SNEML’s 10-Step Turnkey Process

Our 10-Step Turnkey Process

There are three key elements that make up a modular project— Land, Money, and of course the House itself.  

At the beginning of your project, you should be focused primarily on “Land” and “Money.” These essential items require more time and energy than you might think, and must not be delayed.  We can advise you about the suitability of your site for a modular build, and we can assist in connecting you with reputable lending partners and/or a real estate agent. However, you will need to navigate the Land and Money portions of your journey in parallel to the House portion. Please keep this idea in mind as you get to know our our 10-Step Turnkey Process.

So, what if you haven’t secured land or financing just yet but would like to learn more about our offerings?  See Step 1 below.  However, until you’ve obtained a building lot and arranged for financing, it will be difficult to proceed beyond Step 3 at best.

A Note About Land:  If you already own land, great! You can skip to Step 1. If you are considering a land purchase, it’s a really good idea to have your Consultation with us before you buy. The land purchase is your decision, but we can tell you whether a lot is suitable for modular. If you need land but don’t know where to start, just ask your Sales Representative. We work with reputable real estate agents and can usually recommend someone who is familiar with your target area. (When you’re the buyer, working with an agent usually doesn’t cost you anything.)

Step 1:  Consultation

There are two tiers to our Consultation service.

Sales Consultation, $0:  Gathering information in an effort to determine if modular building is right for you?  We’re happy to assist.  You may ring us at 860-537-4669, email [email protected], or schedule a sit-down here at our office in Colchester, CT.  Business hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 8am-4:30pm.  The goal of this initial Consultation is of course to address your questions and concerns, but also to establish which of our floor plans may serve as the starting point (pre-customization) of your home build. (This does not mean you have to stick with a standard plan! Rather, the idea at Step 1 is to get an initial idea of house type, size and cost ranges. You’ll design the House itself in Step 3.)

On-Site Consultation, $250:  Based on the information you provide, your Sales Representative may recommend an On-Site Consultation. Every building lot is unique and comes with its own set of challenges and opportunities. (In other words, your House budget will depend on your Land.) For a small deposit of $250, we’ll visit you at your property to evaluate your site and learn about your vision.  We will walk your lot with you with an eye for permanent and construction access, buildable envelope, and utilities infrastructure, and explain how we would approach your modular build.  We’ll identify any apparent site-specific obstacles or unusual cost factors, informing our Step 2 and minimizing the risk of unpleasant surprises later in the process.

A Note About Site Plans:  In order to make the most of your Consultation, we ask that you share a Site Plan with us ahead of time if possible.  Don’t yet have a Site Plan?  At Step 1 that’s ok, but don’t forget about this important step, or it will hold things up later on. An approved Site Plan and Survey supports our budgeting process in Step 3, and is also required for your building permit application in Step 7. Preparing an approved Site Plan can be time-consuming and expensive, but it’s something your Town will require before you can build anything. Also, it is a critical planning tool, because it shows how your House will be positioned on your Land in a way that meets your objectives and all regulatory requirements. Your site plan is yours to keep— regardless of the builder you choose. If you’d like, we can take care of having your Site Plan prepared. Just ask your Sales Representative about this option.

Step 2:  Preliminary Estimate

Based on the Consultation discussion and your starting-point floor plan, your Sales Representative will provide a Preliminary Estimate for your project.  This document includes a price summary as well as a preliminary overview of the project scope.  The Preliminary Estimate serves to inform your budgeting and financing process. You can bring the Estimate to your lender, who will help you ensure that the project cost is at least roughly in line with how much you will have available to spend. Also, it will help you decide how much budget you may have left over for customizations, upgrades, amenities, etc.

A Note About Financing:  If you will need to borrow money for your project, this is the time to start the lending conversation. Your lender serves as a third party who will help make sure that you will be able to afford your project. It will make your life a lot easier if your lender already understands modular construction. If you’re not sure where to start, just ask your Sales Representative. We can recommend reputable mortgage lending agents who know modular and have worked successfully with our customers in the past.

Step 3:  Design and Budget Detail

Having reviewed a Preliminary Estimate, you will have a good grasp of what the cost may be to get your chosen starting-point floorplan onto your unique building lot.  If you’re satisfied with the numbers and would like to proceed to Step 3, Customize Your Plans, a $5,000 deposit will be required.

Your deposit enables two things to happen. First, you can work with our in-house Designer to create your custom floorplan.  We’ll work through the floorplan with you in detail, making tweaks and edits based on your feedback and vision, until you’ve arrived at a final, “stamp-ready” floor plan.  

Second, based on your final design, we’ll further sharpen our Preliminary Estimate to reflect the true scope of work. At this stage, we are working to move from the Preliminary Estimate to the final, fixed-price Statement of Work you will see in your Purchase Agreement.

Note:  All Deposits are nonrefundable but are credited towards your Purchase Price.

Step 4:  Stamped Plans

With your approval of the customized floor plan and associated budget, we’ll have our factory create your final, Stamped Plans.  The Stamped Plans, along with your Site Plan, comprise the documentation required for your building permit application.  Stamped Plans take about 4-6 weeks to be completed by the factory, and will be shared in both PDF and hard copy upon completion.

Step 5:  Interior & Exterior Finishes

While the factory is creating your Stamped Plans, you’ll work with your Sales Representative to select interior and exterior finishes and iron out the remaining details of your soon-to-be home.  We’ll review paint colors, siding, flooring, cabinets, countertops, and more.  Our standard and upgraded finish options offer great quality and unbeatable value. However, we can always omit factory-installed siding, cabinets, vanities, trim, bath enclosures etc. and source custom, site-installed options for you instead. For our site-installed options, we work with the same vendors and materials offered by the high-end custom builders. So if you want a high-end look, you can achieve it in Step 5 – without paying a high-end price for the rest of the house.

Step 6:  Purchase Agreement

With your Stamped Plans in and your desired interior and exterior finishes decided upon, the time has come to make your modular home purchase official.  At this point, we will provide a detailed Purchase Agreement.

This Purchase Agreement, signed by you and us, is typically required by your lender in order for you to close on your loan. 

Upon execution of the Purchase Contract, a 20% Down Payment on the Purchase Price will be due.  The remainder will be due per the terms of the Purchase Agreement.

Step 7:  Building Permit

Once we have received your Stamped Plans, Site Plan, signed Purchase Agreement, and 20% Down Payment, we will submit all required documentation to your Town and pay the associated fees in order to obtain a Building Permit.

Step 8:  Factory Order

Once we’ve obtained the Building Permit and you have closed on your loan, we will order your Home from our factory.  From here, things start to come together quickly.  The home will typically be ready for delivery in about 10-12 weeks.  For us, the construction clock starts now!  We’ll be at your lot ready to break ground in time to be ready for delivery.

Step 9:  Superior Walls Foundation

As a means of quality control and ensuring the best possible homeownership experience for our customers, we exclusively use Superior Walls Precast Foundation Systems on all of our Turnkey builds.  We’ll deliver the precast concrete panels a few weeks prior to the arrival of your modular home, and set the panels in place using a crane.

Step 10:  Set Day & Beyond

Set Day, the day your home is delivered and set atop its foundation by a crane, is a day you’ll always remember.  In the morning, you’ll see your foundation [having been set at an earlier date], a few enormous boxes on carriers, a large crane, a dumpster, and a crew of guys ready to work.  Incredibly, by the end of the day (in most cases), you’ll be looking at your brand new house!

When Set Day is over, your project is on the home stretch — but not completely done.  Final on-site details include tying in the plumbing, electrical, heating/cooling, adding additional insulation if required by code, and taking care of finish work— bits of interior and exterior carpentry.  The timeline of completing this final punch list is typically 3-6 weeks dependent on the scale and specific requirements of your project.  Once these items are buttoned-up and your Town has signed off on your Certificate of Occupancy, the home is all yours—congratulations!