Mobile homes are amongst the most recognizable type of all prefab houses. Also commonly referred to as trailers, the evolution of mobile homes has been pretty drastic and notable. Though many of the older mobile homes still exists, there is a new generation of mobile or manufactured homes that are bigger, more attractive and more like site-built homes.
Mobile homes, like all prefabricated buildings, are built elsewhere (typically in a factory) and transported to wherever they will be constructed. Because mobile homes have a chassis, they can be transported via a tractor-trailer to their home or construction site.
Mobile homes were initially built to provide shelter for individuals who did a lot of moving and who needed to be able to take their home with them, wherever they went. They were quite small and could be towed using a car. This is dramatically different from today’s mobile homes, which tend to stay where they are initially hauled. Today, people don’t typically hitch their mobile homes to their car and move from location to location. Most couldn’t do so if they wanted to. Mobile homes have gotten a lot larger and heavier than they once were.
The design aspects of mobile homes have changed a great deal as well. Today’s mobile homes are designed to look a lot like site-built homes. This has been done in part to counteract negative perceptions and stereo-type and to increase sales. They are being design them so that they are more traditional looking and look less like moveable trailers.
Mobile homes can be fitted onto a foundation or a basement. This is a departure from mobile homes from times past, which as mentioned above, were designed for people on the move. Many of today’s manufactured homes are built for permanency, though they can be moved if they need to be. Many homeowners want their mobile home to be built in a similar manner as on-site homes. The added protection of ones home being on a foundation and having a basement is appealing as well.
Manufactured or mobile homes tend to be less expensive then site-built homes. However, they can be more difficult to secure a loan for, at least a 30 year loan, which has become pretty standard in the world of real estate. This is because mobile homes tend to depreciate really quickly, which makes them risky to banks. Home owners that use a bank loan to finance their mobile home should also be prepared to pay more in interest as the bank seeks to recover as much of their money as quickly as possible.