Manufactured homes are not the latest trend to hit the U.S housing market. Take a look at these Google Trends to see how far ahead ‘manufactured homes’ is in U.S. interest since 2010. Also, they have been around for decades as war veterans can testify.
Manufactured housing trend
What is most recent about them is the technology upgrade they have realized. As these prepare to hold significant stakes in the country’s housing industry soon, pre-built homes have begun offering customers affordability and unlimited choices for customization.
What exactly are manufactured homes?
Think of them as a home that arrives in the mailbox. These houses are entirely manufactured and assembled in factories. Post-production, they are transported to the site, and they remain there, usually permanently. With building codes and compliances kicking in, these houses are now built with high-grade materials that minimize the need for repair and restoration.
What are the features of factory-built mobile homes?
They may be single-wide or double-wide units and usually cover at least three hundred square feet of living area. Customers can select features they wish to be built in, for instance, decks and patios. They are especially favored by many first-time homeowners who want to possess a small, low-maintenance house for themselves.
7 Reasons Why Seniors Love Factory-Made Homes
Modern static caravan on campsite during summer.
These are useful options as post-retirement lodgings. And every year, the number of retired seniors is rising. The upsides of owning such a home are many:
1. Zero Anxiety of Homeownership
With some of these homes making up age-specific communities, the elderly population does not have to worry about the labors of homeownership – lawn mowing, trash removal, maintenance and such additional duties.
2. Health and Leisure Benefits
These mobile home communities or parks are usually equipped with facilities like community clubs, jogging tracks, gyms, swimming pools, tennis courts and occasionally, small golfing areas.
3. Security
Most of these are gated communities. There is always some form of surveillance actively protecting their properties, especially when there’s no one around.
4. A Sense of Belongingness
With like-minded neighbors, seniors find it easy to make friends. This chance of companionship is also what draws them to these homes.
5. Custom Designing
These houses are no longer humble trailers that looked unflattering on its owners. Shabby, rickety trailers are out, and custom-made models are gaining footing. Single or double storied, these living spaces often reflect their owner’s personality in terms of the paints, finishes, floor plans, furnishings and accessories.
A home needs to be built around a family’s needs. More so with modular homes that optimize the available area. There are walk-in showers, Jacuzzi, floor-to-ceiling windows, fireplaces, and wooden floors – anything you want to be added to your home building project can be added to your manufactured unit. All these are installed, and most are ready to use when your house arrives at the location.
6. Energy Efficiency
Modern mobile homes are made with an eye on energy usage. Unlike older homes, these living spaces come well-equipped with HVAC systems, high-grade fixtures and equipment that cut down on energy waste and regulate its use inside the house. So, on the one hand, you enjoy low utility bills while on the other, you reduce your carbon footprint.
Not just that. In the construction of such homes too, builders frequently make use of recycled and biodegradable materials, reducing the load on landfills. These homes are recommended for the long run since they decrease stress on the environment and are sustainable.
7. Affordability
Mobile home communities are growing in popularity not only for the close community bond it fosters. Pricing plays a significant role too. While traditional homes cost around $200,000 for a basic, single-family unit, a pre-made house can come at a fraction of the price tag. In some states, for instance, pre-owned is up for sale at $10,000 and up, while new ones around $90,000. An attractive offer, retiring seniors cannot afford to miss.
Why? Because in most cases, they own a house too large for their living and too expensive to maintain. By selling off their older home, they can achieve two targets at once:
- Own a low maintenance house, and
- Put some money in the bank.
Another factor that affects the final cost is the parking fee. The house price does not include the land it stands on, and park owners can charge upwards of $100 each month for park fee. Yet, community members often end up owning those parks and do away with recurring expenses.
Furthermore, without an owned piece of land to anchor the home, it is often treated as a motor vehicle. And as such, it undergoes depreciation over time. However, once it is attached to the ground, the decline in its value slows down as it is then considered an item of accommodation.
The Bottom Line
Manufactured homes are gradually emerging as the next big home option for most Americans. They are compact, built around safety codes, and offer flexibility on features and design. All these, without burdening you with loans or eating into your lifestyle choices.
In other cases, they offer Millennials the chance to move away from time and resource-consuming home building and give them something that follows modern trends. It is now seen as a practical and respectable financial choice to buy or rent manufactured homes.
With communities gearing up security features and big investors entering the segment, mobile homes are all set to push past conventional housing and forge ahead of its time. While it is not slated to be the next home out of a science-fiction saga, it is certainly built at the junction of inexpensive housing and future-forward technology.
