5 Things You Should Consider Before Buying A Mobile Home Fixer Upper

Buying and owning your very own mobile home is usually an exciting experience. But along with the excitement often comes doubt or even fear if you’re not quite sure just how to go about it.

5 things to consider before buying a mobile home fixer upper

Do you want a single, double, or triple wide? Which mobile home is the most affordable? Do you want a new or a mobile home fixer upper? Today, let’s look at five things you should consider before you buy a mobile home fixer upper.

1 – Location

To begin, let’s think about where your mobile home is going to be. Are you buying just the home, and moving it to your property? Or are you buying the home and the land that it sits on?

In many places, parks will not let you bring in a mobile home that’s more than 5-10 years old. Therefore, you’ll want to know what your parks regulations are before you buy.

Conversely, if you’re buying the land on which the mobile home is attached, you can go about it the same way you would if you were buying a normal house. If and when a mobile home is attached permanently to the property, it is typically in the category of real property.

2 – Price

If you’re worried about the price of a fixer-upper mobile home, there’s no need! In fact, you should be able to buy one at an incredibly low price. Because most people are just looking to get rid of their old mobile homes, it might be easier than you’d think. You may want to do some research on the home before you decide, so you know you’re not paying too much. Look here to find out how much your, or someone else’s mobile home is worth.

On the other hand, you will want to know how much fixing up the place will cost, before you make a decision. If you do the work yourself, it may take longer than if you hire someone. However, hiring will most likely cost more than doing it yourself. There are a lot of variables to consider, so don’t make an impulsive purchase!

3 – Time

Before you start diving headlong into finding a mobile home fixer upper, you do want to consider whether you have the time for such a project. Careful planning is going to be your best friend. You’ll need to know how much work the mobile home will need, and what kind of work.

If there are structural problems, those will probably take a good chunk of time to take care of. However, in some houses, all that might be needed is a fresh coat of paint on the walls.

4 – Design

Another positive aspect of buying a fixer-upper mobile home is that you can do anything you want with it. You can remodel the inside and out, and personalize it to exactly your ideal home. Before you go tearing out walls though, be sure you know where the load-bearing walls are. That way, you won’t have any structural problems.

5 – Condition

Most likely, if you’re buying a fixer-upper, it’s going to be a bit of an older home. This means it’s more likely to have more damage/problems, than a new home. Also, it isn’t unlikely that the previous owners have “patched” it up numerous times to “keep it alive.”

As a result, you may end up finding that some fixer-uppers are a bit too cobbled together. Or they aren’t in good enough condition to fix up. Here are a few things to look for.

Foundation

One aspect to keep an eye out for is a sinking foundation. If the foundation of the house is not sturdy enough or has not been properly situated, the support may slowly sink into the ground over time. Generally, by itself, this shouldn’t be a deal breaker, just something to consider before you buy.

Water damage

Another foe you want to watch out for in mobile homes is water damage. You’ll want to watch for overflowing gutters, and holes in the siding and roof. Water leakage can cause serious damage and moisture in the wall cavities that can lead to mold problems.

Pushing on the walls is a smart idea: a wall that feels slightly squishy is probably rotting. If it feels firm, there shouldn’t be a problem.

Electrical and wiring

If the owners of the house ever had problems with the electrical and fixed it themselves, you’ll want to inspect it. It may be apparent as soon as you step in the door.

A few things to take notice of are wires that are: dangling or hanging from the ceiling, extensions cords draped around the home, electrical outlets that don’t work, and any other amateur-looking repair jobs. If you’re not sure whether an electrical outlet works, learn how to test an electrical receptacle.

Bonus tips

It may be smart to get an inspector to come in and look at the mobile home fixer-upper before you buy. They could give you a professional opinion on any problems with the house. And they might just save you from a future of headaches! Once you’re ready to start fixing up your home, check out our article on Common Mobile Home Repairs.