Buying a Used Mobile Home- Top 10 Things You Must Look for

            Buying used mobile homes is a good idea for a budding family whose budget is not enough to sustain the rent of an apartment or buy a new house. You can search through the internet and will find various sources selling used mobile homes. The fact that almost nine million Americans are now living in mobile homes and that the number will increase as the country’s economy is far from revival you will find a big market selling these homes.

            So if you’re a home buyer and looking for used mobiles in the market, there are things that you should consider apart from the money, of course. You should not be hasty in picking the cheapest home because it might force you to spend more than that of the original price of the house just for repairs in the future.

The 9 things you must look are the following:

1. Passing the building code- it is the first thing that you must look in old mobiles. Many of them are built to meet building codes that are non-existent of today. You will find that recent codes may find violation in older homes such as in electrical wirings and installation. Aluminum wirings were used in the early up to the middle 70’s for mobile homes. These wirings are fire hazards and are discouraged by the recent building codes.

2. Look for size and not for model- buying old mobiles have certain limitations and one of these is the lack of varieties of models available for you. You’re lucky if you will find an available model that suited to your liking but you should streamline your choices to models that are big enough for you and your family. Number of bedrooms, baths, size of the dining area and other additional rooms that will complement to your lifestyle should be taken in as priorities in your list.

3. Check for the water- checking the water not only means a steady supply of water for the house needs. This also implies to undesirable waters that will damage your home if taken for granted. Roof leaks will cause stains in the ceilings that can be obviously observe. And if these stains are dried you can have checked the ceiling if there are rotten wood supports because of leaks.  Moreover, kitchen sinks and bathrooms should also be checked for water leaks. You must avoid plumbing problem.

4. Check the Electrical system- be sure that there is enough electrical circuit. The more you have in your mobile home like in the kitchen the more chances you will avoid electric overload. Faulty and worn electrical wiring should be checked also.

5. Look for shingled roofs- choose singled roof over a metal roof. Most metal roofs have no overhangs so they cause rainwater to enter the walls that will cause damage. On the other hand most shingled roofs have some overhangs. Pick a shingled roof that that has proper ventilation.

6. Walls should be sturdy- look for walls that are sturdy. 2 x 6in. lumber is a sturdy wall and if the spacing of the studs is wide enough to have decent room ventilation then it’s good. High exterior walls may provide you higher ceilings that will allow you to use standard-height doorways. An old mobile with a layer of plywood or oriented-strand board (OSB) as the external sheathing will strength to the structure.

7. Heating and Air-conditioning­- look for used mobile homes that have efficient and reliable heating and air-conditioning system to offer. Heating and cooling air outlets around the edges of the room are preferable to cold climate places, while air outlets around the ceiling are good for hot climate.

8. Protective underside- old mobiles that are better insulated are those that have protective skirt around it. Check if the one you will pick has protective skirt or a belly wrap around it while the bottom is well ventilated. Mobile homes that have permanent foundations have the best protective skirt.

9. Insurances- check if there are previously acquired insurances. This may add up to the price of the mobile home.

            Used mobile homes depreciate its value as well as the strength of its structure, unless it is permanently fixed and maintained that it will fall into a real estate. You can buy less in old ones than in new mobiles. But finding old mobile homes that have no problem is like finding a needle in a haystack. However, by considering the 10 things marked above, it will guarantee you of offsetting future complications.