect for modular homes because they are very modern looking, and, modular homes are generally modern!  Deep, huh?

Our floor plan is fairly open. As I mentioned we have a very large family and we needed the kitchen, dining room and living room to be open, so that we can all eat and still see one another.



In these two pictures you can kind of see what I mean.  Where the two stools sit, is a bar area to the kitchen.  And below, the view from the bar to the living room and dining room.



However, for nights when its just a few of us, or two of us (yeah right!) we wanted our dining room to have it’s own feel.  The modular home we chose came with a tray ceiling (Shown, but not Included!).  This was the answer to our dilemma.  The tray visually separates the dining room from the rest of the house.  And this makes me happy!

A really pretty way to enhance the tray ceiling is with lighting.  The kind of lighting would depend on you design and decor.  We chose recessed lights in the tray, which are on a dimmer.  We can use either the chandelier, or the recessed lights, or both.

As you can see, I haven’t finished painting my tray ceiling.  I want to highlight and paint the area of the tray where the lights are, a contrasting color to the golds we currently have. And, I am going to, I mean with my husbands blessing, I would like to paint some sort of glaze or mottled look on the actual ceiling.  However, convincing him that this will look amazing, is another story!  I may have to wait til he’s working late, and plan my attack... When that actually happens I will post an update.

 

My Modular Home Pictures

I took a couple of pictures to show you some of the changes we made to the specifications or inclusions in our modular home:



This is the front door.  The original door came with a very ornate window, and we chose the lead, with no colored glass.



Here is our back door/laundry room/mud room!  And here are the muddy shoes!  SO, we put a pocket door from the kitchen to the mud room and VOILA!  (See below!)



Ha ha! See, isn't that nicer than looking at muddy boots and laundry!  I'm a problem solver, not a cleaner!



This is a picture of one of the pendant lights that hang over the island.  The original pendants came with plain white glass shades, but we found these as Lowe's, and looooove them!

For now, that's it!  Have a wonderful weekend!

 

 

 

Modular home inclusions

When you have chosen the modular home you are most interested in, your dealer will more than likely be happy to accommodate any changes you wish to make.  We were given a list of the specifications that were included in the modular home we wished to build.  Most prefab home dealers will give you a list of what is SHOWN in the modular show house, and what is actually included!  Essentially, we took that list home, crossed off certain inclusions we had no use for, and added features we wanted.  We added ideas we had seen in the past, or had seen in other modular show homes.  Our dealer then gave us a new price based on our specifications, and he gave us new blueprints reflecting our changes.

Here is a list of SOME of the changes we made.  I hope this list might give you some inspiration.

Things we added to our specifications:

-Added a door between laundry room and kitchen.  There was an arch way between the two rooms, so to eliminate noise from the laundry, we added a pocket door.  (Note: the laundry room is also a "mud room" of sorts, so it's nice to shut the door and not have to look at muddy boots!  You know, rather than put the muddy boots away...)

-All rooms wired for ceiling fans. We did not opt for central air, but may add that in the future.

- We had TV jacks put in all rooms.  Better to have the TV jacks and outlets there than have to add them at a later date.

-13 course basement.  I guess my husband didn’t want to have to duck while he was hiding from me when I ask him to help me in the kitchen...

-TV jack and outlet in cabinet above fridge - we hide a small tv in this cupboard, so that it’s not out on the counter or mounted on the wall.  I like having a tv in the kitchen, but I don't want to see it when I have company over!  (We wanted the have the cabinet doors slide in, like a tv cabinet, but our dealer couldn't do that - no biggie in the scheme of things).

-Plumbing stubs and conduit chase to 2nd floor for possible later use. Again, better to have this done than have to do this years later when you want to use rooms for something different. (BTW email me if you know what plumbing stubs and conduit chase are!)

-Lights either side of front door and extra external lights.  We live in the country and don’t have street lights, so lighting outside was essential.

-Fill in space between bath and shower.  There was a gap of about 6” between the tub and shower in our master bath, so we had them fill that with decorative tile - why clean the floor in that tiny space?

-Reversed floor plan so driveway was to the side door.

-Added a 3rd dormer and made the dormers themselves larger.  This was my husbands idea, and our dealer showed us what that would look like with a CAD.  It just looked so much better, so we went for the extra cost. (There was also additional cost for the freight the extra size).

-Added 2 feet to the living room and dining room area.  The dining room really needed the extra room to fit our large table.

-Roof pitch.  We changed the roof line to give us more room in the upstairs.

-9 ft ceilings.  My husband is tall.  I now have my very own step-stool.

-We had the builder add a ½ wall in the master bathroom, next to the toilet, for privacy reasons. (Don't ask, it just works!)

-Had grids put in windows, on the top half only.

-The glass in the front door was too ornate for our taste, we chose a different door.

-Interior doors chosen from another modular show home, we liked the cottage-feel.

-Laminate for kitchen floor.  We wanted laminate floors for the entire kitchen, living room and dining room, but cost kept it to kitchen only.  However, now I love the carpet throughout the rest of the house.  In the winter it was so warm and cozy.  It just feels good!

-Dining room tray ceiling.  Because of the open floor plan, I think the tray ceiling makes the dining room feel distinct.

- We had a wood shelf put in the in master bedroom closet. It's not as if I can reach it, but it is extra space for jeans that will fit next year!

-Lights in all closets, except...  Strangely, we forgot to have a light put in our linen closet, and I think we use that the most!  (Eye roll).

-We had pendant lights hung over the island in the kitchen, which look amazing.

-The kitchen had tons of cabinets, but we had them also include a revolving corner cabinet.  This is great for large, hard to store items like vases.  Furthermore, we had a cabinet included just for cookie sheets, pizza pans and cutting boards. It just makes me happy.

-We chose a kitchen island from a different modular show home, and chose bead board for the island. It is beautiful.

-The house came with some recessed spots, but we doubled up, and added under cabinet lights in the kitchen.

-All of our hardware and cabinetry was different from what was shown in the modular show home.

As you can imagine, with all of these additions, we also got rid of a lot of features that we didn’t feel we needed.  I won’t give you a complete list, but for instance:

-We did not keep the wine refrigerator, bar sink and faucet.

-The original specs included a wall stove, and I wanted a free standing stove.

-There was a circle window in one of the peaks, and a half-circle window above one of the windows, that were both omitted.

As you can see the possibilities are endless.  If you think of and idea you like or you see something in a magazine, or whatever, just ask your modular home dealer! If you have a good dealer/builder I'm sure they will be happy to help you!  And, as usual, if you have any cool features in your home, please comment!

I will post some pictures tomorrow.

Prefab Home by IKEA

Have you seen the Aktiv, prefab home for sale that was in the news a couple of months ago?  Aktiv is being marketed as 'your own personal Euro designer flat… only where you want it!'  For a mere $86,500 you can have a modular home from IKEA!

Actually, this prefab home is designed by Oregon-based Ideabox with help from IKEA designers.  The "Activ" features 745 sq. ft. of living space, complete with a kitchen, bathroom, washer/dryer, fridge, flooring, and two storage areas that are accessible from outside. However, I'm pretty sure you're gonna need more than the weekend and an allen wrench to put it together!

I do think this is an interesting idea, and I appreciate a furnishing giant like IKEA is helping to draw attention to modular homes.  But for those of us who have done a little homework on the subject of modular homes, you can buy a much larger modular for that price.  That cost doesn't include the land, the foundation, a builder, etc...

Anyway!  Thought that was interesting.  Now back to your regular programming!

 

 

 

Hot Water Heaters

As I sit here, cup of coffee in hand, eating my breakfast of leftover mac ‘n’ cheese (I know), I realize I still need to address hot water heaters.  It’s a sore subject, because this was one of our modular home building “mistakes”.

A cautionary tale:

When you are building a modular home one of the “pros” is that modular homes are built and set very quickly.  And that is truly a pro!  How exciting that your new home will be built in about eight weeks.  However, by the very nature of time, that means less opportunity for you, the modular home novice, to consider all of the angles!

Point in case - our water tank.  Many modular homes are shown with master suites, including a large master bath, with a large bath tub, complete with whirlpool! The show home we based our home on, had just such a tub.  We weren’t completely sold on the giant bath, as neither my husband nor I bathe often.  Oh c’mon, we shower everyday!   I figured the large bath tub would only be used as a laundry holding tank, or a raised bed dust garden.  But as we reworked the bathroom floor plan, the large tub looked best aesthetically.   A normal sized tub looked dwarfed in the large bathroom, so, we kept the large tub and jets.

Now, I’ve looked back at all of our paperwork, and our modular home dealer gave us a long list of the inclusions, and it is right there in black and white: Master Bath Whirlpool.  And right next to that, our dealer, Scott, had written: (upgrade water heater?).

I’m not really sure why we didn’t follow through on this, except that when you are picking out all the features of your home, there are a LOT of choices to make in a short period of time, and things get missed.  SO, our water tank holds 40 gallons of nice piping hot water.  Guess how much water the tub holds?  Well I don’t know, but more than 40 gallons.  40 gallons is not enough water to cover the jets.  SO, in order to take a bath and use our bathtub for its  intended use, we have to fill up the bath with hot water, WAIT for 30 minutes for the hot water tank to heat up again, and then add more hot water to the bath.  Call me a prima donna, but that is annoying!  And doing something to rectify this problem is going on “our” ever increasing list of things to do! Sorry, honey!

So, the moral of this tale is:  do as I say, not as I do!  Take a good look at how much hot water you’re going to need, and buy your water heater accordingly.  And, when your modular home dealer leaves you nice little notes about things you need to think about, do not ignore them!

And now I’m going to show you how to make your own hot water tank, that you heat with junk mail and sticks from your yard.  Only joking!  (I did see that on the internet though, if you’re so inclined...)

When you choose your water tank, it’s going to be heated by either oil, natural gas, propane or electric, depending on your location.  The installation will be done by your builder, so you can leave that up to them.  However, do choose the size of your tank carefully.  A standard tank is 40 gallons, but as I discovered, that may not be large enough for your home.  Not to mention, there’s always one family member who takes extended hot showers - will this leave everyone in the family enough hot water?

An alternative may be an on-demand water heater.  These may be more efficient and save you money in the long run, but according to my darlin’, they lose water pressure when several people are using the hot water simultaneously.  I suggest you think about this  option carefully if you have a large household and use the dishwasher or washing machine frequently.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to power wash the dust out of my bathtub.  Ahhh, so relaxing...

Porches and Decks

I love our covered front porch which we altered slightly from the original, which you can see at www.keymodularhomes.com .  (Our house is based on the "Waterbury").  We chose to have a composite material for the flooring, and in an effort to save a little we went with the traditional wood railings.  There’s plenty of room for seating, and our little one even has enough room to ride his scooter back and forth.  In the future, we plan to wrap the porch around to the back of the house to incorporate a deck and patio area.  I’ve been buying lottery tickets with no luck so far.
Regardless, most modular homes come with the option of decks and porches and there are different floor materials for one to consider. Obviously you want your porch or deck to look good for years to come.

Wood is the most common choice for a porch or deck floor.  Of course it looks natural, cuz it is!  Maintenance is essential, and you will have to treat the wood so that it doesn't crack or change color due to weather and sun.  I had a wood deck on my old house that I had to stain and weather proof every spring.  We had a large tree that provided essential shade over one side of the deck.  When it rained, the area of the deck under the shade of the tree stayed damp and would grow a fine moss, which was very slippery and had to be power washed frequently.

Pressure Treated Wood is treated with preservatives.  It is inexpensive and is resistant to rot from the elements and insects, but it will still warp and bend. It has to be treated as wood to prevent the warping.

Composite is another option. Composite is a combination of wood and plastic. When composite decking/flooring first came on the market it wasn't without problems, but the technology has come a long way.  Today composite decking is very durable and will last a long time, and is very low maintenance.  It won’t warp or crack and is ideal for uncovered areas, as it won’t fade (as much) in the sun.  You will have to clean it, but a power wash now and again is about all there is to it.  The downfall, is composite is expensive!

Here’s a picture of our porch with the composite floor and the wood railings (that still need to be stained).

It is very simple to make your porch and extension of your living space.  In the summer, I sometimes miss my house because we spent so much time on the porch or deck!

Now, I’m not big on gardening, much to my mother’s chagrin, but I do like container gardening.  Porches and decks let you create miniature gardens in outdoor containers, or container gardens.  As soon as we are out of the danger of frost, I will be planting a lot of pots for the front porch.  Not only is it easier than gardening, you can move the containers anywhere at any time.  Hanging plants not only look beautiful, but they can act as natural privacy shield if hung in the right place.  I also like the look of evergreen shrubs or small trees planted in pots.  Year round color!

If you need a little privacy from neighbors, or just like the look, there are all kinds of outdoor curtains and blinds to hang from either end of your porch.  Or, do as a friend of mine has and head to the fabric store to pick out a fabric you love.  Hang it up using furniture tacks.  Use table cloth weights at the bottom of the fabric to keep it from blowing too much.

You can decorate a porch just like you would inside.  There are indoor/outdoor rugs that look beautiful on a deck or porch.  Throw pillows, candles, vases, bowls - all can have a home outside.  And I love white twinkle lights on the porch all year round.  You don’t have to string them up, just put them in plants or cluster them in a big bowl. Happy porch sitting!

Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all of you moms out there!

I spent part of today cleaning up the front porch and hanging my (new) hanging baskets.  It's looking pretty good out there, so I will take some pictures and post about front porches and decks tomorrow.

 

Do you want a garage?

Furthermore, do you want an attached garage or a detached garage?

The position of your home or lot has some bearing on your decision.  Your lot may not have the space for an attached garage, and only room for a small detached. Conversely, it may allow for attached, but not have room for a detached garage.  If you decide you need a garage, you may not have an option because of these factors.

If you do have options, an attached garage may be sensible for you if you are adamant about staying out of extreme elements. Of course, most attached garages have an entrance directly into the home, and this is convenient in inclement weather.  Furthermore, the cost of an attached garage can be less because the builder can make use of an existing wall, and use all of the same building materials he uses on the home.

Regard the size and shape of your home.  The architectural style may not be conducive to an attached garage. Plus, you may be able to place a detached garage in a less obtrusive part of your lot.

A detached garage should also be considered if it will be used as a workshop.  Any noise associated with the work being done, will not affect those in the house. As you can imagine, this could be a potential sanity saver! More importantly, a detached garage separates the home from potentially hazardous chemicals, or fires, if flammable or harmful chemicals are kept in the garage.  Because of this, insurance costs can be less for the detached garage.

On a not so serious note:

It recently came to my attention that garages were once intended to actually house AUTOMOBILES!!!  Lately they have become commonplace for many other purposes.  Here are some more common uses for a garage, in no particular order, in case you decide you need one:

* Instrument practice. (Very helpful when the player is a first year violin student! )

* Housing for a wet dog, a dog that chews, or a dog that has IBS.

* Motorcycle, snowmobile, go-cart workshop.  Oh sure, it’ll run...

* Woodworking or artist studio.  Showcasing ancient furniture, old plant pots, and broken picture frames...

* Giant beer cooler and/or TV room.  Hey, at least he’s home!

* Showroom for lawn appliances, sports equipment and children’s toys.

So, it’s up to you whether you need a garage, want it attached, or even what to a use garage for.  We do not, as yet, have our detached garage, because:

a.) we ran out of money, and

b.) we can’t agree on its potential main use.

Maybe I’ll get a CAR in mine!

Will our yard ever be the same???

I also mentioned that after the foundation was all set, our yard look like something out of "Apocalypse Now"!  So, although I was over the moon that our project had begun, this was my beautiful yard surrounding the foundation:



 

 

 

 

 

And this was our view of the front yard:

[caption id="attachment_64" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Isn't it pretty?!"][/caption]

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the time I was certainly a little shocked at the state of our land, and wondering if our property would ever look the way it did before we had a bulldozer party!  However, we bravely put our blinders on and let the crew do their work.  What else could we do? The house went up

and the soil was redistributed so that the property had a faint resemblence to its former self...

And lo and behold, here we are a year later, and we do have a yard again.  We do have a "weed lawn" which we can mow, and we have trees and some bushes.  When we moved in my husband did roll the dirt to make it as even as we could, and we bought a few bags of grass seed for the very front yard, and it doesn't look too bad.  In fact, I don't think you'd guess this was the same property based on the pictures above.  (I'm telling you this, because I don't want you to think your lawn will never recover.  You can rest assured, that it will bounce back, and landscaping and planting are in your future!  But more on that another day!)

[caption id="attachment_73" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Work in progress!"][/caption]

 

 

Choose your Foundation

This single most exciting day during the whole process of building our modular home was the day I arrived at our property and the foundation had been completed.  It might not have looked like much, and our beautiful piece of land looked in need of disaster relief, but I was happier than a kid in a pumpkin patch!  Looking at the foundation told me that this was real, and we were building a house.



Choosing a foundation for a modular home largely depends on your budget.  You can choose between a slab, crawlspace, or a basement.  Of course your modular home dealer can advise you best based on your budget and any geographical considerations.  Because we have billions of children, and my husband has several big-boy toys, like motorcycles, we needed the extra space and the convenience of a full walk out basement. We had a natural slope to our land, so that made the walk out option fairly easy for us.

Here are a few details on the options for consideration:

Slab:

A concrete slab is a flat, concrete pad that is poured directly on the ground. It typically consists of three to five inches of concrete. Simply because it takes little labor, a slab is the easiest foundation to make, and therefore is the least expensive. This is ideal for warmer climates, but would not work where the ground freezes in the winter.

Basement:

We chose to have our home placed on a basement foundation. Though a basement is much more highly-priced than a slab, it is a good investment. Not only does the basement give you valuable storage, but it is possible to convert a basement into living space in the future. Not to mention, well-constructed basements are typically regarded a positive selling point for most buyers. Our basement walls are so well insulated that it is very comfortable and warm. (Warmth is nice when you have to go down to the basement to let the kids out, I mean to get a hammer.)

Crawl Space:

A crawl space will be the space between the ground and the bottom of a home. Even though it will not supply livable space like a basement, a crawl space keeps the home up off the ground, and this is beneficial in areas that are prone to the damp. However, a crawl space is not going to offer much storage space.

Of course your budget will determine what you can afford for a foundation, and your dealer/builder will advise you.  Let me know if you have any advice on choosing a foundation.  And, I apologize, one of these days I will endeavour to put up some pictures, however, the ability to do that escapes me!  Some days I wish I'd married a computer guy - then again some days I wish I'd married a hair dresser, a massage therapist....  anyway, we will figure out how to post pictures soon!

 

What the heck is a perc test?

After we bought our land and decided we wanted to build a modular home, we realized the land did not have a valid perc test and therefore, we had to get this done.

Wikipedia defines:

A percolation test (from percolation, colloquially called a perc test) is a test to determine the absorption rate of soil for a septic drain field or "leach field". The results of a percolation test are required to properly design a septic system. In its broadest terms, percolation testing is simply observing how quickly a known volume of water dissipates into the subsoil of a dug hole of known surface area. While every jurisdiction will have its own laws regarding the exact calculations for the length of line, depth of pit, etc., the testing procedures are the same.

In general, sandy soil will absorb more water than soil with a high concentration of clay or where the water table is close to the surface.

In our county, you have the option to dig the holes yourself.  The county gave us a detailed description of what needed to be done, but if my memory serves me correctly, you dig three holes, in a triangle pattern, where you want your septic system to be.  Ours were about 2 feet deep.  After about 12 inches in, we hit clay, so that was fun, and rather disturbing (see the definition)!  This hole had to drain water and drain it fast for us to pass the perc test and put in the septic system!  Anyway, after you dig the holes, you have to bring a gigantic container of water to your property for the engineer to fill the holes with.  Ideally, that water will drain at a rate that is acceptable and you get your septic system approved.

So, as I remember, I was digging madly, sweat running off my brow - no, wait, that was my husband.  I was standing by, offering support and encouragement.  After the three holes were dug, the heavens opened and we had three days of torrential rain.  (On the 3rd day, we had scheduled for the county to come and perform the test. I don't have to tell you that this was not the ideal for passing the perc test.)

We knew we had to do something before the test, cuz there we were with three large holes, full of mud water.  My hubby is pretty smart, so he had the idea to use a trowel to scrape up the sides and the bottoms of the hole, so that the water would sink into the ground easier.  Brilliant!  So, I lie down on the muddy ground, armed with my trowel, and plunge my hand and arm into the murky mud water.  I didn't think of this at the time, but as you can imagine, after a few days of rain, not only do the holes fill up with water, they fill up with other things.  Like dead frogs!  And dead bugs, dead worms, and one live toad!

But, I'm a trooper!  I screamed, threw the trowel to the ground, and ran for the relatively clean and safe truck!  My brave husband, shook his head, and continued with the job he knew he'd end up doing anyway.

Well, we didn't pass that perc test.  That water just didn't want to drain!  To our relief, it seems the county where we live is fairly relaxed and the woman who performed the test rescheduled for the following week, when we hoped, the ground would not be so sodden.

As luck would have it, the wind blew and the holes dried up, and we passed the perc on the second try.  Phew!

Permits and Sewers and Wells, OH MY!

Today I’m thinking about some very important issues that you will need to be thinking about too, because, I’ll be honest, they could cost you thousands of dollars when building your home.  And, as I’ve mentioned, nobody likes surprises when those surprises mess with your budget!

PERMITS

First of all, if you are building a modular home, you’re going to need some permits.  Of course, I’m sure your modular home builder will be able to help you with this.  The permits and the fees charged will vary from town to town and state to state. This may not be all of the permits required, but it should give you a place to start.  Furthermore, you should call your zoning officer to find out what is required within your town.

1. Health Permit: If your lot requires a septic system it may be necessary to obtain a permit from the County Health Department.

2. Building Permit: A building permit is required in all towns and must be obtained prior to construction. Some towns may require an engineered site plan in order to obtain your building permit. If this is the case, you will have to hire a licensed engineer to design your site plan.

3. Clearing Permit: Some towns require clearing permits for the removal of any trees.

4. Driveway Permit: It is necessary to obtain a driveway permit from the State Highway Department if your driveway is coming off a state road.

5. Water & Sewer Permits: It is necessary to obtain a permit when tapping into municipal water or sewer.

We had to get all of these permits.

Public Utility Hookups

Please don’t misjudge what is involved in hooking up to public water and sewer. When the hookups are in a new subdivision, the task is hopefully uninvolved. However, you can hit some snags. As I’ve mentioned, we were able to connect to city water, BUT, we had to pay for the line to be run under the road and to our house... THAT was one of those fun surprises, that we did not count on...  If you are unable to connect to the public utilities, you will have to drill a well and put in a private septic system.  (Either your modular home builder will contract this out, or you will).

DRILLING A WELL

Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to calculate how much it will cost to drill a well. It would be nice if you could speak to your neighbors about how much they ended up paying, but unfortunately, it’s not likely to be the same for you. Even an experienced driller can’t predict how many feet he will have to drill, or how many feet of metal casing he will need to use, since this will depend on when he hits bedrock. Not only that, he can’t tell you how many gallons per minute there will be when he hits water. Without knowing these facts in advance, he won’t know how large of a pump he will be needed to bring the water to the house.

SEPTIC SYSTEMS

Similarly, if your property does not have public sewer, you will need to have a private septic system installed.  A septic system is built according to engineered plans, based on the results of a perc test, which measures permeability by counting the average number of minutes per inch it takes water to percolate through the subsoil in a test hole.  (My next post will detail the perc test, which was actually kind of fun, and involved frogs!)

When buying land that requires a septic system, you may be able to ask the seller for a copy of the perc test results, which you should make sure have not expired. Should a prospective lot not yet have a valid perc test, you are going to have to do one!  (We bought land that had no previous test and we had no idea if it would pass!  Fortunately, it did!)

The septic system costs also vary as you can imagine. Usually the perc test is paid for by the seller.  (Not in our case, we paid for it!)  Installation costs for septic systems also differ significantly, depending on soil conditions, perc rates, and ground-water.  If the septic design requires many truckloads of additional fill, the costs can increase by thousands of dollars.  Again, your modular builder, or a contractor can give you a reasonable estimate of the costs before you buy the land or decide to build.

Get your credit score up!

Maybe your credit isn’t so good, or maybe it is okay, but you’d like to make it better so you pay less interest on your modular home construction loan!  First check your credit score, which can range from 300 to 850, and aim for a score higher than 760 - you can do this at www.myfico.com .  OR, got to any of the three major reporting companies for a free report every 12 months - go to www.annualcreditreport.com.

Lenders, such as banks and credit card companies, use credit scores to evaluate the potential risk posed by lending money to consumers and to reduce losses due to bad debt. Lenders use credit scores to determine who qualifies for a loan, at what interest rate and what credit limits. Lenders also use credit scores to determine which customers are likely to bring in the most revenue.

So, with a view to getting your credit score up, here are a few things to keep in mind.

1. Get a credit card if you don’t already have one.  Using a credit card or two can help to build your score. (Caution, do not apply for too many cards at once.)

2. Get an installment loan too.  Student loans, personal loans, mortgages and auto loans all help show you are responsible with credit.  Again, pay these off ON TIME!

3. Pay down your credit cards. Lenders like to see a big gap between the amount of credit you’re using and the available limit.  Keep your balances below 30% of the credit limit and this will help your credit scores.

4. If you have big balances on your credit cards this hurts your credit, EVEN IF YOU PAY YOUR BILLS ON TIME EACH MONTH!

5. If you slip and make a late payment, supposing you are a good customer, a lender may agree to erase the one late payment from your credit history.  This is one of those “it doesn’t hurt to ask” situations!

6. Check your credit report carefully to make sure there are no errors.  File a dispute with the credit reporting agency that gave you your report.  You can do this online, in writing or on the phone.

7.  Keep old credit cards, and do not cancel them.  Shred them if you must, but don’t cancel them!

Modular Home Financing 101

Modular homes are fairly cost-effective to build, however, most of us are going to need financing to realize our dream home!

Compared with traditional home construction loans, there is no difference in the interest rate or term in a modular home construction loan (assuming the home is built to code).   Today’s home buyers have many options when it comes to financing a modular home project.  However, in this post I’m assuming that you will need a construction loan.

Many modular home dealers/builders will be more than happy to assist you in securing a loan, so please let that be your first phone call.

Next you have to choose a lending establishment, and ask about the requirements they have for their construction loans.  By getting pre-qualified you will know exactly what you qualify for before you continue modifying your modular home. Your current income and debt and credit history are taken into account to approve you and determine an amount for which you qualify. If you can meet the lender requirements you are on your way.  However, if you have a few problems with your credit and meeting the requirements, please speak to the loan department about ways of getting your loan application approved. Assuming you are pre-qualified, you can secure your property, select a home, and get all your estimates in writing, and can continue processing your loan.

As soon as you qualify and are approved for the amount you can afford, the construction process will begin. Much like a standard mortgage a modular home construction loan will require the home buyer to put down approximately 20% as a down payment.  Funds are then released in “draws” as the modular home is constructed. You, the home buyer, will make interest only payments on the funds as they are distributed.  Once the home is nearly finished and the builder is close to making the final draw, the lender will convert your loan into permanent loan and you will begin to make permanent mortgage payments.

(There are a number of ways to boost your credit rating and make yourself more attractive to lending institutions.  Do you have any tips for boosting your credit score, please comment below!)