Modular Lifestyles Excels in Energy Efficient Homebuilding

An energy-efficient home in Ojai, Calif. — All varieties of energy-efficient homes is Modular Lifestyles' are of expertise.

Steve Lefler and Modular Lifestyles Set the Stage for Energy Efficient and Net-Zero Residential Construction

Steve Lefler of Modular Lifestyles is creating homes and turning heads, often to far flung and out of the ordinary places.

Lefler works with modular, manufactured and RV code homes to create highly energy-efficient homes. This includes one on-grid near net-zero energy home where he resides in Paso Robles near Sacramento, and another that toured the state for two years before going on display at the California State Capitol building.

Energy-efficient homes in California — Home on the State Capitol lawn.

The “Quest” home that ended up on the Capitol lawn was the result of a project Modular Lifestyles did with Cavco Corporation and Newport Pacific. The off-grid home has many energy-efficient features, including a photovoltaic (PV) solar energy system and propane to charge the deep-cell marine batteries, sustainable cork flooring, recycled furniture products, specialized insulation and an incinerator toilet that requires no running water.

So, the only thing required to live “off the grid” in a Modular Lifestyles Quest home is a location for the home and a water source, Lefler said.

“Factory-built houses are the most energy-efficient form of housing,” said Lefler, who purchases his homes from Cavco and others from builders like Champion and Palm Harbor.

“They’re a sub-contractor now,” Lefler said of the original home builders. “I take the energy liability and put my own name on the house with a 4×6” metal plaque at the front door that says ‘Another Award Winning Modular Lifestyles house’.”

What is Net-Zero Energy?

Energy-Efficient Homes from Modular Lifestyles — The Lefler home near Sacramento, Calif., is a near net-zero energy home on the grid in harsh desert conditions.

A net-zero energy home is one that uses no more energy than it is able to produce.

Lefler works largely in California, where net-zero has moved from preference to a near mandate, with state law requiring all new residential structures to be net-zero by 2020.

“My house was one of five homes chosen in the state of California for most energy-efficient prior to net zero rules,” Lefler said. The home uses high grade materials, high R-value insulation, solar panels on the roof and a closet-full of rechargeable batteries that can store energy for later use or push out to the grid.

Down to a $400 output for well water, Lefler isolated the usage and was able to figure out how much more energy would be needed from solar to make the place truly neutral in energy consumption.

Given this, he sees his home as a model for what California residents will do in the very near future.

“I asked to go on the most stringent payment structure, by the hour, and did that in 2014 to be able to study and figure out how all this stuff works because everyone will have to operate by the hour before too long,” he said.

The Builder Put to the Test

When Lefler began his work in energy-efficient housing, he resided in a site-built home inLaguna Beach, Calif.

Another award for energy-efficient homes — From left, Steve Lefler of Modular Lifestyles, Tom Sullivan of Newport Pacific, and MHI President Dick Jennison.

“I kept getting calls from people saying ‘If your home is so great, why aren’t you living in it?’ I took that to heart, and we made the move,” he said. “The off-the-grid home in Paso Robles is now our full-time residence.”

Lefler constructs as many as 100 homes per year, including some 190- to 960-square foot extremely efficient “tiny homes”, which are adapted from Park Model RVs.

In Ojai, Calif., Modular Lifestyles partnered with a manufactured home builder to show how planned efficiencies can improve public health, safety and welfare by creating an off-grid positive environmental impact. The project focused on planning and design for…

Energy efficiency
Water efficiency and conservation
Material conservation and resource efficiency
And improved air quality

Modular Lifestyles, after spending a year in design and development, launched the first-of-its-kind manufactured home in 2009.

The unique home produces its own electricity through a solar electrical generation system, which dramatically reduced monthly utility costs for the home’s resident.

Modular Lifestyle Awards and Honors

Modular Lifestyles has won multiple awards for its energy-efficient homes design and construction, including the 2014 USGBC-C4 “Green Home Nomination” and the 2018 MHI National Energy Efficient Award for the Paso Robles home, as well as 2012 USGBC-C4 Taylor Ojai House Nomination for Green Home Award and both the 2011 and 2012 Ojai Valley Green Home Tour Participant Award.

For more information on energy-efficient and net-zero energy construction, contact Steve Lefler at Modular Lifestyles.

Party Planning in Small Spaces

Whether it’s a summer potluck, a kid’s birthday party or a sophisticated dinner party, planning in small spaces can pose some challenges.

Manufactured homes also have unique floor plans and layouts, which can have their own list of obstacles when party planning in a small space. However, instead of trying to fight it, sometimes embracing the layout and the coziness while including it in the fun can make a world of difference.

Here are some simple tips!

Preparation and Planning

The more you have prepped and prepared ahead of time the better. Since space is limited in the kitchen. So, it’s ideal to have everything you can prepared before your guests arrive.

While a sit-down dinner might sound fancy, you can achieve this with well-made heavy appetizers displayed throughout the home. Presentation is everything when it comes to setting a tone. With appetizers, you also can do all of the prep ahead of time, simply warming the tasty morsels through the night. To get you started, here is a list of super simple recipes from Good Housing Keeping!

If you are prepping a lot of warm food options or serving food something that should stay warm, portable butane burners can be a lifesaver.

There is a reason the professional catering companies are well stocked with these bad boys.

Raise Your Glass!

Drinks are always an issue. In theory, you would set up one bar or bar area for beverages.

But, another option would be to consider pre-batching your drinks of choice. Not only is this something you can do easily ahead of time, it also makes refilling and replenishing is a breeze. And you don’t waste the space of setting up a full bar with multiple bottles.

(Check out these simple and delicious pre-batched punches!)

Spread The Love

Often when planning a party we think of a central gathering space. But with manufactured homes, your living area or dining area might not be big enough to comfortably house all of your guests.

We all know well the age-old saying “the party is always in the kitchen”. Well, often times that’s because people will mingle where the food and drinks are. So a way to use your whole space? Set up multiple places for hors-d’oeuvres and drink stations in different areas of the home. Plus as each dish runs out you can clean them as you go! Each space should provide a pairing of small bites and sips that encourage your guests to get up and mingle!

Setting up multiple areas eliminates the problem of people standing in line or bottlenecking around the food.

For kids parties (or let’s face it, grown-ups too!) another fun way to implement this is setting up game stations in each room.

Little Help From Your Friends

While there are some cool points to planning and executing a party on your own, clean up is always a buzz kill. Even just asking one of your friends to help you with set-up and clean-up can make a world of difference. Friends often like to help, too, since they get the left-overs. Another obvious solution to wanting an extra set of hands is throwing a little money at it. Hiring a neighborhood student, or reliable acquaintance to help set-up and clean-up might be worth its weight in gold. You want to be able to enjoy your party! Having your hired assistant refresh drinks and clean up platters throughout the night will cut back on your stress, keep the place tidy, and allow you to more time to schmooze.

Hopefully, these little tips will help for all of your party planning in small spaces So wear a smile and have fun!

Seabrook Manufactured Home Residents Excited For The Future

Resident-owned manufactured home community — Residents at Seabrook Cooperative recently purchased the park they live in.

Seabrook, N.H. — After voting overwhelmingly in favor of purchasing their community, homeowners in Seacrest Cooperative made resident-ownership a reality.

Residents purchased their 190-unit manufactured-home community, making it New Hampshire’s 125th resident-owned community (ROC) and the 21st in Rockingham County. The community was originally called Staples Mobile Home, Inc.

Resident Betsy Coggins was thrilled with the opportunity to purchase the park. She said she has many friends in other ROCs in N.H. and understood immediately what a great opportunity they had.

“It’s safety. It’s security,” she said. “We have control and say about what happens in the future.”

The co-op’s members, and their elected board of directors, worked closely for months with ROC-NH to make the purchase a reality.

Resident-owned community — Resident Betsy Coggins joined Seacrest Board Members on June 27 as they signed the purchase papers for their community.

Board secretary Nancy Lewis, treasurer Denise Tuccolo, and president Stuart Erbstein were some of the earliest supporters of resident ownership. At the first meeting where the possibility was put to the residents, Erbstein, who has a background in commercial real estate, told them buying the park was a no-brainer.

“We’re excited and relieved,” said Lewis. “It’s done! We own it and it feels great!”

Dave Palavanchuk, the co-op’s operation manager, said they will hit the ground running. He had already researched vendors for services like snowplowing, trash pickup, and landscaping.

“We’ve been busy, but all this groundwork will still be making a difference 40 or 50 years down the road,” he said. “Our cooperative will always be an affordable place to live in Seabrook.”

They finalized the $11 million purchase June 27 with a mortgage from the Community Loan Fund.

Board Members will work with Michelle Supry of ROC-NH, a program of the New Hampshire Community Loan Fund, for the duration of their mortgage — at least 20 years.

Learn more about how resident-owned mobile home communities work.

How to Choose a Mobile Home: Through the Eyes of a Broker

Sell a Mobile Home Fast Day Properties — Samera and Jeremy Harvey, mobile home experts of Dayo Properties.

What to look for in a mobile home for sale

Jeremy and Samera Harvey of Phoenix, Ariz., look at a lot of mobile home listings. As a husband-wife team operating Dayo Properties, the couple finds they ask sellers many of the same questions when searching for a mobile home.

Here are just a few examples the Harveys offered up:

What to ask a seller when looking at a mobile home for sale

What is your situation?

Often you can get a feel for how accommodating the seller might be when you have a better understanding of their motivation. Each situation is unique, but there are some common themes.

“We do get a lot of people who are moving for health reasons, for work or because they’re moving the family into a larger home,” Jeremy said. “And then there’s the people who are downsizing into an apartment.”

A seller’s motivation in listing their mobile home for sale can be an indicator of how urgent the sale may be, and how negotiable the price.

What type of home is it?

Each buyer will have a preference, such as a double-wide mobile home for sale, or a single-section home in a community. And individual makes and models, or the year the home was built might be preferences.

Jeremy and Samera deal in all vintage of homes, but often are looking for late ’80s to mid-’90s homes.

“We like Palm Harbor. That brand sells well here in Arizona, as well as Fleetwood, Schult and Champion,” Jeremy said.

“We sell a lot of Cavco, too,” Samera chimed in.

A mobile home for sale in Tucson, Arizona — A 1988 Cavco mobile home for sale in Tucson, Ariz.

Where is the park?

There are a number of reasons you want to understand where the home sits. Perhaps it’s not far from you, or it’s in a new area you might like. You could simply buy the home and reside in the community.

If the park is in a location that doesn’t work for the buyer, there’s always the option of moving the home, which Dayo Properties has handled for a client or consulted with them on how to have a home moved.

Understand that some homes are too old or in too much disrepair to move safely and cost-efficiently. If the bones of the home are solid, and the seller is able to contract a good mobile home transport company, the home can be placed in a new community or on private land.

Are there big ticket repairs?

“Many homes need new carpet, a repair to the AC and some minor plumbing issues,” Jeremy said. “That’s standard maintenance.”

If the mobile home roof is in good shape, there’s no problem with the chassis and the condition of the windows is good, you may have found yourself a winner.

About Samera and Jeremy Harvey of Dayo Properties

The Harveys are mobile home specialists.

The couple met in Tampa, Fla., and moved to Phoenix with an interest in the housing market. Jeremy has a masters in business administration from Florida Gulf Coast. Samera studied at University of New Mexico and is a certified public accountant. They learned about manufactured housing from John Fedro, and went into business on their own.

“We kind of were tired of the 9 to 5 and the glass ceiling,” Jeremy said. “We wanted to get out and do more, do something on our own and do more to help people.”

The High Demand for Manufactured Housing

Samera said they saw the giant demand for affordable housing and took a leap. “We just jumped right into it and it’s been great,” she said.

The do a lot of work through client referrals, and word of mouth. They said the most difficult part is not selling the home, it’s find the good home to sell.

“We’re building relationship with community owners, largely by introducing ourselves when we identify a home we want to buy in a community,” Jeremy said. “We let them know who we are and how we do business, and tell them they can keep us in mind for any time a home comes up for sale.”

Dayo initially would purchase, fix and list a manufactured home for sale with payments. Then they moved to a more extensive rehab and outright sale.

“Sometimes the buyer wants to come live in the community, and sometimes they’re looking to take the home to their own community or private land,” Jeremy said, which started their business toward a brokerage and consultancy.

In the last 18 months, the couple has sold about 80 homes.

“We’re transformed in that way, brought in some team members to help and really have been able to scale our business in a way that provides the greatest amount of flexibility for the customer’s needs in terms of schedule and home maintenance,” Samera said.

Ready to learn more? Read our manufactured housing expert’s guide to buying the perfect mobile home

Mobile Home Space Savers – Cut the Clutter

Cut the Clutter with these Mobile Home Organization and Storage Tips

Some small spaces like many mobile homes, as well as college dorms, apartments and of course tiny homes all share an uncanny ability to breed a maze of lost keys, forever-packed boxes and over-stuffed cabinets.

If you’re looking to make strategic use of the storage space in your mobile home, it’s best to eliminate clutter to make your space seem bigger and work better.

Your days of digging out of a beanie baby collection or trying to figure where to stuff a weekend shopping spree — well, they still might not be over.

These tips can only conjure up so much space!

Long-time mobile and manufactured home residents, please leave a comment and let us know your tips for how to stash those beanie babies?

In the meantime, here are some ways to save space in everyday situations:

LIVING AREA

Keep it visible, keep it safe

An outside observer might think smaller space = easier to find things. Our perpetually lost keys say otherwise. Instead of stashing them wherever there’s room when you get home, create space for them.

Add a command hook to the side of the fridge, attach a key rack next to — or on — the front door, or attach a magazine holder to the side of a shoe rack. A window shutter, hung up by the door and paired with hooks and clothespins also can be an easy place to hang a key or clip a bill.

Use your walls strategically Instead of a full-size desk, try a desk that folds into the wall. You can even paint it to blend in. Getting a higher couch leaves room for storage bins underneath — or simply get a storage couch.

These hacks use surprisingly multipurpose items:

Shower storage racks can be an easy and even cute alternative to shelves, when little space is available. Stash scissors, chargers, remotes or desk items here.
Instead of taking up floor space with a bulky shoe rack, try cutting some PVC pipes into shoe-size lengths, attach together and onto a supportive base and lean against a wall.

Cut the clutter

Do you need ten throw pillows, or do they make your space feel cramped? Maybe you’ve been saving every pair of shoes since your high school prom — they’ll just add to the stuff you need to store in your living room, so donate or store somewhere else. Keeping just one of anything, from household cleaners to scissors, will help your home stay clutter-free and feeling spacious.

KITCHEN

Give household items a new purpose

Need to restore space and order to your built-in cupboards? Magazine holders work here, too: They’re perfect for stashing aluminum foil, plastic wrap or cleaning supplies. These are also a great option if your small living space doesn’t have many cupboards — try attaching them to the side of a counter, or on a kitchen door or wall.

Multipurpose items win again:

Wire shelves installed upside down in a pantry will easily hold cans and boxed food.
Use adhesive hooks to hang cookery lids.
Command hooks attached to a wall can hold pans, pot lids or mugs.
Shower storage racks can similarly hold cookery or canned food.
A pegboard wall also can use empty wall space to hang cookery — this means more room in the cupboards for food!

Disguise messy/in-use areas

This doesn’t exactly save space, but it could ease your mind if you care how things look and need to add extra storage shelving to a regular kitchen wall: Simply install a curtain above an exposed shelf, and pull it across when not in use.

Alternatively, get a standing cabinet, or to add creative flair, install shelves inside a small wardrobe or armoire. Find one at at thrift or discount store, repaint it and you have an attractive storage space!

If items are on display, they might as well be pretty (if you care about this sort of thing). Instead of stashing random items on top of cupboards, use large mason jars or similar display jars for oatmeal, cereal or dried beans and rice.

Cut the clutter

What kitchen items don’t you need? That juicer you used once 10 years ago? Re-gift it. Those duplicate soup spoons, can openers, measuring cups? Donate them. That China set you’re keeping just in case the Queen comes for tea? Give to a historical re-enactment group.

BEDROOMS

A strategic use of space strikes again

A storage bed is helpful here, working as a dresser and linens cabinet.
Add more clothing rods to your closet. Attach hooks and hang purses. Use hooks to hang multiple tank tops on one hanger.
If you do want a dresser, choose a tall one.
Add pegs to a closet door for easy shoe hanging.
Use a hanging fruit basket for hats or socks or scarves.

I’ll say it again: Cut the clutter!

BATHROOM/LAUNDRY

So many life hacks

Install a shower or clothing rod under the sink for hanging spray bottles.
Use silverware trays inside drawers to organize toiletries.
Purchase one of these tall toilet paper holders or use small, hanging bins like this to
Toilet Paper Holder from Wayfair

organize toilet paper and other items underneath the bathroom sink.
Install a foldable clothes drying rack — you could even hang it from the ceiling.

You know this, but cut out the items you don’t use — your space will thank you.

By the way, I asked a friend where he keeps his beanie babies: In his car.

New Michigan Retirement Community in Development

Development at a New Michigan Retirement Community — A sales center and model homes being sited at Admiral's Cove, a new Michigan retirement community in Fair Haven.

Admiral’s Cove is a new 55+ manufactured home community in Fair Haven, Mich.

A new Michigan retirement community community is coming to Southeast Michigan, developed by a pair of industry veterans for more than 450 sites that will cater to active-lifestyle retirees who desire a gated community with many site-built residential features.

Admiral’s Cove sits lakeside near Fair Haven northwest of Detroit, and will be open for new residents beginning in 2019.

“It’s across from Lake St. Clair, which is a huge boating and recreational atmosphere out here,” said David Arnow, the chief investment officer for Admiral’s Cove. “There are probably 30 boat clubs and marinas in the area, and fishing tournaments that draw top fisherman from all over the country.”

Home Styles for the New Michigan Retirement Community

Homes from Skyline Champion and Clayton Homes will be multi-section residences, each with 5/12 roof pitch, and available attachments including garages, porches and sheds. Each home will have Nailite simulated brick skirting and each site will have lawn care, sprinkling and snow removal services.

“We’ve worked with both of these builders extensively designing the homes that will come in here, and they’re unique to this property,” Arnow said. “Another thing about this particular community is that it’s heavily treed. There are not very many properties you can find that look and feel like this. It’s a very mature and serene area.”

The site was all Anchor Bay, owned by the Crest Group LLC, before the company split the property and sold half of it as Anchor Bay and retained the other half for development of Admiral’s Cove.

John Tucker from Sunrise Homes is contracted to move all the new homes to Admiral’s Cove.

New Michigan Retirement Community — The entry boulevard at Admiral’s Cove

Property Development Plans for Admiral’s Cove

The 150-acre property will be developed in three phases, the first of which is underway and includes 114 sites and the new clubhouse. Phase two for the new Michigan retirement community will bring in 180 more sites northwest of phase one, with an added 150 or more sites on the southwest portion of the property.

Homes for the community range in price from $80,000 to $150,000.

“Residents can have anywhere from $5,000 worth of amenities up to $30,00 inside the home,” John Tucker said.

Site rent for Admiral’s Cove will range from $515 for interior sites park set homes, to corner sites at $545 and residential set sites for $560 per month.

“We have reserved several lots for individuals but we’re not moving in homes quite yet,” Arnow said. “Once we open the gates, I think the flood residents will start.”

Arnow said they anticipate 15-20 occupied residences in the community during the first month. There also will be seven new home models at Admiral’s Cove for potential residents to tour.

By completion of the project in 2022, Admiral’s Cove will include the following amenities.

Amenities at Admiral’s Cove in Fair Haven – A New Michigan Retirement Community

New clubhouse with banquet facilities
Gated community
New stone front entrance
Indoor pool
Indoor hot tub
Putting green
Tennis court
Dog park
Gazebo with picnic area
Sprinklers on each individual home lot
New street signs
Fresh road work
New sidewalks
Driveways
New sales center
Seven new model homes
RV/Boat storage area

For more information on Admiral’s Cove, please contact David Arnow at (631) 582-4800 Ext.18.

Structures on Mobile Homes – What Are They?

Types of mobile home structures - exterior structure

Types of Structures on Mobile Homes

If you are looking to purchase a mobile home you might see some lesser-known manufactured home definitions about structures on mobile homes that can be confusing.

So, here we provide a quick breakdown of terms used to describe exterior structures on mobile and manufactured homes. These include site-built rooms, porches, and carports.

Below We’ve Compiled Some Quick and Helpful Definitions of Structures on Mobile Homes with Illustrations for Reference

Site-Built Room – a site-built room is a heated room that has been added to the home after the home was placed. In other words, this room was built on site, not in the factory like the rest of the home. In addition, site-built rooms often are constructed with standard 2×4 or 2×6 lumber. Frequently they have siding like the rest of the home. Site-built rooms are used as additional living space. In many cases it can be fairly difficult to tell where the original structure ends.

Enclosed Porch – Enclosed mobile home porches are generally not heated. They are built on the cement slab or on a raised deck. Enclosed porches also have windows and gutters. As you can see, to the left, this room has both windows and gutters. The interior of the room can be decorated like the rest of the home, but it will still be an enclosed porch – typically an unheated room with windows added to the home.

Screened Room – A screen room or screened porch is very similar to our enclosed porch. However, the majority of the wall space consists of screening. Pictured at right is a home listed for sale on MHVillage. It has a screened room tucked under the carport.

Below is another photograph of a screened porch on a home for sale in Florida:

Carports and Garages on Mobile or Manufactured Homes

Carport – A carport is a long awning over a slab that provides cover for a car. Homes also can have awnings. Awnings may be over cement slabs, but to be considered a carport it has to be big enough for a car to park under.

In the example to the right, you can see the carport. In the home below, it has an awning and a carport on the home.

Garages – did you know that some mobile homes have garages? In fact, there are some manufactured home communities where every home has its own garage. Below is a photo of a manufactured home in Arizona with an attached garage.

The Importance of Mobile Home Insulation

The Role of Insulation in Mobile Homes

Insulation plays a key role in maintaining the livability of your mobile home, making sure that it remains comfortable at all times. The proper insulation around your home can also save you significant dollars on heating bills.

Home insulation is assigned an “R” value. This value stands to the insulation’s resistance to heat traveling through it. The higher the number, the higher the insulating power.

Your insulation is part of how your manufactured home meets mobile home insulation standards and thermal zone requirements set forth by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). And in the manufactured housing industry, home insulation levels are determined by final home location to ensure that your home doesn’t exceed heat transfer requirements that HUD Code has put in place.

Changing Manufactured Home Insulation

If you would like to change out your insulation, check to see what type you already have in your walls.

Many houses have fiberglass insulation that fits in between studs. But it can differ in the roof. For instance, many manufactured homes have blown insulation in the roofing system. Make a note of this and contact a contractor for a consultation to upgrade your insulation if you want an insulation upgrade.

Buying a Home

If you are buying a manufactured home, get an inspection to make sure they take a look at the insulation around the house. Nowadays, there are many choices for insulation depending on your home, budget, and your do-it-yourself skills, if installing it yourself.

Homebuilding, especially in manufactured housing, has come a long way in the last couple of decades. Learn more about industry changes, which include what goes into homes and what kind of features mobile homes offer!

Staged to Sell on a Reasonable Budget

When I moved to Tucson Ariz., over 20 years ago, I knew I wanted to live in the foothills and wanted to build my own home using modular construction.

Zoning at that time prohibited me from doing that. So, ever since I have been on a journey not only to change people’s perceptions about factory built homes, but to also exceed expectations.

Lifestylist® Suzanne Felber has built the Lifestylist Brands around three core areas that she is passionate about: great wines, great food, and above all, great design. For over 30 years she has been defining what the trademarked term Lifestylist is all about and continues to take the roads less traveled.

Today’s Homebuyers Expect More from the Manufactured Home

Home buyers are very savvy about design trends and building practices thanks to resources like HGTV, MHVillage and social media.

I started in manufactured housing after a very successful career in the site-built and luxury home markets. Time and again I was told my ideas “weren’t how we did it” in our industry.

Thanks to forward-thinking companies like Cavco and Clayton Homes, home buyers can get the looks they want but still stay within an affordable home budget. When they tour a home or see it online, they have high expectations as well.

Homes with a lot of dusty faux greenery above cabinets, empty wine bottles on the counter, and damaged or dated furniture won’t cut it anymore.

Today, if you’re looking to sell manufactured homes, the home needs to be staged to sell.

Even on a tight budget, it’s possible to stage a home that will turn a “looker” into a buyer.

Five tip for how to get your home staged to sell

1. 1. Color Sells: New homes have become very monochromatic, and as a result an unfurnished, un-staged home can be hard for a customer to fall in love with. Color and textures can add some emotion to your home, but a little goes a long way! Add color with simple, inexpensive items like a shower curtain, area rugs and accessories.
  2. Get Emotional: Help your buyers fall in love with your home by adding some memory points to your home that the buyer will remember. Photos of a special event that happened in your community or images of people enjoying their new life are always a great way to show off your community. Set up the kitchen and dining area of the home that is for sale so it shows that they will be able to do lots of entertaining in their new home. Those funny or inspirational plaques that are memorable are also a great way to have the buyer remember your home over the competition.
  3. Kill the Clutter: You can have too much of a good thing, and too much of the wrong furniture, accessories, or aromas can make your potential customer run for the door.
  4. Quality Lighting: Have you ever noticed how some homes seem really dark even in the middle of the day, or tend to have a blue or peach hue to them? It may be because they are using the wrong lightbulbs, or don’t have enough light sources in the room. Using those “pigtail” fluorescent bulbs may save energy, but they can kill your sale. Invest in some good daylight rated LED bulbs – you can always change them out after you sell the home. This will also make a huge difference in how your photography turns out – especially if you are using your phone and don’t correct the white balance. Adding in some floor or table lamps can really help in rooms that don’t have other light sources.
  5. Sharp Photography: Social media and great photography are more important than ever to sell your home. If customers can’t see inside and view your home at their leisure, they’ll move on to your competitor’s home that has made it easy for them to view and buy.
    
    Baths also should be free of clutter and personal items – a few well placed accessories and artwork will make the room feel calm and inviting. Freedom Homes of Sherman, Texas courtesy of Lisa Stewart Photography

Open House Season is Here!

Are You Ready for Open House Season?

As spring turns to summer we are in the prime of Open House season. Here is a crash course on how you can gain the most exposure and successful open house possible!

Prep the Home for Open House Season

For an open house, not only do you want to be sure the home is clean and clutter free, a fresh coat of paint goes a long way too!

It’s also important to be sure the home is staged in a way that is inviting and shows off the home in it’s best light (Pro Tip: Here is a great article on Staging Your Home to Sell)

Don’t Forget The Yard

We know it’s all about curb appeal. That first impression can make or a break a sale. Be sure the home’s exterior matches it’s interior with clean and fresh lines. Add some colorful flowers to spruce things up quite a bit!

Hospitality

Offer your guests some easy to eat snacks. It’s always a good idea. The fresh baked cookies trick is classic. But if you wanna step it up, bring in some catered veggie platters or sandwich trays. Also, offer bottled water because most of your guests are seeing more than one home in a day during open house season. A snack and some water will be appreciated!

Ambiance –

Set the tone of the Open House with low-volume music. This will give the space an energy and pulse, and it allows for the guests to roam the space on their own without feeling like their conversation is being overheard. Note: try to stick to music choices that are accessible and up-beat. Jazz, Standards or ’60s Pop typically are safe!

Your Home is Ready for an Open House. Are You?

It’s super important to be sure you have all of the necessary paperwork and information printed and available at the open house. The more information you can provide a perspective buyer the better. The best option would be to print off any necessary information and assemble some packets that you can easily hand them to take home and review. Be sure to also include a printed flyer with the home’s information and photo too!

And treat your Open House like the big day it is. Start early to get everything in place well ahead of time, make sure you get some rest, too, and plan to be “on your game” when guest arrive. The seller’s calm presence can go a long way toward making the potential buyer feel at home.

Advertise Your Open House

Not only will you want to advertise your open house on your own social media outlets and local activity spots, if you are listed on MHVillage we also offer a product to gain your Open House some exposure.

The MHVillage Open House feature will give your home a bright red banner across the top of the ad with the Open House details.

It will also shoot your listing to the very top of the first page of homes in a general search. We recommend applying an Open House banner to your listing at least seven days prior to the event.

To apply this feature simply select the “Add Open House” option to the right of your listing within your account dashboard.

Hopefully this article will give your the details you needed to elevate your open house game to a new level!

If you have any additional questions on how you advertise your open house on MHVillage please feel free to contact us at any time!