How long are you living in your Sarasota Florida area mobile home?
Do you live in your mobile home for several months in a row and then leave to head back up North for the summer only to return back in the winter?
If you live in your Sarasota Florida area mobile home full time do you leave for more than one week at a time at any point during the year?
If you are not living within your mobile home all the time and leave for weeks or months on end you may want to seriously consider shutting your water off before the next time you head out of town.
Why do you ask?
Mobile homes in the greater Sarasota Florida area are like any other housing situation in the sense that leaks can and will spring up throughout the plumbing system.
Sarasota mobile homes
The mobile home plumbing system is usually run underneath the mobile home with entrances throughout the property based on where the faucets and showers exist within the property.
The water shut-off is usually at the back of the home, either on the total back end of the mobile home or on a utility pole near the property line. If the water shutoff is on the back of the mobile home it will usually look like a lever, pushing it down will turn off the water, and pushing it up will turn on the water.
If the water turn-off is located on a utility pole it is usually a knob and if turned one way it will turn the water off and the other way will turn the water on.
By turning the water off in your home you will avoid the potential of a water leak coming through the plumbing system and causing trouble to your property.
The most common issue we, at The Mobile Home Dealer, have seen with water leaks is when there springs a leak underneath the mobile home and sprays endlessly on the wood-based subflooring system. As mentioned in previous blog posts, if the subflooring system gets wet then, over time, soft spots may occur causing sagging in the flooring that if not treated correctly could cause holes in the actual floor of your mobile home.
If a leak begins and the owner of the mobile is not present for months on end then could turn into a severe problem as there could be months of water spraying on the underside of the mobile home which would certainly cause the flooring system to warp.
Turning the water off on the home only takes a few seconds and could certainly help the homeowner prevent any issues with possible subflooring issues that are a direct result of water leaks.
Should you consider turning the power off too?
Now, this is a tricky question that needs a tricky answer.
In general, turning off everything when the house is not attended to for a long period of time seems a good idea, but this situation is an exception. We will be talking about leaving your mobile home in Sarasota Florida during the summer months while also listing it for sale.
Many mobile home Sellers throughout the greater Sarasota Florida area looking to sell their properties when they are not physically living in them.
This comes as no surprise as, oftentimes, a seasonal resident will enjoy their mobile home during the winter months only to go back up North to decide that they do not want to keep their Sarasota Florida home throughout the summer and look to sell the property.
What some of these Sellers will look to do is turn off all the power to the home when they are not using the property to save money on their carrying costs during the time that the home is for sale.
Sarasota Mobile Home
While one can certainly appreciate the frugality that this action promotes we are here today to explain the top three reasons why turning off the electricity in your Sarasota Florida mobile home during the time you are looking to sell your property is a bad idea.
- Mold
South Florida summers are hot and humid with a constant rain storm most days in the afternoon. Water mixed with humidity can create moisture issues and, if not treated correctly, can lead to mold. If a Seller keeps their home’s electricity off they will not have the ability to circulate the air properly in their mobile home. If there are any issues with leaks in their mobile home, through the roof, windows, or doorways, this may lead to a serious mold issue without the Seller even knowing it.
- Buyers Can’t Check Home Out
Part of buying any item is having the ability to test it out to make sure it works to your expectations. Whether this is a new pair of sneakers, a car, or a mobile home we all like to try things out before making a purchase. Having your electricity turned off will not allow the Buyer to test the home out to make sure all of the items that run off of electricity work thus leaving a wait-and-see feeling for the potential Buyer.
- Floor Damage
Mobile home subflooring structures are wood-based. As we all know, wood is a natural product that can warp and rot if left not attended to. We have seen several times where the home has gotten so hot on the inside without any electricity on or air flor that has warped the floors requiring the home’s floors to warp. This may cost several thousand dollars to replace, at a minimum.
If you are looking at leaving your mobile home for an extended period of time we can not suggest strongly enough to consider turning the water OFF while leaving the power ON on the home as this will be one more action that can be taken to help prevent any damage to your Sarasota Florida mobile home flooring system.
This is Mark Kaiser with The Mobile Home Dealer and we help mobile home Buyers and Sellers get to a better place in life.
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