Compare Builders “Lego vs Meccano”

Planning Your Lot & Home, Articles

VICEROY COMPARISON TO ROYAL HOMES

(LEGO vs Meccano)

When someone comments on a Viceroy Home we all think of a certain style of home, a cottage with large panoramic windows.

The company, Viceroy Homes, was started by the Lindal family, who are respected throughout the industry. The Lindal’s built up an enduring Viceroy brand into a household name. Regretfully the Lindals are no longer involved as Viceory Homes has gone through several changes of ownership. Viceroy Homes sells their homes primarily through a Dealer network.

Royal Homes is a private company owned by the managers of the company. Royal Homes sells their homes primarily through company-owned Design and Sales Centres. When you buy a Royal Home your home will be registered with the Ontario Tarion Warranty Program with Royal Homes as your registered builder. When you buy a Viceroy Home through a Dealer, the Dealer would become your registered Builder and not Viceroy Homes.

Both Viceroy Homes and Royal Homes sell homes to individual lot owners. Viceroy Homes and Royal Homes are both priced competitively with other Builders who build custom homes in the traditional “stick built” method.

A Viceroy Home is a “kit” home with all the parts and pieces “pre-engineered” and cut to size ready for site assembly. Site assembly is done primarily through a Dealer network.

A Royal Home is built with a full three dimensional module or unit with as many fixtures, cabinets and floors installed in a factory controlled environment. The term “modular home” was originally used to describe a Royal Home. Currently the term “prefab home” is in common usage resulting from the architectural community embracing the benefits of prefab building.

A Royal Home is more like a “lego” block with all the interior finishes and a Viceroy Home is more like a “meccano” set, with more site assembly required.

Both Viceroy Homes and Royal Homes are delivered to the job site by truck. Because Royal Homes have a majority of the home built in the factory the actual on-site construction time, after the home is delivered, is considerable less with a Royal Home.

Viceroy Homes and their Dealers also sell their homes as an unassembled kit or load of lumber and materials. If you are a “do it yourselfer” this is a less expensive option. Royal Homes specializes in selling ‘Turn Key” or complete homes.

Royal Homes constructs the foundations and basements for their homes and all individual homes are registered under the Tarion Program with Royal Homes as the registered builder. The company Viceroy Homes does not register many homes directly with the Tarion program, because that is the responsibility of the individual Dealer.

When you buy a Royal Home you are buying directly from the manufacturer and builder of your home. Royal Homes is responsible for any service and warranty issues that arise. For a Viceroy Homes the primary responsibility for service and warranty lies with the Dealer. It is very important to check that whoever you contract with to build your home is in fact a registered Builder with the Tarion Program. Further you need to confirm that the Builder will in fact be registering your new home. If your home will not be registered under Tarion you need to ask why.

How your home is constructed varies by the degree of knowledge and experience of who is doing the work. Quality control for the site assembly of Viceroy Homes varies depending on the Dealer’s abilities. Royal Homes are largely assembled in the factory with a Quality Control program with over 250 inspections, a QA process which has been certified by CSA.