Tell me about your manufactured/modular home. Pros and cons

[MissPrissy]

Rarely will either increase in value generally speaking.

 

[HennysMom]

Oh I know - some of the db wides are STUNNING! Have you seen the new triple wides?

Years ago when hubby and I were first looking at purchasing a home (back in the very early 90's) the market was still high and interest rates were too - so... we went to Clayton Homes and a few other makers who had both dbw and stick built homes on site and OMG - we walked into this one - it was a new model with a pitched roof. I fell in love with it -

Told hubby this was the house I wanted given it was a stick built, high flat ceilings, pitched roof like a regular house, 2X4 walls, drywall, etc...

and the salesman said to us "Uh no Ma'am, this is what would be considered a deluxe doublewide - its the newest version with upgrades - pitched roof, high flat ceilings (8 ft to be exact and no pitches) and 2X4 construction"

I couldnt find the "bolt together" anywhere, yet it came in 2 pieces and the interior was completely done too. Even came with the drapes and furnishings if we wanted them for an additional $2000.00 (which is turn-key).

We couldnt afford it back then but WOW...it was stunning. Now you can even put them on basements and with some manufactured (not turnkey) they have Capes and 2 story models that rival a builders model you have to wait months to get. Friends of ours have the Cape and I'm just amazed every time we walk inside of it - its simply stunning and looks like it belongs on Martha's Vineyard - no kidding.

Thats true Miss Prissy - unfortunately - thats where you take a big hit - both on value and insuring them

 

[FunnyFarmer]

Quote:
If it's an off-frame modular on a standard foundation built to the state codes for stick-built it will! We have a Cape Cod put up 10 yrs ago and you couldn't tell it was a modular if you didn't already know. The living room even has a cathedral ceiling and a second story loft. It's increased quite a bit--and so have our taxes!

We are very happy with the house itself--i.e. the stuff that was done at the factory before it was delivered. Don't get me started on the on-site work--it was a nightmare and a lot of it wasn't done right. We're still fixing things 10 yrs later. I love my house though. I'm still gonna be here when we pay the mortgage off!

 

[lovemychix]

Quote:
If it's an off-frame modular on a standard foundation built to the state codes for stick-built it will! We have a Cape Cod put up 10 yrs ago and you couldn't tell it was a modular if you didn't already know. The living room even has a cathedral ceiling and a second story loft. It's increased quite a bit--and so have our taxes!

We are very happy with the house itself--i.e. the stuff that was done at the factory before it was delivered. Don't get me started on the on-site work--it was a nightmare and a lot of it wasn't done right. We're still fixing things 10 yrs later. I love my house though. I'm still gonna be here when we pay the mortgage off!

Same here. Our property has increased in value and with that taxes. It really depends on the type of mod you get. Some are cheaply made and some aren't. We tell people our home is a mod and they can't believe it. We are also here to stay. This is our home and we are very happy with it. OUr on site work was also a nightmare.

They didn't do drain tile and we get water in crawl space. A sump pump takes care of it though.

 

[HennysMom]

I think it depends on where you are in the country if they increase or decrease and by how much either way. If your location is primarily modulars/manufactured - then it will go as the comps go.

Here, where I am - it makes a huge difference in value and insuring them - regardless if stick built or not. I dont know why it would if it were stick built and pre-fabbed walls and trusses, yet built on site, its just one less step (think Extreme Home Make-over - its what they use and how they can get a house up in 7 days) - thats "manufactured" here vs. modular - but it does make a difference for some reason.

 

[Hobbley_Farm]

Quote:
We have an "ON FRAME" Mod. The only thing I DO NOT like about it (and i'm serious) is that WE didn't have a garage built on it. But that was just finacial. I live in Northern North Carolina. Hardly ever snows, but does get down to the teens and twentys during the nights and sometimes during the day. Ours is 2000sq. The Only reason we got one that big is because of all of our children. It is a 4/5 bedroom, 3 full bath, Living room w fireplace, den, Dining room attatched to the kitchen and a mud room/laundry room with big utility sink. It has the front door, a sliding glass door in the dining room, and a back door in the mud room. We just moved in last Mothers Day.

I/we choose the on frame because my mother has a mod that is "off frame" and even when my tot runs across the floor it sounds and feels like a 300 lb man running across the floor. Everything shakes. In our area the "off frame" appreciate a bit better, but for structural we prefered this one. My Girls can all play DDR (dance dance revolution) and nothing shakes.

We choose this mod over stick built also because for the size house we needed, this would have cost us (house only) about 180 to build, and that isn't counting the land. We're on here with everything done for considerably less than that. I L O V E this place. It's big enough that everyone has ROOM. I won't go another way in the future. If we ever move, I'll do it all again

Edited to add that ours (however on frame) has already appraised higher. It must be a regional thing or something. There are many many mods on this road and they have all appreciated over the years. So again, it must just be where you are as to whether it will go up in value or not.

 

[candypantsyarns]

We have a I think 96 Palm Harbor Double with 2470 sq feet.
It's def more energy efficient. We had about 100 less sq footage in a stick home in the burbs before we moved here, and my electric bill is $200 less a month than it was in the stick home.

We moved here just over a year ago, and chose this because of the land and sq footage. For the $ it was our best option at the time. I'm sure one day will will either build a stick home, or buy more land with a stick home on it. But for now where we are I wouldn't change a thing. I can redo little things as I want, and I have plenty of space for all the kids, and animals...and most importantly, I'm not living outside of my budget.

 

[Picky Chicky]

We've lived in a variety of homes. All of them with the exception of our current (and hopefully last home) have been stick built. Those homes ranged from 1300sqft to over 2400sqft, and by far we love our manufactured home the most.

We purchased our home in 2007 brand new. It sits on just over 2 acres and is in the country. I've always been anti-manufactured home because of the reputation they get, so I was shocked when we looked at this smaller home (downsizing from the 2400sqft monster we lived in prior to this house) and I discovered it was a manufactured home. You can actually go into the attic space and see the 'belts' hanging from the ceiling from where they brought it over in sections.

Biggest Pro: Everything seems to be quality made with this house. I've been told that manufactured homes are now made with a lot of care - more so these days than the contractors that are hired to do their part of building a home from scratch.

Biggest Con: No attic space, and we're having a little difficulty adjusting to the smaller space. It's approx 1490sqft.

Our climate is generally mild winters, and hot muggy summers.

Anyways, here's the picture of my home:

 

[silkiechicken]

Thank you all for your replies! Good to hear about peoples experiences first hand!

 

[chickabator]

mine is a 1971 model (trailer) we have lived here for 17 years now. I like it but it has also been rebuilt from the floor up. DH put new floors, sheet rock walls vinal siding double insulated windows new roof . the only thing that is left of the original is the metal beems under the floor. I could have built a house for what we have in this now. cons not enough living space. mine is 12x60 I have raised 2 children in this home and yes I would trade it in a heatbeat for a house just can't afford too.