1983 Single Wide Gets A New Lease on Life

Recently we asked our readers to share with us their remodeling stories. Thankfully, they were happy to share homes such as this 1983 single wide from Shannon and Renee in North Carolina. This has to be one of the most drastic changes to a single wide we have ever shared. The couple managed to completely transform a plain 80’s single wide into a completely new home anyone would love to live in.

It’s Good to Make a Plan

Shortly after getting married in May of 2019 Shannon and Renee purchased an 840 square feet 1983 single wide and started the plan for it’s total renovation. They decided to break the projects into phases since they were living in the home full time and the remodeling was completely DIY.

Phase 1 included the living room and kitchen, as well as the master closet/laundry room. The couple tells us they re-wired, re-plumbed, installed new subfloor, new walls, new windows, new insulation, and sheetrock.

Phase 2 consisted of the master bedroom and bath. It was also a complete gut job including the wall between the bed and bath. Along with all of the work they completed in phase one they also added a heated bathroom floor.

In addition to all the other upgrades to the 1983 single wide, they also installed a ductless mini split heating and cooling system, which freed up floor space because there are no vents.

Expect the Worst, Hope for the Best

Expect the worst, hope for the best! That’s Shannon and Renee’s motto for home remodeling. They ran into a lot more issues than they thought they would, but they couldn’t be more proud of how it’s turned out so far. Renee tells us, the biggest challenge they faced was planning, they knew what they wanted but had to decide the best way to achieve it.

Although the couple doesn’t have a favorite room of their newly remodeled home, the kitchen and bath are both top picks. We can definitely see why! This definitely answers the question whether you should buy an older mobile home and remodel it.

Shannon and Renee plan to complete Phase 3 of the remodeling in the Spring of 2021, consisting of the guest bedroom and bath. So far the project has cost around $30,000 including new appliances and the heating and cooling system.

The couple does have some advice for anyone planning a remodel:

Be sure not to cut corners with the foundational work. If your ripping out walls, think ahead and add support in the walls for shelves, cabinets, etc, where you will need extra support. Again, planning ahead means you don’t waste time and money having to redo a job.

Don’t forget, if you are remodeling your mobile home we would love to share it with our readers. You can reach out to us here, or join our Mobile Home Living Facebook group and let us know you would like to be featured and while you are there be sure to check out all kinds of great ideas and remodeling tips and tricks from the other members.

As always, thanks for reading Mobile Home Living.