With about 55 percent of all homeowners renovating their home each year, home remodeling continues to be the hottest trend on the housing market. And a huge chunk of this number involves manufactured homes.
So it’s no surprise that almost every other mobile home owner asks how to remodel manufactured home. In fact, if you own one such home, I am sure you’d be pondering over the same question.
But exciting as it might sound, a manufactured home renovation project involves a lot of steps, with each requiring careful planning and execution.
As a seasoned expert in home remodeling on Long Island, NY, I’ve explained how you can go about remodeling a manufactured home from start to finish. Be it a modern-touch or comfort and luxury additions, I’ve detailed all the steps you need to follow.
So, read on and learn how you can undertake a manufactured home remodeling project like a pro.
Why go for manufactured home renovation in the first place?
Before I start explaining the steps for manufactured homes remodel, let me answer yet another question that I am often asked, i.e., why to remodel a manufactured home.
You see, unlike conventional homes where you have a say in both interior and exterior design, mobile homes come ready-made with a common layout. And while they offer the ease and convenience of not having to build your home from the scratch, the one-size-fits-all approach can be problematic.
For starters, a lot of mobile home owners complain of a standardized configuration and lack of space.
Plus, they feel a lack of personalization, given the common design pattern across manufactured homes.
As such, manufactured home remodeling is as much about functionality as it is for personal touch. Herein, the idea is simple: To create a space that’s as good as a custom-built home.
Bring Your Manufactured Home to Life
From modern updates to functional improvements, our home remodel ideas create spaces you’ll love to call home.
How to remodel manufactured home?
Now that you know why mobile home restoration is essential, it’s time to answer the main question, i.e., how to remodel a mobile home.
To begin with, let me tell you that it takes a lot to remodel manufactured home units.
In fact, as a remodeling contractor on Long Island, I have worked on multiple mobile and trailer home improvement projects. And I have seen firsthand how complicated these renovations can be.
But a manufactured home renovation isn’t impossible either. So, with the correct steps and right approach, you can finish remodeling your home in a few weeks.
Curious how to remodel a trailer or manufactured home?
Here are 4 detailed steps you can follow:
Step 1. Start off by assessing your home
If you’ve always thought that home remodeling is all about design and execution, you’re in for a little surprise. That’s because the first step in remodeling a manufactured home involves thoroughly assessing your home from the inside out.
Here, you’ll start with visually inspecting the key components of your mobile home. This includes the foundation, outer and inner walls, roofing, plumbing, etc.
As a result, you’ll be able to locate potential problem areas like water damage, cracks in the walls, sagging roof or floors, etc., before you move ahead with remodeling.
You see, problems like these are common in manufactured homes, especially those that are over a decade old. And safety risks apart, a remodeling project without essential repairs and maintenance will also cost you big time by damaging newer cosmetic additions.
Step 2. Decide priority areas for remodeling
Straightforward as it might seem, a manufactured home renovation is quite intricate and involves multiple individual remodeling projects.
For instance, a full manufactured home remodeling will involve at least the following, notwithstanding its size and age:
- Remodeling the interior layout
- Creating a modern outdoor look
- Changing interior and exterior walls or wall colors
- Outdoor home addition like porch
- Living area remodeling
- Kitchen and bathroom redesign
- Plumbing and faucet upgrade
Now, doing all of these at once will surely take months if not an entire year. Not to mention, these high ticket renovations might end up breaking the bank.
So it makes sense to do one remodeling project at a time based on what’s high on priority for you.
For instance, if you’ve got a small kitchen that gets crammed too often, it’s a good idea to start with a small kitchen remodel and jump to other areas thereafter.
Step 3. Focus on high traffic spaces
Having remodeled the priority areas, it’s now time to focus on the aesthetic elements of remodeling manufactured home. This involves renovating those areas that see a high traffic such as living room, kitchen, bathroom, etc.
You see, these are the areas that you or your guests first see when entering the home. And you’d definitely want them to look visually appealing.
Here’s how you can go about renovating these high traffic spaces:
A. Kitchen
Kitchen remodeling in smaller manufactured homes involves a mixed approach wherein you focus on both functionality and aesthetics.
For instance, if you’re remodeling a trailer home kitchen, your focus will be on creating more storage. And to do so, you can start by updating your regular kitchen cabinets to vertical cabinets while also adding extra cabinets.
At the same time, you can paint the cabinets with stylish and minimal colors as well as upgrade the countertops.
Also, I often suggest my clients who are seeking a kitchen renovation on Long Island that this is the best time to replace their old appliances with newer energy-efficient models.
As a result, you’ll have a kitchen that’s both modern and efficient.
B. Living room
Living room is the centerpiece of your home where you gather with family and friends, spend your personal time, or binge watch your favorite show. So, remodeling here should be something that significantly increases the visual appeal of your home.
You can start with the flooring first where laminate, hardwood, and chic carpet flooring are excellent options to go for.
Thereafter, you can upgrade the existing fixtures and lamps to have dimmable lighting options. Also, consider recessed lighting to brighten up your space and increase its overall curb appeal.
At the end, you can add a fresh coat of paint, turning the living room into a more contemporary and inviting space.
C. Bathroom
Like kitchens, bathrooms in manufactured homes are also compact. In fact, while working on projects involving bathroom remodeling on Long Island, NY, my clients also complained that they felt claustrophobic in their bathroom.
Now, even though this is a challenge, some small changes and you can easily turnaround your bathroom, making it more spacious.
For instance, swap out a bathtub and install a walk-in shower instead. This will make the space feel larger and modern.
Step 4. Upgrade the flooring
Flooring is one of the easiest and most cost-efficient ways to remodel manufactured home units.
However, when it comes to interior design, flooring has more of a complementary than standalone aesthetic value. Meaning any flooring remodel should ideally follow other renovations like living room or kitchen makeover.
Talking about the remodel itself, I always use flooring materials like vinyl, laminate, or engineered wood for laminate flooring in Southampton, and I suggest you do the same. That’s because these materials are durable, cost-efficient, and simple to install.
Pro tip: When remodeling manufactured home flooring, avoid materials like marbles. You see, flooring materials like these are too heavy and your home’s structure might not support them.
Step 5. Renovate the exterior
When it comes to enhanced curb appeal and aesthetic value, your home’s exterior plays an important role. After all, no matter how elegant the space is from the inside, its exterior look sets the first impression and overall tone.
But how to remodel manufactured home exterior, you might wonder?
Well, to start with, you can do something as simple as adding a coat of new bright-colored paint. Not only will this improve the aesthetics but also increase your home’s energy-efficiency.
With painting out of sight, it’s a great idea to go for exterior additions like deck or porch. Also, if the space and local regulations permit, you can add a garden or even a garage to your mobile home.
Things to consider before remodeling a manufactured home
1. Your budget
Before you go about remodeling manufactured home, it’s essential you first figure out your total budget and plan out the remodel accordingly.
For instance, let’s say your budget is anywhere between $5,000 and $8,000. In this case, it’s best to stick to basic manufactured home renovation tasks like fresh paint, new carpet flooring, kitchen countertop upgrade, etc.
Similarly, if your budget is in the range of $20,000 and $35,000, you can go all out with complete mobile home restoration. This can include adding a deck outside, installing an all-glass kitchen cabinetry, installing laminate flooring, etc.
Now, if you’re curious which remodeling project will cost what, I suggest you use a mobile home remodel calculator. These calculators are available for free on the internet and can give you a basic idea to budget your manufactured home remodeling.
2. Structural integrity and safety
One of the biggest challenges that I face while remodeling a manufactured home is maintaining its structural integrity. That’s because unlike conventional homes, mobile homes are built on steel frames and thus lack the same level of strength.
You see, any renovation or new addition with heavy materials can significantly increase the stress on overall framing and post safety issues.
As such, it is important to use light-weight materials only and make sure home additions are not compromising structural integrity.
3. Local laws
Lastly, local zoning and permit regulations are something you’ll have to factor in before you start working on your mobile home remodel ideas.
You see, depending on which area of the country you’re based in, you might need a permit for making structural changes, upgrading electrical work, or changing plumbing lines.
For instance, if you own a manufactured home on Long Island or anywhere else in New York, you’ll have to follow Appendix E of the New York State Residential Code. This code has detailed the legal requirements for altering, upgrading, or adding new structures to your mobile home.
Frequently asked questions about how to remodel manufactured home
Can you renovate a mobile home by yourself?
I am often asked whether or not DIY manufactured home renovation is possible. And a short answer is yes, it is very much possible to remodel manufactured home yourself.
In fact, like all DIY-projects this will also save you a lot of money plus bring a sense of accomplishment.
But that said, a DIY mobile home remodeling can also be time-consuming. So much so that a complete home remodel can take you months.
Not to mention, a project like this also comes with risk of errors and safety hazards. As such, if you don’t have previous experience of home remodeling, it’s best to hire a professional.
How much does it cost to remodel mobile home?
Yet another question that I am often asked is ‘how much to renovate a mobile home?’
Now, there is no fixed cost average for mobile home renovation. Meaning, the amount you spend will depend on a host of factors including mobile home size, kind of remodeling, and your location, to name a few.
However, to give you a basic overview, the present-day cost to remodel mobile home in New York is anywhere between $5,000 and $50,000.
For instance, if you’re planning simple cosmetic upgrades to your mobile home in New York, you can expect to spend in the range of $6,000 and $8,000.
At the same time, a full home renovation with additions like porch, new cabinetry, laminate flooring, lighting fixture upgrade, etc., can cost you between $35,000 and $50,000.
What is a mobile home remodel calculator?
At its very basic, a mobile home remodel calculator is a tool that provides you an estimated cost of renovation. This is based on factors like the type of remodeling you’re planning, your home’s size, and cost of materials.
You can easily find such calculators on the internet where answering a few basic questions can get you an estimated manufactured home renovation cost.
Curious how much does it cost to renovate a mobile home on Long Island, NY?
You can reach out to us and get a free quote for your remodeling project.
Can you add a room to a mobile home?
Yes, you can add extra rooms as part of your overall manufactured home renovation.
But you should make sure these additions meet local codes before proceeding with it. Also, in some cases you might even have to obtain a permit for adding new rooms.
Furthermore, any such addition should be done carefully to ensure you don’t end up adding a lot of weight to your home’s original framing.
Bring Your Manufactured Home to Life
From modern updates to functional improvements, our home remodel ideas create spaces you’ll love to call home.
Conclusion
By now I am sure you’d have got a detailed answer to our main question ‘how to remodel manufactured home.’
In fact, you might already be planning to follow the above steps and tips and go ahead with your home renovation project.
But before you do so, be sure to factor in your home’s structural considerations. Also, it’s best to work through the permit and other requirements beforehand.
Need assistance with your manufactured home renovation project?
Reach out to us for a full professional mobile home makeover!
At Creative Design, we are seasoned Long Island remodeling professionals with two decades plus expertise under our belt. And we’ve got all your home remodeling requirements covered on a budget.