What You Can do to Maximize the Trade-In Value of Your Mobile Home

Often, we run across customers who lived in a manufactured home for the last 10 to 20 years and want to discuss their options for trading it in towards a newer model. Although our team at Braustin does accept trade-ins, there are steps you can take to maximize the value on your existing home.

The first thing you can do when weighing your options is check the NADA guide for an appraised value on your current home.

In essence, the NADA works like a Kelly Blue Book for manufactured housing. This will allow you to get a good baseline and knowing the value of your current home will give you some power when negotiating with dealers or third-party buyers.

Although trading in your home to a broker such as us at Braustin might be the easiest route for you to take as the homeowner, it’s not the route that will maximize the money back into your family’s pockets.

If a home retailer is going to take your home and trade, then the expectation is that they will be able to resell it to another family down the road. In order to facilitate that, there are a few steps that add layers of cost which will be subtracted off the NADA value of your home. For more information, feel free to visit this site.

Some additional steps you can take to really maximize the trade-in value of your mobile home, would be to take a good hard look around the interior as well as the exterior of your home. During this time, you’ll want to note everything that may need a little attention or even updating.

As a guide, we have listed some major home items to lookout for on the exterior and the interior of the home, as well as additional suggestions to consider during this process.

Exterior Features:

Skirting – Did you know Skirting is vital to your mobile home’s overall health? Skirting is applied to mobile homes for more than good looks, it actually acts as a protective environmental barrier for the structural elements of your home. Just like your skin is your other organs’ first line of defense, skirting keeps mobile home pipes from freezing over, protects the home from unwanted animals taking shelter, helps retain heat in the winter, and on top of all that – gives the mobile home a more grounded look. Leaving any unaddressed damage to the skirting can decrease the trade-in value as well as welcome uninvited guests. Some popular choices include brick, stucco, tin (metal), cinder block, T1011, plywood, hardy board, faux rock, and vinyl – just to list a few. Check out our latest video on this topic!

Siding – Much like the Skirting of your home, the Siding is much more than aesthetics. Sure, the Siding is great curb appeal, but it also acts as structural protection against the elements and can increase the energy efficiency which in turn can both retain value within the home. Neglecting any damage to the siding can lead to further issues and decrease longevity of the home. Some popular choices include stone, wood, cedar, metal, and vinyl.

Insulation – Installing insulation in a mobile home is one of the best home improvement projects you can do! Yes, older mobile homes do have insulation installed, but more times than not corners were cut and there are actually gaps in the insulation. Fortunately, with HUD codes, newer mobile homes have insulation installed at a higher standard. So, if your home is a few decades old, this is definitely something you’d want to look into updating in order to maximize any potential trade-in value. Some popular choices include blanket – batts/rolls, foam board, loose fill/blow in, and sprayed/injected foam.

Doors & Windows – Exterior doors and windows go hand-in-hand with one another as they have similar functionality, so we will discuss the benefits of these updates in one category. Any improper installation, cracking in seals, or gaps may lead to water damage or decrease in insulation. Replacing these features add several advantages to a home. With the fresh new appeal, you will have added security and additional insulating qualities. Better insulation also improves soundproofing and privacy. Some options to consider for both home features would be in-swing, out-swing as well as left-hand and right-hand open.

Interior Features:

Flooring – Any damaged carpeting, warped vinyl, or cracked tiling should be updated in order to maximize trade-in value. The less the next owner has to repair, the more attractive the home appears. Check out some of Braustin’s flooring options, maybe here you will get some ideas for your home.

Paint/Wallpaper – Chipped paint, or ripped wallpaper would be a great opportunity for improvement! Freshly coated walls will bring youth back into the home and can be done easily and in a short amount of time. Some painting tips: wash walls, use high quality primer, and paint in several coats with quality brushes. The end result will look polished and add value back into the home.

Doors – Unlike the exterior doors, interior doors aren’t subjected to environmental concerns. However, the traffic is much higher as doors are opened, shut, scooted passed, slammed with purpose, bumped into on accident – the list goes on. Damage in addition to high repetition of opening and closing doors can lead to jammed doors, or loss of functionality. To maximize trade-in value of the home, any irreparable damage should be considered for replacement.

Extra Features:

Re-leveling – Mobile homes, in most cases, need to be re-leveled every few years. If not, at the very least checked and monitored to make sure it is still level. The importance of this upkeep is due to the stress that can be put on the structure of a mobile home if left to settle incorrectly.

Additions – Not a necessity, but if you are really trying to get the most bang for your buck, additions like a covered porch, carport or storage garage may really pay off. These are additional exterior features that are nice to have, but not absolutely necessary to do. We have a really great article on a variety of porches, feel free to take a look if you’re interested!

We’ve had a number of families successfully find buyers on websites like craigslist or even the facebook marketplace, but if we can help you and your family put an extra 5 to 10 thousand dollars back into your bank account – then we’re here to answer those questions as well. For more information on the trade-in process or any other questions feel free to give us a call 210-510-0500.

So that’s it: What You Can do to Maximize the Trade-In Value of Your Mobile Home. Follow the links in this page to read more information on each topic. We would love to chat with you or hear about your experience on our Facebook page or through our Contact Form.