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Tips for Turning a Mobile Home into a Forever Home

Tips for Turning a Mobile Home into a Forever Home

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When you have a limited budget, it’s important to make the most of every dollar you make. Many people don’t realize that they can turn a mobile home into a forever home with just a little bit of work. The following guide walks you through a few things you can do to turn your mobile home into the home you love living in for the rest of your life.

Choose the Right Location

In order for the home to feel like a forever home, it’s important to have a prime location for it to be situated. Buying a piece of property to put the home on ensures your long-term security. You won’t have to worry that the mobile home community will one day shut down, or the person who owns a piece of property you are renting wants to suddenly sell it. Mobile homes require a very small amount of land so finding one at an affordable price shouldn’t be too difficult.

Have a Concrete Foundation Created

If you want your mobile home to be your forever home, you need to give it a solid foundation, literally. Having a concrete foundation for the home not only protects the bottom of the home from the elements and animals, but it also gives the home a finished look. Concrete foundations only go around the perimeter of the home, so they are often very affordable and can be created in a very short period of time. In order to have a concrete foundation created you do need to own the property that the home is going to be located on because it does create a permanent fixture on the property.

Add a Deck and Entryway to the Mobile Home

In order to be able to relax and entertain comfortably, you need to have exterior spaces to enjoy. Having an entryway created will make getting in and out of the home easier. Having a deck added to the home provides you with great exterior entertaining space and can actually add a lot of value to the home. The deck doesn’t have to be overly extravagant in order to be great.

Upgrade to Engineered Wood Siding

Vinyl siding is the traditional siding used on the exterior of mobile homes. While the siding looks great, it can show signs of wear and tear over time and upkeep can be a bit of a hassle at times. Upgrading to engineered wood siding gives the home the look of a stick-built house without the high cost. The siding is designed to look like wood siding, but it doesn’t require the same upkeep that wood siding requires. It will have a grained appearance and is available in a variety of colors so that you can customize the look of your home for an affordable cost.

Sheetrock the Walls in the Home

The vinyl on gypsum walls in a mobile home exposes the fact that it is a mobile home. The walls have a unique look to them and are often thinner than traditional walls. If you want to give the home a more finished look, you can have sheetrock walls added to the house. You can then paint the walls and hang items differently than you can on the traditional VOG walls that come in mobile homes. This allows you to create a relaxing oasis you can look forward to coming home to each day. The sheetrocked walls can also help with insulation in the home to lower your heating and cooling costs at the same time.

Get Energy-Efficient Appliances

If you know that you are going to stay in the house for years to come, you need to invest in affordable appliances. Many of the appliances that come standard with mobile homes aren’t very energy efficient. This is because energy-efficient appliances are more costly. When you have money available to invest, consider upgrading to energy-efficient appliances. Start with the water heater. When you have an energy-efficient water heater, you’ll be able to start seeing a difference in your electric bills almost right away.

Add Landscaping Around the House

Many people who own mobile homes know that there is a chance that they will have to move home in the future, so they ignore the landscaping around their house. If you know that this is your forever home and you are going to stay in the same location for many years, why not add great landscaping around the house? Adding flower beds, shrubs and even trees to the yard can create the look of a stick-built home. Be sure that anything you plant near the home won’t have large, cascading roots in the years to come to ensure that the roots don’t grow under the house and damage the foundation.

Pay Off Your Loan as Quickly as Possible

One of the best ways you can make your home feel like a forever home is actually to own it. Take the time to pay off the loan for the home as quickly as you can. Many people are living a very lean lifestyle for a few months so that they can dedicate as much of their income as possible to paying off their home loans. Once the loan is paid off you will have peace of mind that you own something valuable. The equity in the home is something that you can always fall back on if times get tough financially. Owning the home will also give you a sense of pride and accomplishment in the long run.

Turning your mobile home into your forever home isn’t hard to do. You need to do more than hang a few pictures on the wall though. It won’t happen overnight though. Take the time to create a plan of action when it comes to creating a forever home. You want to be sure your home is a space you love and want to come home to each and every day. Taking baby steps towards transforming it ensures that you don’t get overwhelmed or sink deeper and deeper into debt.

A Mobile Home Might be a Great Option for Your Starter Home

A Mobile Home Might be a Great Option for Your Starter Home

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When you get married, the next step is to buy your first house. When you start searching for a starter home, you quickly realize how expensive they can be. Mobile homes may be an option to take into consideration if you want to create a warm, welcoming environment you can look forward to coming to each and every day. Learn more about why a mobile home makes such a great starter home in the guide that follows.

Don’t Have to Worry About the Homes Condition

When you purchase a stick-built home as a starter home, you more than likely have to buy it in used condition, if you are on a budget. This means that there could be a lot of things that need to be repaired in the near future. When you purchase a mobile home, you can get one in brand new condition for a much smaller investment. The home will be in great condition from the start so that you don’t have to worry about paying for costly repairs right away.

Mobile Homes Are Affordable Price

The asking price for a mobile home will be much smaller than just about any traditional home you can find on the market. There are even some mobile homes that are available in used condition to cut down on your buying price even more. If you spend less on the initial purchase of the home, you can build a nest egg to fall back on if things get tough financially in the future with the extra money you have every month.

Mobile Homes Are Easy to Finance

Since mobile homes cost less to purchase, most lenders are more willing to finance them. You do not have to worry about having a huge down payment for the home you want to buy. Since there isn’t a huge down payment, you only have to save for a short period of time or may even be able to finance that too. This makes it much easier to get the starter house you need and want.

Affordably Power Your Home

The small size of mobile homes makes them inexpensive to power. They are all on one level, and you can choose upgrades that make them more insulated to trap in heat and cool air to keep costs down. You will pay a fraction of the electricity costs that you would pay if you have a traditional home when you own a mobile home.

Mobile Homes Are Inexpensive to Repair

The cost to make repairs on a stick-built house can be huge. The pipes are often difficult to get to, and when something goes wrong with the electrical components of the home, they can be difficult to find. In a mobile home, all of the elements that make it possible to function in the home are easy to access and often very affordable to have repaired or replaced if needed.

Save Time When Cleaning Needs to be Done

When you’re first starting, you won’t want to spend all of your free time cleaning your house. A mobile home will take very little time to clean because it is so compact in size, and there is so much open space inside of it. This allows you to have a neat and orderly home without having to dedicate hours out of your week to maintain it.

Available in a Variety of Sizes

Many people think that when they buy a mobile home, they are restricted to a single bedroom home, but that isn’t the option. Mobile homes are available in various sizes so that you can have as much or as little space as you want. There are single-wide, double-wide, and even triple-wide mobile homes available so that you can have four or even five bedrooms within your home if you need them.

Mobile Homes Are Easy to Upgrade

Once you become established and have more of a disposable income available, you can easily upgrade a mobile home. The floors can be replaced with hardwood flooring, the appliances can be upgraded, and you can even replace the siding to a more energy-efficient option without having to spend a ton of money out of pocket. This means that as your family’s needs change, your home can change too.

Can be Moved When Needed

If you have to relocate for your job, you need to be able to have somewhere to live. Many mobile homes are completely transportable so that you can move them from one place to another if needed. This allows you to be flexible with your lifestyle so that you can always live wherever you want to live. You will have to pay transportation fees to have the home moved, but they will cost far less than it would buy a new home in a different location.

Mobile Homes Are Easy to Sell

If you decide that you want to upgrade to a larger mobile home or simply want to purchase a stick-built house in the future, your mobile home will be easy to sell. Mobile homes are designed to last for quite a long time and still home much of their value. Many dealers will allow you to trade your home in for a newer model if you decide to upgrade to a newer model in the future. If you want to sell the home, you can sell it yourself online or through a real estate agent as soon as your home loan is paid in full.

It’s important to remember that you don’t want to start your life off deep in the throes of debt. Many people make the mistake of investing in a home that is beyond their budget and struggle for many years to try to stay afloat. Starting with a home that is within your budget or even under your budget can serve as a great way to get your financial footing to create the most stable life for you and your family as possible. A mobile home can be a great starter home for anyone who wants to own a home but doesn’t want to have to pay it off for twenty or thirty years down the road.

8 Features to Consider for Your Mobile Home

8 Features to Consider for Your Mobile Home

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A mobile home can be a great investment to make when you are first starting out as an adult. They are very affordable and can be customized to suit your needs. Many people make the mistake of assuming that the show homes they see on the dealer’s lots are the only options available to them. This isn’t the case, though. There are many different features that you can have added to your home to make it fit your style or work well for your family. The following guide provides insight about some features you may want to add to your mobile home before making a final purchase.

Upgrade the Insulation in the Home

Most mobile homes have thin exterior and interior walls. Thin walls allow air to escape, which can make it difficult to maintain a constant temperature within the house. This can create electrical costs that are higher than they need to be. You can upgrade the insulation within the home to make sure that it is more energy-efficient. Insulation can be added to the exterior walls, the interior walls, beneath the roofing on the home, and even under the flooring to ensure that insulation is as great as it can be.

A Pitched Roof Can Increase Resale Value

If you know that you want to sell the house in the future and that it isn’t your forever home, you need to choose upgrades that are going to make it easier to sell later on down the road. A pitched roof is an affordable change you can make to the home that adds more curb appeal to it. Many mobile homes have flat roofs that can make the house look unfinished. A pitched roof makes the home look more like a stick-built home and can provide additional storage space, at the same time.

Hardwood Floors Add Character to the Home

You can have the flooring in the home upgraded to hardwood floors. Most homes come with carpeting in them because it is the cheapest flooring option available. The carpeting will become dirty over time and having to place it when you are ready to sell the house could be a hassle. Hardwood flooring can stand up to a lot of wear and tear and is very easy to clean so that you can rest assured it will look great for years to come

Add Sheetrock to the Walls

The vinyl on gypsum walls that are in most mobile homes can look a bit unsightly. They often have a textured feel to them, as well. Many mobile home purchasers choose to upgrade the walls in the home to sheetrock. The sheetrock creates a finished look and can diminish the noise that travels throughout the house. Sheetrocked walls can also easily be painted so that you can customize the house any way you choose in the future.

Upgraded Cabinetry Makes a Home Far More Valuable

The kitchen is the place where most people congregate in a home. Having a great kitchen can make your home feel warm and inviting while also creating a great place to create amazing meals for your family to enjoy. The cabinetry that comes with mobile homes traditionally is often very thin and lightweight. It doesn’t have much carpentry details added to it to give it character. Upgrading the cabinetry to higher-end options allows you to create a very sophisticated look in the kitchen. You can choose the layout for the cabinetry, the style you want to use, and even the color of the cabinets so that you can create your dream kitchen from the start. A finished kitchen with ornate cabinetry will make a home more valuable when you want to sell it, too.

Insulated Skirting Could Save You from Costly Repairs

Mobile homes typically do not have a lot of insulation beneath them. An insulated skirt can be a great investment to make because it not only keeps critters from taking up residency under the home but also keeps the space warmer during the cold winter. This helps to keep pipes from accidentally freezing when the temperature drops, while also creating a finished look to the home because it appears as though it is on a foundation. The skirting will add curb appeal to the home, which also boosts the ease of selling the house when you’re ready to sell it.

Engineered Wood Siding Looks Great and Helps with Insulation

Vinyl siding is often found on the exterior of mobile homes. It can deteriorate over time and leave you with an eyesore when people come to buy your home. Engineered wood siding is a great upgrade to consider for your mobile home because it has the look of wood siding without the high cost or difficult upkeep. The exterior of your home will be protected from the elements, look great, and stand the test of time with the engineered wood siding on it. The siding is available in a variety of colors so that you can create the exact look you want. You don’t have to worry about painting the siding later because it is designed to keep its color and just need to be pressured washed from time to time to knock any dirt or dust-free.

Being able to purchase a house that you know will still have a lot of value in a few years isn’t always easy to do. A mobile home that has a few of the upgraded options in it will be easier to sell and stand up to the wear and tear that you put it through for the years you live in it.

Most of the upgrades are very affordable, and some mobile home dealers even provide a discount if you choose more than one upgrade to make to the house. Once the house is built, it can be delivered to your property, and it will be ready for you to move in within a very short period of time. When you are ready to sell it, you’ll be able to walk away knowing that you were able to live comfortably and still get back some of the money you invested in the house with ease.

Reasons Why a Mobile Home is Great for Minimalists

Reasons Why a Mobile Home is Great for Minimalists

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Many people become tired of having so many things to keep up with regularly. Minimalism is becoming increasingly popular across the world because people realize that they are more interested in having amazing experiences rather than a collection of things.

If you want to be able to pair down your belongings, moving into a smaller home may be a great option to consider. Mobile homes are available in a variety of sizes and styles to provide any minimalist with a chic place to live. The following guide walks you through a few of the many reasons why a mobile home is so great for the minimalist lifestyle.

Less Décor Required to Create a Stunning Look

When you live as a minimalist, the last thing you want is a lot of clutter in your home. In a mobile home, there is far less space to have to decorate than a traditional home. This means that you can create the chic look you want without having to spend a lot of money. Many minimalists tend to invest in décor that can serve multiple purposes so that they need fewer items in the house overall.

Less Area to Keep Clean

If you work a full-time job, you more than likely do not have a ton of free time readily available to you. The little bit of free time you do get shouldn’t be spent cleaning your home. A mobile home is much smaller than a traditional home and thus takes far less time to clean. Many people like the fact that many mobile homes have surfaces that are very easy to clean such as the walls. The walls in mobile homes are often made from VOG, vinyl over gypsum. It is a very smooth surface that’s simple to clean when needed.

Fewer Items to Maintain and Upkeep in the Home

Since a mobile home is so much smaller than a traditional home, it takes much less effort to upkeep. With less square footage, there is less piping and less electrical components throughout the house. If something does go wrong, it will be easier to find out what the issue is. You can gain access to much of the plumbing in the house by going underneath it if it’s not on a concrete foundation. This can make maintenance much easier.

Less Cost for a Home

When you buy a mobile home, you have the option to buy a new or used home. The great thing about mobile homes is that they cost far less than a traditional home. They can also be moved from one place to another if they aren’t on a solid foundation. This allows you to buy a home at a very affordable price and have it moved to any property you choose. You can purchase your piece of land or have it moved to a mobile home community.

Mobile home communities do charge a monthly fee to keep the house within the community, so be sure to take that into consideration before choosing a community to call home. If you want to save even more money on the overall purchase of the home, consider purchasing it in used condition. Used mobile homes will cost far less than new homes and are often available in great condition so that they will last for years to come. It can be a great way to get the most bang for your buck when buying a home.

Less Storage Space to Minimize Belongings

If you are starting in your journey to being a minimalist, it may be difficult to stay on track when it comes to accumulating items. If you live in a mobile home, it will be easier to stick with your path because there aren’t ample storage spaces available. Once your storage spaces are full, you won’t be able to keep buying things because you won’t have anywhere to store them.

Less Exterior to Maintain

Maintaining the exterior of your home is essential to ensure that it lasts as long as possible. The roof on a mobile home needs to be maintained, but it costs far less to make repairs on the smaller roof than it would a larger home. You also need to have the exterior of just about any home power washed from time to time. This minimizes the likelihood of damaging mildew from growing on the sides of the home. Power washing companies charge far less to power wash a mobile home than a traditional home.

Less Cost for Appliances

When you have less square footage available to you, it creates the ideal atmosphere to invest in smaller, less expensive appliances. There are washer and dryer combos that have both appliances built into one. They also have smaller dishwashers and microwaves available that can fit into a smaller home with ease. They are much less to purchase initially, which allows you to spend money elsewhere.

Less Stress Overall

Knowing that you don’t have a huge home to clean or a ton of money that you have to spend to own property can save you a lot of stress in the long run. Being able to minimize your stress is just as important as minimizing the number of items that you own. You want to be able to have overall peace, and starting with getting rid of things that make you feel overwhelmed is important.

It’s important to find out if transportation costs are included with the amount you are paying to purchase the mobile home. If you are buying the home in new condition, there is a good chance that transportation is included. You will only be able to have the home transported a certain number of miles without having to pay extra for transportation. If you are purchasing a used home, you will more than likely have to pay for the transportation on your own. It will still save you money overall in comparison to what you will pay for a traditional home.