The residents of Ridgeway , Va. , are hold their corporate breath . For twelvemonth the Shady Rest mobile home park on U.S. 220 was an eyesore . Some of the homes were poorly hold and stacked close together like cord woodwind . The common itself was litter with rubble [ source : Collins ] .
Finally , the roving base park closed and Ridgeway residents exhale . Now , Atul Chumble , the newfangled owner of the property , wants to reopen the car park , and the neighbors of the former Shady Rest are once again upset . They do n’t require to see another rundown park built in its position . But Chumble says his plan is to update Shady Rest and turn it into a overnice , liveable community of interests . Still , Ridgeway occupier want local officials to keep an eye on the project . As for Chumble , he told neighbour that he does n’t like eyesore himself [ informant : Collins ] .
The reaction of Ridgeway is understandable . fabricate home Rosa Parks , more usually known as poke parking lot , are like the Rodney Dangerfield of homeownership – they get very little regard . So , when one is planned for a residential area , all heck break loose . Neighbors instantly fear holding values will go down , offence will run rampant , and the park itself will be litter with junkcars , sofas on the front lawn ( if there is a lawn ) and kids in sagging nappy .
Little do the residents of Ridgeway realize that a young era of manufacture homes has dawned . Today , most multitude would be hard pressed to tell the dispute between a manufactured domicile and a site - make home . Manufactured homes now come up with landscaped lawn and garage . Many are multi - story structures that have vim effective heating and cool systems andENERGY STARappliances .
More than 17 million Americans live in invent home . What do they know that the rest of us do n’t ? interpret on to find out the 10 advantages of a manufactured home .
10: Affordability
In 2007 , Jim and Debby Laramie moved into a newfangled 1,720 - satisfying - metrical foot modular home in Gulfport , Fla. At the fourth dimension , they paid $ 118,000 [ rootage : Swider ] . The Laramies could n’t believe their good luck . In 2007 , the average Mary Leontyne Price of a unmarried single - menage house in Pinellas County , where Gulfport is located , was $ 210,000 . The Laramies were getting a bargain , and they knew it . They bought a brand new , modern house for $ 92,000 less than what a distinctive individual - kin home plate was worth [ origin : Swider ] .
Manufactured living accommodations is an low-priced option for Americans to purchase their ownhomes . Manufactured home can be an norm of $ 62,600 , compared with $ 272,200 for a single - syndicate situation - built home [ reservoir : U.S. Census Bureau , U.S. Census Bureau ] . Manufactured home also cost 10 to 35 per centum less per square foot to build than site - built homes [ source : ManufacturedHousing.org ] .
The in-between class hump cook up homes . allot to ManufacturedHousing.org , average annual income for those living in a manufacture home is $ 34,700 . Twenty - four percent of all menage , however , bring home $ 50,000 or more each year . In addition , the average menage size of it is 2.7 citizenry [ ManufacturedHousing.org ] .
9: Control over the Building Process
Anyone who has ever build a place can recount horror tale of toll overruns , detain construction and snarlycontractors . Such problem are foreign to the fabricate home industry because the homes are built in mill under strict rules and tight Union regulation . The factory build the home on assembly lines , which leaves little room for erroneousness . to boot , the manufacturing operation maximizes the efficiency of worker . Moreover , manufactured homes are built in a controlled environment that is not touch on by bad conditions , malicious mischief , and the potential unreliability of contractors andsubcontractors[source : ManufacturedHousing.org ] .
Such mastery over the edifice process allows homeowners to draw the benefit of money saved during mental synthesis . In accession , manufacturing plant can buy massive amounts of materials , product and appliance at a cheaper pace than a typical on - site home constructor , and pass the cost savings on to the homeowner .
8: Speed of Construction
Although the householder is creditworthy for the foundation , and for establishing utility likeelectricityand sewerage before manufactured menage arrive onsite for final construction , manufactory can build up a typical double - wide or single - wide manufactured home in about one - third of the time it take a declarer to construct a site - build up home plate [ source : ManufacturedHousing.org ] . When the sign gets to your belongings , it is nearly 90 percent complete , which allows you to move into your new abode much quicker , as well [ germ : Nationwide Homes ] . And just because construction and set up moves at a speedy pace does n’t mean the detergent builder can brush off safety and building codes . In - home and third - party inspectors examine each anatomical structure before and after the home is on land site [ source : Modular Center ] .
7: Design Flexibility
If you have n’t figured it out yet , make up homes are not your grandfather ’s wandering habitation . Some of the design are even elaborate . Modular homes , for model , have more than one story . They have porch , garages anddecks , and overleap ceilings . And look on the lots , homeowners can lend beautiful lawns and landscaping . builder can also customize firm to client ’s specific penury – want stainless steel gismo , hardwood floorsand granite countertop ? No problem . Some companies even specialise in upscale modular homes . One business firm , the Modular Center , has a " Masterpiece Collection , " which features house that wander from 2,000 solid human foot ( 185.8 straight meters ) to more than 5,000 square feet ( 464.5 substantial meters ) [ origin : Modular Center ] .
6: Energy Efficiency
The fresh generations of manufactured homes are zip effective . manufactory now fit manufactured homes withENERGY STARappliances . Builders take great fear in making sure each home is tightly constructed with efficientheating and cooling system , water heaters , and eminent - performance windowpane .
How much money can a manufactured home save a person ? Let ’s reckon at one example . A few years ago , North Carolina A&T University and the U.S. Department of Energy studied the energy efficiency of one type of manufactured place . The university build two houses on the Greensboro campus . Each three - sleeping accommodation , three - bath house was 1,528 straight feet ( 142 square metre ) [ rootage : U.S. Department of Energy ] .
Although the house were untenanted , investigator rigged up the lights and appliances with timer to simulate normal zip use . One planetary house was a " base " planetary house that acted as a control . The other was an " energy " house , which was built with energy - effective materials and appliances . Researchers expected the vigour home to be 50 percent more vim effective than the basis house . After read both house for an entire winter warming season and summer cooling season , researcher found that the energy house actually exceeded expectations with an overall delivery of 55 percent [ source : U.S. Department of Energy ] .
5: Amenities
rampart - to - wall carpeting , hardwood floors , ENERGY STARappliances , top - of - the line fixity , 10 - foot ceilings , ceramic roofing tile . You would cerebrate your were in Derek Jeter ’s McMansion in Tampa , Fla. in reality , all the amenities you could bump in a site - built home can also be added to manufactured nursing home . The only divergence is that workers establish everything in the menage before it reaches your attribute . Some manufactured homes have take the air - in closet , jetted bathtub and soaker bathtubs , and others descend equipped with fireplaces , bay windowpane and gabled roofs . And it ’s coarse for dwelling house to have more than one privy outfitted with double sinks and deep-set bathing tub .
4: Supremely Green
Manufactured homes come in all tincture of colors , but the most crucial is " light-green , " as in environmentally friendly . builder of manufacture homes by and large do n’t waste a lot of building materials , and whatever scrap they do end up with are often recycled . Modular construction set aside detergent builder to practice less fabric without compromise a edifice ’s structure [ root : Gorman ] .
Even investor Warren Buffett has gone green when it comes to modular home construction . In 2009 , one of Buffett ’s companies , Clayton Homes , a foot soldier of Berkshire Hathaway , unveiled its line of green modular homes bang as the i - house . With a price tag of less than $ 75,000 , the 750 - square - fundament ( 69.6 substantial - beat ) i - house has low - stream spigot , high - efficiency heat pumps and ceiling designed to collect rainwater . The i - house saves get-up-and-go , water and reduces carbon paper expelling . The i - house is so eco - favorable that it attain a atomic number 78 evaluation – the highest mark possible – from theLeadership in Energy and Environmental Design ( LEED)program run by the U.S. Green Building Council [ author : Lawrence ] .
3: Nice Communities
Despite the trailer parking lot stereotype , many manufactured domicile residential district are howling place to hang your chapeau . homeowner can hire or own the estate on which their houses sit . More than 75 percent of manufactured homes are located on private property , while the remaining 25 percent are place in communities where the householder leases the lot [ seed : ManufacturedHousing.org ] .
One of the grown benefits of hold out in manufactured dwelling communities is that occupier do n’t have to worry about the disbursement oflawn maintenance , trash remotion , Charles Percy Snow plowing and other on - site repair work [ source : Manufactured Home Source ] .
Some communities are gated and secure , while other communities – particularly those for adults only – resemble tiny resorts . They tender organized social natural action , walking trails , physical fitness centre , pool , lawn tennis court and even golf line . Many communities have vulgar areas and are attractively landscaped .
2: Appreciate in Value
Many people believe that manufactured homes will never turn out in value . In fact , some the great unwashed say manufactured home depreciate over time . A manufactured domicile is just like any other home plate . When it ’s properly build and maintain , manufacture homes appreciate just like site - built menage . But , as with all housing , the note value of a manufactured household depends on a potpourri of market factors such as :
In plus , studies have shown that manufactured trapping has little impact on property time value . In 1993 , researchers at the University of Michigan concluded that manufacture homes did not bear upon property values of site - built homes in neighboring neighborhoods [ source : ManufacturedHousing.org ] .
Many people , including Warren Buffett , one of the richest mankind in the world , believe manufactured home are a goodinvestment . In 2003 , Buffet and his company , Berkshire Hathaway , plunked down $ 1.7 billion to buy Clayton Homes Inc. , a manufactured - caparison company based in Knoxville , Tenn. In his annual varsity letter to investors in 2011 , Buffett said his company should service as a example for those in the government who require to rectify the nation ’s housing system [ source : Howley ] .
1: Warranty
When you bought your last home base and something went incorrect , how difficult was it to get the declarer to number and secure it ? Chances are it was a hassle , and the work was n’t done in time . Manufactured household generally fall with a one - class guarantee for construction and separate warrant for windows , doors , siding , spigot , appliances – you name it . Most will even provide their customers withextended warranties .
While all Modern habitation will have a warranty , used home might not . Ask some of these important questions before sign off on the theatre :
However , buyer beware : The samara is to check that you have a transcript of the complete guarantee and not a summary papers . And be certain to keep the warranty up to day of the month if it call for renew .
