So, you’re looking for a manufactured home to buy. You might already have your market picked out, or you might even know which manufactured home community you want to live in. A crucial step of the home buying process is touring mobile homes you’re interested in buying. Touring mobile homes gives you the best idea possible of what your living space will look like if and when you choose to buy that home.
Touring a mobile home is more important than one might realize. If you’re looking to buy a manufactured home and set up a tour, here are a few things to keep in mind:
What to Look For
Firstly, you should ensure that the exterior of the home is in solid condition. This includes making sure the siding is in good shape without any major damage, ensuring your roof is in order, and that the mobile home skirting doesn’t show any gaps or visible damage.
The skirting is especially important, as any tears, rips, or other damage to your skirting could mean lowered energy efficiency for your home in addition to your foundation and plumbing being exposed to the elements.
One other consideration that often falls through the cracks has to deal with multi-section homes. If you’re touring a double-wide or a triple-wide manufactured home, ensure that the connections holding each section together are properly functioning.
On that note, you’ll also want to ensure your manufactured home’s foundation is properly set and installed. Just like with a site-built home, having an improperly installed foundation could jeopardize the stability of your manufactured or mobile home.
Of course, the inside of what could be your new mobile home should be considered too. Ask yourself the following questions when touring your mobile home’s interior:
- Is the flooring in good condition and free of damage?
- Is there any moisture or mold where it shouldn’t be?
- How about the walls? Are there any holes, cracks, or water spots?
- Does the plumbing and electrical work as it should?
- Are all of the windows and doors properly insulated and sealed?
- If included, do the appliances work properly?
If any of the above questions indicate that there is damage to the home’s interior, or that something isn’t functioning like it should, consider whether that impacts your desire to purchase the home.
Big Ticket Repairs
Generally, the most expensive repairs you’ll make to your manufactured home are to your mobile home’s roof, your furnace or air conditioning units, and your siding.
These three facets of your manufactured home should take priority when you’re touring the home. If the roof is several decades old and needs replacing right when you move in, make sure you’re okay with that and can budget for it when deciding to purchase the home.
Is The Home Right For You?
Once you’ve done your due diligence on the manufactured home’s condition, it’s time to consider whether that mobile home is the right fit for you.
Manufactured homes come in many shapes and sizes. To that end, think about whether the home you’re touring offers the right amount of space for you and your loved ones. If a manufactured home is too big, you may end up paying extra for space you’ll never use. Even worse is if the house is too small: you’ll butt elbows with guests and family members for years to come if this is the case!
Remote work may also be a consideration. If you’re like the millions of Americans working from home, you’ll want your new manufactured home to have dedicated space for a desk, laptop, and perhaps a second monitor so you can be productive in your home.
Also, the kitchen is the room many manufactured-homeowners-to-be prioritize when touring manufactured homes. Having the right amount of counter and cabinet space is a must for many, so determine where this ranks on your list before touring a mobile home and committing to a purchase.
Will You Redecorate?
Often, manufactured homes are given a fresh coat of paint and some cosmetic touch-ups before being listed for sale. As you’re touring any given manufactured home, make sure you have at least a rough idea of how you might redecorate your manufactured home once you move in.
For instance, if you plan to re-paint, or replace carpeting in rooms of your home with hardwood, make sure that’s going to work with what may be your new home.
Going virtual or in-person?
In the age of COVID, many home sellers have turned to virtual tours in the spirit of social distancing. If there’s a manufactured home you’re interested in touring to see if it’s the right fit for you, consider seeing if a virtual tour is available for that home.
In fact, MHVillage allows users shopping for manufactured homes to filter their home search so that only mobile homes with virtual tours appear. Simply click on the “Only Listings with Virtual Tours” checkbox when searching for mobile homes on MHVillage.
If you’re ready to tour mobile homes near you, let MHVillage get you started. Start your manufactured home search today and set up a tour in your local area. If you’re interested in touring a specific manufactured home, contact the seller listed on that home to make touring arrangements.
