We’re excited to kickoff our Prefab People interview series. Maura McCarthy, Co-Founder of Blu Homes, was gracious enough to share some of her thoughts on the industry and what she sees as forces driving growth in prefab. Thanks Maura.
PrefabHQ. Describe the characteristics you are seeing in the typical prefab buyer right now? What are the things that are driving them to explore prefab and what do you think is ultimately convincing them to go prefab?
M.M. Our customers come from a really broad range of backgrounds—from young families to empty nesters looking to downsize. But they all have a few things in common, including their concern about reducing monthly operating costs and their desire for a simpler process with controlled costs. Many of our customers have built new homes the traditional way before and prefer not to do it that way again.
Our clients also care about beautiful design and our leading environmental performance. They want to live in healthy and beautiful spaces with high indoor air quality. An added benefit to all those green design features: Blu homes offer at least 50%+ energy savings over comparably-sized existing homes.
And finally, the housing and larger economic crisis made people reevaluate their priorities and choices. Excess—as seen in the McMansions of the bubble—doesn’t feel right any more. There is a desire for smart living instead of big living. Skyrocketing gas prices have motivated people to look for more efficient ways to heat their homes.
PrefabHQ. What do you feel is the greatest obstacle to overcome with potential prefab buyers?
M.M. See answer re. economy below.
PrefabHQ. What has been the biggest challenge the company has faced?
M.M. As everyone connected to the U.S. housing industry knows, the recession has not been kind to new homebuilders. However, Blu was started in 2008 during the recession and we have had strong sales growth in every year since then. We believe our eco-friendly, space-efficient homes are the bright green spot in the industry and we intend to play a significant role in leading the recovery in the housing market.
PrefabHQ. What do you believe is the biggest misunderstanding potential buyers have about prefab?
M.M. The prospective homebuyers who come to us are already fairly well educated on the benefits of modern prefab. That being said, especially outside of the West Coast, where the modern prefab movement was born, we have definitely had to educate people who still equate “prefab” with trailer homes. We almost always refer to the way we build as “precision building,” since we find our customers are more interested in the strength and efficiency of the way we build in our state-of-the-art factory than any architectural trend.
PrefabHQ. What would you recommend in terms of process for someone considering a prefab home? Where should they look for information, what questions should they be asking?
M.M. We have a five-step process to building your home and a dedicated sales rep that walks you through the entire experience. After choosing the right parcel of land and obtaining financing you’ll choose your home from one of our seven designs. Then its time to customize your home for free online and in 3-D with Blu’s proprietary Configurator™, which allows users to style, visualize and spend time in their own Blu home. After selecting from a wide variety of designs, floor plans, interior design ‘palettes’ and appliance packages, homebuyers are able to visualize their new home in real time—all from the comfort of their home or office. Blu then builds each home with precision tooling and trained craftsman in its climate-controlled factory to meet the highest quality construction standards.
After leaving its state-of-the-art 250K square foot factory in Vallejo, CA, Blu’s homes are installed on-site in one day and completed in just two weeks by Blu’s teams of craftsmen. This speed and convenience is a result of Blu’s proprietary building science technology, which allows its homes to be folded for quick and cost-effective setting on site. All of this is done at a pre-agreed, fixed cost.
We encourage our customers to ask questions throughout the process. You can find some key questions we think it’s important to be asking in our FAQs online:
http://www.bluhomes.com/category/frequently-asked-questions/
A few key questions are listed here:
What should I look for in a home site?
What is included in the price and is it fixed?
Who will be managing the construction process?
How quickly can my home be built?
What is the construction “time on site” vs. time in the factory?
How do I finance my home?
How much can I personalize the home?
What green certifications do you have?
PrefabHQ. What do you feel is the single most compelling reason a buyer should go with a prefab home?
M.M. For us, it’s not about going with a prefab home or not. It’s about giving American homebuyers the opportunity to build a home at a fixed cost, personalize it for free online, and then enjoy a bright, beautiful home that’s as healthy inside as it is for the planet and strong enough to endure the harshest elements for generations.
PrefabHQ. And your market is clearly those who are looking to live in a green home. Is this your No. 1 selling point?
M.M. The green quality of our homes is a definite attraction for our buyers – that includes both energy-efficiency, as well as eco-friendly building materials and finishes. We also offer transparent pricing and a predictable construction schedule. That is something that is nearly impossible for site-built homes, as they are at the whim of weather conditions and coordinating schedules of sub-contractors.
