.:Manufactured Homes:.


Choice Homes Inc.
Felton, Delaware
Facts about Manufactured Homes

Double Wides

Manufactured homes

Today's manufactured homes provide durable state of the art housing with options such as fireplaces, glamour baths with whirlpool tubs, gourmet kitchens, built-in home theatre systems often associated with more expensive custom homes but at a price you can afford. Factory built homes utilize state-of-the-art computer assisted design (CAD) software to design the home of your dreams.


Manufactured homes deliver all the amenities and comforts found in a site-built home but at a savings of 10 - 35%. By agreeing to large volume purchases, manufactured home builders negotiate the best possible price for the same building materials and products that are more expensive in a site-built home. Economies of scale and the increased efficiency of the factory production process results in savings that are passed directly on to the homebuyer. In contrast to traditional site-building techniques, manufactured homes have the advantage of using engineered design applications and the most cost effective assembly line techniques to produce a quality home at a much lower cost per square foot. Factory technicians, craftsmen and assemblers are trained, scheduled, and maintained by one company, as opposed to the system of contract labor used in the site-built sector.


By not being exposed to the whims of Mother Nature, factory-builders can shorten the production schedule required to get a house from the drawing board to a lot. They can also monitor waste better, reduce theft and more accurately maintain inventories- all of which are very difficult to do when you are building out in the middle of an open field.


Need More Reasons to Buy?

Our Manufactured Homes:

Have floor plan and design options that would normally be associated with building an expensive custom home. Are energy efficient. On average, homeowners spend 25 percent less on utilities in a manufactured home versus a site built home due to a variety of energy saving options such as better insulation, energy-efficient windows and a choice of home-energy fuel. Are constructed in a controlled environment with only the best of everything, from the lumber, roof, floor coverings, insulation and everything in between. Use only the best name materials in the industry- the same companies you find in building supply stores.


We have partnered ourselves with manufacturers whose philosophies mirror ours. We chose manufacturers who offer a wide variety of floor-plan designs, have unique amenities and quality building materials, and like us, have made customer satisfaction their number one priority.


Our homes are built in a controlled factory environment where construction quality can be painstakingly maintained. Many of the problems of site built homes, such as poor weather, theft, vandalism, and damage to building products, are eliminated.


The factory process builds homes from the inside out which results in ease of installation for interior walls and plumbing and electrical systems. The house and materials on an assembly line travel to the workers, with scaffolds, tools and the proper materials all within easy reach. The result? Consistently well-built homes.


What is the HUD Code for Manufactured Homes?

The United States Congress laid the foundation for the HUD code in the National Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act of 1974 because of three inter-related reasons:


The interstate shipment of homes from the plant to the retailer to the home site meant that the manufacturer, prior to the advent of the HUD code, often did not know which code would apply

States were not able to effectively and uniformly regulate manufactured home construction and safety issues

Congress wished to preserve access to affordable housing for middle and lower income families


A 1997 comparison study of the HUD and CABO codes (which is used by many local and state jurisdictions) conducted by the University of Illinois Architecture-Building Research Council, found that the two codes are comparable. They found that in some areas the HUD code was more restrictive, such as ventilation, flame spread, structural loads, window construction, vapor retarders and service wiring.


In effect, one of the greatest features of Manufactured Housing that sets it apart from other forms of housing is that is built in a factory-controlled environment. Manufactured homes are required to meet the strict HUD code, established by the government to regulate the design, construction and safety of homes


The HUD code set standards for:


Heating
Plumbing
Electrical systems
Structural design
Construction
Transportation
Energy efficiency
Fire safety


A consumer seeing their home for the first time will have the assurance that the home has been thoroughly tested and inspected by a team of independent inspectors from the design stage through final construction.