For several years I have written building articles for BHM. All of it was to give you, the readers, some alternative ways to think about building homes.

On this blog I have discussed different ways to become a builder or, at least, build your own home to save money.

My 30+ years of building has been in the form of projects. Buy land, build a house, live in it awhile, then sell it and start a new project. Well, it is time to do it again.

For some time now, my wife and I have been preparing to start what will perhaps be our last project. When I am in ‘building mode’ I am working more than 12 hours a day, seven days a week. Momentum is important. Some of the parts of this new project have been under construction during my off hours but now it is time to turn it into a full time priority.

This new project is different than all my others. It will be off-grid. In fact it will be offshore. The last details have been arranged and we are ready to go. So…this will be my last blog posting.

Sometime in the future, if this project works out well, I may write about it. For now, goodbye and live well.

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What we have here is a modular home. After the site is prepared and the foundation is poured the sections of the home are brought in on tractor trailers and placed on the foundation by a crane. In a day or two the sections are connected and weather tight. After the details are completed a new home is finished in a very short time compared to building the old fashioned way.

Modulars are popular not just for the speed of construction. If you own a lot (some companies even help with that) the modular company can arrange all the site work. The kind of foundation you want, a private well or public water hookup, the electric service, the sewer connection, even the landscaping is arranged by them. You choose the color and type of flooring, siding and roofing. You also choose window and door styles and where you want them located.

On the inside they install the plumbing, furnace, and air conditioning. They also install cabinets, counters, appliances, carpets, even the type and color of trim work chosen by you. Sign the contract and have a custom home in a month.

Perhaps the most important feature of a modular home is that they have financing available for the buyer. Modulars are available in a wide range of prices and lavishness. It is quite an amazing business concept. I especially like the fact that these homes are built in a nice dry factory out of the weather, using lots of glue to hold them together. The modular “units” must survive being hauled hundreds of miles behind trucks so they have to be structurally tough. This extra toughness means the home will be stronger too.

Theoretically, and if the housing market were better, you could order a modular home, have it set up on your lot and sell it right away at a profit. Since that is not the case let’s modify this concept.

Imagine the modular home contract as a menu. You can order each part or service separately. So, how does this benefit you, the Alternative Builder?

You have learned skills and it is time to use them. The more work you do on the house yourself, the more money you will save and the larger your profit will be.

Suppose you manage the site work. Choosing your own contractors for the well, driveway, septic system, foundation, electric work and heating system will often save a considerable sum. Have the modular company deliver and set the units on your foundation but you do all the finish work like completing the siding, installing carpets and other details to save another significant percentage of the cost.

If you order the most basic home package and add your own cabinets, counters and appliances you save again. Some modulars come with unfinished second floors. The basic Cape style comes this way. Adding two rooms and a bath upstairs adds big value to the home.

You could install your own doors, windows and shutters. You could build dormers, add a deck, and build a fireplace. You can also add a garage, as in the photograph above.

With an easy web search I found a 24′ x 36′ modular Cape style home. The deal includes crane set, exterior finish and interior touch-up for $58,300 including sales tax. Taking over the finish and touch-up work yourself and doing some haggling could get you an even lower price during these hard times for the housing industry. Having the basic home set up and weatherproof so quickly provides you with a place to work right away.

How well could you do financially with a basic modular and your own work? Figure this out. The house above is assessed for $211,900. The lot was $30,000. Add about $60,000 for the modular and about $30,000 for added services and materials. The rest of the money is yours.

Take time to prepare yourself and take on a project like this, or the others I’ve talked about, and you can have a career in homebuilding even in times like this.

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I am tempted by this property. For a project, I see it as an improved lot. It has a well, a septic system, electric power, a paved driveway and best of all, beautiful natural landscaping. It is ready for a new home. A big bonus is that it is a place to live and work while the new house is being built.

Properties like this are like jewels waiting to be shined up. They are on the low end of property values but have all the expensive improvements in place which is a great saving of money, time and labor over starting with a vacant lot. If you work carefully, the new house you put there won’t disturb the landscaping. Saving that great maple grove would be a priority with me.

Of course you must abide by the first law of real estate…location, location, location. Find a mobile home in a neighborhood where you will be bringing the value of the property up to the value of the rest of the homes, maybe even turning it into the be$t one there.

Financing a mobile home on a private lot is like any real estate transaction except the price will be lower (if you shopped well) than a regular home. Your down payment and monthly installments would be smaller, leaving more of your investment money available for building materials and other expenses.

Moving into a mobile home and making it useful is easy. Set up ‘camp’ by using the existing kitchen and bathroom and turning the living room into sleeping quarters. Clear the bedroom out and use it for a workshop. If there are two bedrooms turn the second into a storage room. A small efficient living space keeps housework to a minimum. Living on site saves the expense of maintaining another home elsewhere and eliminates commuting. It lets you work more hours per day, more days per week. Your constant presence protects the project from mischief.

The mobile home itself has potential. If it is in good shape it has value and you can sell it privately or to a dealer when you are finished with it, recouping some of your investment. It is also possible to disassemble the thing and use the materials and equipment in the new project. Think about that. All the plumbing fixtures, range, refrigerator, cabinets, doors, paneling, lumber, insulation, windows and more are items you may not have to buy new. Once the mobile home is stripped down to the frame and wheels you can sell that for a good price to someone who builds cargo trailers.

You can search a long distance from your present location to find a suitable mobile home project. Some distant town or city may have better potential than your local area. Be thorough in your real estate assessment of the area you choose to d0 your project. Swoop in there, do the work, sell the finished house and plan the next one.

What if your project does not sell immediately? You have increased the value of the property and can refinance the mortgage. This will give you money to live on until it sells or the capital to start another venture while you rent out the first one. Once you are in the position of being a property owner you have many options.

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