If You’ve Ever Thought “I like your homes…but where do I put them?” this is the blog for you!
So, you found it. You found the manufactured home for you, and you’re ready to just live in it already! Great! If you’ve made the smart decision in choosing a quality Champion® Homes prefab home, you’re likely trying to figure out one important detail: where does the home go??! Have no fear, the Champion® Homes Blog is here to help.
Your Choices
When considering where you want to place your manufactured home, you’ll have 2 main choices: privately owned land, or land within a land lease community. When trying to choose the option that works best for you, you’ll want to consider a variety of factors. Let’s get into them!
NOTE: Still trying to figure out the right home style for you? Click HERE to take the quiz!
Option 1: Private Land
If you’re considering buying private land to place your prefab home on, you might prefer the privacy and personalization potential of having your own lot. Where do people go when they are shopping for land? Websites such as Zillow.com and Realtor.com are great options! You can search the area where you want to live and select “Lots/land”, etc. If this is the route you would like to take, there are quite a few details to make sure you’ve thought of before signing the dotted line. These details include:
- Lot size. Understandably so, you’ll want to make sure the lot you plan to purchase will have enough room to place your manufactured home. This might also need to include space on each side of the property line, also known as a ‘setback.’ When you purchase property, you should be given a document outlining the setbacks. This is especially important when you’re thinking of living in a subdivision.
- Zoning Requirements. This will likely differ from area to area. You’ll want to get with your local municipality before purchasing a lot to make sure manufactured homes are approved in that location. Reach out to your county officials for this information.
- Regulations. Your home might need to be placed in a specific location or face a specific direction on the land.
- HOA Covenants. You’ll also want to investigate homeowner covenants that may apply to you should you choose to live in a community with a homeowner’s association, for example “must at least have a 2-car garage,” “side-entry garage required” or “needs a covered front entry.”
- Permits. After you’ve gotten through zoning and any restrictions, it’s important to secure any necessary permits for placing your home. This could include permits for additional construction services. A local retailer can help guide you through this process.
- Environmental concerns. It is recommended to perform a perc and soils test of the land before you even think about placing a home there. This ensures adequate soil drainage and without it, you could face lots of problems down the line.
- Utilities. Are utilities available on the property? These include natural gas, water or well, electricity, sewer or septic. If not, it’s time to figure out the costs for getting them on your property. The retailer you work with will be able to help with this too!
- Required preparation. Is the lot hilly? Are there lots of trees? Are there overhead wires that need to be removed? These are just a couple of factors you’ll need to consider when getting the land prepared for a home to be safely placed.
Another great resource to help you through this process is a local retailer! They will be able to help you find the home, and lot, of your dreams – then guide you through the process of preparing your land. Click here to find a retailer in your area.
Option 2: Manufactured Housing Community (Land Lease)
For others, the best choice is going with a manufactured home community. In most cases, you’ll be able to rent the land for your home in a community. In some other cases, you’ll be able to buy land or participate in a rent-to-own program.
There are many perks to living in a manufactured home community; many have amenities like a pool, fitness center, green space and home care like grass watering.
The main detail you’ll need to consider when choosing the community route? Making sure you find the right community near you that fits your needs. Are there specific age requirements? If you have a family, will the specific amenities do well with the kids? These are some important questions to ask yourself as you decide on the community for you.
Another great perk of communities is they will help to guide you through the process of finding a home. Looking to find a community in your area? We’ve got you covered: click here!
Realtor.com® is the official site of the National Association of REALTORS® and is operated by Move, Inc. and Zillow® is a registered trademark of Zillow, Inc. Champion is not an affiliate of any of these entities. This is not a paid endorsement.
