Renting an apartment or house might give you a roof over your head, but it also forces you to conform to someone else’s rules. You probably won’t even be able to hammer in a nail without losing your security deposit, let alone take on a home remodeling project.
Mobile homes, on the other hand, give you all the freedom and flexibility of being a homeowner! You can do a whole mobile home makeover, invest in some mobile home remodels, and increase the energy-efficiency of your manufactured home.
Why Should We Remodel Our Manufactured Home or Mobile Home?
Along with being a cost-effective option, mobile homes are relatively easier to remodel than traditional housing options. Even a simple DIY project can enhance your living space. If you work on useful home remodeling ideas that make the mobile home more energy-efficient, your energy costs will also go down.
All of these home remodeling ideas can also work to increase the value of a mobile home. The exact benefit will vary depending on the extent of the DIY project or projects.
Why Try DIY Mobile Home Remodeling?
You don’t have to spend all your savings on a renovated mobile home. A professional might do things better, but a manufactured home is flexible enough to allow DIY upgrades that add both value and function.
However, it is recommended that an experienced DIY-er take on mobile home remodeling projects. Mobile home living requires making do with small living spaces. Even a small slip-up could make things very uncomfortable or bring down the value of the mobile home.
DIY Mobile Home
Are you ready to add value to your mobile home? Or perhaps, you just want to do something to make the mobile home look more inviting? In addition to some simple landscaping ideas for mobile homes, you can check out these home remodeling ideas right away:
1. Wrapping the Roof
Certain things about mobile home living are very different from a lifestyle in a traditional home (see: manufactured homes vs. stick-built). When it comes to home remodeling, for instance, you may want to consider roof wrapping first of all.
What is Roof Wrapping for Mobile Homes?
It sounds a bit unusual, but roof wrapping is not some flashy upgrade for a mobile home. However, it is a very beneficial one, especially when we compare it to the required efforts and costs.
Roof wrapping involves stretching a kind of rubber membrane over the mobile home roof. Another option is to paint on an elastomeric roof coating. Learn what is the best roof coating for mobile homes here.
These products will reflex back around 80% of harmful sun rays, which can significantly cut your cooling costs.
Another benefit of roof wrapping is that it protects the mobile home roof for around 10 years.
What is the Cost of Wrapping a Mobile Home Roof?
The total cost of mobile home roof wrapping should be around $1,000 to $2,000. Of course, the exact price will depend on the product you choose and the size of your mobile home, among other factors.
2. Re-Panel the Mobile Home Walls
Your mobile home walls might seem dingy, stained, damaged, or just not to your taste. In such cases, your next step should be to work on re-paneling the mobile home before moving on to smaller projects.
Why Should We Make Changes to Mobile Home Paneling?
A lot of older mobile homes, along with certain newer models, have very poor designs when it comes to wall paneling.
In the old days, a mobile home was likely to have wood paneling. This is now an outdated choice, especially since wood tends to warp.
Plus, the color choices back then were pretty dark. They bring down the whole look of a mobile home interior. Since they are so small, mobile home living spaces should look light, bright, and as airy as possible.
What Should We Do with the Old Paneling?
Fortunately, painting the wood panels is a great idea if they are not too damaged. You can also re-panel the mobile home; it is actually a pretty easy task. Wood paneling might be making a comeback, so consider a lighter shade and sleeker designs if you want to go that way.
Once you get the new panels, simply fix them over the old ones. If you have been wondering how to increase the value of a mobile home, this idea is one of the most cost-effective ones.
Other Options for Paneling in Mobile Home Living Spaces
Other materials for paneling your mobile home exterior or interior include:
- Drywall
- Vinyl
- Faux wood
- Stone
Take a little time and see which material or design will go best with your particular theme or vision. Paneling is a major part of home remodeling, so make absolutely sure that the end result will be to your taste.
If you are planning on selling a mobile home later on, play it safe and look at the designs and materials that are most popular for now.
If you are taking your walls apart any way, read up on how to super insulate a mobile home along the way.
3. Customize the Mobile Home Layout
If you want a truly customized look, try looking up how long it takes to build a mobile home and dictate your preferred layout. Having control from the very beginning can make your DIY mobile home projects much easier later on.
If you want, you can even go for computer-aided design (CAD) and customize more aspects of your mobile home.
Move the Walls Around
With certain limitations, you might even be able to remove, move, or add to the walls of your mobile home. It may seem drastic, but not as drastic as breaking down cement walls in a traditional home.
Do you want one of those trendy open-plan layouts for your mobile home? Or perhaps, you are working remotely and want to eke out a small home office from the current mobile home layout. With a few tweaks, this might be easily possible without breaking the bank.
The Danger of Removing or Moving Walls
Even if you own a regular house or apartment, you can’t start breaking down or shortening walls without a professional coming in. Many of these walls are load-bearing, so making a major change to them can risk the whole structure of your home.
Fortunately, this wouldn’t be an issue when you do the same in a mobile home. They have a unique feature of not relying too much on inner wall support. A DIY enthusiast will be making sure to take the safest steps possible; avoiding any damage to heating ducts, ventilation ducts, crown molding, etc.
4. Add or Replace Tiles
A tile replacing or addition project is usually affordable and simple enough to do by yourself. If you can tile regular homes, you can follow the same steps in a mobile home.
The two areas where tiles work best are the kitchen and the bathroom. Work on your budget first, and then pick out the tile type, color, and other factors. This tiling project will instantly enhance the look of these two important spaces in your mobile home.
For additional upgrades, you can consider replacing the shower heads and faucets after the new tiles are installed.
5. A Porch or Patio Addition
If you would like a safe place to sit outside and enjoy nature, adding a porch to your mobile home can be a great idea. It is fairly easy to construct your own porch; look up some plans for one that can stand by itself and not put too much pressure on the home.
Mobile home living does require you to follow certain rules and regulations. Make sure to check the HUD Code for mobile homes before constructing anything major.
A self-supporting structure probably won’t break any rules, but it will increase your home’s value and curb appeal. You will get more out of everyday mobile home living too, so it’s a win all around.
6. An Indoor Herb Garden
Mobile home living means that you figure out ways to enhance your lifestyle within small areas. One of the best methods for this is an indoor herbal garden.
Having plants growing inside your mobile home will brighten up the place and also provide convenient ingredients for home cooking. Having plants indoors may also benefit a person both emotionally and mentally.
7. Work on the Home Strength
You may want to upgrade the strength of your mobile home, especially if it is an old model. Many mobile home owners add more support slats to their home’s frame; this protects them from extreme weather.
See if your home is within the wind zone ratings for mobile homes in your area. If not, working on its strength might be a necessary DIY project that you should start immediately. Adding new doors, new windows, and new studs can extend the life expectancy of a mobile home. You may also want to think about adding more supports or replacing those with any sort of damage.
8. Spruce Up the Kitchen
The kitchen is the heart of every home, especially a mobile home. With a few quick updates, you can make this room a delight to work in!
All it takes is replacing the cabinets or painting them a new color. Even if you just repaint the faded trim, it freshens up the whole look.
You may also consider upgrading your kitchen workflow by adding a counter, getting some chairs, or just putting in more shelving. This will help to make your mobile home living style a bit easier and smoother.
9. Install New Skirting
Skirting is a visible part of any mobile home, so you need to ensure that it stays presentable. If you notice any damage, faded spots, or stains on your mobile home skirting, it is time to replace it.
Make sure that you accurately measure the perimeter of your mobile home, as well as its height. There are several skirting styles and patterns available these days, so take your time and choose whatever seems best.
10. Add a Carport
On the face of it, adding a whole carport to a mobile home might seem like a huge undertaking. However, this can be a DIY project if you buy a mobile home carport kit. These come with instructions, so an experienced DIY enthusiast should be able to tackle the project.
Benefits of a Mobile Home Carport
One of the downsides of living in a mobile home include the lack of a garage. If you have a car, it is likely to get covered by snow or other forms of debris unless you have a functional carport. Plus, this addition will enhance the appearance and curb appeal of your mobile home.
The Takeaway
Working on your mobile home is an exciting and rewarding process. If you already have a mobile home and are ready to start upgrading, start today! Take a look at your mobile home walls, the mobile home exterior, and other areas. You will probably get a lot of ideas for enhancing your mobile home living style.
Start planning those mobile home remodeling projects now, and keep at it. The resulting manufactured home will be more comfortable, practical, and higher in value.
