Credit: Original article by Champion Home Builders via the Champion Homes Blog. Photo by a manufacturer of Champion Home Builders.
At a time when more and more people are in search of affordable housing, manufactured homes provide a great option. In many cases, buying a manufactured home is a wiser purchase than buying a stick-built home. If you need convincing, here are 9 great reasons to purchase a manufactured home.
1. Affordability
It probably comes as no surprise that manufactured homes are less expensive than traditional stick-built homes, but by no means are they less appealing in most ways possible. You can enjoy luxury living with the latest, cutting-edge amenities. Your home will be energy efficient, every bit as much as a stick-built home. It’s a safe, as well. See Fire Safety is a Top Priority below.
Think about the money you’ll save that can be used for other things, like building college funds, taking family vacations, purchasing other investment properties, etc. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Manufactured Housing Survey in 2022 (its latest survey on the subject), the average site-built home in the U.S. is $540,000. The average manufactured home? Try $127,00 sound? Could the extra $413,000 make a positive impact in your and your family’s lives?
2. Location, Location, Location
If you’re in a traditional, stick-built home, your location isn’t going to change — ever. A manufactured home can be re-located. If you want to live in a community with other like-minded folks, you can do it. If you own land that will perfectly accommodate your manufactured home, no problem.
3. Solid Construction
Manufactured homes, at least ones built by an established, reputable company, are every bit as strong as stick-built homes. They have been built to HUD (United States Department of Housing and Urban Development) standards since 1976, the year manufactured home safety was assigned to HUD. Manufactured homes are the only housing option that is regulated nationally. In fact, the HUD Code exceeds building standards from local and state regulatory agencies. This includes materials used, installation, inspection, safety, and more. The notion that manufactured homes aren’t safe is hogwash.
4. Fire Safety is a Priority
Speaking of safety, a 2011 report published by the NFPA (The National Fire Protection Agency) stated that there were fewer fires and related injuries in manufactured homes than in stick-built homes. This goes back to the HUD Code; it’s simply more stringent than state and local codes stick-built homes must follow.
5. Maintaining Value
Contrary to some people’s beliefs, manufactured homes retain their value as much as stick-built homes. So, if you’re worried that a manufactured home won’t help build your equity by increasing in value, your incorrect. Several studies over the past 20 years have found that manufactured homes appreciate commensurate with stick-built homes.
6. Less Patience Required
Everything about manufactured homes is faster than stick-built homes. One of the reasons they’re built faster is because they are constructed indoors, making them immune to the weather. If it’s raining, snowing or the wind is howling, manufactured home construction won’t experience delays.
The delivery and installation of manufactured homes are far faster than the construction of stick-built homes. So, you and your family will move in faster. That stick-built home that takes half a year to build can take as much as six times longer than manufactured homes. Sometimes longer.
7. Less Investment to Go Green and Make a Difference in the World
Manufactured homes are highly energy efficient and, because they are more affordable than stick-built homes, require a smaller investment to make an impact on the environment. This efficiency is due in large part to the HUD code and its goals to ensure manufactured homes are energy efficient.
Many manufactured homes are built to ENERGY STAR standards, which reduces utilities bills by as much as 30%. ENERGY STAR is a 32-year-old EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) program that transforms how industries use energy. Since it was implemented in 1992, ENERGY STAR has saved Americans over 5 trillion kilowatt hours of electricity, reduced greenhouse gases by 4 billion metric tons and saved over a half a trillion dollars in energy costs. You’ll be part of the incredible savings in a manufactured home.
8. Customization Options
Think about what it takes to find the perfect stick-built home to satisfy your and your family’s tastes. If you can’t find a used, stick-built home that checks off all the boxes, you’ll need to work with an architect to design it. That’s not cheap. However, manufactured homes are available with an array of floor plans and many other options, including colors, flooring, roofs, window treatments, doors, appliances, and more. It’s really left up to your imagination.
9. Financing Options
If you’ve heard rumors that it’s harder to get financing for a manufactured home than for a stick-built one, you’ve heard precisely that — rumors; more specifically, unfounded ones. Financing is no different, with the same conditions, rates and terms offered as for stick-built homes. In fact, there are many lenders specializing in manufactured home mortgages. The same holds true for home insurance options.
