{"id":39702,"date":"2024-05-13T09:33:48","date_gmt":"2024-05-13T13:33:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/?p=39702"},"modified":"2024-05-13T09:33:48","modified_gmt":"2024-05-13T13:33:48","slug":"modular-building-techniques-make-homes-more-affordable-in-face-of-housing-shortages","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2024\/05\/modular-building-techniques-make-homes-more-affordable-in-face-of-housing-shortages\/","title":{"rendered":"Modular Building Techniques Make Homes More Affordable In Face Of Housing Shortages"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Cecil Provost, owner of Saratoga Modular Homes, displays the large variety of materials available to clients opting for this type of construction. Saratoga Business Journal<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By Christine Graf<\/p>\n

In the Capital Region real estate market and beyond, a shortage of inventory has made it difficult for buyers to find reasonably priced homes. The Center for American Progress, an independent policy institute, believes modular homes may be the answer to the American housing crisis. According to a report issued by the institute in February 2024, \u201cModular building, if brought to scale, has the potential to reduce construction costs and make building new homes more affordable, especially in areas experiencing severe affordable housing shortages.\u201d<\/p>\n

Modular homes are often confused with mobile homes, but the two are distinctly different. While modular home components are fabricated in factories, the homes themselves are assembled on-site and attached to permanent foundations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When it comes to the construction process, there is virtually no difference between a modular home and a site-built home. Both are built with the same materials and are subject to the same regulations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Saratoga Modular Homes is a leader in the local modular home market, offering opportunities for customers in the Capital Region, Adirondacks, and the Mohawk Valley to build energy efficient custom modular homes with upgraded finishes. Owner Cecil Provost is on the board of directors for the National Modular Home Builder\u2019s Association, and he also owns Saratoga Construction, Saratoga Log Homes, and ProRealty New York Inc, \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re slammed with business. I\u2019ve never seen it so busy,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat has happened is that everyone refinanced their homes three or four years ago at 2.5 or 3 percent, so there\u2019s no resale inventory on the market. So, demand for new construction is very strong.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span>Provost said the demand for vacation homes is also \u201coff the charts and that his company is so busy that they are currently booking out jobs into summer 2025.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cUnless something drops out that we already have in the works, we are booked for the year. If I\u2019m able to hire more staff, we might be able to squeeze another one or two in this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Currently, Saratoga Modular Homes has a staff of 18 and is building 30 homes per year. They subcontract out some of the site work as well as the foundation work, mechanical, plumbing, and heating.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe do all the interior finish work, the trim carpentry, and a fair amount of siding and most of the flooring installation,\u201d said Provost. \u201cWe\u2019ve got an excellent crew, and we take care of them to keep them on staff, but we would love to have more. We could certainly use more skilled carpenters, but there\u2019s just not a lot of young kids going into the trades.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Provost, most of his customers are choosing higher quality finishes for their homes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCompared to 10 years ago, the trends tend to be for somewhat smaller homes with higher quality finishes. Granite is pretty much the rule rather than the exception.\u201d<\/p>\n

Many customers are opting for upgraded siding, custom screened porches, and upgraded master bathrooms with tile showers. Very few people opt for carpeting, instead choosing hardwood, vinyl plank flooring, or composite tiling that is both attractive and durable. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Provost, it is difficult to build a modular home for under $300,000, a price that excludes the cost of the land itself.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOur homes typically include a two-car garage, a porch, and a deck. Most of our homes are well above $300,000, and we have homes in the millions. We also do traditional stick building and panelized homes, and we have a few in Lake George right now that are well over a million.\u201d<\/p>\n

For customers who don\u2019t own property, the real estate arm of Provost\u2019s business can help them find a suitable parcel that is available for sale.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe vast majority of our clients already have their own property,\u201d he said. \u201cIn the immediate Saratoga area, it\u2019s tough to find a building lot for under $100,000. If you get up towards Corinth or South Glens Falls or over to Washington County, you can buy a building lot for $50,000 or $60,000, but some other expenses may be higher.\u201d<\/p>\n

Provost estimates that modular homes make up two-thirds of his company\u2019s sales. The homes his company builds are customized to the unique demands of each individual customer<\/p>\n

\u201cYou aren\u2019t picking these homes out of a brochure. We\u2019re doing all custom design even if we use modular construction. The way we work is that we sit down with a customer to get a good understanding of the scope of the work, the site characteristics, and the style of the home. We then determine the best way to build it\u2014whether it is with modular construction or panelized or stick built.\u201d<\/p>\n

For more information, visit www.saratogamodular.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Christine Graf In the Capital Region real estate market and beyond, a shortage of inventory has made it difficult for buyers to find reasonably priced homes. The Center for American Progress, an independent policy institute, believes modular homes may be the answer to the American housing crisis. According to a report issued by the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":89,"featured_media":39703,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39702","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-construction"],"yoast_head":"\r\nModular Building Techniques Make Homes More Affordable In Face Of Housing Shortages - Saratoga Business Journal<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2024\/05\/modular-building-techniques-make-homes-more-affordable-in-face-of-housing-shortages\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Modular Building Techniques Make Homes More Affordable In Face Of Housing Shortages - Saratoga Business Journal\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Christine Graf In the Capital Region real estate market and beyond, a shortage of inventory has made it difficult for buyers to find reasonably priced homes. 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