Builders to showcase systems building

The past few years have seen a growing interest in systems-built homes, sometimes known as modular homes.

Now, local residents can get an up-close view of one of these homes built on site at the New Home & Remodeling Show and Tour May 4-7 at the Scope Exhibit Hall in downtown Norfolk.

A local company, A-Plus Builders, will showcase the technique in full public view with the construction of a Mod-U-Kraf home during the span of one week leading up to the show.

Not just a house in a box, these homes are as diverse as their potential homeowners. From large luxurious estates to smaller affordable cottages, even to the accessible home for the physically challenged, these homes offer an extensive range of styles.

Locals will have the opportunity to watch the home being assembled in front of the Chrysler Hall at the corners of St. Paul Blvd. and East Charlotte St. beginning April 27. Completed within a week and just in time for the show opening, May 4, the home will be fully furnished and landscaped. Tours of the home will be available during show hours.

Once the show is over, the home will be taken down in less than a week and moved to nearby Bayview resident Martia West’s lot. West, a lifetime Norfolk resident and shipyard employee, recently lost her home in a tragic fire. Although fully covered, her previous home’s insurance plan left her grossly underinsured and without full compensation on her house. West was forced to look for a more affordable method of replacing her home.

West’s widespread home search led her to A-Plus Builders. Scott Ditto, who manages house sales and field operations for A-Plus Builders, walked West through and detailed the process of building a modular home and all the money-saving benefits compared to conventional custom building.

“A modular home is a good choice and an affordable alternative to many of the other options she had,” explains Dennis McCall, owner of A-Plus Builders. “It’s better quality and she was able to have her own ideas for a dream home adapted into the layout for her new house.”

The partners of A-Plus Builders are no rookies in the home building industry. With more than 30 combined years of experience, the team is comprised of McCall, Ditto, Jay Smith and Steve Davenport. All have worked side by side for years and created A-Plus Builders in 2004.

A-Plus Builders is part of Mod-U-Kraf’s Independent Builder Network. Every Mod-U-Kraf home meets or exceeds most of the same building codes as conventional construction and has a five-star energy rating, says McCall. More than 70 different floor plans are available and are adaptable to homeowners’ needs and want - making the possibilities limitless. Each home is delivered to the site up to 90 percent complete and once it is set, the builder finishes the details inside and out.

West’s new Cape Cod-style home will have an estimated 1,400 square feet of living space with an additional bonus room in the unfinished second-story that A-Plus Builders plans to help her finish.

“We were so moved by Martia’s story we couldn’t help but become involved. Now it’s gone beyond just her friends helping her out, to something more like an extreme makeover,” said Ditto.

“We’re definitely looking forward to having this home open to the public,” said McCall. “We want everyone to be able to see how great modular homes can be and the speed at which they can go up. No more waiting months and months for a new home. Once it’s set into place, we can have someone living in the home in under six weeks.”

A special thanks to the following companies for their support and contributions

MOD-U-KRAF
Thomas Searson
A-Plus Builders
Dennis McCall
Scott Ditto
Jay Smith
Diane Johnson
Steve Davenport
Patricia Korbe
Cornerstone Landscaping & Design
David Jemmott
Accurate Exteriors
Ian Hocker
Rick Hotchkin
The Contractor Yard Inc.
Cliff Ferguson
Cavalier Plastering and Dry Wall
Billy Neely
Rick Cooper Construction
Rick Cooper Sr.
Rick Cooper Jr.
United Turf
Steve Hall
Unique Elegance
Margaret Schoch
FreeStyle Construction
Vernon Cofer
B2 Health Solutions
Brian Baxter
Weather Makers Inc.
Gary Coe
Seaboard Grading & Excavating
Douglas Keiper/ Richard Barton
Affordable Dumpsters
Kelly Radogna
Sunbelt Rentals
E.T. Gresham
Dr. Johnny’s Appliances