When it comes time to buy a home, what is a major factor considered by house hunters? Answer: Affordability. For this very reason, many individuals and families choose to go with manufactured housing. In fact, of those who choose this option, 71% of them say a driving force was that manufactured housing is so affordable. But how affordable?

Granted, these numbers are a couple of years old, but just for comparison, here are some average costs:

Around 2019, it cost $50 per square foot for a new manufactured home.
Compare that to $111 per square foot for a site-built construction comparably cited and equipped.

Even with numbers as impressive as those, a manufactured home simply will not be considered by some people. They believe – mistakenly – that it won’t be built as well as a house constructed on site. They are afraid that, because of the low price, they’re getting an inferior product. This kind of thinking is based on prevailing myths, misrepresentations, and misconceptions associated with “trailer houses” and “mobile homes” made half a century ago. Today, it’s different.

Today’s New and Improved Manufactured Housing

The manufactured homes of yesteryear can’t hold a candle to those manufactured today. So, what’s the difference? Manufactured homes’ value-added aspects and construction processes have evolved. Today, frequently superior in every aspect, compared to site-built homes, manufactured housing is at least equal. That includes all of the following:

Enhanced safety against fire and wind
Appearance
Amenities
Energy efficiency
Construction quality
Building materials
Value depreciation and/or appreciation

All of this at about half what it would cost for your average site-constructed home.

Other Driving Forces

So, affordability is a driving force behind why people purchase manufactured homes. Here are a few others:

Focus on affordable quality homes
Evolutionary designs
Technological advances
Streamlined production process

There can be little mystery involved in trying to figure out why, at a price they can afford, a family buys a manufactured home that fits their wants and needs.

Why Are They More Affordable?

Thanks to today’s modern manufactured home production processes, quality affordable homeownership is possible for more and more Americans. Here are the reasons why this type of housing is more affordable.

Measurable savings in completion expediency reduction – You’ve heard it a million times: “Time is money”. Because these homes can be built in a fraction of the time it would take to construct an on-site home, you save money.
Evolution and technology for factory-built homes – As with just about everything, the process of building these homes has evolved through the years. Thanks to this evolution, the process has not only been improved but more options are available than ever before.
Economics of scale benefits – Huge savings realized by homebuilders can be passed down to buyers. This is because appliances, products, and building materials are purchased in large quantities.
Assembly line techniques and a controlled environment – Unskilled labor, material/building product damage, vandalism, theft, and inclement weather are protected against by a controlled construction environment. The system is more efficiently managed thanks to trained manufactured home factory employees.
Factory building process efficiencies – These are cheaper than on-site homes because they’re built almost entirely in a factory, off-site, and they’re constructed with standard homebuilding materials. The factory building process is highly efficient.

It’s Time to Check out Affordable Manufactured Housing

If you are interested in the affordability of manufactured housing, look no further than Michigan Home Zone. We will help you get the house you’ve always dreamed of and assist you with your entire home building process. Feel free to contact us today to discuss manufactured housing and its affordability.