Decorating ideas – Page 21

The exceedingly high cost of site-built residential construction has resulted in an affordability gap in the U.S. It may sound counterintuitive, but despite nearly 7 million single-family homes being built onsite in the last decade, an increased number of people rented apartments. And before the economy surged, the homeownership rate reportedly dropped by nearly 5 percent in 2016 alone.

By contrast, manufactured home sales have steadily increased and 2020 purchases are expected to outpace every year since the Great Recession. With site-built construction cost hovering above $150 per square foot and upwards of $300,00 for a property, everyday people are considering brand new manufactured homes at a fraction of the price. Working families who are considering a manufactured option may need to gather information in order to make an informed decision. These are five key differences between mobile homes and sit-built structures.

1. Foundations Can Differ A Great Deal

Starting this comparison from the bottom up, the way these different types of construction rest on the ground is usually different. Site-built structures generally begin by creating a concrete foundation. This may include an underground basement comprised of concrete walls, a shortened foundation made from walls with a crawl space between the structure and ground, or a solid slab. Foundations are one of the reasons that site-built structures incur higher costs.

By contrast, manufactured mobile homes are delivered in sections and installed on wide-ranging types of support. These may include pressure-treated wood, cinder blocks, or a concrete slab, similar to site-built products. But many manufactured home buyers select inexpensive foundation types. They then utilize decorative skirting to close the space between the bottom of the home and ground. This strategy leaves an easy-access crawlspace to make plumbing and electrical repairs when needed.

2. Purchase Possibilities Vastly Different

Homebuyers can choose between hiring a contractor to build a site-build model, select and existing real estate listing, or go the manufactured home route.

As mentioned previously, new construction can be very expensive. But beyond the high cost, new construction involves negotiating with general contractors, worries about poor workmanship from subcontractors, and delays. Existing properties tend to limit buyer options. It’s not uncommon for real estate listing buyers to have to effect renovations to correct the space in a way that suits their lifestyle or growing family.

By contrast, purchasing a manufactured home involves meeting with a customer care professional, discussing cost, space, and design wishes. Custom manufactured homes are often designed using computer-generated models that are altered to include the buyer’s desired amenities.

3. Why The Construction Process Matters

One of the driving reasons that manufactured home models are stunningly less expensive is because they are built in a controlled environment. These factory-built homes are staffed with skilled professionals who use quality materials.

It’s imperative that future homeowners understand that both sectors have access and leverage the same materials. The key construction difference is that controlled manufacturing minimizes mistakes and ensures experienced craftsmanship every time

4. Different Ways Of Making A Financial Investments

First-time site-built homebuyers find themselves overcoming a series of hurdles. Saving a down payment, calculating the monthly mortgage expense, taxes, insurance, and other costs. The process often involves arriving at an affordable figure. Those who take the site-built path find themselves paying a monthly premium that uses up a large portion of their earnings. Friends and relatives may tell you that you made a good investment because the value will increase. The housing market data over the past two decades shows that losses are also possible.

When working families invest their down payment into a manufactured home, it’s far less likely to eat up the bulk of your monthly earnings. Home costs are lower and, therefore, so is your mortgage. This frees up plenty of financial resources for leisure spending and investment. While site-built homeowners are working more to pay the mortgage, manufactured homeowners have an opportunity to engage in wealth management, such as 401(k), college funds, or other investments.

5. Flexible Life & Location Options

People refer to high quality manufactured homes as “mobile” because they are factory-built and delivered. This process of securing the model for transportation does not necessarily restrict a manufactured home to the initial location. Manufactured homeowners have the flexible option of having the model lifted and transported. This strategy typically comes into play when buyers lease land for a period before buying a parcel. That differs from site-built homeowners who are tasked with selling their property and relocating to meet life changes.

Make your home’s style look unique by mixing antique furniture with your modern decor. Here’s exactly how to do it!

Featured image by: Heather Jackson

When looking for an interior designer Malibu, you need to consider your design style. For example, if you’re looking for modern kitchen interior design or traditional design, then you will want to find someone who specializes in that style. Although, what are your options when you have a modern flair and an antique collection. The crazy thing is that while these styles seem drastically different, they actually balance each other quite well, especially when you know what you’re doing. If you want to mesh your antiques with your modern style, then focus on these five rules.

1. Use One Location

Most interior design firms Santa Monica CA will tell you there are multiple ways of using antiques in modern design. One way of blending antiques into modern decor is to focus the antique collection in one area. By creating a separate space for the pieces, you establish a focal point. Some suggestions for this focal area would be in a living corner or a hutch. Antiques deserve a place of prominence, so when people see them set up in one place, even in a modern home, they seem to belong.

2. Focus On Accessibility

Next, focus on accessibility. People are often too afraid of putting their antiques in accessible locations because they don’t want them to get damaged, but that is the wrong approach. Incorporating antiques into design means that you want them to be prominent fixtures in a space. It is hard for items to become important elements if you cannot interact with them. While it is necessary to protect antiques, it is also necessary to appreciate them.

3. Use Leather

Antiques often bring a rustic charm to modern designs, but sometimes that element can be a bit off-putting. To soften the contrast, you can choose to use leather elements. Leather is a clean and modern material, but it too has a certain rustic quality. Leather, then, acts as a buffer between the antiques and the modern pieces. You do not even need to use a lot of leather accents. Merely adding a leather ottoman or chair can be enough.

4. Organize By Color

A great way to incorporate antiques into a modern design is by utilizing color. Every antique piece likely has a prominent color, whether that be gold, brass or black. By organizing your antiques by color, you are essentially creating a somewhat modern art installation in your home. Again, allowing the antiques to become a focal point.

5. Don’t Be Afraid of Mixing

Last, don’t be afraid of mixing modern and antique elements together. You don’t always have to hide or subdue the contrast. For example, use an antique vanity in your bathroom and pair it with modern fixtures. You will be blown away by how good it looks.

Interior design is an art. While there are definitely styles that demand adherence to certain rules, some rules were meant to be broken. If you want help blending your antiques into your modern design, then contact a local interior designer.