How to Complete a Service Walk-Thru in Your New Mobile Home

5 Tips for a Thorough Cosmetic Service List

Today’s discussion is all about completing a cosmetic service walk-thru and getting the most from your cosmetic service warranty.

Every new mobile home comes with two different manufacturer warranties, a cosmetic warranty and a structural warranty. The cosmetic warranty covers only those repairs in the mobile home that, while unsightly, don’t affect the structural integrity or safety of the home.

For this cosmetic warranty, each factory has a limited window (ranging from 45-90 days) for these repairs to be complete and often require they be completed in one single trip.

Because of these guidelines, we give each of our customers a few tips and suggestions to help them carefully and thoroughly comb through their new home for cosmetic defects that often result as a mobile home makes its journey from the factory to its new home site.

1. Hook-Up All Utilities

Our first suggestion to new homeowners is to wait until they have their lights turned on before submitting their cosmetic service list.

While sunlight is technically the best light, it isn’t great for illuminating all the nooks and crannies of your new home. You want your home to be perfect, and so do we. That’s why it’s important to not look for defects in a dimly lit and shadowy room.

Once the electricity is on and your home is properly lit, then it’s time to proceed with your walk-thru and write up your list.

2. Go Room-By-Room

The first time you enter your new home, there will be damage and/or defects that are readily apparent such as loose trim, crooked cabinet doors, or wall battens that need to be re-installed.

It will be these items that stick in your mind while other, more minor, issues (such as a chip in the countertop or missing cabinet knob) might be overlooked when you go to assemble your full list later.

Our advice for ensuring you document both the obvious and more discreet service items is to start on one end of the house and work your way, room-by-room, to the other end of the house, grouping your service items according to the room they are located in.

As you are moving through the rooms, make sure you have your pen and paper with you. Don’t try to sit down and remember everything later because something is bound to be missed!

See it. Write it. Repeat.

3. Use Sticky Notes

Another great way to stay detail-oriented is to use a piece of painter’s tape or sticky notes to highlight your cosmetic defects and remind you about them when you are ready to write your list.

Keep these “markers” handy the first few weeks you live in your new home as an added fail-safe for a thorough service list.

4. Take Pictures

Some cosmetic repairs will require new parts from the factory, such as damaged wall panels. It is very helpful to take well lit and clear photos of damages, stating the room they are found, to help our team order accurate parts. Picture-taking is also helpful for a homeowner who may not know the technical term for a material such as “fascia,” “soffit,” or “drip edge.” Each of those items is a separate material but are often confused for one another.

To go even further, some homeowners will number their pictures to go with the number on the service list, keeping communication even more clear.

5. Do Your Service Walk-Thru Again

You know in school when you finished a math test, and the teacher would give you that raised eyebrow and, without fail, ask, “Did you check your work?”

When you’ve completed your service list and are ready to send it in, picture that teacher. No matter what, another walk-thru is always a good idea.

Make sure everything you’ve marked and mentally noted is on that page with a clear picture to go with it. Remember, if it isn’t on the list, it won’t be covered in the warranty. Double-check and, if you can, have your partner or a friend go through with you. Sometimes our eyes can play tricks on us, especially after staring at the same things for too long.

That’s It!

If you follow these tips and suggestions, your cosmetic service walk-thru should go through without a hiccup, and, once the repairs are completed, all you’ll have to do is sit back and enjoy.

For more information on what is covered in your mobile home warranty, be sure to check out this blog.