Guide to Manufactured Homes ─ Pros and Cons

A manufactured home looks like a great alternative to trailers and modular options. It is an affordable house that can easily compete even with classic houses. If you are wondering whether it is possible to live there with a family, survive cold winter, or even make a garage, this article is for you. You can also find numerous ideas at the Mobile Home Life portal, a website dedicated to all types of mobile homes.

Brief Stats for You

Recently the National Housing Institute published new data on the houses Americans live in. It turned out that over 22 million people around the states live in manufactured houses. More and more new families or single people prefer to settle in such places. While the site-built classic home has an average price of $107 per 1 sq ft, the manufactured model goes not higher than $49. It is widely compared to the modular home, which arrives at the future location in detail and is installed on a pre-made base. Yet, only the manufactured home of two of them can be called mobile.

What Is a Manufactured Home?

To be short, this is a type of mobile house, completely built in the factory and transported to the place of your choice. This type of housing is regulated by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, including the standards of quality and reliability. Usually, you can find these houses on retailers’ websites, but you can always contact the manufacturer directly.

The specifics of the house you want can be discussed with the building company before the building begins. This way, you can change the model, and floor plan, add more rooms, and even discuss the price. You have to decide on a home type, whether it will be:

• Single-wide, which is not big, but firm;
• Double-wide, which can have up to 4 bedrooms, based on your manufacturer. It costs more, and it is less mobile. It requires a bigger area to put it on.

The land you want to settle in must be bought in advance. You can also rent it, based on your plans for the future. Many manufactured homeowners considered it a temporary solution. Usually, these homes are located in the woods, far from the community with well-developed infrastructure, since many homeowners prefer total solitude.

Once produced, these houses are transported to the place you picked on specific chassis under the house, attached to the supporting vehicles. Unlike modular homes, these models can be moved from one place to another in case of an emergency. Yet, it may cost you a great price since you need to also hire an escort for it and a team of professional loaders.

It is possible to set the manufactured home on the foundation and make it permanent. In this case, you should remove the chassis and firmly attach it to the ground. It usually happens in such cases:

• The owner wants to turn it into a permanent home;
• You need a basement that you may turn into a shelter. The basement can extend the living area, adding extra room;
• If you live in an area of high winds, you may secure the building with a permanent foundation;
• You can elevate the house using a foundation if the area you live in is flood-prone.

Pros of a Manufactured Home

If you dig deeper into the question of manufactured home’s advantages, you will quickly learn that it is much more than a low price. Also, you appreciate the wide range of options it offers. You may discover new benefits for yourself. The most obvious advantages are:

• The price. Still, we can’t ignore the most obvious reason why people buy such houses in the first place. You don’t need to save all your life to buy a manufactured house. It is also an energy-efficient option. Even considering all the extra spending you have to make, like buying the land and paying for the installation, utilities, and transportation, it is still cheaper than the classic house;
• Customization. Unlike the classic house, which can’t be customized unless you build it yourself, owners of manufactured homes take an active part in the process of its design. You can be in charge of the final look of the house if it meets basic demands. You can ask for different walls, change the craftsmanship, size, and layout;
• Such houses can be made in a short period. You don’t need to wait a year to receive something that looks like a house but still needs repair. The process can usually take up to several months, based on customization and the total overload of the company developer.

Disadvantages

Let’s talk about the disadvantages these houses have. They can be lessened, and some are just a part of the deal. Here they are:

• There may be problems with loans and mortgages. Usually, they are not considered real estate by authorities but rather personal property. If you want to receive a loan, you may look for alternative money lenders with higher rates;
• Regulations. You may need to search for the local rules of this property since they differ from state to state. Besides, there is a homeowner’s association you have to deal with;
• The value of such a home is less than the traditional one. It may still increase, but we don’t know this for sure.

To Buy or Not To Buy?

Whether you want to keep saving money on a traditional house or prefer a manufactured one is up to you. Such places are getting more popular over the years, and you may appreciate their mobility while still being the classic home inside. This house is affordable, can be quickly built, and designed by you. If you don’t mind paying developers for transportation to the new place you’ve picked and planned your future in this house, you may start by learning the local companies’ options.