Whether you are selling or buying a mobile home, a professional mobile home inspection can potentially save you a lot of money. The Mobile Home Dealer is not engaged in the business of mobile home inspection, but in this article, we will explain why you need one.
Do mobile home inspections exist for mobile homes located on leased land?
I have been asked several times already this year if a Buyer can get an inspection on a mobile home prior to purchasing the property.
This is a great question and I feel it would be a good idea to go over some of the most common issues I have seen on mobile home inspection reports so far this year.
Before we go any further, I would inform you that there are companies throughout the Sarasota area that do mobile home inspections for mobile homes on leased land. Most home inspection companies have a staff group of inspectors who will be able to help you with your mobile home inspection. These inspectors are usually booked out two to three business days in advance and can offer a basic mobile home inspection for around $300-$400. These inspections will usually take 2-3 hours to complete pending largely on the size of the home being inspected. Inspectors also include what is called a “four points inspection” which is usually required for insurance companies to determine if they will insure the home or not.
In my experience, I have only had Buyers obtain the traditional home inspection as this was enough for the Buyer to have the information handy to see what issues there are with the mobile home they are looking to purchase, if any.
When hiring a mobile home inspector to look at the mobile home you are purchasing, make sure you hire a team that specifically has inspectors who have inspected and are familiar with mobile homes and not just your traditional stick-and-brick family homes.
This is because much of the construction of a mobile home is different from that of a stick-and-brick property, and if an inspector only inspects traditional single-family homes, they may not be well-versed enough in the mobile home space to really help you.
The vast majority of mobile homes in and around Sarasota County are from the early 1970s to the mid to late 1980s.
One reason for this is that most of the parks in the area are long-time, well-established mobile home parks, and the homeowners prefer to update their homes inside and out rather than demolishing the property and bringing in a new one.
Some of the most common issues I have seen on inspection reports this year are mobile homes having some soft floor spots, and non-operational electrical outlets, and every so often, you will have leaks in the roof.
Some of these items are bigger issues than others.
The main concern we always want to pay attention to is any time the home has water damage.
The reason for this is that when a mobile home has water damage, it can be very difficult and very expensive to rid the entire home of mold.
Nearly all mobile homes are sold in “as-is” condition, which means that the Seller makes no representations or warranties about the home, its condition, or what will be found in the inspection report.
Although you may want to get an inspection on the mobile home you are looking to buy, know that the home is usually being sold exactly the way you see it without the Seller looking to make any improvements to the property.
Most Buyers will look for price discounts for the items found on the property inspection and not for the Seller to fix any of those issues because they know they are buying the home in as-is condition.
So, the last question is: Is an inspection report worth the price of having it done?
I would say yes if you are just looking to see what the property has behind the walls but do not expect to have a Seller fix the items that the inspector may find in the report.
Conclusion
Buying a mobile home is a tedious process, especially if you are doing it privately, meaning no dealers or banks are involved.
Anyone buying or selling a mobile home needs to invest in a mobile home inspection. Admittedly, home buyers will likely get the most benefit from an inspection, but they can be just as beneficial to a seller.
Simply put, having an inspection done on a mobile home you purchase is a wise decision but please keep in mind that nearly all mobile homes sold on leased land are sold in AS-IS condition
If you are selling a home, hiring an inspector to look over the home before you put it on the market can help you find and make repairs. Having these repairs done before a buyer enters the equation can help sell a home faster and possibly at a higher price.
A home inspection can save you thousands of dollars! Mobile home inspectors look for things such as roof leaks, pier damage, moisture, and condensation issues that are not easy to spot. The bottom line is a manufactured home inspection is well worth the time and money.
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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