Manufactured home renovation plan

Manufactured home renovation plan

Posted below are details about how one home owner approached the renovation of their mobile home. You will need to make adjustments depending on your budget and skills, but it is a nice overview of the process.

Amy and her husband bought a newer home that apparently came without water leaks. If there are water leaks anyplace in your home, fixing them should be the highest priority for your money and your time. Even small leaks can rapidly cause major damage.

Amy writes:
“I completely agree that there are no helpful sources available on improving the aesthetics of a mobile home. My husband and I bought a 16×80 mobile home that was built in 2001. It was pretty good condition when we got it in 2009, but, I hate that “cheap trailer look”.
The first thing we did was to tear down all of the drywall strips off the walls, fill the gaps between the sheets of drywall, sand, and paint. Just this one project alone made a huge improvement, making the walls flat and more “house-like”.

The next thing we did was buy a big new front door and screen door. Again, this small project made a huge improvement.
Then we changed the hinges, handles, and drawer pulls in the kitchen and bathrooms, and tossed the old dated brass ones.
We are currently in the process of changing (in some instances adding) all the trim around the ceiling, doors, and windows, adding a backsplash in the kitchen, and installing wood flooring in the living room, kitchen, and laundry area/hallway. (Note from the Doctor: Click this link to learn more about Laminate flooring in mobile homes. )

When these projects are completed, we plan to update the cabinetry, sinks, and countertops in the kitchen and bathrooms, and install tile in the bathrooms.

Other small things that make a great improvement are light fixtures and ceiling fans. We’ve updated them in several rooms and it does make a big difference.

We also added a big wooden mantled gas fireplace to the living room, and hung our 50″ flat screen tv over it. Nice furniture, curtains, and décor are important to the look of a mobile home, too.

Lisa Adams
How do I install bracing to support a ceiling fan when there wasn’t any bracing installed during the construction of the 2014 Champion double wide Home I purchased? There is no roof access to install bracing, I purchased a kit that was supposed to extend between the ceiling rafter braces adjacent to the electrical box hole, it said it will extend to 24 inches and wedge between the beams that support the ceiling, and would be strong enough to support a ceiling fan, however my ceiling braces appear to be on 48 inch centers so the kits I purchased won’t reach or work, is there anything else I can do to install the bracing?
Paul
I don’t know the answer, so I asked a friend who has been in the business for a LONG time. He had this to say “I have never seen a mh that has rafters on 4 ft. Usually they are 16″ or 24″. I am not sure how they will be able to support a fan if they are at 48″.
So unless a visitor provides a better response, I don’t know what to tell you. Since it is so new, is there any chance to talking to the dealer it came from?
Good luck,
Paul

Decks, porches, new siding and underpinning, new or repainted shutters, lighting, and landscaping can completely transform the outside as well. If nothing else, just a good thorough cleaning, and getting rid of the clutter will make any smaller home look better.”
Thanks for writing, Amy