Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How long does it take to build a manufactured home through Harmony Grove?

Typically, once the home is ordered we expect the plant to have it ready to ship to your destination in 4 – 6 months. As we all know this can be affected by market demands and the rate at which the plant is receiving orders, which we will gladly communicate to you at the time of your initial consultation.

Q, Why is a 1200 sqft modular home so much more expensive than a 1200 sqft mini home?

Modular homes come in two or more pieces. These pieces must be connected both inside (drywall, trim, flooring, electrical, plumbing, venting, etc.) as well as on the outside (roof, eaves, siding, trim, underneath, etc.) and require much more labor on-site for completion. Typically, Modular requires a crane and includes the cost of a traditional basement or Frost wall. Mini homes arrive almost completely finished with simply the standard set-ups and very rarely are they craned onto their site or have a cement foundation.

Q. How long after my home is delivered to my site will it take before I move in?

Mini homes usually require 3-4 weeks on-site depending on the time of year. Winter months often extend these time frames… Depending on the size and complexity of a Modular Home, these can take 8 weeks or more. Modular homes have many more mandatory building stage inspections than mini homes and we all know we are at the mercy of Nova Scotia Power. NS Power has to do an inspection and then schedule the power to be hooked up (usually 5-10 business days after the inspection). Hopefully, there are no major power outages across the province or the wait time for their services can easily be extended.

Q. What do I need to order a home?

We need four things to order a home for you:

We need to know what we are ordering. The home to be more specific… colors, floorplan, extras, land preparation if required, and anything else included in HGHS's scope of responsibilities. This gives us the cost for us to prepare the Purchase and Sales Agreement.
We need to sign the purchase and sales agreement with you and ensure all details and payment schedules are understood.
We need a deposit. Typically we ask for $1000 due at signing the agreement and 5% at the time of order for mini homes and 10% for modular homes.
Proof of financial stability – either a ‘Letter of Finance’ from your mortgage broker or bank in the case of financing or a letter from your bank manager or recognized financial institution identifying your stability to pay cash.

Q, What is the difference between a ‘mortgage pre-approval’ and an ‘approved mortgage’?

A lender can choose anywhere between a quick glance or an in-depth look into your financial situation and provide you with a pre-approval. What information you provide the lender for a pre-approval application is often very different than what the lender must have when they enter into the full approval process. Often referred to as pre-qualify, this is still a pre-approval so ask your lender how much confidence they have in this pre-approval amount they give you. When you have entered into an agreement, only then will the lender dig into your whole financial situation to ensure they are lending you the money with confidence. A pre-approval or pre-qualified amount is only that… an indicator of what you should be able to afford before the official, full examination of your finances and approval from a lender to finance your purchase. A ‘True’ approval means that your lender has agreed to loan you the money to purchase, once all conditions they outline for you are met. This means the lender is willing to put it on paper and commit to loaning you the money. We cannot commit to anything less than firm approval to move forward with the home purchase.

Q. Do I have to use one of the plans from the website?

The short answer is no… we love doing customs. There is a cost saving in going with the Comfort plans on the site but we are open to custom ideas and love to see what can be created. The plans from the website have been cleared for structural, plumbing, electrical, and NS building codes. The computer program has been written for the plant to make these homes so it is simply a matter of choosing colors and hitting the ‘GO’ button in the plant. Custom homes are an option but these need to be checked by engineering and design, planned for the plant, and programmed for production… all as a ‘one off’ custom home.

Q. Do you build garages?

Yes, we can build garages in conjunction with a new home purchase, for us to be as efficient as possible for you and our other customers we cannot build only a garage. We order materials to match your new home and build the garage while our team does the on-site work for your home delivery.

Q. Do you build decks?

Similar to the garages, yes we do build decks for new home purchases only. We have the labor and skills onsite, access to the home is required for the occupancy permit so turning a step into a deck or putting a deck on one of our builds is not a problem.

Q. Does my house come with a warranty?

All Kent homes are built in the factory which is certified as a CSA-approved manufacturer of homes. We then back it with the one-year Kent Homes material and workmanship warranty and the balance of a 10-year Atlantic Homes Warranty. Details of which can be found HERE

Q. Will Harmony Grove take care of the well, septic, and driveway?

As we have been building homes for over two decades, we know a lot of the people and trades in the business. We can arrange for the well to be drilled, the land to be cleared and the septic to be designed and installed. Depending on your needs we can take care of it for you or you can have it ready for us when we arrive with the home.

Q. Who will take care of the setup for my new home? What does setup mean here?

We always include the standard plumbing connections (sewer and water at the home location), electrical connections (as per NS power guidelines and applicable inspections), the cleaning of the home, safe access to the home, and finishing of the home to occupancy code requirements. When we are done, you can move in!

Q. Does Harmony Grove Homes provide engineered drawings?

We provide engineered ‘Ready for Construction’ drawings of homes we are building. We do not provide engineering as a service itself. This is part of the service offering we give during new home builds through us.

Q. Does the home need to go on a foundation?

Mini homes can be put on a mini home pad, on screw piles, a 4’ frost wall, or even a full 8’ foundation. Mini homes tend not to have access to a basement or even crawlspace access within the home and must be entered from outside. Modular homes can be placed on mini home style pads and/or screw piles, however, most Modular homes get placed by a crane on a 4’ frost wall or full 8’ basement foundation.

Q. What are the options for a full basement?

For a ‘rough finish’ basement we will put a vapour barrier, studs, insulation, and gyprock the walls. We put plugs along the exterior wall to code and the appropriate electric baseboard heaters so the basement space meets all occupancy code requirements. We also have the option to do a fully finished basement with finished floors, walls, and ceiling, move-in ready like the rest of your new home.

Q. Do I get to choose my own finishes and colors for my home?

We have a selection of siding colors, cabinet materials and stain choices, window options, door options, exterior trim, and much more. You have the final say on all the aesthetics of your home. If we are unable to get the fixtures you have in mind from our supplier, we can have the factory option omitted and install your preferred selections on-site.

Q. Do you include appliances?

While our standard contracts do not include appliances, we can help with that by including an allowance in the purchase price. We can also connect you with one of our industry partners to help in your appliance search. Due to varying prices and fluctuating deals, many clients choose to shop themselves to get exactly what they want.

Q. Do I qualify for the GST Rebate?

The home must be your new primary residence to qualify for the rebate. Second homes or company-purchased homes do not qualify. Based on the pre-tax value of your home the rates will differ. We offer the option for us to apply on your behalf and credit the amount to your initial purchase, up to a set value, or you can apply yourself.