Showcase Homes of Malta has relocated to just South of our previous location to 2651 Route 9 in Malta. We are open and very excited to be operating out of our new location. Stop by and see us soon!
https://shohomes.com/wp-content/uploads/moving--e1554921938925.jpg157210showcase homeshttps://shohomes.com/wp-content/uploads/logo-new150.pngshowcase homes2019-04-10 14:48:032019-08-20 14:04:48WE HAVE MOVED
Showcase Homes of Malta would like to welcome Debbie Harrington to our sales staff. She joins us with 15 years of experience working within the manufactured and modular home industry, specializing in Bill Lake Modular Homes. Debbie’s Insite in design, construction processes and finance helped earn her the title of Bill Lake’s #1 retail representative for 14 years in a row. We are thrilled to have her on board and offering her services to our customers. Stop by our Sales Office at 2712 Rt. 9 in Malta to put Debbie or a member of our Sales Team to work for you.
Rebuilding Together Saratoga County is a volunteer organization that works on meeting the housing needs of the local families. It is one of 142 affiliates of the national Rebuilding Together organizations, all helping individual homeowners in need within in their communities. Rebuilding Together Saratoga has renovated and revived 973 homes and 85 nonprofit organizations since 2003.
They specialize in providing much needed home repair and accessibility modification services for low income families and homeowners within the Saratoga County. The focus is helping homeowners that are the most vulnerable; such as active and retired members of the Armed Services, seniors, individuals living with a disability, and families with children. If you’re interested in applying, you can see if you’re eligible here.
What Do WE Do?
While Rebuilding Together Saratoga County supplies the funding through grants, Showcase Homes of Malta coordinates everything else, the towns, the contractors, ordering their homes, setting up the homes, and help design the interior and exterior of the homes. We, as a dealership, help our clients from picking out the house and making color selections, all the way to the issuing of the certificate of occupancy. In between, we help with new wells, septic, electric, grading and seeding their property, installing new driveways and concrete slabs
Showcase Homes of Malta works with Rebuilding Together Saratoga County to provide quality, ENERGY STAR homes that include potable water and functional septic systems, for those who are in need within our community.
Last year, we helped Rebuild Together Saratoga County to meet the housing needs of 9 families.
Our Clients:
Jim M.
Jim’s Before Photo
Jim’s Before Photo
Jim’s Before Photo
Jim’s Before Photo
Jim’s Before Photo
Jim’s Before Photo
Before receiving a new home from both Rebuilding Together Saratoga County, Jim had lived in a double-wide. Unfortunately, the pump house had caught on fire, and his life was put in danger. He couldn’t even call the emergency services, and the fire quickly spread. After this horrifying experience, he contacted Rebuilding Together Saratoga County. He lived in a camper for 10 months before receiving his new home. Now, in his new home, he has a warm, safe place to live, which is affordable and cost effective.. Jim now says his new home provides him relief.
Jim’s After Photos
Jim’s After Photos
Jim’s After Photos
Jim’s After Photos
Jim’s After Photos
“I will never forget you…Thank you. You really don’t know how you change simple lives”
– Jim H.
Susan H.
Susan’s After Photos
Susan’s After Photos
Susan had lived in a old home. The roof leaked, and her home was structurally unsound. Susan applied to Rebuilding Together Saratoga County. They offered a home which Showcase Homes of Malta delivered and set up. After moving into her brand new home, she mentioned that she feels safe and secure in her new home.
Ida H.
Ida’s Old Home
Ida’s previous mobile home was almost 50 years old, and in very bad condition. Once her husband passed away, she could not keep up with the repairs. It was hard for her, Ida loves her new home.
Dave and Elizabeth M.
Elizabeth and David had awoken on the night of March 27th, 2017, to a frightening sight. Their home was engulfed by flames and smoke. Fortunately, Elizabeth, David, and her three grandchildren escaped unharmed. Unfortunately, her family had to live in a camper for the next nine months.Elizabeth heard about Rebuilding Together. She applied to see if her family qualified for assistance. Both Rebuilding Together Saratoga County and Showcase Homes of Malta, were able to provide an affordable, good quality home for her family.
Lucas and Jenna A.
Lucas, Jenna, and their two daughter received their new manufactured home through Rebuilding Together Saratoga County and Showcase Homes of Malta. It is the fourth manufactured home replacement project that Rebuilding Together took on within Saratoga County since the program’s launch. Lucas and Jenna’s family is benefited by Energy Star appliances, secure home structure, and enough for their family.
Dan, Dakota, and Henny R.
Through Rebuilding Together Saratoga County and Showcase Homes of Malta, Dan quickly turned his life around.Their previous home had poor installation, and even the back wall wasn’t adequate enough for a safe living space. We stepped in to help Dan turn things around at home, and build him a better, safer home for him and his pets. His new home is securely built. It is also warm enough to keep him and his pets comfortable during those winter nights. All his appliances are brand new, and have functional furniture and appliances within his new home.
Family security and safety will always be something that families worry about. With the help of Rebuilding Together Saratoga County, and Showcase Homes of Malta, we can ensure a safe and secure housing alternative for families in need. Together, we can improve the lives of our neighbors.
https://shohomes.com/wp-content/uploads/20181025_141109.jpg4971024showcase homeshttps://shohomes.com/wp-content/uploads/logo-new150.pngshowcase homes2019-02-12 11:10:032019-02-12 11:10:26Ensuring Homeowners Live Safely: Working with Rebuilding Together Saratoga County
Everyone wants affordable, functional homes; and the modular raised ranch may be the perfect type of home for you. A raised ranch is a one story home, built with a split level entry, while sitting on top of a raised foundation. The raised foundation creates a lower living space without really raising construction costs. The lower levels usually have two car garage and a utility room, along with other miscellaneous rooms. However, the upper levels contain the bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen, living room, and the dining rooms.
The Benefits
Elevating the foundation can potentially solve problems caused by a high water table.
Helps minimize excavation costs on a sloped property.
The low side of the lower level, or basement, can be used as a drive under garage if it’s on a significantly sloped hill. (It’s more affordable than having an attached garage).
You can have your lower level have larger windows, due to the raised foundation.
The Difference Between Split-Level and Raised Ranch Homes
A split level home is a low ranch house that came split-level to accommodate growing families for more rooms and personal space, while having the same economical footprint. It divides into a double height zone in the middle section of the home, which is usually garage below and bedrooms above; while the slightly lower section contains all the necessity rooms you need, such as the dining room, kitchen, entrance, and so on.
Raised ranch homes are a little bit different. You walk through your front door at ground level, and you climb the stairs up to reach the living room, kitchen, and dining room. The bedrooms are typically on one side of the of the raised level. The ground level usually has another flight of stairs to reach below, and usually has a finished basement; which can serve as an office, den, etc. The garage is usually attached, which is situated ground level.
https://shohomes.com/wp-content/uploads/roberto-nickson-g-772172-unsplash.jpg36485472showcase homeshttps://shohomes.com/wp-content/uploads/logo-new150.pngshowcase homes2018-12-20 18:37:002018-12-20 18:37:00Benefits of a Modular Raised Ranch
Gone are the days of the old, 1950’s modular home plans. Often custom built, modern home manufacturers offer a huge variety of customization options, and also offers many different styles. Using steel frames instead of wood means the walls and ceilings can be replaced by windows; and it also can make the room look more spacious and can also be built up and out.
Modular homes are build under the same building ordinances and code as traditional built homes. They also follow a building code the HUD code, that ensures that you and your family will live in a secure and safe home.
Being Contemporary: How to Create a Timeless, Modern Floor Plan
The windows, flooring, plumbing fixtures, and millwork offered by our manufacturers can serve as a beautiful background for design trends! These trends include accent pieces such as rugs, small furnitures, artwork, pillows, and so on. These are the types of items that can be switched out quickly, and redecorated effortlessly, at anytime you need!
Here are some quick little ideas for a modern home design:
High door frames
Lift and slide doors
12” wide planks
Custom modern or luxurious millwork
Well placed and high end lighting
Modern windows
High ceilings
A modern modular home is a great investment! It comes with a long list of advantages. Hopefully, this can be the start to beginning to understand what makes them so beneficial when compared to a traditional, site-built home.
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Now that Millennials are starting to have increased spending power, they represent the majority of first time buyers in this generation. However, instead of buying a traditional site-built home like the older generations, there’s an increasing number Millennials buying manufactured home! There are three reasons to that: Beneficial, energy-efficient, and affordable.
The great thing about investing in a home from us, Showcase Homes, is that you’ll never have to choose between practicality and luxury. You can easily have both with the variety of floorplans and manufacturers we have to offer here! Millennials also need homes that adapt to their lifestyles. We have everything you need from swimming pools, fireplaces, decks, to carports; all affordable and all completely customizable!
Why Affordability Is So Important
Millennials are carrying loads and loads of student loan debt. According to the Institute for College Access & Success, 7 out of 10 seniors in the class of 2014 graduated with student loan debt; with the average borrower owning $28,950. They’re having trouble paying these student loans back, and that is due to the unemployment of young adults, which was 6.5% in January 2014. Many of the Millennials are incredibly underemployed (51%), according to Accenture.What does it mean to be underemployed? Here is the criteria:
Their knowledge, skill, education level, and abilities exceed the education level that is required for the job.
The desired occupation or field of employment does not match the occupation or field of employment of their current job.
Although they prefer full-time jobs, they are only offered part-time jobs.
Combining both high unemployment, and the underemployment rate, you can see why Millennials are doing the following:
Living with their parents longer.
Delaying parenthood.
Delaying marriage.
Delaying home buying
That being said, high housing prices can make it difficult for anyone to own and buy a home, including Millennials. Buying a home in the past was considered a safe and secure investment, but with how the prices are in the modern day, that is hardly the case. In order for Millennials to own a home, they must have the stability and not just their finances, but their lives. Buying a home means investing in a home that you can afford in a long-run.
There is Hope: Modular and Manufactured Homes
Yes, there is indeed hope! The increasing popularity of modular and manufactured homes are catching the eyes of more and more Millennials as of late. There are more than just one benefit when owning either modular or manufactured homes:
Affordable: Manufactured and modular housing is all the quality of a site-built home, with a much better price point. They provide the highest quality at 10 to 30 percent cheaper per square foot than site-built homes.
Eco-friendly: Manufactured and modular homes are much more sustainable than a new construction, which can easily help to reduce carbon footprint. There are many EnergyStar options for manufactured homes, and the structures can potentially have additional upgrades such as solar panels. Construction of manufactured and modular homes also produces less waste than traditional, site-built homes.
Customizable: Manufactured and modular homes are infinitely customizable, whether you’re looking for sliding barn doors, or a home library of your dreams. With traditional, site-built homes; the homes are not as customizable or as flexible.
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The world of tiles is wide, spectacular, and diverse; with seemingly endless variety of options and products. Tile flooring and wall products are offered in a large range of textures, patterns, and sizes. When combined with the spectrum of grout and glaze options, there are so much more design tile options for your home!
Here are a few selections that could help you find the best combination of aesthetics, style, and performance that not only fits your home, but also fits your budget.
Large-Format Tile:
Large-format tiles shares lots of styles and function benefits, as it has a large impact, aesthetically pleasing design, easier maintenance, and maximizing your space. Large-format tiles, also called LFT, have grown much bigger today than in the past, and the industry continues to experiment and grow through new technologies. Today, the large-format tile is anything with one side that exceeds 16”.
Large-format tiles are an incredibly versatile design option, and they can both come in square or rectangular shapes; or either in ceramic or porcelain. It also has the ability to make the room look larger than it actually is, without overwhelming your space!
One of the most important things that large-format tiles is that they minimize grout joints, creating a really glamorous design. Not only is it much easier to clean and requires less maintenance, but it can create an elegant and crisp look.
Designs and trends come and go, and are constantly evolving; allowing you to create the ultimate expression of your imagination and self-expression. The iconic shapes and patterns of geometric tiles allow you to make a bold statement in any space. Geometric tiles can include shapes such as squares, rectangles, polygons, diamonds, pyramids, ovals, hexagons, and so on. There are so many different variations, designs, and shapes with geometric tiles; there are limitless possibilities!
Geometric designs can be printed on the tile, and create an artsy feel for any space; these types of patterns have universal use! You can either use it as an accent wall to create a bold focus point, or it be used sparsely to create a more artistic statement.
Shapes such as diamonds, hexagons, rhombuses stand out compared to other shapes such as rectangular or square shapes. If you want to make a bold statement, geometrically patterned tile is the key to making a bold, flashy, and bright statement. You should try to create your own geometric designs with tile, as this will attract the inner bold and artsy designers in you. Not only will you be able to have full control of what you want, but your tiles can be used as a form of self-expression!
Gilded tiles can either give a modern luxury design or an art deco design; maybe even a blend of both! So, what defines gilded tiles? First, it is inspired by art deco, which became popular around the first World War. It became a symbol of luxury, with glamorous craftsmanship. It is usually mistaken with geometric tiles, however geometric tiles provide simple outlines or shapes; while gilded tiles have a blend of many tile styles and have enough versatility to be customizable to fit any room. Mosaics of geometric designs such as diamonds or hexagons are a good place to start.
Reflection on gilded tiles can add an element of shine as well as open up space. This can compliment the gold, glamorous feel of the gilded tiles. Reflection can also create a brighter and lighter feel to smaller or darker rooms.
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Insulating your new home properly is one of the most important things you can do to stay eco-friendly, and you can save money in the long run! Modern homes are some of the most and best insulated homes built.
Insulation placed in homes is to help keep a consistent temperature and to lower the heat transfer; which also means insulation prevents loss of heat during the cooler seasons and helps prevent heat from entering home during the warmer seasons. Making sure you have a proper high quality insulation can help keep energy costs lower, due to the fact that the heating and cooling system doesn’t have to be used as much to maintain temperature.
What is “R-value?”
The “R” in R-value actually stands for “resistance”, such as resisting transfer of heat. The higher the R-value is, the more resistance the insulation has against heat transferring through. The ceiling insulation usually carries the highest R-value, because of heat rises; thus, also helps prevent the heat from escaping through the tops of your home (roof area) during the colder seasons.
The maximum heat transmission levels vary from state to state, and are split in zones called U/O Value Zone Map. The map shows the insulation that goes inside manufactured homes to ensure that it does not exceed the HUD (United States Department of Housing and Urban Development) maximum.
The U/O Value Zone
The U/O Value Zone
Safety Precautions you Should Take With Insulation
The HUD Code are guidelines for manufactured housing, and carry a lot of safety regulations. This includes the fire safety requirements for insulation. To ensure fire safety, manufactured homes abide by flame spread rating requirements. The HUD Code also gives guidelines on smoke- developed rating equipments for insulating materials; which measures how much a material gives off as it burns. Having a limit in place for insulation within manufactured homes can help increase the safety of homeowners in case of a fire.
We can ensure you that our manufactures have the quality insulation you and your families would want in your home. The insulation that are constructed is compliant to proper requirements to help keep you safe. If you’re interested in either a modular or manufactured home, be sure to contact us!: Call us at (518) 580-1305, visit our Facebook, or send us your questions here!
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Sealing up a home’s building envelope is incredibly cost effective and energy efficient, which means you can save up money in the long run. To do so, the structure must be secure, air tight, and water tight. Components of the envelope includes walls, floors, doors, roofs, and windows. Not only is air sealing cost effective, it also can improve comfort as well as indoor air quality. Achieving a high level of air tightness can be difficult, as it requires more than just filling up visible holes!
Here are some of the ways air can enter your home:
Doors and Windows
Attic and Crawl Space
Electrical Outlets and Switches
Exhaust Fans
Vent Covers
From the interior, best ways to air seal large gaps is with expandable foam. For exterior however, you must hold back a small piece of the exterior sheathing where two modules join, and then the general contractor must insert a piece of sheathing that combines the space between the modules.
Be Aware!
Buying a home means attention to detail, especially when constructed indoors in a factory controlled environment. The thermal envelope is one of the most important things to owning an energy efficient and cost effective home.
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On the hunt for the perfect decorations for this holiday season but want to try and stay eco-conscious? You’ve came to the right place! We actually use more electricity on holiday lights than some other countries within a year; we also waste a million extra tons on garbage every week in America. To avoid more waste, here are some eco-friendly holiday tips for this holiday!
Why you Should Consider Going Green This Holiday
Making your holidays become greener may seem difficult: especially the shopping, parties, and the pressure to create perfection to meet you and the guest’s standards. In actuality though, the core of maintaining a green holiday is simplicity. By simplifying our holidays, we are better able to relax and enjoy our loved ones and the season of giving.
A holiday you enjoy is a holiday that holds meaning to you. You should start by identifying your own sense of importance, tradition, and focus within this holiday. This include asking yourself questions like “What matters most to you?”, “What do you wish to gain?”, or “What do you not wish to lose?” Once you’ve found those answers, you can focus on the details, which is:
Finding what makes you stressed, and how can you either simplify it, eliminate it, or find an alternative for it.
Be sure to find or list the things that create wasted resources such as time, energy, or money. These are the ones you’d want to find alternatives for.
Spending times with others is the most important during the holidays. Be sure to talk to friends and family during this time. You can also recruit them to share ideas and work on making greener changes together.
Lastly, remember to relax! You have the freedom of choice. Set a goal and do what you can.
Here are some ideas to reduce your environmental footprint this season.
Either Make your Own Wrapping Paper or Go Without
Most mass-produced wrapping papers found in department stores are actually not recyclable due to the shiny coat and foils on the exterior on the paper. It’s a shame so many natural resources are wasted every year just so it can produce something that’s going to be immediately torn and thrown away. However, there is a way to change that…you can make your own wrapping paper! You can wrap your presents with old maps, comics, or children’s artwork. You can also use a scarf, bandana, and another cute cloth item to decorate or tie to box together.
Decorate With Nature
Avoid plastics and opt for wood, organic cotton, or even burlap. Bring in the elements from the outdoors in, to incorporate in your home. Some of these elements can include wreath of pine boughs, maple leaves, or a nest to place a candle in!
Thanks to modern and ever-so-changing technology, you can decorate your house with energy saving LED lights that use up to 90% less energy than the conventional holiday lights. This could also potentially save you and your family up to 50 dollars in energy bills during the Christmas season. They last about 200,000 hours on average and release very little heat, so it’ll be very unlikely that one burns out!
Green Christmas Trees
Artificial trees used for a few years are less sustainable than a living tree, that can be mulched and also supports small businesses. However, artificial trees can be used for 10 to 15 years or more, and may use less energy in the long-run. However, most of them are rarely made to last this long, so be sure to find the appropriate one that do last for a long time. A potted tree is another green choice, because it can be used for multiple years before planting outdoors.
Be sure to choose durable ornaments that use organic resources, such as wood, metal, or cloth. Not only are they greener, but they will last way longer than plastic or thin glass.
WE HAVE MOVED
Showcase Homes of Malta has relocated to just South of our previous location to 2651 Route 9 in Malta. We are open and very excited to be operating out of our new location. Stop by and see us soon!
Debbie Harrington – Our New Sales Representative!
Showcase Homes of Malta would like to welcome Debbie Harrington to our sales staff. She joins us with 15 years of experience working within the manufactured and modular home industry, specializing in Bill Lake Modular Homes. Debbie’s Insite in design, construction processes and finance helped earn her the title of Bill Lake’s #1 retail representative for 14 years in a row. We are thrilled to have her on board and offering her services to our customers. Stop by our Sales Office at 2712 Rt. 9 in Malta to put Debbie or a member of our Sales Team to work for you.
Ensuring Homeowners Live Safely: Working with Rebuilding Together Saratoga County
Who is Rebuilding Together Saratoga County?
Rebuilding Together Saratoga County is a volunteer organization that works on meeting the housing needs of the local families. It is one of 142 affiliates of the national Rebuilding Together organizations, all helping individual homeowners in need within in their communities. Rebuilding Together Saratoga has renovated and revived 973 homes and 85 nonprofit organizations since 2003.
They specialize in providing much needed home repair and accessibility modification services for low income families and homeowners within the Saratoga County. The focus is helping homeowners that are the most vulnerable; such as active and retired members of the Armed Services, seniors, individuals living with a disability, and families with children. If you’re interested in applying, you can see if you’re eligible here.
What Do WE Do?
While Rebuilding Together Saratoga County supplies the funding through grants, Showcase Homes of Malta coordinates everything else, the towns, the contractors, ordering their homes, setting up the homes, and help design the interior and exterior of the homes. We, as a dealership, help our clients from picking out the house and making color selections, all the way to the issuing of the certificate of occupancy. In between, we help with new wells, septic, electric, grading and seeding their property, installing new driveways and concrete slabs
Showcase Homes of Malta works with Rebuilding Together Saratoga County to provide quality, ENERGY STAR homes that include potable water and functional septic systems, for those who are in need within our community.
Last year, we helped Rebuild Together Saratoga County to meet the housing needs of 9 families.
Our Clients:
Jim M.
Jim’s Before Photo
Before receiving a new home from both Rebuilding Together Saratoga County, Jim had lived in a double-wide. Unfortunately, the pump house had caught on fire, and his life was put in danger. He couldn’t even call the emergency services, and the fire quickly spread. After this horrifying experience, he contacted Rebuilding Together Saratoga County. He lived in a camper for 10 months before receiving his new home. Now, in his new home, he has a warm, safe place to live, which is affordable and cost effective.. Jim now says his new home provides him relief.
Susan H.
Susan had lived in a old home. The roof leaked, and her home was structurally unsound. Susan applied to Rebuilding Together Saratoga County. They offered a home which Showcase Homes of Malta delivered and set up. After moving into her brand new home, she mentioned that she feels safe and secure in her new home.
Ida H.
Ida’s previous mobile home was almost 50 years old, and in very bad condition. Once her husband passed away, she could not keep up with the repairs. It was hard for her, Ida loves her new home.
Dave and Elizabeth M.
Elizabeth and David had awoken on the night of March 27th, 2017, to a frightening sight. Their home was engulfed by flames and smoke. Fortunately, Elizabeth, David, and her three grandchildren escaped unharmed. Unfortunately, her family had to live in a camper for the next nine months.Elizabeth heard about Rebuilding Together. She applied to see if her family qualified for assistance. Both Rebuilding Together Saratoga County and Showcase Homes of Malta, were able to provide an affordable, good quality home for her family.
Lucas and Jenna A.
Lucas, Jenna, and their two daughter received their new manufactured home through Rebuilding Together Saratoga County and Showcase Homes of Malta. It is the fourth manufactured home replacement project that Rebuilding Together took on within Saratoga County since the program’s launch. Lucas and Jenna’s family is benefited by Energy Star appliances, secure home structure, and enough for their family.
Dan, Dakota, and Henny R.
Through Rebuilding Together Saratoga County and Showcase Homes of Malta, Dan quickly turned his life around.Their previous home had poor installation, and even the back wall wasn’t adequate enough for a safe living space. We stepped in to help Dan turn things around at home, and build him a better, safer home for him and his pets. His new home is securely built. It is also warm enough to keep him and his pets comfortable during those winter nights. All his appliances are brand new, and have functional furniture and appliances within his new home.
Family security and safety will always be something that families worry about. With the help of Rebuilding Together Saratoga County, and Showcase Homes of Malta, we can ensure a safe and secure housing alternative for families in need. Together, we can improve the lives of our neighbors.
Benefits of a Modular Raised Ranch
Everyone wants affordable, functional homes; and the modular raised ranch may be the perfect type of home for you. A raised ranch is a one story home, built with a split level entry, while sitting on top of a raised foundation. The raised foundation creates a lower living space without really raising construction costs. The lower levels usually have two car garage and a utility room, along with other miscellaneous rooms. However, the upper levels contain the bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen, living room, and the dining rooms.
The Benefits
The Difference Between Split-Level and Raised Ranch Homes
A split level home is a low ranch house that came split-level to accommodate growing families for more rooms and personal space, while having the same economical footprint. It divides into a double height zone in the middle section of the home, which is usually garage below and bedrooms above; while the slightly lower section contains all the necessity rooms you need, such as the dining room, kitchen, entrance, and so on.
Raised ranch homes are a little bit different. You walk through your front door at ground level, and you climb the stairs up to reach the living room, kitchen, and dining room. The bedrooms are typically on one side of the of the raised level. The ground level usually has another flight of stairs to reach below, and usually has a finished basement; which can serve as an office, den, etc. The garage is usually attached, which is situated ground level.
What Would Classify As a Modern Modular Home?
Gone are the days of the old, 1950’s modular home plans. Often custom built, modern home manufacturers offer a huge variety of customization options, and also offers many different styles. Using steel frames instead of wood means the walls and ceilings can be replaced by windows; and it also can make the room look more spacious and can also be built up and out.
What Are the Benefits?
To learn more, and in detail, please read our article: Why It’s a GENIUS Idea to Purchase a Modular Home from Showcase Homes
What About Building Codes?
Modular homes are build under the same building ordinances and code as traditional built homes. They also follow a building code the HUD code, that ensures that you and your family will live in a secure and safe home.
Being Contemporary: How to Create a Timeless, Modern Floor Plan
The windows, flooring, plumbing fixtures, and millwork offered by our manufacturers can serve as a beautiful background for design trends! These trends include accent pieces such as rugs, small furnitures, artwork, pillows, and so on. These are the types of items that can be switched out quickly, and redecorated effortlessly, at anytime you need!
Here are some quick little ideas for a modern home design:
A modern modular home is a great investment! It comes with a long list of advantages. Hopefully, this can be the start to beginning to understand what makes them so beneficial when compared to a traditional, site-built home.
Affordable Housing Solutions Have Never Been So Important to First Time Home Buyers
Now that Millennials are starting to have increased spending power, they represent the majority of first time buyers in this generation. However, instead of buying a traditional site-built home like the older generations, there’s an increasing number Millennials buying manufactured home! There are three reasons to that: Beneficial, energy-efficient, and affordable.
The great thing about investing in a home from us, Showcase Homes, is that you’ll never have to choose between practicality and luxury. You can easily have both with the variety of floorplans and manufacturers we have to offer here! Millennials also need homes that adapt to their lifestyles. We have everything you need from swimming pools, fireplaces, decks, to carports; all affordable and all completely customizable!
Why Affordability Is So Important
Millennials are carrying loads and loads of student loan debt. According to the Institute for College Access & Success, 7 out of 10 seniors in the class of 2014 graduated with student loan debt; with the average borrower owning $28,950. They’re having trouble paying these student loans back, and that is due to the unemployment of young adults, which was 6.5% in January 2014. Many of the Millennials are incredibly underemployed (51%), according to Accenture.What does it mean to be underemployed? Here is the criteria:
Combining both high unemployment, and the underemployment rate, you can see why Millennials are doing the following:
That being said, high housing prices can make it difficult for anyone to own and buy a home, including Millennials. Buying a home in the past was considered a safe and secure investment, but with how the prices are in the modern day, that is hardly the case. In order for Millennials to own a home, they must have the stability and not just their finances, but their lives. Buying a home means investing in a home that you can afford in a long-run.
There is Hope: Modular and Manufactured Homes
Yes, there is indeed hope! The increasing popularity of modular and manufactured homes are catching the eyes of more and more Millennials as of late. There are more than just one benefit when owning either modular or manufactured homes:
How to Style your Home With Different Types of Tiles
The world of tiles is wide, spectacular, and diverse; with seemingly endless variety of options and products. Tile flooring and wall products are offered in a large range of textures, patterns, and sizes. When combined with the spectrum of grout and glaze options, there are so much more design tile options for your home!
Here are a few selections that could help you find the best combination of aesthetics, style, and performance that not only fits your home, but also fits your budget.
Large-Format Tile:
Large-format tiles shares lots of styles and function benefits, as it has a large impact, aesthetically pleasing design, easier maintenance, and maximizing your space. Large-format tiles, also called LFT, have grown much bigger today than in the past, and the industry continues to experiment and grow through new technologies. Today, the large-format tile is anything with one side that exceeds 16”.
Large-format tiles are an incredibly versatile design option, and they can both come in square or rectangular shapes; or either in ceramic or porcelain. It also has the ability to make the room look larger than it actually is, without overwhelming your space!
One of the most important things that large-format tiles is that they minimize grout joints, creating a really glamorous design. Not only is it much easier to clean and requires less maintenance, but it can create an elegant and crisp look.
Geometric Tiles:
Designs and trends come and go, and are constantly evolving; allowing you to create the ultimate expression of your imagination and self-expression. The iconic shapes and patterns of geometric tiles allow you to make a bold statement in any space. Geometric tiles can include shapes such as squares, rectangles, polygons, diamonds, pyramids, ovals, hexagons, and so on. There are so many different variations, designs, and shapes with geometric tiles; there are limitless possibilities!
Geometric designs can be printed on the tile, and create an artsy feel for any space; these types of patterns have universal use! You can either use it as an accent wall to create a bold focus point, or it be used sparsely to create a more artistic statement.
Shapes such as diamonds, hexagons, rhombuses stand out compared to other shapes such as rectangular or square shapes. If you want to make a bold statement, geometrically patterned tile is the key to making a bold, flashy, and bright statement. You should try to create your own geometric designs with tile, as this will attract the inner bold and artsy designers in you. Not only will you be able to have full control of what you want, but your tiles can be used as a form of self-expression!
Gilded Tiles:
Gilded tiles can either give a modern luxury design or an art deco design; maybe even a blend of both! So, what defines gilded tiles? First, it is inspired by art deco, which became popular around the first World War. It became a symbol of luxury, with glamorous craftsmanship. It is usually mistaken with geometric tiles, however geometric tiles provide simple outlines or shapes; while gilded tiles have a blend of many tile styles and have enough versatility to be customizable to fit any room. Mosaics of geometric designs such as diamonds or hexagons are a good place to start.
Reflection on gilded tiles can add an element of shine as well as open up space. This can compliment the gold, glamorous feel of the gilded tiles. Reflection can also create a brighter and lighter feel to smaller or darker rooms.
There a endless options of tile designs! Hopefully, these few ideas have given you an idea of what kind of aesthetic you’d like in your home!
Knowing the Ins and Out of Manufactured Housing Insulation
Insulating your new home properly is one of the most important things you can do to stay eco-friendly, and you can save money in the long run! Modern homes are some of the most and best insulated homes built.
Insulation placed in homes is to help keep a consistent temperature and to lower the heat transfer; which also means insulation prevents loss of heat during the cooler seasons and helps prevent heat from entering home during the warmer seasons. Making sure you have a proper high quality insulation can help keep energy costs lower, due to the fact that the heating and cooling system doesn’t have to be used as much to maintain temperature.
What is “R-value?”
The “R” in R-value actually stands for “resistance”, such as resisting transfer of heat. The higher the R-value is, the more resistance the insulation has against heat transferring through. The ceiling insulation usually carries the highest R-value, because of heat rises; thus, also helps prevent the heat from escaping through the tops of your home (roof area) during the colder seasons.
The maximum heat transmission levels vary from state to state, and are split in zones called U/O Value Zone Map. The map shows the insulation that goes inside manufactured homes to ensure that it does not exceed the HUD (United States Department of Housing and Urban Development) maximum.
The U/O Value Zone
The U/O Value Zone
Safety Precautions you Should Take With Insulation
The HUD Code are guidelines for manufactured housing, and carry a lot of safety regulations. This includes the fire safety requirements for insulation. To ensure fire safety, manufactured homes abide by flame spread rating requirements. The HUD Code also gives guidelines on smoke- developed rating equipments for insulating materials; which measures how much a material gives off as it burns. Having a limit in place for insulation within manufactured homes can help increase the safety of homeowners in case of a fire.
We can ensure you that our manufactures have the quality insulation you and your families would want in your home. The insulation that are constructed is compliant to proper requirements to help keep you safe. If you’re interested in either a modular or manufactured home, be sure to contact us!: Call us at (518) 580-1305, visit our Facebook, or send us your questions here!
Super Energy Efficient Modular Home: Importance of Air Sealing
Sealing up a home’s building envelope is incredibly cost effective and energy efficient, which means you can save up money in the long run. To do so, the structure must be secure, air tight, and water tight. Components of the envelope includes walls, floors, doors, roofs, and windows. Not only is air sealing cost effective, it also can improve comfort as well as indoor air quality. Achieving a high level of air tightness can be difficult, as it requires more than just filling up visible holes!
Here are some of the ways air can enter your home:
From the interior, best ways to air seal large gaps is with expandable foam. For exterior however, you must hold back a small piece of the exterior sheathing where two modules join, and then the general contractor must insert a piece of sheathing that combines the space between the modules.
Be Aware!
Buying a home means attention to detail, especially when constructed indoors in a factory controlled environment. The thermal envelope is one of the most important things to owning an energy efficient and cost effective home.
Eco-Friendly Holidays: 5 Ideas for a Greener Christmas
On the hunt for the perfect decorations for this holiday season but want to try and stay eco-conscious? You’ve came to the right place! We actually use more electricity on holiday lights than some other countries within a year; we also waste a million extra tons on garbage every week in America. To avoid more waste, here are some eco-friendly holiday tips for this holiday!
Why you Should Consider Going Green This Holiday
Making your holidays become greener may seem difficult: especially the shopping, parties, and the pressure to create perfection to meet you and the guest’s standards. In actuality though, the core of maintaining a green holiday is simplicity. By simplifying our holidays, we are better able to relax and enjoy our loved ones and the season of giving.
A holiday you enjoy is a holiday that holds meaning to you. You should start by identifying your own sense of importance, tradition, and focus within this holiday. This include asking yourself questions like “What matters most to you?”, “What do you wish to gain?”, or “What do you not wish to lose?” Once you’ve found those answers, you can focus on the details, which is:
Here are some ideas to reduce your environmental footprint this season.
Either Make your Own Wrapping Paper or Go Without
Most mass-produced wrapping papers found in department stores are actually not recyclable due to the shiny coat and foils on the exterior on the paper. It’s a shame so many natural resources are wasted every year just so it can produce something that’s going to be immediately torn and thrown away. However, there is a way to change that…you can make your own wrapping paper! You can wrap your presents with old maps, comics, or children’s artwork. You can also use a scarf, bandana, and another cute cloth item to decorate or tie to box together.
Decorate With Nature
Avoid plastics and opt for wood, organic cotton, or even burlap. Bring in the elements from the outdoors in, to incorporate in your home. Some of these elements can include wreath of pine boughs, maple leaves, or a nest to place a candle in!
Invest in Some Energy-Saving LED Holiday Lights
Thanks to modern and ever-so-changing technology, you can decorate your house with energy saving LED lights that use up to 90% less energy than the conventional holiday lights. This could also potentially save you and your family up to 50 dollars in energy bills during the Christmas season. They last about 200,000 hours on average and release very little heat, so it’ll be very unlikely that one burns out!
Green Christmas Trees
Artificial trees used for a few years are less sustainable than a living tree, that can be mulched and also supports small businesses. However, artificial trees can be used for 10 to 15 years or more, and may use less energy in the long-run. However, most of them are rarely made to last this long, so be sure to find the appropriate one that do last for a long time. A potted tree is another green choice, because it can be used for multiple years before planting outdoors.
Utilizing Ornaments
Be sure to choose durable ornaments that use organic resources, such as wood, metal, or cloth. Not only are they greener, but they will last way longer than plastic or thin glass.