Regardless of your home type, maintenance is an unavoidable part of renting or owning a property, even manufactured or mobile homes. Although it may feel like a chore that takes up some of your free time, most of the recommended maintenance on any home only has to be completed once or twice per year.
Regularly and proactively maintaining your manufactured home, whether you own or rent the property, ensures the longevity of your investment as well as preserves the health and safety of yourself and those you share your home with. Below are some maintenance tips for manufactured homes to help you understand what to look out for year-round and which areas of the home require more attention.
Manufactured Home Maintenance
Interior maintenance, such as regular cleaning, plumbing, and electrical fixes, on your manufactured or mobile home is important and may need to happen more frequently than other maintenance. However, the following exterior and foundational maintenance checks can happen less frequently but are slightly more important than interior fixes.
Check Your Foundation
First of all, it’s important to know what type of foundation your home has. Foundations can vary based on the guidelines of the county your home is located, and knowing what type of foundation and the material that’s used is important in understanding what to look out for and how to maintain it. Foundations for manufactured homes can be concrete, gravel, built on pylons, or a combination of those options along with a few other possibilities. It’s best to check with your contractor to see which materials were used to build your home’s foundation.
However, regardless of the material, all foundations are subject to sinking and settling over time, even on manufactured and mobile homes, so it’s important to check your foundation annually for any issues. A settling foundation can result in a host of different problems, including doors and windows not closing or sealing properly, drafts or inefficiency in airflow, and leaks or cracks in the walls.
Checking for a level foundation is easy to do on your own, however, a new home built in a new location should be checked professionally. Any carpenter or water level should be able to tell you if your home is level or sinking, but a professional team can help identify weak areas in the foundation that need extra attention or require repair.
Roofing and Siding
Checking your roof every year for leaks, cracks, or weak spots can help save you from the potential of massive damage further down the road. A leaking roof can lead to expensive water damage that can be avoided through annual inspections and preventative maintenance. Professional maintenance is recommended for this critical maintenance check considering the necessary safety precautions that need to be taken. Be sure to check your manufactured home’s warranty, as sometimes these checks are covered for the first year.
Regularly inspecting the siding of your home is equally as important as your roof. Insects, mold, and mildew love to wreak havoc on the siding of homes which is why regular cleaning and maintaining the outside of your home can be beneficial to the health and safety of your home and those who live inside.
Gutters
Another annual maintenance check should be on your home’s gutters. Clogged gutters lead to water backups which, if left for too long, can start to seep into the roof or side of your home causing expensive and hard-to-fix damage. Whether you choose to clean your gutters yourself or hire a professional, this is an important area of your home to constantly watch, especially if you live in a cold environment or if your property is surrounded by trees that lose their leaves.
Mobile and Manufactured Home Communities
The good news regarding manufactured home maintenance is that, depending on where you live, sometimes it can be taken care of for you. Some manufactured and mobile home communities include maintenance on the exterior of your home in your monthly rent or community fee if you own your home.
The convenience of on-site maintenance staff is one of several reasons why manufactured communities are the latest trend in real estate right now. If you’re tired of constantly scheduling professional teams or going through your annual maintenance checks yourself, a manufactured community with included maintenance might be the perfect solution for you.
