If you've spent time planning to develop a plot of vacant land you own, you may hesitate at the thought of a years-long construction project that will suck up all your free time and income. However, building a subdivision no longer needs to mean a lengthy construction project. The advent of factory-built modular homes that are just as sturdy as site-built ones can allow you to transform a vacant lot to a finished home in a matter of weeks, rather than months or years. 

Read on to learn more about some of the equipment and site preparation you'll need to get your new subdivision up and running. 

What are some of the advantages of modular construction?

One of the significant advantages of modular homes (both from a cost and a time standpoint) is the ability to install these homes on-site, simply by using a crane to hoist the modules onto the foundation or slab. Once the modular home has been secured to its foundation, it will need only minor interior finishing work before it's move-in ready—no need to worry about putting in windows or doors or installing shingles before a storm hits.

This means that, with proper planning, you may be able to prepare sites and install dozens of homes within just a few months' time. 

What will you need to get your subdivision started?

If you're planning to place these homes on solid slabs in lieu of foundations with basements or crawlspaces, you'll need only to prepare the site by removing any trees, excavating any stumps, and ensuring the ground is level. After laying an initial layer of gravel or rock, you'll be able to pour the slab and allow it to cure. 

Once it has fully cured and you've repaired any cracks or other imperfections, you'll be ready for your modular home to be hoisted atop the slab by a heavy-duty crane.

On the other hand, if you'd like your subdivision's homes to have basements, you'll first need to enlist some heavier-duty equipment to excavate the building site, set the mold for the foundation, pour it, and allow it to cure. This will usually require at least an excavator or backhoe, a bulldozer, and a concrete mixing truck. 

It's generally best to construct basements only after you've ordered the modular homes that will sit atop them. While having an approximate size and lot location for each home is a good idea, it's easier to scale the dimensions of a foundation to a modular home than to try to alter a home's dimensions to fit an already-poured foundation.  

To learn more about the process, contact companies like Avon Modular.