The Process
Reach Out to Us
Searching for a beautiful modular or manufactured home? You’re in the right place. To begin the process, reach out to us with a message, schedule a tour, or stop by our location on Division St. There, you can explore our lot of 16 different home varieties to determine what style fits you and your family best.
After meeting with a member of our knowledgeable sales staff to go over pricing options, we will begin the construction discussion. You may already have a contractor in mind that you would like to use, or, like 75% of our customers, you will decide to go with our in-house contracting and construction services. Once that is finalized, it is time to start the design process.
Design Your Dream Home
After choosing a style you love, whether modular or manufactured, there are many other components you can pick from to personalize your home.
- Foundations: A variety of foundation types are available, from pier and slabs for manufactured homes to crawl space or basement foundations for modular homes. The type of home you prefer, your budget, and your space requirements will determine what sort of foundation you choose.
- Garages: We offer both attached and detached garages, a must for additional storage (and if you, like us, detest cleaning snow off of your car in frigid Michigan winters).
- Porches: How relaxing and cozy are screened-in porches and three season rooms? We find they make the perfect addition to a new home.
- Basements: Walk-out basements greatly increase your livable space, while crawl spaces provide a bit of additional storage, which is always appreciated.
Space for entertainment and projects: Are you a fan of grilling out on the weekends and need a deck? Or maybe you need a pole barn for work? We are happy to create whatever you are envisioning for your home.
Decide the Location
Finding a wonderful place to put your new home, whether on private property or a home park, is a breeze. We place modular and manufactured homes in 29 counties in West Michigan. We can help you submit and obtain building permits to make the planning process even easier.
Starting Construction
Once you have determined your location, a member of our construction department will head to your site to meet with the general contractor, discussing specifics on a timeline and cost. We will sit down with you to finalize a price and sign a contract—your home building starts now! We will discuss paint color and any more specifics before sending in the order.
Our homes are built both in Indiana and Michigan in climate-controlled environments, meaning they have incredible structural integrity. They can take anywhere from six weeks to 6–12 months to arrive, depending on the manufacturer. While awaiting your home, we will begin the site construction, including excavation and foundation installation.
Delivery of Your Home
Because we like to make things easy on our customers, we coordinate the delivery of your new home. Professional movers are hired to pick the home up at the factory, place it onto the carrier, and transport it to your site.
The final placement process slightly differs depending on which type of home you choose. For modular homes, the building sits on top of a metal frame, and a crane carries it off of the carrier onto the existing foundation. Manufactured homes are pulled onto the slab foundation, and a supportive block wall is erected afterward.
Final Inspection & Move In
When your home is delivered and placed on its foundation, about 75% of the work is completed; the remaining 25% of finishing work still needs to be done. Next, utilities need to be turned on. From this point, though it is contractor dependent, it will be about 6–8 weeks until you are able to move in.
The last few steps to take before move-in day involve some necessary inspections, permit approvals, and a final certificate of occupancy. Our team at Preferred Homes can handle all of these tasks. As soon as we receive that final authorization, you will be welcomed into your new home.
Types of Homes
We offer both manufactured and modular homes. While they are both built to be extremely durable and are cost-effective options for new housing, they have a few differences, including foundation requirements and how they are impacted by federal housing codes and zoning regulations.
Manufactured Homes
Manufactured homes are built on permanent steel frames, which means they do not usually require a full crawl space underneath (though this is township specific). When they are put in position after delivery, foundational walls are built around them for stability. They are the more affordable option, offering more square footage for the money.
Manufactured homes can be placed on slab or pier foundations, and can be placed in manufactured home parks. When being built on private property, they can be subjected to building restrictions. These homes must also be built according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) standards for manufactured housing.
For an even more cost-effective housing option, we offer a wide-variety of pre-owned double wide and single wide manufactured homes.
Single Wide
Single wide manufactured homes are usually around 1200 sq. feet or less, making them great options for home buyers who don’t need a ton of space.
Double Wide
Double wide homes are often around 1500 sq. feet and above—our range of double wide manufactured homes can exceed 2000 sq. feet, giving you lots of space to enjoy in your new home.
Modular Homes
Modular homes are built to meet the housing codes of the state, and often exceed these basic standards, making them incredibly durable and energy efficient. Unlike manufactured homes, modular homes are more likely to meet local zoning and building regulations.
For both building permits and financing, modular homes are treated like traditional builds. When an appraisal is done, they are compared to site-built homes, though they are much more affordable to build.
As we’ve mentioned, the type of home you choose will have an effect on what sort of foundation you are required to use. Modular homes can only be placed on top of basements or crawl spaces, as they do not have attached metal frames underneath. A crane will carry the modular off of the delivery carrier and onto the previously built foundation.
Types of Foundation
A foundation is necessary for your home’s structural integrity. A sturdy base provides stability during harsh weather events and prevents your home from settling into the ground, which can cause serious damage.
Pier foundations are 30-inch cylinders made of cement. They are placed deep under the frost line at 42 inches, and secure both single and double wide manufactured homes into the ground.
Slab foundations, for single and double wide manufactured homes, are composed of 4–6 inches of concrete slab on top of 4–6 inches of sand or gravel. Slab foundations require that a soil engineer test the soil prior to installation to ensure they are not susceptible to frost heaving. To avoid this extra expense, slab foundations are usually combined with piers to create an even stronger base.
Also for single and double wide manufactured homes, slab foundations skirted with concrete blocks provide more storage for utilities, while creating a more site-built appearance.
Poured concrete walls and footers create a 48-inch deep crawl space, great for supporting the weight of your home and providing extra storage without the cost of a full basement. This type of foundation best suits modular homes.
Basements are a great option for those looking to add additional square footage to their home. While they do incur a greater upfront cost, if finished, they provide an enormous amount of value to a home.
Each city has specific requirements for basements, so if this is something you know you want, we can guide you to the correct documentation.
Create the Home of Your Dreams
Contact us today to take the next step towards purchasing your energy-efficient, cost-effective, beautiful modular or manufactured home.
Frequently Asked Questions
While there are substantial variations between the type of home, design, and foundation choice, our homes can range from $100,000 for a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom single wide home set on private property (site work included) to $280,000 and above for a 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom modular home set on private property.
Yes. We are happy to put you in contact with our preferred financers to create a plan that works for your budget.
Our homes are made from long-lasting materials including incredibly protective insulation (R-49-21), lowering energy costs and keeping your home evenly heated during the winter and cool during the summer. We use durable vinyl siding and 25-year Certainteed fiberglass shingles to ensure the exterior of your home is not only bursting with curb appeal, but will last you a long, long time.
