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.
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.
#1 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, 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.
2. 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.
3. 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 it has warped the floors requiring the home’s floors to warp. This may cost several thousand dollars to replace, at a minimum.
In addition to the three most important reasons above, another often overlooked reason is burglars and squatters.
Mobile homes are not the most secure buildings by design. They are built from light and penetrable materials. The windows are easy to break, allowing burglars to get inside with a little effort. Turning off the lights for a long period of time is a sign that your house is unattended. This could attract not only burglars but also illegal squatters who are looking for someplace during the hot summer season.
There were lots of incidents where people broke into someone else’s house and when they can’t find anything precious, they vandalize and break everything inside. This can lead to severe damage that could result in massive repair costs.
Aside from keeping your mobile home lights on, it is always suggested to have a good neighbor look into your house when you are away. In this case, you can =have at least, a little peace of mind.
During the process of selling your Sarasota Florida mobile, it is always important to keep your power on throughout the process whether you are physically living in the home or not. While turning the home’s power off save you a few dollars the risk of either not selling your home or seriously damaging the property simply is not worth it!
Selling a mobile home is trickier than buying it because there are more things to prepare, and it is riskier if you are away during the selling time.
Lastly, it is always better to ask for the professional service of a licensed mobile home dealer to deal with the selling, and who could at least visit your house at any given time while you are away.
We have other articles and videos that are useful for everyone who wants to sell or buy their mobile homes here on our website. The more knowledge we have about dealing with mobile homes, the lesser problems we may encounter. If you have questions and need assistance, you can always contact us through this website, or visit our Facebook Page.
This is Mark Kaiser with The Mobile Home Dealer and we help mobile home Buyers and Sellers get to a better place in life.