Manufactured and modular homes have come a long way since Parkhurst Homes first opened for business on Lapeer Road 50 years ago.
“We’ve been selling the modular homes for 26 years,” says Parkhurst President Sharon Crowe. “You can get anything from 1,200 square-foot up to 5,000.”
Parkhurst Homes was started by Joseph and Lewis Yezbick in 1955, and is still family owned. The company offers a cost-effective option for customers looking for a high standard of living.
“Modular homes are built to code the same as any other home,” explains Crowe. “We are the builders, so with the customer we can custom design the house.”
The home is then built in the factory and set on a foundation or basement at the customer’s site. Parkhurst will help residents find a site if they don’t already own property.
“We have thousands of floor plans from six companies available,” Crowe says. “The options are as numerous as they are with any other building process.”
Oxford resident Sue Black recently purchased a modular home through Parkhurst Homes.
Black chose a ranch-style home called the “Wildewood,” available from Excel Homes in Pennsylvania. The Wildewood includes 1,987 square feet of finished space, with an additional 700 square feet of unfinished space for storage, as well as a garage.
Black’s one-story home includes a fireplace and two sets of triple windows that bring in lots of natural light.
Her home originally included a master bedroom and two additional bedrooms, but Black was able to work with the company to turn one of those into a den with french doors.
Black, who runs a dog kennel and has three dogs of her own, needed a home that would be welcoming to her pets.
“Everything has fit together beautifully,” Black says. “I looked at other companies, but no one had ‘customize’ in there. Parkhurst did.”
Black says she was amazed and pleased that she was able to quickly find a floor plan that matched what she had in mind.
“I turned the page and said ‘That’s my house,'” she says. “I’m so happy with it and I’m happy with everyone I’ve worked with.”
Crowe says she calls the process “dual building.”
“You are putting the foundation in, while your house is being built in the factory,” she says. “It’s precision system built housing.”
All kinds of floor plans are available, including multi-story, ranch and Cape Cod.
“Our homes blend in, in any subdivision,” Crowe says. “You would never know they are modular homes.”
Parkhurst Homes introduced a new line of modular homes, called Discovery Custom Homes, in late February. They includes ranch or Cape Cod floor plans.
“The options are amazing,” says Crowe “We build the homes on paper, and we try to be very careful with that because we want the home to come out to the specifications of the customer.”
Crowe adds that customers can use their own builder for sitework if they choose.
“We have a service manager who goes to every site and checks the foundation,” she says.
Modular homes come with the electrical and plumbing already installed, so all the homeowner has to do is have everything hooked up.
“We give the customer a year for their house to settle, then we come out and fix any drywall cracks,” Crowe says.
Parkhurst Homes has quotes available on homes, and anyone interested is welcome to come in free of charge to see if they prequalify for a loan.
“We help them get the financing in place, and see what kind of home they qualify for,” Crowe says, adding that modular homes run from $70,000 to $250,000 and $300,000, not including the site.
“They’ve made modular homes that were $1 million homes before,” Crowe says.
Parkhurst Homes, Inc. is located at 1540 S. Lapeer Road, south of Drahner Road and north of Indian Lake Road.
Winter hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and Noon -4 p.m. on Sunday. Hours are extended until 8 p.m, Monday through Thursday, during May through September.
For more information, contact Parkhurst Homes at (248) 693-8812, or visit them online at www.parkhursthome.com