The Modular Home [Illustrated] (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "WHEN I STARTED SELLING modular homes in 1986, I was a complete novice about home building..." (more)
Key Phrases: Cape Cod, Energy Star, The Home Store (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

“If you are thinking of ‘going modular,’ this could be your primer: it covers all the steps of the process and features a 16-page color insert that helps you visualize the possibilities.” –Library Journal

 

“For those who are thinking of buying or building a new home, The Modular Home…is well worth a look.” –Spokesman Review

 

“…is a one-stop resource for those looking to tap into the newest trend of modular homes…” –Los Angeles Daily News

  --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Description

Home buyers and house architects agree: the most exciting things on the housing market today are modular homes. They can be built and reach move-in condition in just a few weeks, and they offer a host of customizing possibilities.

Now Andy Gianino, founder and president of The Home Store, the largest dealer of modular homes in the Northeast, has written a comprehensive handbook for prospective modular home buyers. The book is packed with everything you need to know about buying and building a modular home--or a modular addition to your existing home.

Gianino dispels the misconceptions about the limitations of modular homes and shows potential buyers that a modular home can be as good as, if not better than, houses built with traditional stick-frame construction. Then he gets down to the nitty-gritty: choosing a dealer, working with a general contractor, selecting a floor plan, choosing the customized details, even planning the landscaping around the house. Throughout the book the emphasis is on top-quality materials and cost-effective measures to ensure that the buyer gets their dream home at a great price. What's more, this book is equally useful for anyone already in the modular business or looking to get in as a dealer, manufacturer, designer, or specialized general contractor.

Illustrated throughout with a 16-page fullcolor insert, plus a host of house plans, The Modular Home shows home buyers how going modular can expand their choices, save time, save money, and prove to be more durable than conventionally-built houses.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC; illustrated edition edition (February 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580175767
• ISBN-13: 978-1580175760
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,171,488 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding but biased information, September 29, 2005

By	R. Johnson "Tech Geek" (Buffalo, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Modular Home (Paperback)

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.

28 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Go-To Guide for Modular Home Consumers, November 26, 2005

By	Kelly Garbato "www.easyvegan.info" (Kearney, MO USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Modular Home (Paperback)

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!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent treatment of off-site ("modular") construction, March 30, 2005

By	R. Smith (Western North Carolina) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Modular Home (Paperback)

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.