Customer Reviews

The Modular Home

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you are considering the purchase of a modular home, I highly recommend this book. Every page is bursting with great information, and the amount of detail is tremendous. The author doesn't gloss over important topics. The only complaint I have is that after reading the book, you get the impression, that modular homes are the greatest thing since the Hoover Dam. Modular homes are like cars. Some are great, and some are awful. I think the author's main goal is to promote the entire industry, rather than share unbiased information on the topic. You have to be very careful with an investment of this magnitude. I've heard a lot of bad things about Modulars in my area. Is that the dealer or manufacturers fault? It could be both. The author warns you about this, but it's very difficult to separate fact from fiction in this business. There is no Consumer Reports for Modular homes. If there is such a publication, I'd love to know about it. I think you can tell a lot about a dealer by who he uses as a manufacturer. If you could determine the good and bad manufacturers, I think you would be half way there. Of course, the same could be said of stick builders, I guess. But most stick builders are not using open faced floor joists and glued drywall. Is that a better way of building or a huge savings in material and labor costs? My feeling is that it's merely a cost savings, and not really a revolutionary way to build. But most, if not all, modular manufacturers use these building techniques. Unless you see visit a home that's been in place for more than 10 years, how can you really know if these techniques are a problem? And since dealers will tell you that the manufacturing continues to improve each year, if you do see problems in some of these older homes, you might be led to believe that your home won't have the same issues because the technology is so much better. The author does not go into such details. Nor can he, because he would be raising questions about the very business he is in.

Whether you're merely considering building a new home, or you've already made up your mind to purchase a modular/prefabricated house, THE MODULAR HOME by Andrew Gianino is a must-read! Gianino, founder of The Home Store (now going into its 20th year of business), has written the Bible of modular home construction. In THE MODULAR HOME, Gianino covers all facets of buying and building a new modular home, from choosing and tweaking the building's designs, to arranging financing and obtaining all the required permits, working with the dealer, manufacturer, and general contractor, and even dealing with warranty issues long after the house has been delivered and "buttoned up."

Modular home construction holds a number of advantages over traditional, stick-built homes, and author Gianino begins by helping you decide if building a modular home makes sense for you. Although he's quick to point out the assets of modular construction, THE MODULAR HOME isn't just a sales pitch for the modular home industry; Gianino also explains when it makes little sense to go the modular route. He also goes to great pains to list the special concerns that arise when building a modular home. As a result, THE MODULAR HOME is a fair and balanced look at the pros and cons of modular construction. ANYONE thinking about building a new home (or even remodeling an existing house) should read THE MODULAR HOME in order to get a firm grasp of ALL the available options.

Once you've made a firm commitment to go modular, buy a copy of THE MODULAR HOME immediately! Gianino has packed the book with all sorts of helpful information to guide you through the process. The book is divided into eleven chapters: Why Build Modular?; Selecting a Dealer; Designing a Home; Specification and Features; Selecting a General Contractor; Finding a Preparing a Building Lot; The General Contractor's Responsibilities; Building a Modular Addition; Financing a Modular Home; Warranty Service; and Building on Schedule. Additionally, he's also included a 15-page, full-color Modular Home Gallery, which illustrates the many styles of homes that can be built inside a factory.

As you can see, Gianino truly does cover all the bases - and in great detail, to boot! Each chapter is jam-packed with useful information, helpful hints, in-depth explanations, illustrative sketches, useful checklists, and even individual case studies (usually of other peoples' mistakes) that everyone can learn from. Unlike the watered-down Dummies' Guides, THE MODULAR HOME does not dumb the material down, or repeat the same information ad nauseam. Gianino is an excellent and engaging writer, and he manages to make complicated information comprehensible to the layperson - without sounding as though he's talking to a 7th-grader. He also reminds his audience of previously addressed material without beating you over the head with the same redundant advice (thus wasting both your time and money).

Currently a renter, I'm planning on buying or building a house in the next few years. Thus, I've read a countless number of books on manufactured, modular/prefab, and stick-built construction. THE MODULAR HOME is by far the best of the bunch, hands down. Five stars, all around!

Hi. I highly recommend this book and more than just a passing comment, I have developed a personal home in coastal CA and there is no resource as complete. There is still so much misinformation out there it aggravates me sometimes - "But most stick builders are not using open faced floor joists and glued drywall. Is that a better way of building or a huge savings in material and labor costs? My feeling is that it's merely a cost savings, and not really a revolutionary way to build.?

Take it from an engineering dropout, my home and many manufacturers are building a more solid house than I see on many jobsites. (So roof trusses are then "open faced" but somehow support roof tiles/snow load, glue disperses a load across full length of a wall beam instead of all load hanging on a nail head above/below the next nail.) Like anything, your house will only be as good as company building it. Big corporate builders use these techniques and some even use modules in finished homes, unbeknownst to buyer (and a modular falls under "system built" housing, similar to incorporated wall panels/roof trusses). US has some catching up to do in modular, especially CA, and yes there IS a LOT of HUD-code "manufactured" homes being passed off as modular or "on-frame" modular (that is UBC-code but won't pass mustard with many lenders) being pushed onto those not aware.

It is a maze, I've been there and live in a very unique modular in coastal CA and you wouldn't believe me if I told you what my appraisals are shortly after my building it. Hands down, best financial decision for my family and instant equity. If interested, feel free to drop me an e-mail as I'm happy to share info to help others. Also read Modular Mansions if you haven't already.

This is by far the most thorough and helpful book I've seen on the topic of modular building.
My company sells, sets, and finishes mods, and this is the book I will be recommending to my customers, especially those who want to finish their own homes to save money. The author is obviously very, very familiar with all the aspects of modular building, and he systematically addresses each of them - no small feat, which is why the book has over 300 pages!
Highly recommended to anyone considering purchasing a modular home.

This book gives you the basics about modular homes. It's more for a consumer to pre-educate themselves with the process. I live in a modular home and the book is right in step.

The title of the review says it all... the most consolidated and detailed resource on modular homes that I found in my research. I would recommend this title as a great starting point to anyone who has an interest in the modular housing industry.

As an executive with more than 38 years of home building experience, including 19 years building Modular homes, I find the Modular Home book to be the most thorough, helpful and informative book written on Modular homes. It provides detailed information to both the general population and to others skilled in building trades. I highly recommend this book to anyone considering a home purchase and to Builders who might consider a popular alternative to site built housing.

We are in the process of finishing my new modular home and I used this book throughout the whole process. This book taught me so much about, not only modular homes, but the whole process for building one. After reading this book, I felt like I knew more about modular homes then most modular homes sales people. This book allowed us to make more informed decisions about our new home, that helped us save money, time and agrevation. THE MODULAR HOME is a must read for anyone interested in a new modular home. Whether you are knowledgeable in construction or not, this book can help you make the best choices in building your new modular home.

I have been in the manufacturing side of the modular industry for 24 years.I found this book to be a wealth of information, appealing to a wide range of readers from the homebuyer with little knowledge of the modular process to the seasoned modular veteran. At my company I have made this book mandatory reading for all new hires in the sales department.

Andy Gianino's book, The Modular Home is by far the most complete source of information for anyone contemplating building a modular home. We are informed in the introduction of Mr. Gianino's initial training as an educator, and these talents are clear as he carefully details the advantages and pitfalls of the modular building system. It is evident that his 20+ years of experience in selling and building hundreds of modular homes has qualified him as a true expert on almost all aspects of modular construction. Mr. Gianino' wonderfully lucid and in-depth insights do not sugarcoat the building process. The reader is taken through the process in a deliberate and thoughtfully executed step-by-step manner, with no aspect of this complicated procedure ignored.

This is a valuable educational tool for potential modular home customers, as well as builders considering switching to the systems built industry.

Dave Wrocklage
Sales Manager
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