Is a Manufactured Home Right for You?

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You’ve followed the financial guru’s advice to increase your credit score and have saved up a good down payment. You are finally ready to make one of the most important decisions of your life, buying a new home. Now is the time to decide Is a Manufactured Home Right for You?

Deciding to buy a new home is just the beginning. The next step is to decide which kind of home is most suitable for you, your family, and your budget.

You will need to take a good look at your lifestyle and ask yourself a few questions to see if a manufactured home is right for you. The following are just a few key points you’ll want to consider.

Site-built or Factory-built?

The three most popular types of homes are site-built, modular, and manufactured.

Each home has their own pros and cons. For example, site-built homes have unlimited design options but long construction time. Manufactured homes have a much faster construction time, practically unlimited design and decor options, and a lower price per square foot.

In Dave Ramsey’s article, Is Building a Home Right for You?, he breaks down benefits and advantages of building your own home instead of buying an existing home. Every point he makes is true for a manufactured home, too:

 

Image Source: daveramsey.com

Manufactured homes offer every advantage in the left column!

 

A manufactured home isn’t right for everyone. But if getting a home that has never been lived in and getting to design the home exactly how you want then a manufactured home right for you.

 

Single Wide or Double Wide?

There are a couple of questions you need to ask to decide whether a manufactured home is right for you and your family. Both answers will play an important role in to find the home of your dreams.

 

Where do you plan to put the home?

The property’s dimensions will determine the size of a home more than anything else. The property’s size and shape should be large enough to safely install a manufactured home to code. Remember to leave room for utilities and driveways.

 

Related: Avoiding Issues During a Manufactured Home Purchase

 

How much living space does your family really need?

Living space is the most discussed topic on my favorite ‘find my new home’ show. It’s a heated topic because many buyers put their wants above their needs.

Plan a family night to create a realistic list of the things you absolutely need in a home, along with the ideal room size, to help decide how much square footage of living space you need.

Don’t forget about future events when choosing your square footage. The space you need now may not be the needed after the kids graduate.

 

Related: Buying a Manufactured Home: Warranties and How to Handle Issues After the Sell

 

A single wide can be great for a single person or small family, but if you have children or plan to grow your family you may want to consider a double wide.

 

Related: 9 Easy Steps To Buying a New Manufactured Home

 

Image Source: Energy.gov

How Much Home Can You Afford?

Dave Ramsey is a financial genius that has helped many people make smarter money decisions. He has a large section on his website titled Home Buying. One of the first lines you see is:

 

Each month, thousands of people spend too much on their home purchase.

Dave Ramsey

 

When considering if a manufactured home is right for you should think about your budget honestly and thoroughly. You only want to spend what you can comfortably afford today and tomorrow. Most financial pros agree that your monthly mortgage payment should never be more than 25% of your monthly gross income.

Related: 30 Tips for Buying a New Manufactured Home

 

Manufactured homes will likely be the most affordable home option. They are much lower when compared to the price per square foot of a site-built home.

The price range of a typical single wide can range anywhere from $24,000-$78,000. While the price range of a double wide can be anywhere from $48,000 to as much as $120,000 depending on the features and size of the home.

 

PS Manufactured Homes Can Appreciate

Many people believe that a manufactured home cannot appreciate. These people are wrong.

When attached to the property a manufactured home can gain equity just like a site-built home. A study done a few years ago proved that manufactured homes gained value just as well as a site-built home. Manufactured homes in parks and communities outside of the popular retirement areas do lose value more often than not but the lower housing costs can still make choosing a manufactured home a smart choice.

 

Read ‘Manufactured Homes Can and Do Appreciate’ to learn more.

 

Manufactured homes have given millions of families the opportunity to own a beautiful home at a price that us regular people can actually afford. The industry leaves a lot to be desired and financing and insuring is often a pain but manufactured homes are a good housing choice for many.

Yes, the McMansion is nice but so is having your home paid for by the time you are 40.

Imagine how many people could have had a great home at a lower price if only they would have taken a good, neutral look at manufactured homes. Many could have retired earlier!

I hope you have enjoyed this article and this has helped you decide whether a manufactured home right for you?! Thank you for reading Mobile Home Living!