Friday, October 18, 2024

10 Cost-Effective Tips For Your Mobile Home Bathroom Remodel

The summer season is a popular one for remodeling aspects of your mobile home. One room that’s a common one to remodel during any time of year, however, is your mobile home bathroom.

Whether you’re remodeling just one part of your bathroom or giving it a complete overhaul, you may be wondering how you can do so on a budget.

Thankfully, just because you’re remodeling your mobile home bathroom doesn’t mean you have to break the bank. In fact, there are some bathroom remodel projects you can do with just a few dollars, depending on what supplies you use.

Here are just 10 different ways you can remodel your mobile home bathroom while staying on a budget:

A Fresh Coat of Paint

One of the go-to remodel projects for your mobile home bathroom is a new coat of paint. If you have walls in your bathroom that can be painted, then this is a great way to bring in some new colors and new style.

According to Sherwin-Williams, neutral tones are some of the most popular choices for bathrooms in 2022. A muted green or gray are among the top expert choices, along with some light browns and blues.

If any of these colors speak to you, then you can order free color chips to preview them for yourself! Full cans of paint can vary in price, but can run you around $60, depending on the quality and color availability. You can even use Sherwin-Williams’ paint color visualization tool to help get you started.

Find New Mobile Home Bathroom Organization Tools

Bathroom organization is a must for any home. So, when you’re going about a bathroom remodel, consider new ways to organize your bathroom belongings.

Some modern ideas that have caught traction include a hanging basket to hang your everyday items. Meanwhile, the classic medicine cabinet behind the bathroom mirror is always a solid, reliable choice. These can be bought for as little as $100 new, and hang right on your wall, offering storage for your everyday bathroom needs.

Re-Whiten Your Caulk or Grout

If you have tiled floors or walls in your bathroom, then this tip is for you.

The grout that runs in between your tiles was most likely white when it was first installed. However, it may have yellowed over time due to age. Some grout may turn other colors, too, due to moisture building up over time in your bathroom.

Thankfully, you can re-whiten your grout (or the caulk around your bathroom window, if you have one) with a grout whitening pen. They’re cheap – you can find some for around $10 online or at your local hardware store. These can go a long way in making your bathroom sparkle with shine.

An “Anti Tile” Bathroom

For those who don’t prefer to have a tile bathroom, there are other options for you as well.

These days, it’s popular to go for easy-to-install, easy-to-maintain bathroom flooring for a manufactured home bathroom. Some alternatives to tile include peel-and-stick tile, which comes with far less maintenance than standard tile, and laminate flooring.

Both of these types of flooring are incredibly easy to install – they stick or snap right into place. And, you can find them for far cheaper than tile floors or other types of bathroom flooring.

Bathroom Wall Art That’s Smart

Sometimes, giving your bathroom a new look is as easy as finding new wall art. A simple painting or photograph framed on your wall can be the difference between a bathroom without much flair, and a modern bathroom that feels comforting and relaxing.

You don’t have to shell out the big bucks for a quality frame or a Picasso original, either. Many wall frames can be found at your local general store for just a few dollars. And, you can occasionally find art pieces there, too. Even your local thrift shop might have the perfect piece for your bathroom!

Think About Your Sink!

We can’t talk about manufactured home bathroom remodels without discussing your sink. However, you don’t have to fully install a new sink during a remodel. In fact, you can switch out the faucet while keeping things affordable.

However, we recommend being careful during a faucet replacement for your sink, as doing the job wrong may cause further damage to your sink or to your bathroom as a whole. You also don’t want to damage the plumbing that runs under your sink, so take extra care when swapping out your sink hardware.

But, the good news is that sink hardware isn’t all that expensive. You can find quality faucets at your local hardware store for as little as 20 or 30 dollars.

Don’t Replace Your Tub – Refinish It!

The bathtub can seem like one of the more daunting aspects of a remodel project. However, it doesn’t have to be.

Many people assume that to remodel a mobile home bathtub, you have to replace the entire thing. On the contrary, it’s never been more popular to refinish your bathtub to give it an all-new look.

Refinishing kits for your bathtub are widely available online and at your nearby hardware store. While this isn’t the easiest remodel project on this list, it might be one of the most rewarding. Here’s one example of a tub and shower surround that you can look at.

DIY Your Toilet Repair or Replacement

This is another remodel project that might take some research beforehand. But, if you’re looking to repair a toilet that won’t flush right, or replace it altogether, you might not need to call a plumber immediately.

Of course, you should seek professional help immediately for major damage or emergency repairs. However, for simple repairs, it’s easy to seek out and implement a solution yourself.

If you’re replacing your toilet altogether, you can do so yourself with a helping hand (or two) and some careful research. After all, you don’t want to ruin the plumbing and create a headache for yourself!

Install New Cabinet Hardware

Maybe you don’t want to fully replace your bathroom cabinets – and that’s okay! One thing you can do is replace your cabinet’s hardware.

This refers to the hinges and the knobs that make your cabinets operational. If they’re damaged, are squeaky or rusty, or just don’t look as good as they could be, consider replacing them with newer options. You can make your cabinets feel new without actually buying new cabinets!

Accessories with Accent

Take a look at the accessories around your bathroom. The towel hooks, the shower curtain, the cup that holds the family’s toothbrushes. Do they all match? If not, you can easily tie your bathroom together with matching accessories that serve as an “accent” for your bathroom.

For example, if your bathroom has blue walls, you may consider accessories colored white or gold, to serve as a unifying accent.

Where Can I Find Mobile Home Bathroom Supplies For My Remodel?

Are you getting ready to start a remodel project? If you are, check out MHVillage’s Mobile Home Parts & Supplies page.

Here, you can find all kinds of bathroom supplies, from replacement parts to bathtubs. It’s literally the one-stop shop for your mobile home bathroom remodel that you can’t pass up!

The Impact of the HUD Code on Today’s Manufactured Homes

Today’s modern manufactured homes are an engineering marvel. They’re high-quality, offer incredible features and amenities, and are in some ways indistinguishable from site-built homes. And, you can often find manufactured homes at prices that are much more affordable than site-built homes on the market today.

But how did we get here? How did manufactured homes become the best answer for affordable housing across the country?

The answer won’t be found in this century. Rather, it’ll be found in the last century – in 1976, to be exact.

In this blog post, we’ll go over the history of manufactured homes in the late 20th century, and how one key event in 1976 changed manufactured homes forever.

What is the HUD Code?

In 1976, the Department of Housing and Urban Development passed what is now known as the “HUD Code.” This was a set of guidelines that ensured mobile homes, as they were known back then, met strict safety and quality guidelines.

Here are just a few of the guidelines that became mandated under the HUD Code:

Manufactured homes are more energy-efficient. Manufactured homes that are built under the HUD code use less energy to produce and operate, thanks to efficiencies in the construction process and the increasing use of energy-saving materials – particularly over the past ten years.
Manufactured homes are fire-resistant. Today’s manufactured homes are built with flame-resistant materials to better protect against fire conditions.
Manufactured homes are wind-resistant. Manufactured homes offer increased wind resistance in areas where high winds are common (more on this below).
Manufactured homes go through additional approvals. Before building a manufactured home and having it sited, they must go through additional approvals during the construction process.
Manufactured homes are more structurally sound. Under the HUD code, manufactured homes are built on a steel frame that keeps the home structurally sound while it is being transported and while it’s sitting on its home site.

Under the HUD code, manufactured homes are now set on a permanent foundation once they’re set onto the home site. This means that there’s significantly more room for higher quality when you consider that the home won’t move nearly as often, if ever, once it’s been sited.

But, perhaps the biggest change that manufactured homes ushered in were to how we classify them. Any home built after June 15, 1976 is called a “manufactured home” under the HUD code, and not a mobile home. The term “mobile home” is used only for those homes built before the HUD code became law. However, the two terms are used interchangeably to this day.

What Were Mobile Homes Like Pre-HUD Code?

Just because the HUD code introduced tighter safety standards does not mean that mobile homes were automatically of lesser quality.

The HUD code introduced the above safety requirements as a federal standard. So, every manufactured home built and sold in the United States MUST adhere to those guidelines.

Many mobile homes built prior to the HUD code already implemented these standards. What the HUD code did was standardize them to usher in a new era of high quality for the entire industry.

How Did Mobile Homes Change?

Because a standard was set in place for quality and safety with post-HUD code manufactured homes, new features slowly became commonplace.

For example, it’s now common to find manufactured homes with premium quality roofs made of asphalt shingles, TPO, rubber, or metal. And, having modern manufactured homes built to HUD code means it’s easier to find high-quality siding and skirting materials.

Not only did manufactured homes change, but the process by which they’re made was streamlined too. The factory-build construction process could now be streamlined now that all manufactured homes were made to the same standards.

So, this has helped keep manufactured home costs low over the decades, and to this day they’re one of the most affordable sources of housing out there.

With all of these changes in mind, you can see how manufactured homes have started to look more and more like modern site-built homes.

Are There Still Any Regional Considerations?

The HUD code mandates safety and quality requirements for manufactured homes across the United States. However, there are some additional requirements for certain parts of the country.

Many areas of the country are categorized into thermal zones and wind zones. So, if you live in a wind zone that experiences higher wind speeds, your manufactured home was built with additional protection against wind damage thanks to the HUD code. The same goes for areas with increased risk of fire damage and the need for additional heat resistance.

Where Can I Find An Affordable Manufactured Home Near Me?

If you’re ready to look for an affordable manufactured home, look no further than MHVillage.

MHVillage is the leading platform for buying, selling, and renting manufactured homes. With over 80,000 homes sold last year, it’s impossible to find a platform that sells manufactured homes better than MHVillage.

You can visit us to browse for mobile homes near you and find the home of your dreams today!

Can You Move a Mobile Home Into Your Neighborhood?

The concept of manufactured homes has boomed in popularity over the last several years. It’s easy to see why: they’re incredibly affordable and offer the same home ownership benefits as a site-built home.

Many people often wonder if a manufactured home can be moved into a neighborhood of site-built homes. While it is possible to move a mobile home from one site to another, the answer can be a bit more complex than that.

So, we’ll go into more detail about where you can, or can’t, move a mobile home.

How Mobile Homes Are Moved

First, we should talk about how the process of moving a mobile home works.

If your mobile home has two or more sections, it will first need to be separated so that each section can be transported separately. A multi-section mobile home cannot be moved in one piece for safety and construction reasons.

Your mobile home will have its own chassis and be moved from its old site to its new one. From there, your home will be installed the same way it was installed at the old site.

Sounds like a straightforward process, right? Well, the reality is that there’s a lot more to consider.

Can You Move a Mobile Home Into a Neighborhood?

The answer depends on a lot of different factors. Sometimes, however, the answer will be no.

One reason why it’s usually not possible to move a mobile home into a neighborhood of site-built homes is because of local ordinances or deed restrictions. Your city or township likely has requirements for what kinds of homes can be built or sited on residential land. Plus, the neighborhood might have deed restrictions with specific requirements for what kind and style of home can be built in that subdivision.

Also, it’s incredibly difficult in 2022 to find open plots of land in residential neighborhoods. If a neighborhood was designed and built with blocks of site-built homes, they’re likely going to stay that way.

Of course, there may be some exceptions. If you have private land in a neighborhood near you, you may be able to move a mobile home there. This would depend on local zoning laws in your area. Check with your City Hall or the website for your city or township to find what those zoning laws or deed restrictions may be.

Can You Move a Mobile Home Onto ANY Private Land?

Absolutely. In fact, it’s very common for mobile homes to be sited on land that’s privately owned.

There is, of course, a process you must follow when moving a mobile home to private land. For one, you’ll need a permit to have your manufactured home moved from one site to another.

This also means that you CANNOT, under any circumstances, move your mobile home by yourself. This is because moving a mobile home is an incredibly complex process that can cause damage to your home, your property, and to yourself if not done properly.

You also have to make sure that the land you’re moving your home to has been properly sited and evaluated. To put a home on private land, you will need a foundation, hookups for sewer and water, plus electric and gas service. Your land will also need a driveway.

What About My Modular Home?

No. You cannot move a modular home to a new location, unlike manufactured homes.

This is because when a modular home is assembled into its final form on its home site, it’s intended to stay there permanently.

It’s true that a modular home is similar to a manufactured home in that they’re shipped to their home site. However, with a modular home, the sections that form to become the full home should not be separated again.

Where Else Can I Move a Mobile Home?

Many homeowners choose to move their mobile home into a manufactured home community.

If you’re able to find an empty lot in a community near you, you could have your new manufactured home moved there. This is a great way to buy a mobile home that’s currently outside your community.

This could be your best option if you’re looking to live in a mobile home park with great amenities and reasonable lot rent. Check in your area to see if any parks have open lots.

If you’re looking to move a mobile home in the near future, check out MHVillage’s Movers page. Here, you can find a directory of recommended movers across nearly every state in the country. They can help you determine how to best go about moving your manufactured home safely, efficiently, and affordably.

The Ins and Outs of Buying a Mobile Home in Texas

Texas: the Lone Star State. It carries a reputation for many things: the Alamo, the great BBQ eats to be found, and for being the largest of the 48 mainland states.

However, Texas is also known for being a large (and still growing) market for mobile homes. Often, we’ll receive inquiries about how to find mobile homes in Texas, or how to navigate the process of finding a mobile home in a park.

So, here, we’ll cover the ins and outs of buying a manufactured home in Texas, along with some other things to know along the way to help you get into your dream home.

Texas as a Mobile Home Market

To look for Texas mobile homes near you, you can visit MHVillage to get the process started. Simply head over to mhvillage.com/homes/tx to view available homes in your market.

If you’re looking to live in a Texas mobile home park, you’re in a great state for that, too. The Lone Star State is home to thousands of parks that list their information on MHVillage.

So, if you’re curious about when your favorite community will have mobile homes for sale, or want to know which parks near you have your favorite amenity, then you’re in a good place to start looking for the answers you need.

Finding the Right Mobile Home For You

Since there are so many manufactured homes to choose from in Texas, it’s important to find a mobile home that best meets your needs. This is similar to how you would shop for site-built homes. As you’re looking for your new digs, keep the following considerations in mind:

Private Land or Community Living?

This is one of the biggest factors to keep in mind when shopping for manufactured homes. You’ll have the choice between buying a home in a manufactured home community, or on your own private land.

Many homeowners prefer to go the community route. In mobile home parks, you may have access to a number of amenities that range from walking trails to clubhouses to pools and saunas. And, you may have some of your utilities covered under your “lot rent” – such as water, trash pickup, or even high-speed internet.

You can read more about the benefits of living in a manufactured home community.

The other primary option is living in your manufactured home on private land. This also has many benefits for the homeowner. For one, you can have your Texas mobile home moved to a lot that’s as big as you like, provided it’s gone through the right site preparation. Many homeowners also prefer the privacy that comes with a mobile home on private land.

If you’re interested in reading up on what it takes to own a mobile home on private land, check out this blog post from the MHVillager.

Home Size

How many people will live with you? Do you want extra space in your kitchen for entertaining? Would you like an extra room to use as a home office or a flex room?

These questions are just a few that you’ll want to think about as you consider what size of home you should buy. Single-wide manufactured homes can offer enough space for a family and offer the most value. Or, if you want something bigger, you can also consider a multi-section home that offers even more space and options.

Cost

Of course, you have to ensure you have a budget laid out for your mobile home purchase. You want to ensure you have enough saved up to cover the down payment for your new home, as well as for closing costs and any renovations you may want to make once you move in. It’s also important to remember that the cost of mobile homes on average are usually far less than that of site-built homes.

The Offer, Inspection, and Closing

Once you’ve found the home of your dreams, you’ll likely want to tour it, either virtually or in-person, and decide whether you’ll make an offer on the home. When you decide to offer, you’ll contact the owner to begin the sale process. Keep in mind that the sticker price rarely matches the final selling price on the home, depending on what you decide to offer or what the seller’s counter-offer may be.

When your offer has been accepted, there are just a few more things to take care of before you’re ready to move in. First is the mobile home inspection. Even if the seller has ordered an inspection prior to listing the home, you’ll want to have one done yourself to make sure you fully understand the condition of your new Texas mobile home.

Before the home is officially yours, you’ll also have to sign the closing paperwork. What exactly you sign will vary from state to state when it comes to mobile homes, but you can generally expect to sign a transfer of ownership agreement, along with a bill of sale.

Texas-Specific Considerations

In many states, a “title” is the document that certifies you as the owner of a mobile home. In the state of Texas, this document is referred to as a “Statement of Ownership and Location” – or SOL. This document functions similar to a title, but is more online-friendly. In fact, you may not even need it for the closing paperwork.

Something else that Texas has is an online network of registered mobile homes in the state. If you’re interested in buying a mobile home and want to learn more about a home you’re looking at, you can search it using this database and see if it has any active liens, or to verify its age or ownership status.

Ready to look for mobile homes in the Lone Star State? If you are, then head over to MHVillage today to get started!

What Manufacturers Sell Mobile Homes in Your State?

We’ve talked before about mobile home manufacturers. They play a vital role in building and shipping today’s manufactured homes to home sites and communities across the country.

In fact, they’re such an important part of manufactured housing that some homebuyers go directly to the manufacturers to order new mobile homes. They also order customized manufactured homes that offer additional features.

And, some communities rely on the manufacturers for their new home shipments, too. But, not every home builder offers their homes for sale in every state in the U.S.

So, the MHVillager has assembled this handy guide so that you can see which manufacturers sell mobile homes in your state. These manufacturers sell their mobile homes through sales centers that are located in various states across the country.

This list is made up of some of the top manufacturers in manufactured housing today and where their sales centers are located based on publicly available information.

Keep in mind that many of these manufacturers offer new manufactured homes directly through MHVillage. If you visit our Manufactured and Mobile Home Dealers page, you can find the closest dealers near you that offer manufactured homes from home builders.

Adventure Homes

Dream it. Design it. Build it. Love it. That’s the motto that Adventure Homes swears by.

Headquartered in Northeastern Indiana, Adventure Homes ships and sells manufactured homes throughout the Midwest and parts of the South.

So, if you’re in Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, West Virginia, Wisconsin, or Wyoming, Adventure Homes is at your disposal.

Cappaert Manufactured Housing

Cappaert Manufactured Housing is another manufacturer with sales centers throughout the South. This makes them another great example of a regional manufacturer for factory-built homes.

While they’re based in and operate out of Mississippi, you can also find Cappaert-affiliated sales centers in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Texas.

Cavco Industries

This is a name you’ll hear thrown around a lot when it comes to manufactured housing. Not only does Cavco Industries operate sales centers in various states, but they also operate various other manufacturer brands across the country.

We’ll get into some of those in just a minute. But, if you’re looking for a Cavco-specific sales center, then you’ll find them in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.

Chariot Eagle

Chariot Eagle is the first of many Cavco brands that you’ll see on this list. They’re based out of Ocala, FL and are another regional operator similar to many others here. The majority of their sales operations are based in Florida, but they serve other states as well.

Specifically, if you’re in Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, or Tennessee, you’ll have a Chariot Eagle sales center at your disposal.

Clayton Homes

It’d be easier to list the states where Clayton Homes doesn’t operate. This is because Clayton Homes is one of the biggest manufacturer in the United States when it comes to manufactured homes.

In fact, unless you live in Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Jersey, or Rhode Island, you have a Clayton sales center in your state in the mainland U.S.

Commodore Homes

Commodore Homes is another manufacturer with wide reach across the country. Like Cavco, they operate many brands under the Commodore name.

You can find Commodore Homes sales centers in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Destiny Home Builders

Destiny Home Builders has built and sold manufactured homes within the southern United States since 1978.

In fact, if you live in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, or South Carolina, you can find a Destiny sales center near you if you want to go with a regional provider.

Fairmont Homes

Fairmont Homes is another manufacturer that operates primarily in the Midwest. While they’re one of a few manufacturers that also operate in Canada, their primary operations are in the United States.

You can visit a Fairmont Homes sales center if you live in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Wisconsin, or West Virginia.

Fleetwood Homes

Fleetwood Homes has been in operation for over 55 years, and is another Cavco brand. Like many of the other manufacturers on this list, each Fleetwood plant builds homes for locations in its geographical region. So, a Fleetwood plant in Georgia would build for their sales centers in Georgia. You can browse Fleetwood manufactured homes for sale near you if you live in California, Georgia, Idaho, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.

Friendship Homes

If you live in Minnesota, Montana, North and South Dakota, or Wisconsin, then Friendship Homes sales centers are another option at your disposal. Some fun facts: Friendship Homes is based out of Minnesota, sells manufactured homes in Canada, and has been a Cavco brand since 2015.

Jacobsen Homes

Jacobsen Homes is another brand that’s been around for over 60 years (since 1959, in fact). Based in the Tampa Bay area, they’re rather unique in that they only sell manufactured homes in the state of Florida.

It’s easy to see why: Florida is by far the hottest market for manufactured homes in 2022. So, if you live in the Sunshine State and want to buy a mobile home of your own, Jacobsen Homes is a local option to consider.

Legacy Housing

Legacy Housing is another manufacturer of factory-built homes that can be considered one of the biggest. Operating across the Southeast and Southwest, they’re another name that you may hear frequently.

If you’re looking for a Legacy Housing sales center, look in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas.

Palm Harbor Homes

Palm Harbor Homes has manufactured home sales centers all over the country. If you’re in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Montana, North Carolina, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, or Washington, you can look to Palm Harbor Homes for a sales center near you.

Scotbilt Homes, Inc.

Another well-known manufactured home builder in the South (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and the Carolinas to be exact), Scotbilt Homes is a relatively newer manufacturer. They were founded in 2004, and in just a short time have become a major manufacturer known by many. Recently, they became a member of the Skyline Champion family. Speaking of which…

Skyline Champion

No list of manufacturers would be complete without including Skyline Champion. A highly-recognizable brand that comprises Skyline Homes and Champion Home Builders, they’re yet another builder with a high reputation.

For homeowners-to-be in Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Texas, a Skyline Champion sales center is not that far away.

Sunshine Homes

Rounding out our list is Sunshine Homes, which has operated since 1971 in the South and Midwest. If you’re looking for a new factory-built home in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, or Texas, Sunshine Homes is an option for you.

Like we said, this isn’t an exhaustive list of every single manufactured home builder out there. Rather, this is a list of some of the most common ones you’ll find, and which states they operate in. Manufacturers are always growing into new markets, so this list may change along with market conditions. So, if you don’t see your state serviced by your favorite manufacturer, keep an eye out for updates.

Don’t forget: you can also browse MHVillage for new and pre-owned manufactured and mobile homes near you.

What Are Other Names For Manufactured Homes?

Mobile homes are one of the most popular forms of affordable housing, and their influence is only growing. With 22 million Americans (and counting) living in mobile homes, it’s hard to deny that they’re accessible, affordable, and incredibly high-quality.

Because of how popular mobile homes have become, they’ve come to be known under many different names. Even though there are many different names for mobile homes, some of them carry slightly different meanings. Some of them are even used to incorrectly describe the modern manufactured homes that are commonplace today.

So, in this post, we’ll catalog some of the main terms you’ll hear that are used to describe today’s manufactured homes. And, we’ll talk about whether the terms are accurate, and their historical origins if they’re available.

Manufactured Homes

Manufactured homes is the official term for factory-built homes built under the “HUD Code” that was enacted in 1976. This code dictates how manufactured homes are constructed from a safety standpoint.

Under this code, all manufactured homes built before the HUD Code was enacted are referred to as mobile homes. The exact date that marks the eras of mobile homes and manufactured homes is June 15, 1976.

But, what are some of the quality differences that make modern manufactured homes so appealing for today’s homebuyers? Well, there are many.

For one, the factory-built process with which manufactured homes are made has evolved over the past several decades. Now, manufactured homes are made incredibly efficiently before being shipped to the home site.

Another important distinction is that modern manufactured homes are more often than not set on a permanent foundation, much like site-built homes. While some can be moved from place to place, they’re not as “mobile” as pre-HUD code mobile homes.

Mobile Homes

Like we mentioned earlier, mobile homes technically refer to factory-built homes built before the HUD Code was enacted in 1976. However, when talking about manufactured housing, the term mobile home is still incredibly popular and used widely, both by consumers and within the industry.

This is why you’ll often see the term mixed in with manufactured homes, even though they refer to two factory-built home types that are technically different from each other.

Modular Homes

Modular homes are a similar, yet distinct type of home from mobile homes and manufactured homes.

A manufactured home’s safety codes are based on the federal HUD code that we discussed earlier. With a modular home, they’re instead subject to state building codes. For example, in the state of Florida a modular home follows coding requirements from the Florida Building Code that affect how the home is built.

Because a modular home is not built to HUD Code, they’ll often take on different shapes and sizes compared to manufactured homes. This also affects how modular homes are shipped. Because they’re built and shipped in modules, keeping true to their namesake, they can be built with varying architecture or even a second story.

While it’s easy to mix up manufactured homes with modular homes, it’s important to understand that they’re vastly different in their production and style.

Park Model Homes

We’ve written before about park model homes, but it’s worth refreshing what makes them different from manufactured homes, and how the terms that refer to them are very distinct.

Park model homes, or park model RVs, are typically much smaller than manufactured homes. In fact, in most states a park model home cannot exceed 400 square feet with exceptions in a few states like Florida.

These are often more mobile than a manufactured home, unlike manufactured homes which typically stay in place once they’re sited. Because of this, they usually require registration, tags, and insurance, similar to that of a vehicle.

This is where the biggest difference between the two homes comes in: park model homes often are not used as permanent accommodations, unlike manufactured homes. Cavco Industries, a prominent home manufacturer that builds park model homes, says they are “designed to provide temporary accommodation for recreation, camping or seasonal use.”

So, while you may hear the term “park model home” thrown around in conversations relating to manufactured housing, they’re rather different from each other.

Trailer Homes

While many people still refer to mobile homes as “trailer homes,” this term is incorrect.

This term has been used to refer to mobile homes and manufactured homes for decades. In fact, some manufactured home communities are even referred to as trailer parks from time to time.

The term comes from the fact that moving mobile homes was far more common in the mid- to late-20th century than it is today. However, because modern manufactured homes are often found on permanent foundations, it’s inaccurate to refer to them as trailer homes. It’s also inaccurate to refer to manufactured home communities and mobile home parks as trailer parks.

Referring to manufactured homes as trailer homes has become less common as it’s fallen out of favor, since modern manufactured homes bear very little resemblance to actual hitched trailers.

Snap-together homes

In some regions of the United States, manufactured homes and mobile homes are referred to as snap-together homes.

This is especially common for multi-section manufactured homes, as the term refers to how the sections are joined together on a marriage line. The term originated in the mid-1900s.

These days, snap-together homes are occasionally used to refer to “tiny homes,” which are very different from manufactured and mobile homes.

Motor Home

This is a term that conflates manufactured homes with RVs and other large recreational and leisure vehicles. If anything, the term more closely relates to park model homes, which we discussed earlier, rather than manufactured homes.

You may occasionally still see some mobile homes referred to as motor homes. However, the term isn’t entirely correct unless the home is, in fact, mobile – similar to an RV or a park model home.

At the end of the day, the names that manufactured homes go by are varied and stem from different backgrounds and origins. As manufactured housing has evolved, so too have their names. However, not all names are the same, and some of manufactured housing’s names are either misconceptions at best or inaccurate at worst.

You can take a look at the high-quality manufactured home lifestyle for yourself by visiting MHVillage, the nation’s leading platform for buying, selling, and renting manufactured homes.

Mobile Home Kitchen Cabinets: The Do’s and Don’ts

It’s inevitable: with rising mobile home sales over the past few years, mobile home remodels are also climbing. In fact, we’ve seen an increase in remodels over the past few years, especially as indoor projects have spiked since 2020.

One of the most popular mobile home remodel projects involve mobile home kitchen cabinets. They’re a popular feature to upgrade that can radically transform your kitchen to make it more modern and high-end.

If you’ve been wondering how to go about a mobile home kitchen cabinet installation, you’ve come to the right place. We’ll go over the basics of manufactured home kitchen cabinets, as well as answer some burning questions you’ll have before you get started.

The Basics of Mobile Home Kitchen Cabinets

When you buy a mobile home, the kitchen will have at least a few cabinets throughout the kitchen. This holds true whether you buy your manufactured home new or pre-owned.

Many people, while living in their mobile home, choose to remodel their kitchen cabinets. This can be for a variety of reasons. The homeowner might want cabinets that reflect modern design trends, such as cabinets made of oak or polycarbonate (depending on what your tastes are). Or maybe the cabinets are showing their age and are chipping or cracked in places. Or maybe a homeowner wants to increase the resale value of their home before they sell.

Because the cabinets take up a sizable portion of any kitchen, it’s important to consider them heavily when going through a kitchen remodel. This is why many hardware stores and websites have sections and pages dedicated to kitchen cabinetry.

Can You DIY a Mobile Home Kitchen Cabinet Installation?

Yes, if you know what you’re doing.

Many mobile home remodel projects are quite simple and can easily be done without professional help. Other major projects, such as moving your mobile home, cannot be done under any circumstances without professional help.

A cabinet installation may fall in between those two types of projects. If you have the proper know-how and have done your research on how to safely install cabinets in your kitchen, then you can certainly do it on your own.

However, cabinet installation comes with safety risks, and that includes cabinets in mobile homes. If you’re mounting cabinets on your kitchen wall, at the very least you should have several people assisting, if not having a professional contractor help you out.

What Types of Mobile Home Kitchen Cabinets Are Best?

The best type of mobile home cabinets will depend entirely on the size and layout of your kitchen.

Regardless of your kitchen’s size and layout, the best arrangement of cabinets should offer plenty of storage space for everything you could need in your kitchen. This includes cookware, silverware, dishes for dining and serving, and other containers and tools you’ll need as you cook and entertain in your mobile home.

What If I Can’t Fully Replace My Kitchen Cabinets?

Just because you can’t fully replace your manufactured home cabinets doesn’t mean you can’t give them love. If you’re remodeling your mobile home kitchen on a budget, there are still a few things you can do with your cabinets to make them shine.

For one, giving your cabinets a fresh coat of paint can go a long way. Many homeowners especially like to take their cabinets from a natural finish to an all-white color. This adds a modern flair to many mobile home kitchens and has been an incredibly popular move for years now. Or, you can consider a light green, blue, or gray if it matches your kitchen.

Keep in mind that painting your mobile home cabinets isn’t usually the same process as, say, painting a room in your house. You may need specialized equipment, such as an airbrush, that can properly bind the paint to your cabinets, without getting paint on other areas of your kitchen.

If you don’t want to fully upgrade your cabinets just yet, you can still upgrade your cabinet’s hardware. This ranges from the knobs and door handles to the hinges that help your cabinet doors open buttery-smooth. Newer cabinet hardware on your cabinets can be a subtle, yet effective way to increase their longevity.

What Should I NOT Do With My Mobile Home Kitchen Cabinets?

If you’re getting ready to start a mobile home kitchen cabinet project, there are a few things you should never do for the safety of you and your home.

First, you should never begin a kitchen cabinet project without having a detailed plan of how your project will get done. If you start tearing out old cabinets or installing new ones willy-nilly, you may do some serious damage to your kitchen. This can include damaging the walls of your kitchen, not to mention damaging other items in your kitchen – or even yourself.

To that end, you absolutely should not destroy your old cabinets as you tear them down. For one, this can lead to personal injury or damage to your kitchen if you’re not careful. Two, you may want to keep the old cabinets on-hand.

Perhaps a neighbor will want to buy them off of you. Or, you could always recycle or repurpose them. Either of these options are preferable to throwing away scrapped cabinets.

Where Can I Buy Supplies for Mobile Home Kitchen Cabinets?

We’re glad you asked. One of the best places you can buy everything you need for a mobile home kitchen cabinet project is our Parts and Supplies page. This is your one-stop shop for cabinet needs, along with anything else you might need for a mobile home kitchen remodel.

Now, if you’re wondering where to buy new cabinets, many local hardware stores offer a number of options for you.

And, if you’re customizing your own manufactured home, you can even pick out your own cabinets yourself. Many homebuyers especially like to go this route, since it opens the door for high-end cabinets you might not be able to get elsewhere.

The Importance of Marriage Lines in Mobile Homes

If you’ve kept up with the MHVillager in recent months, or have already done research into manufactured homes, then you might know that some mobile homes come in multiple sections. These are referred to as double-wide, triple-wide, quadruple-wide, or multi-section homes, depending on the number of sections it has.

If you live in a multi-section mobile home, or are considering moving into one, then you should be aware of one very important aspect of how these home sections are joined together. That is, you should understand the marriage line.

What Is A Marriage Line?

In a mobile home that has two or more sections, the marriage line is the area where the separate sections are connected to create one multi-section manufactured home. If you have a mobile home with three or more sections, you’ll have multiple marriage lines that join each section.

The term comes from the fact that each section is married, or joined together in a seam that’s sealed to keep the outside air out.

You may occasionally see a marriage line referred to as a marriage joint, marriage boundary, mating line, or mating joint. Regardless of what you call it, it’s helpful to know where it’s located in your home.

Most likely, you’ll have a wall immediately adjacent to the marriage line. This is referred to as a marriage wall. The marriage wall is actually two walls put together to create a thicker, interior wall.

You’ll have a marriage wall for each marriage line. So, if your triple-wide manufactured home has two marriage lines, you’ll have two marriage walls. The marriage wall is a structural load bearing wall – meaning you shouldn’t do any work on it by yourself.

If you’re buying a pre-owned mobile home with two or more sections, you may want to have the marriage line inspected closely. A proper mobile home inspection will place a lot of focus on making sure your marriage line is properly sealed.

If you don’t immediately know where the marriage line is in your mobile home, it might be hidden. It may be under a layer of caulk, foam, or other insulating material. This means that you may need to take out any of this material before performing maintenance on or near your marriage line (more on whether you should do that below).

Why Are Marriage Lines Important?

Even if you never need to have maintenance performed on your mobile home marriage line, it’s still very important to know what they are, how they’re handled, and their durability limits.

Like we mentioned earlier, your marriage line plays a vital role in making sure no outside air gets into your mobile home.

Mobile homes in 2022 are incredibly energy efficient, and the marriage line is a big part of this. The marriage line is effectively an airtight seal that keeps your cold air during the summertime from escaping the home. In other words, without an airtight marriage line seal, temperature control in your home becomes impossible.

It’s not just about temperature control, however. Marriage joints are also incredibly important for maintaining air quality inside your home, too.

You wouldn’t want outside dust, pollen, or other substances getting into your home through a faulty marriage joint. This is why your mobile home marriage joints are incredibly important for maintaining air barrier effectiveness.

Your marriage line also helps to keep your mobile home level. If your new multi-section manufactured home is placed on private land, it may have been leveled prior to your home being sited.

If your home’s sections aren’t level, you may see the seal break around your marriage line.

Can A Marriage Line Be Damaged?

Marriage line seals are built with high quality and endurance in mind. Multi-section mobile homes can go for decades with very little or no damage to the marriage line.

However, in some instances, there are factors that can lead to various types of marriage line damage.

For example, perhaps the land around your home has shifted, resulting in cracking or chipping in the walls where the line sits.

Or perhaps the seal has come loose, letting in a draft and reducing indoor air quality.

In these cases, you should look to have your marriage line repaired or treated to prevent further damage or air leakage.

An unleveled home may also result in damage to your marriage joints. This can show in the form of cracked or broken insulation, or even cracks in your walls.

If you start to see cracks in your walls from a faulty marriage line, contact a professional immediately.

Can A Marriage Line Be Repaired?

Yes – but there’s a catch.

If you’re performing minor maintenance, such as re-sealing a small visible crack in your marriage line’s insulation, you may be able to perform the work yourself.

This can involve taking a can of spray-foam insulation or another appropriate sealant and filling in the gaps.

In most other circumstances, however, you’ll want to hire a professional to handle your major marriage line maintenance in your mobile home.

This is because of the stakes involved when performing large maintenance projects on or near where your home’s sections are joined.

If you try to handle a major marriage line project yourself, you risk doing serious damage to your mobile home. This especially goes for any work involving your marriage wall, as those interior walls are load-bearing.

Your marriage line may become separated and you may even damage the foundation of your home if you’re not careful.

Thankfully, many mobile home contractors can properly fix any major damage to your marriage line. This may involve some work re-setting the home so that it’s level, as well as re-insulating the marriage line to ensure a proper seal.

However, it’s important to remember that marriage line damage might not be all that common compared to normal yearly maintenance you might do for your home, depending on where you live and how level your land is.

That said, it’s still important to visually inspect your marriage line from time to time to catch minor problems before they become major issues down the road.

If you’re looking to buy a double-wide manufactured home for yourself, you’re in luck – we can help with that too.

With MHVillage, the leading platform for buying, selling, and renting manufactured homes, you can find manufactured homes near you that have the latest amenities in leading communities.

In fact, a google search for “double-wide mobile homes near me” will often show MHVillage as the top result, further proving our industry-leading reputation.

If you’re ready to start on your double-wide mobile home journey, then get started with MHVillage today.

Manufactured Housing Is The Solution To Affordable Housing Question

These days, a lot of fear has circulated around the affordability of housing – or lack thereof. Some of this is for good reason: in 2022, site-built home prices have increased by 20% compared to the year prior, according to CNBC. And that’s before you take into account the rising price and unavailability of rental housing across the nation. While there has been a slowdown in how high these site-built home prices have gotten, it hasn’t stopped completely.

All of this leads to the question of how best to provide affordable housing in 2022. We’re here to provide the answer: manufactured housing, or factory-built housing.

In fact, this answer is so profound that President Biden has recently outlined a plan to develop new financing options for manufactured housing. The drive to make this form of affordable housing even more accessible makes it perhaps the best solution to affordably own a home in 2022.

So, it’s worth taking a deeper dive into what manufactured homes are, what their features are, and how they’re making affordable homes incredibly easy to find.

What Are Manufactured Homes?

Manufactured homes are homes built in a factory before being shipped to the home site. Commonly known as mobile homes, they’re often far less costly than homes that are built where they stand – also called “site-built homes.”

Though they’re often sold and titled differently than site-built homes, manufactured homes are an incredibly accessible means of homeownership. This is the result of production efficiencies from building in a controlled environment, which keeps the build quality high while streamlining construction.

One key distinction to make with manufactured homes comes from the year 1976. This was the year the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) enacted building codes that regulate how manufactured homes are built to this very day. In fact, manufactured homes are the only type of housing built to a federal building code.

Homes built before June 1976, when the federal building code was enacted, are often referred to as mobile homes rather than manufactured homes. However, the two terms can be used interchangeably when talking about modern manufactured housing.

What Do Manufactured Homes Offer?

Contrary to popular belief, manufactured homes and mobile homes offer incredibly high-quality lifestyles for just about any kind of homeowner.

It’s not hard to find a manufactured home or mobile home with the latest luxury fixtures. For example, smart appliances and countertops made of premium materials have increased in popularity in manufactured homes.

Manufactured homes also offer extremely high safety standards. Like we mentioned earlier, all manufactured homes built since June 1976 meet strict quality control standards. This also includes protections against extreme weather and high winds.

Manufactured homes are also incredibly popular for their amenities. If you live in a mobile home park. In a park or community setting, you can be a part of a tight-knit neighborhood where you can take advantage of walking trails, pet-friendly facilities, athletic courts like shuffleboard, tennis, and pickleball, and so much more.

Many communities even have clubhouses where you can get together for a fun game or social outing!

All of this is offered at an affordable price that can be much more attractive than a site-built home. After all, being able to own your own home in 2022, one that’s right next to your favorite athletic facility or walking trail, is a dream that can’t be beat. Manufactured housing makes that dream possible.

What Makes Mobile Homes So Affordable?

There are a few key factors that make manufactured homes in 2022 such an affordable and attractive option.

The biggest one is their factory-built nature. In this aspect, the construction process is quite different. Unlike site-built homes, which are built on their permanent home site, mobile homes are assembled in a factory and then shipped to the home site.

While this might not seem like a major difference, the reality is that this has a MASSIVE impact on their cost. Because they’re built in a factory, they can be made much more efficiently when it comes to sourcing building materials, labor, and the lack of weather delays. And, factory-built housing means a team of builders can put homes together one after the other far faster than they can a site-built home.

This is the perfect antidote to homeownership fears in 2022. Because many are worried about the rising cost of apartment rents and site-built home prices, manufactured homes offer a solution for both problems. And, you can find a mobile home in a community with pretty great amenities, too. Bet your apartment doesn’t have a pickleball court, does it?

All of this is to say that a manufactured home is perfect if you’re looking for lower costs. You don’t have to settle for an apartment with $2,000 due per month in rent, or agonize over a mortgage that seems out of reach.

The State of Manufactured Homes in 2022

Mobile homes are one of the most affordable sources of housing in America in 2022. During a time of increasing stress and anxiety surrounding housing costs and inflation, manufactured homes are here to help relieve that stress.

One of the best parts is that it couldn’t be easier to find an affordable manufactured home that’s perfect for you. With MHVillage, you can browse mobile homes for sale or rent in your area based on a number of filters. So, if you want to look for a mobile home with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and is in an all-ages mobile home park, you can look for exactly that.

MHVillage sees over 25 million unique visitors annually, and processed over 80,000 manufactured home sales in 2021 alone. When you buy your dream home with MHVillage, you know you’re using the most visited, most relied upon website in all of manufactured housing.

Are you ready to start your affordable home search today? If you are, then head over to MHVillage to get started.

Buying a Mobile Home? Here’s How Manufactured Home State Associations Can Help You.

Manufactured housing has come a long way over the past several decades. Now, millions of homeowners have discovered the high-quality lifestyle that’s in store when they live in a manufactured home. However, that wasn’t always the case.

The mobile home lifestyle has seen a boom in popularity in part because of state associations within the factory-built housing industry. Their work to bring awareness to the affordability and quality of manufactured homes has played a role in why they’re so popular and accessible today.

But, if you’re just getting started in learning what the mobile home life is all about, you might not know about state associations, or how they benefit you.

We’re here to fix that. Here are some of the basics about mobile home state associations:

What is a Manufactured Home State Association?

A manufactured home state association is an organization within a specific state that promotes the benefits of mobile homes. They do this through community outreach, advocacy with local, state, and even federal governments, and collaboration with industry partners. State associations are dedicated to public education through these methods to encourage more people to become manufactured home owners.

These state associations are often run by professionals who work in various aspects of the industry. This can include manufacturers, community owners and managers, sales centers, and more. And, they’re made up of members who work across the entire factory-built housing industry, too.

How Can They Benefit Me As The Home Buyer?

Just because you don’t work in the manufactured home industry doesn’t mean you can’t benefit from them. If you’re looking to buy a mobile home in the near future, it’s worth paying attention to your state’s association.

They can offer you, the homebuyer, a number of benefits, such as:

Resources on mobile home education. Many state associations offer blogs and other articles about the benefits of manufactured housing. For example, if you’re just getting started with learning about the mobile home lifestyle in Florida, then the Florida Manufactured Home Association (FMHA) has a great page full of articles to check out.
Association-endorsed mobile home listings. If you’re looking to buy a mobile home, you can look for homes that are for sale directly from state association members. These listings are often found on the state association’s website, or directly on MHVillage for states like Florida, Michigan, and Iowa.
Association-endorsed communities. Mobile homes sold by members aren’t the only thing you can find with state associations. Some also are affiliated with manufactured home communities, working with them directly to promote the benefits of mobile homes. Similar to how you browse for homes sold by members, you can also look for communities to live in that are Association-affiliated.
Build your dream custom home. Some manufactured housing associations will even help you build your custom home by working with builders involved with the Association. You can visit your State Association’s website to see what options you have for customized floor plans.
Find Sales Centers near you. At a sales center, you can browse mobile home models for sale and buy one for yourself to move to private land. You can also get help finding a sales center near you to get the process started.

Does My State Have An Association?

Your state probably has a manufactured housing association that can help you with some of the things we just covered.

First, take some time to visit MHVillage’s State Associations page. This is a list of every major state association in the country. If your state has one, it’ll probably be on this list, complete with a link to their page on MHVillage which will have more information.

From here, you can see homes that are sold by association members on MHVillage, contact information for the state association, mobile home parks affiliated with that association, and a link to their website.

You can view statistics about your state association on MHVillage, too. For example, you can see a breakdown of the average mobile home price in your state, how many homes for sale are on MHVillage through your state association, and more. You can even see manufactured home communities that are affiliated with that state association, with links to their pages on MHVillage.

How Can I Interact With My State Association?

We recommend starting with their websites. Most state associations will have a page dedicated for home buyers like yourself to learn more and start the process of buying a home. Some associations, like FMHA, will have several different resources for homebuyers, such as buying a Florida mobile home, building a custom modular home, and tips on finding communities.

So, are you ready to start looking for a home with your state association and dive into the mobile home lifestyle? If you are, start your journey here at MHVillage and find your state’s association.

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