Just drive by a mobile home dealership and you can sometimes see twenty or more models to choose from. But, just stop in a dealership, and you’ll discover there are hundreds of options and floor plans you can choose from. Dealing with hundreds of choices could lead to confusion and frustration. If you’re buying a mobile home you don’t want to be confused. Confusion could cost you hundreds, even thousands of your hard earned dollars to be needlessly spent.
To help wade through the myriad of choices and to ease the confusion of mobile home buying you may want to decide on some basic items and put them on a non-negotiable list. This list will prove useful when you start your search for either a new or used mobile home. It will eliminate many mobile homes that don’t meet your basic requirements. This will save you time and will lead you to your dream home.
The following is a brief list of items you may want to put on your non-negotiable list. Remember each individual’s list may vary:
(a) Size of mobile home you want
(b) Number of bedrooms
(c) Number of baths.
(d) Based on your personal finances decide on either new or used
Don’t be discouraged if your budget only allows you to purchase a used mobile home. Rest assured, there are bargains to be found and the best tip in finding one is to be patient during your search.
In buying a used mobile home you should look for flaws that can either affect the price or eliminate it as a choice. It is beyond the scope of this article to discuss every possible flaw. However, there is one keyword to remember that could help in finding many flaws and the word is: Water.
The moment you step inside a used mobile home check the floor area in front of the door for weakness or water damage. Now would be a good time to get out your pen and notebook and write down any flaws you find during your inspection.
Don’t stop your inspection at that door. Check all other entrance doors and then move on to check the windows and window frames throughout the mobile home for any water damage. If there is furniture in front of an area you’d like to check, don’t be shy. Ask the owner if the item can be moved. If they say no, they’re might be a reason. Proceed with caution and note that fact in your notebook.
After you have checked all entrance doors and all the windows your water inspection should continue. You should ask to see the water heater. When looking at it, look to see if the floor sags or is stained from past water leaks. Check the pipes for any drips or leaks.
After checking the water heater you should look under every sink in the mobile home. Here again look to see if the floor or cabinet is damaged from former leaks or wet from current ones. Turn the faucets. Are they hard to shut off and do they drip after you shut them off? Another thing to look for under the sink is to check the water line and if it is polybutylene-be careful- it is notorious for bursting or leaking and causing water damage.
Polybutylene pipe leaks can occur in the mobile home anywhere the water lines run. You may want to check all of the floors in the home for weakness or sagging. As an added precaution you may ask the owner if the mobile home has ever been flooded, either by nature or even by an over flowing toilet.
Next, you could check the floor around all toilets for weakness. Sit on the toilet and see if it moves. Flush it and listen to see if the water continues to run.
While in the bathroom you should check inside showers and tubs. Look at the wall and notice if they are mildewed or cracked. Are there any holes in tubs or showers? Look up at the ceiling and see if there is water damage from the shower. If there are brown patches on the ceiling it might not be from the shower but instead a roof leak.
Check all ceilings in the mobile home for signs of possible leaks and afterwards take your water inspection outside. Bring along a pair of binoculars and check out the roof (for safety don’t climb on the roof). Check for any damage or repairs. If it is a metal roof look and see if it is rusty. Metal mobile home roofs are usually painted every two to three years. While looking at the roof look to see if any vent pipes are missing their caps. If so, rainwater could seep into the mobile home and cause damage.
After you have finished your water inspection you should glance over your notes. With the information you have gathered, you are in a much better position to negotiate; if you are still interested in that particular used mobile home. You could decide to inspect it further, but don’t rush, be patient, and if this home is not what you want, don’t give up because you should still be able to find your dream home.
If on your non-negotiable list you have decided that your dream home is a new mobile home there are two keywords to remember during your search and they are: Best Deal.
When faced with a trained salesman, keep your non –negotiable list in mind and remember the salesman’s job is to convince you to buy a mobile home from his company.
The salesman may ask if you have a trade-in. If you do, it might be in your best interest to sell it to an individual and not trade it in. Often a mobile home dealer will tell you they’ll give you an $X amount of money for your trade. But, they’ll raise the price of the new mobile home by an amount close to the amount they quoted you for your trade-in. So, when you’ve decided on a particular model get the price first on the new mobile home. Then if you decide to trade in your old home, ask them what they’ll give you.
But, don’t let the trade-in value worry you now. Focus on finding the best deal. To do that you should probably produce a negotiable item list. This is different than your non-negotiable list. The negotiable list is where you will place all the items you’d love to have in your new mobile home but these will be items that you could also live without.
Now armed with the two lists and the foreknowledge of your spending budget, start your search. Don’t be swayed by the salesman and remember you’re on a mission to get the best deal.
After searching through hundreds of floor plans and if you finally find the new mobile home you want –don’t rush down and make a deal. First write down all the options you’ve chosen, and the model number, and size, and then go comparison-shopping.
Visit at least three dealers that sale that exact model and get their best price on it. Don’t sign or agree to anything.
Now, with the three different prices on your dream home you can now go and buy the best deal.
Finally, the key to finding the best deal on your dream home- whether it is a new or used mobile home-and avoiding confusion when wading through the hundreds of choices, is to remember to be patient.
