Modern cottage

What's different about modern cottage?
How long does the process take?
How much will my home really cost?
What if i want to make changes to your standard designs?
Where are modern cottage homes available?
What site issues are important for me to consider?
What is hybrid building system?
How 'green' are modern cottage's homes
Where can i see modern cottages homes?
Can modern cottage be a 'zero energy' home

What's Different About Modern Cottage?
We are in the business of selling completed projects. we don't sell building materials, or design services, or simply build the house. We manage the entire project from design, to factory manufacture, to the on-site work. We are a one stop shop. you choose one of our pre configured designs, decide on options and fixtures, make any adjustments you require, and then we do the rest. We have the pre fabricated portions of the house made in a factory. While it's being made, we set up your site. Once delivered the prefab portions are assembled and we use our crews to build any on site portions that are required and then button up the house.

While we appreciate good design, we are not architects (although we are working with one of the best). We are experienced green builders who have built and sold dwell licensed homes. We have years of experience in business and in seeing what our customers want in a house. and we are committed to sustainable building practices. we used that commitment and experience to create cost effective ways to build affordable modernist homes in a reliable manner with crews who we personally manage.

Unlike some other prefab companies, we don't just sell a kit of parts, or modules that need to be put together by some one else. we're involved in, and responsible for, the entire process.

How Long Does the Process Take?
Once the house design and plan is set, usually under 6 months. Some time is needed to create an accurate site plan and submit the final drawings to the local building inspector. With our standard design, this can take 1-4 weeks. Custom designs and standard designs with many changes will take longer. Once a building permit is issued (something we don't control), we order the pre fabricated portions of the project. The actual modular manufacture takes 5-8 weeks and during this time we will prepare your site. After delivery and assembly of the modular units the finishing of most projects takes another 8-12 weeks. With our standard designs and allowing for weather, bureaucratic delays, and other things that invariably happen within the design/build process, you can expect to be in your new home within 6 months after you finalize the house design.

How Much Will My Home Really Cost?
Modern cottage's business model allows you to accurately estimate your total costs for the project. Our quoted standard home price includes all the materials, labor, and professional services you will need. Included in the cost of our homes: all the house finishes (floors, doors, walls, ceilings, windows, exterior cladding), all the interior and exterior fixtures (lights, hardware, handrails, handles, sinks, tubs, toilets), all the kitchen and bathroom cabinets and countertops, kitchen appliances, an energy efficient heating/cooling and heat recovery ventilation system, all the fees for the project management, the architects, pre-fab manufacture, shipping, energy modeling and consulting, and a independent 3rd party green verification by the National Association of Homebuilders or LEED verification.

Items not included in the price and for which you must plan are: the cost of your land, any site work and excavation needed for your house (including surveys, driveways and landscaping), utilities connections, septic tank design and installation. For an average site, a rough guide for these costs excluding your land is about 10%-15% of your house price, depending on your area and property characteristics. Of course, we can arrange for and/or manage these items on your behalf.

What if i want to make changes to your standard designs?
No problem, many people want to customize their projects and most sites need some plan modifications to take advantage of the property's best characteristics. Changes that include moving interior walls, adding light fixtures, flipping the design, or other requests that don't involve any structural changes are usually handled on an hourly basis. More significant changes that include moving outside walls, windows, roof lines and the like are handled in a negotiated design phase contract. Minor changes usually don't effect the delivery schedule very much. Major design changes will add extra time to the process.

Where are modern cottage homes available?
Our homes are currently available in the following areas:

In NY: Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Columbia, Rockland, Orange, Ulster and Green Counties
In CT: Fairfield and Litchfield Counties
In MA: Southern Berkshire County

What site issues are important for me to consider?
Every site is different and there are a couple of issues to think about. First, there's the normal zoning and setback restrictions of your town. These zoning codes have to be meet otherwise you may need a variance. Secondly, the modular units are brought in and assembled using a large crane. Your lot and the surrounding area must be able to accommodate crane access. Lastly, the site itself may have unusual characteristics such as steep slopes. In this is the case, we can assist you with the design of a foundation or other structure to work with our houses. This may require some redesign of the house, a foundation plan, and structural engineering considerations, adding to the cost of the house. However, if you can build a conventional house on the lot, most likely you can build a modern cottage.

What is hybrid building system?
Modern cottage uses both modular prefab construction and on-site conventional building techniques. Modular prefabrication uses a factory to build parts of the homes and deliver them ready made (including painted walls and installed fixtures) to the site. The advantages of factory building are greater quality control, less waste, faster construction, and lower costs. The disadvantage is the size limitation imposed by having to transport the product overland. conventional building allows for almost any size configuration but has the disadvantages associated with any building process such as weather delays, loose quality control, construction waste, and slower construction. With the hybrid system our designs seek to meld the economic, environmenta, l and speed advantages of factory construction with the creativity allowed by conventional construction. In areas where living uses can fit into a prefabricated solution, we have use modular units. In areas that need more space to be livable and take advantage of good design, we use conventional construction methods.

Construction methods are only one part of the difference. We work with turkel designs to tap their knowledge and sense of cutting edge modernist design. And we use a whole house design process that examines not only what the house will look like, but also how it will perform as a living machine. How will people use it? How will they heat/cool it, and with what fuel? What materials will look great, be sustainable to use, and easy to maintain? Using our years of building and selling real estate experience, we've made layouts that we know people want and live in everyday. Following our commitment to do more with less, we've pre configured homes with high performance building envelopes and insulation, highly efficient hvac systems, and healthy ventilation systems.

The use of our hybrid building systems allow us to provide an affordably priced, thoughtfully designed product within a predictable timeframe.

How 'green' are modern cottage's homes
Our homes are certified by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Our first home, in Ancram, NY, has already achieved the NAHB'Emerald' level - the highest level. It is the first Emerald Level NAHB certified prefabricated home in New York State. Additionally, the Building Systems Councils (BSC) of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) presented first place for the best green system built home at their annual Showcase event in Washington D.C.

Where can i see modern cottages homes?
The first model is completed and available to view in Ancram, NY, about 2.5 hours north of New York City. However, there are other homes completed by the founders of the company that can be seen now and are located in Columbia County, NY. These homes are examples of the quality of work and types of materials used in modern cottage.

Can modern cottage be a 'zero energy' home?
Yes, all our designs use our highly insulated building envelope and come with our standard highly energy efficient hvac, lightling, and appliance packages. However, as an option the homeowner can choose to upgrade the structure's insulation, windows, and HVAC systems and then add on a solar pv system to handle all your electrical needs. Depending on your location and site details, you may be able to sell energy back into the grid.