Manufactured homes are becoming prevalent throughout the country, dotting the landscape as a popular option for homeowners. A manufactured home is affordable, flexible, and completely customizable, making it a perfect choice for many family types. There are many benefits of buying a manufactured home which only helps to increase the popularity of this versatile housing option.
Understand the Difference
Manufactured homes have been in existence for years, but contrary to popular belief, the term manufactured home is not interchangeable with other mobile or prefabricated home options. Mobile homes, modular homes, park homes, and manufactured homes all have slightly different construction methods and styles, making them distinctly different.
- Manufactured Home: These homes are constructed off-site with the buyer’s specifications and then moved to the buyer’s location. People can purchase manufactured homes with federally backed mortgage programs.
- Modular Home: Similar in style to a manufactured home, builders construct a modular home off-site. However, a modular home is joined together on-site and assembled in pieces.
- Mobile Home: Although the public refers to mobile homes as trailer homes on wheels, this term is mainly interchangeable with today’s “manufactured homes.” Typically, a mobile home is similar to a high-end RV, allowing people to transport the house to different locations.
- Park Home: Like a mobile home, or high-end RV, these homes are of similar style but located in specific communities.
Benefits of Buying a Manufactured Home
A manufactured home is a popular option, suitable for a single person or large family. With flexibility, customizable options, and several federally backed mortgage and finance options, manufactured homes have several enticing benefits. Some benefits of buying a manufactured home include:
Mortgage Approved
Many future homeowners struggle with finding suitable lending options, especially if they have low credit scores or low income. Luckily, many manufactured homes can qualify for approved buyers with federally backed mortgage programs. Conventional mortgage options, such as VA, FHA, USDA Rural, HUD, and Chattel programs, can all apply to manufactured homes. These mortgage options can broaden the spectrum of potential buyers without relying on niche mortgages or programs.
Unfortunately, manufactured homes sometimes run into complications when it comes to the land under the manufactured home. Be sure to understand the lender implications of placing your home on leased land or land you previously purchased. A Chattel loan might be necessary if you do not own the land, considering your home a part of your personal property rather than a standard home. Chattel loans are typical but sometimes have higher interest rates.
Customizable
One of the most significant benefits of buying a manufactured home is the custom design aspect. Several options exist for a single, double, or even triple-section floor plan, giving new homeowners options for different home styles. Choose a single one-bedroom and one-bathroom home with under 500 square feet, or opt for a large, 2,500 square foot home that features four bedrooms and three bathrooms. There are multiple floor plans within each size option, allowing you to dedicate space to the common areas like the kitchen and living room or splurge on a large and opulent master bedroom and bathroom combination.
Of course, aside from your family’s needs, you will also need to consider the size of the lot where your manufactured home will go. A single manufactured home usually is about 15 feet wide, a double can be about 26 feet wide, while a triple-wide home can be as much as 45 feet wide.
Fast Building Time
The time to build a manufactured home is minimal compared to a traditional house build on-site. Builders construct manufactured homes in a factory, so they won’t have to encounter common building delays. Builders do not have to worry about inclement weather that may delay the build because they work in a controlled environment. Because many of the components on a manufactured house are interchangeable throughout several designs, builders can streamline the construction process with readily available materials.
A traditional home construction might take six months or longer to build to specification. Comparatively, a crew can construct a similar-sized manufactured home in as little as two or three months. Once builders have completed construction, it will only take a few days to install the manufactured home in your location.
Cost-Effective
A manufactured home is much cheaper compared to the cost of a traditional home. The average price of a 2,000 square foot traditionally built house costs about $307,000. Compare this to a double-wide home of comparable size that costs just $115,000, almost one-third the cost. A manufactured home will cost just $49 per square foot, while a traditional home can cost $107 per square foot or more.
High-End Finishes
All too often, the term manufactured home conveys a cheaply manufactured home with minimal options. With modern technology and building science, this could not be further from the truth. It is possible to add high-end finishes to a manufactured home, and often, people will make their interior space precisely to their preferences. Many manufactured homes can feature walk-in closets, bathrooms with whirlpools, vaulted ceilings, and gourmet kitchens. High-end finishes are becoming more the norm and less the exception in manufactured homes.
