WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN BUYING A USED MOBILE HOME

There is no better feeling than finding a good deal on a used manufactured home. You can save thousands of dollars, and often buy more home for your money than you were expecting. But to come away from purchasing a used home with a smile, it is important that you know what differentiates a “good” deal from a “bad” deal. So here’s a list of the most important items to watch out for when selecting a used manufactured home to buy.

Exterior in good order

What I mean by this is that the exterior shows no sign of rotting or detaching. You rarely see this problem except when the exterior is made of T-111, which is an artificial wood product that has proven to have extreme inability to withstand moisture. Metal, vinyl, modern concrete-based imitation wood – these are all fine in 99% of the cases. But T-111 is found to be lacking most of the time. Better to avoid it unless it is in perfect condition, as it might cause you to have to re-side the entire home.

Frame straight

This can only be observed when the home is up on wheels,  but you will sometimes see homes that are ready to transport but have a “bow” in the frame. This is a problem, not only for transport, but for leveling and longevity.

No signs of water leakage

Nothing destroys a manufactured home faster than moisture. It will rot the walls and floors, and can potentially lead to black mold. So beware of homes that have water stains on the ceilings, or any signs of rot around windows or doors.

Solid floors

Floors take a lot of beating in a manufactured home, and there are other sources of problems besides moisture than can take their toll. Replacing floors is dirty business, and can require replacement of the entire carpet or other flooring in the room. So walk the home from one end to another and see if you detect any weak spots in the floor.

Floor plan

Many older homes have floor plans that are not in keeping with modern tastes. So see if the floor plan is one that you like. Remember that you can’t really change it, so if it is not perfect, you might want to wait for a different home.

Quality of finish out

Different manufacturers and models have different levels of finish out. Just because it is a Clayton Home or a Fleetwood Home – or any other brand – does not mean that it has the same finish-out as the home you saw a couple days ago. All manufacturers have different price levels of models, and the fittings and cabinetry vary based on the price of that model. See if the way the home is detailed out is what you desire. It is very expensive to change the aesthetics of the home later.

Gas vs. all-electric

Do you want a home that’s got gas and electric, or do you want one that’s all-electric? In many northern climates, customers prefer to heat with natural gas as it is normally less expensive. So think through what you want to power the home with, and make sure that’s how the home was designed to be heated.

Room sizes

One of the big design changes over the years in manufactured homes has been the size of the bedrooms – especially the master bedroom. Make sure that the home you are looking at has a room size that will accommodate your furniture and lifestyle. Since you will spend probably 10 hours per day in the bedroom, it better be what you want.

HUD seal

This is an extremely important item – and one that many people do not know about. All manufactured homes began carrying a HUD seal starting around 1976. This seal demonstrates that the home was built based on the standards of the U.S. Government. Without this seal, the home may not be able to be moved into a manufactured home community in many cities. So make sure that the used home has a HUD seal to save yourself from problems down the road. The seal is normally located on the left, rear of the home (but can also be found sometimes in the hot water closet and even under the sink in the kitchen).

Conclusion

Everyone likes a good deal. So make sure that you are buying one. This list will keep you out of trouble, and set you on the path to buying the home of your dreams – at a bargain price!

By Frank Rolfe Frank Rolfe is a mobile home park investor and owns over 100 parks with his partner Dave Reynolds. Frank also leads regular Mobile Home Park Investing Bootcamps through the MobileHomeUniversity.com.