With skyrocketing home prices in the US, many people are looking to modular homes for help. Modular homes are like LEGOs, they build parts of them off-site, then bring them to your plot, and put them together.
They are more sustainable, more affordable, and highly customizable. Modular homes also come in seven distinct styles, which we’ll get into below.
Cape Cod Homes
Cape Cod modular homes are inspired by the traditional New England style. They have moderately steep gable roofs, symmetrical designs, large, central chimneys, and romantic dormer windows peeking out from the roofs.
Each manufacturer has their own variations on the type, often adding a loft or or porch, and of course, since the design is modular, there are size variations, too.
This simple style was originally created to withstand chilly New England winters and storms, so both it’s charming and tough.
It’s one of the most popular modular home designs.
Ranch Homes
Another popular modular home type is the ranch home, a long, one-story design, often with a garage attached — your typical suburban home (think Walter White’s house).
If you’re a fan of open floor plans, you’ll find plenty of “great rooms” in rancher modular homes. A rancher also comes with the famous patio and a sliding glass door. While the style is simpler and may sound boring to some, it’s got a ton of advantages:
- It’s super expandable (just add another module somewhere)
- It’s accessible
- Some 50’s ranch homes traditionally have dovecotes (yes, for pigeons)
Two-Story Homes
Two-story modular homes are a separate design type, as they let you customize them even more than single-story homes, leading to interesting new styles.
Unlike ranch homes where there isn’t as much privacy, two-story homes give you a lot, with the communal rooms typically downstairs, and bedrooms and offices on the second story.
And finally, if you want to make better use of your plot (build a pool or grow chickens, we don’t judge), a two-story home will let you take up less of that precious green space.
Contemporary Homes
Contemporary covers a lot of modular home styles, from minimalist to high-tech, but what they all have in common is their focus on sustainability and the design’s connection to the natural landscape.
You can count on insulation, low running costs, solar panels, heat pumps, and electric car charging stations, hopefully enough to get you off the grid one day. Contemporary homes include materials such as timber, metal, glass, and concrete, as well as more innovative materials.
Log Cabins
Modular and prefab homes don’t have to be made of concrete and steel. Enter log cabins, which are becoming more and more popular as people choose to escape urban living.
Log cabins come in various sizes, with some of the most popular ones being on the smaller end, so they can be hauled easily wherever you need them.
These prefab homes are not your great-grandfather’s log cabin — they have all the comforts of modern life, and they can be attached to utilities in no time. Best of all, park models can be classed as RVs, meaning you probably won’t pay property taxes on them. Check out some of the coziest park model homes for sale we have found, and enjoy some peace and quiet.
Tiny Homes
Modern modular homes are already built to satisfy sustainability standards, but tiny homes take low impact to the next level. Modular tiny homes have all the stylistic variety of bigger homes, including contemporary, log cabin, container, and more traditional homes.
They are also popular as garden offices, in-law quarters, guest houses, and vacation homes, and yes, they can also come on wheels.
