In the modern world, many people are choosing to downsize their homes and their lives. There are many reasons why, but the most common reason is it saves money, as well as simplifying your lifestyle and freeing up more time to actually enjoy life.
Mobile homes are always a good option, as they are smaller, cheaper than a regular house, and if you decide you want to move, it’s possible to take your home with you.
In this post, we offer some helpful tips for anyone looking to buy a mobile home.
#1 – Decide On Your Budget
Before you can go shopping for your mobile home you need to have a budget in mind, so you know how much you can spend. If you’re planning to get finance, then you’ll want a deposit, and you’ll also need to be aware of how much you can afford to pay off your loan each month.
Once you’re armed with this vital financial information, you won’t find yourself wasting time looking at mobile homes you simply can’t afford.
#2 – How Big Does Your Mobile Home Need To Be?
Another deciding factor is the size of the mobile home. You may be restricted by your budget when it comes to this, but you want to have a fair idea of how much room you need and see what you can find in your price range.
You don’t want to end up in a home that’s just way too small for your needs, or can’t adequately accommodate the number of people who will be living in it.
#3 – Will You Buy a New Or Used Mobile Home?
There are a few ways you could go here. You could search for mobile home parks in your area (or the area you wish to live) and see if anyone has a mobile home for sale. You could even buy a mobile home from elsewhere and pay to have it transported to your lot.
Another option is getting one built from scratch by a professional mobile home manufacturer. This way you end up with a brand new mobile home built to your specifications. The downside to new is it’ll cost you more.
#4 – Discover the Different Types of Mobile Home
The most common sizes are single-wide and double-wide. Doublewides are about twice the size of a single wide and will usually have a hallway. Single wides are narrow and a bit like living in a shipping container home.
Single wide homes don’t usually have hallways as there’s no room, and rooms are connected by back to back walls.
#5 Decide Where You Will Locate Your Mobile Home
You might decide you want your mobile home to be in a local home park. The advantage to this is you already know you’re allowed to locate a mobile home in the area, as it’s already been zoned and approved for that purpose. Another benefit of having your mobile home in a mobile park is that it will be under any expert management property company who can deal with operations, resident relations, lease administration, and accounting, of the property your home will reside in. One such company is Sierra Corporate Management.
Your second option is having your mobile home on your own land, or a lot you plan to buy. Before going ahead and buying the home, make certain to get approval from local authorities first.
#6 – The Search for Your Mobile Home
You want to shop around for the best deal. You could talk to a manufacturer about building you a new mobile home, check out the local classifieds online, or contact the mobile home parks to see what’s up for sale.
#7 - Don’t Be Afraid To Negotiate
Once you’ve got your eyes on a mobile home that takes your fancy, don’t be afraid to negotiate. Even if the price is well within your range, still negotiate for a better deal.
One thing’s for sure, you won’t get a discount on the purchase price if you don’t ask.
If you don’t fancy yourself as a negotiator, then enlist the help of someone who is good at it.
The search for a mobile home doesn’t have to be hard or stressful. Formulate a budget, make some plans and take things one step at a time.
