If you live in the United States, chances are the temperature has already started to dip a little bit. This is especially true if you live in the Midwest or the Northeast.
While there are still some warm days ahead for much of the country, it’s important to remember that there are some home maintenance fixes that can’t be done during the winter.
Whether something has to be done outdoors above a certain temperature or needs to be done to keep your house warm during the coldest months, these are just a few of the things you can do this upcoming season to get ready to sell your mobile home in the winter.
Caulking
Your door frames and windows all have a layer of insulation around them known as caulking. Caulking can dry, crack and chip over time, which can reduce your manufactured home’s energy efficiency. During the wintertime, this can be critical for keeping your home warm and cozy.
Most of the time, you can’t re-caulk a door frame or window outdoors below a certain temperature. This is because if you try and re-caulk an outdoor door frame or window while it’s too cold, it won’t properly seal and provide its maximum energy savings potential.
As the autumn begins to set in, now is the perfect time to do an outdoor check of your manufactured home and see if any door frames or window frames are in need of a re-caulking. If you decide to do some caulking this fall, we recommend reading the manufacturer’s instructions that come with your caulking materials, or asking a professional for help.
Stain or Weatherproof Your Deck or Patio
Many decks or patios are made of wood, and that holds true for decks and patios that are part of manufactured homes.
If your wooden deck or patio isn’t already stained, sealed, or weatherproofed, you might want to consider staining it before the winter sets in. Both are generally separate processes,
Having a stained deck means you’ll have less maintenance to do throughout the spring and summer in terms of caring for your wooden deck. If you take the extra step to coat it with another weatherproofing material, you’ll prolong the life of your wooden deck or patio even further.
This is another home maintenance chore that must be done within a specific temperature range. You don’t want to stain or weatherproof a deck while it’s below 50 degrees. If you do, you risk not having an effective seal on your deck or patio.
Paint Your Home’s Exterior
This is one task that many mobile home sellers place high on the top of their list before they get ready to sell. Repainting the exterior of a mobile home can give it a fresh new look and add another bullet point to any home listing.
But, you won’t catch anyone painting their mobile home during a December snowfall. Not only is it impractical to paint outdoors in such cold temperatures for hours on end, but it can impact the drying process for the paint itself.
So, if you’re considering giving your mobile home a facelift this fall, now is the time to act. Make sure you’re well-versed on the equipment that you’ll need to paint your mobile home’s exterior, such as a spray gun and the right protective and respiratory equipment.
Make Sure Your Furnace Works
This one might seem like a no-brainer. But believe it or not, mobile home furnace maintenance prior to the winter can often fall under the radar.
Right now is the perfect time to contact your local HVAC specialist and make sure your furnace is in proper working order. Your technician may recommend a tune-up to ensure that you’re getting the most efficiency and performance out of your furnace.
Occasionally, your furnace may require repairs or a full replacement. Again, the fall is the perfect time to get those repairs done before the colder weather starts to set in.
Will Doing These Tasks Raise My Mobile Home’s Value?
Not every mobile home repair or project will have an impact on your mobile home’s value. However, there are some big ones that may play a role if you’re considering selling your mobile home in the future.
For example, making a major furnace replacement can positively impact your home’s value in many cases. Many home buyers see value in buying a mobile home with a brand new furnace, meaning that they’ll be set for many years to come.
There are other fixes that are worth mentioning on a home listing, too. Like we mentioned earlier, painting the exterior of your mobile home can also make for a stylish bullet point on your home listing that attracts more buyers. While it might not affect the selling price of your home, it will certainly bring more attention to your listing.
Most importantly, taking care of these mobile home fixes in the fall before you sell in the wintertime offers any potential buyer increased peace of mind. The question of when a furnace was last serviced, or whether a deck or patio has been weatherproofed, will inevitably come up during a mobile home tour or inspection. Being able to answer those questions with confidence will make a good impression with your potential buyer.
Once you’re ready to sell, head over to MHVillage, the nation’s leading platform for selling manufactured homes! With thousands of mobile homes sold every single month and a large pool of potential buyers across hundreds of markets, MHVillage is the first – and potentially last – stop for your mobile home selling needs.
