4 Smart Tips To Help You Find The Perfect Manufactured Home

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If you are ready to own a home but want to save money and don't need a lot of space, a manufactured home (often referred to as a mobile home) may be your ideal housing choice. With all the different manufactured homes that are usually for sale, you'll want to know about the important things to look for when you're reviewing your options so that you can find something that meets your criteria faster. These four smart tips cover some important basics of what to look for in a manufactured home and can make your search for the right home easier.

1. Know What Size You Want

Manufactured homes are available in specific size categories, so it's important to think about how much space you'll need so that you can choose a home that's large enough to fit your belongings and live in comfortably without being so big that you are left with a lot of extra space and overpay for your home. The single-wide mobile home is the smallest size category, and these homes are usually no longer than 90 feet in length and 18 feet in width. Double-wide manufactured homes measure at least 90 feet in length and 20 feet in width. You can even opt for a triple-wide or larger home if you need additional space. 

2. Check a Home Thoroughly for Problems

Just like any other home, problems with manufactured homes could go unnoticed during brief home tours, and checking a home that you're thinking of buying more thoroughly can save you from getting stuck with a lot of problems that you'd be responsible for fixing. In addition to areas like the roof, floors, and other structures that you'd normally check in a home, you'll want to check the condition of the chassis, which serves as a manufactured home's foundation. The concrete pad or pilings that the home is set on should also be checked for damage or instability issues.

3. Order an Appraisal

You can get a manufactured home appraised to learn the true value of the home before you agree to buy. An appraiser can let you know if a manufactured home that you want to buy is being listed at a price that's around its actual value or if the home has been marked up too high. Some manufactured home dealers try to sell homes at considerably higher rates to earn more on their commissions, and getting the home appraised is a great way to find out if you're getting a fair deal.  

4. Read the Mobile Home Park Rules Closely

If you don't buy an isolated plot of land for your manufactured home and choose to live in a mobile home park instead, you should look closely at the park's rules before you agree to move in there. Some mobile home parks limit the number of people who can live in each home. A particular community may also have a strict pet policy that limits the types of pets that you can own and requires a pet deposit in addition to the home cost. Rules regarding personal landscaping, tenant age requirements, and the number of vehicles each household can own may also be included in the rules.

A manufactured home can be a great investment and will likely be much easier on your finances if you choose this option. If you take the time to do the proper research and weigh your decisions carefully during your home search, you may find the perfect manufactured home sooner than you think. 


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