Welcome back.
Can we please talk about mobile home winterization? Freezing weather is not the most glamorous topic but preparation is usually way cheaper than expensive repairs due to negligence or laziness.
If you invest in mobile homes or live in a mobile home this is your public service announcement. Prevention is typically much less expensive than repairing preventable damages.
✔ Which utilities should be ON or OFF?
✔ Electric?
✔ Water?
✔ Gas?
✔ Propane?
✔ How to prevent costly issues due to weather or theft?
✔ Turning water back ON?
After months or years in business, it is natural for many of us mobile home investors to become lazy or complacent with different aspects of our mobile home investing businesses. Do not slip into this comfortability trap!
Begin implementing the winter-prep-steps below into your mobile home investing business to save money, avoid headaches, and operate a more professional company.
It’s hot, warm, neutral, or cool outside? (Not freezing)
In most parts of the United States the weather is warm or comfortable a majority of the year. Now is the time to prepare for the colder weather in your area.
Quick flipping the mobile home? If you will only be owning the home for a very short period of time you may not be thinking about the coming colder seasons. Reality: In order for you to resell the home the furnace does not necessarily have to be working, the insulation in the home may be in poor condition, there may be holes in the roof or floors, etc.
✔ Sometimes you sell as handyman specials (sell as-is without warranty)
✔ Other times you will aim to fix and resell for a more retail price. (move-in-ready without warranty)
✔ Other times you will wholesale without ever owning the home. (sell as-is without warranty)
Since you plan to have a long-term investing portfolio/business aim to disclose all known defects to your future buyers. Always be ethical.
If your budget allows add insulation and/or heat tape to pipes exposed beneath the home. [3] Make other repairs as needed based on your specific exit strategy, the specific location of the investment mobile home, price/terms and more.
Planning to rent or resell this mobile home for payments? If you’re planning to keep this home in your portfolio then making preventative repairs is even more important than ever. The repairs and improvements below will pay for themselves and allow you to resell the home for a higher price with typically significant less headaches overtime. Make these changes and improvements below…
✔ Electric: ON ideally.
✔ Gas: ON ideally, but shut OFF coming in to home.
✔ Propane: ON, but shut OFF nearest to tank.
✔ Water: ON, but shut OFF near main line.
✔ Tape toilets and lids shut.
✔ Shut OFF water heater, keep full.
✔ Ideally replace missing skirting.
✔ Ideally ADD outlet and heat-tape to exposed water pipes under home. [3]
✔ Ideally fix/replace furnace if not working.
It’s COLD or FREEZING! Do this…
You may have heard this before; water is the enemy of mobile homes. Whether it is from an overflowing bathtub, broken water heater, window air conditioner, leaky window when it rains, condensation, or frozen/broken water pipes, water (in all it’s forms) is likely an expensive and unneeded cost to your wallet.
Follow the steps below when you purchase a mobile home and the weather is cold or freezing.
✔ Electric ON, Gas ON, Water OFF. (Transfer Utilities!)
✔ Electric ON, Gas ON, Water OFF.
✔ Best for rehabbing and showing.
✔ Shut OFF water coming into home. (KEEP OFF IF ALREADY OFF)
✔ Shut OFF water coming into the home. [1]
✔ Drain and blow water from inside the home. [2]
✔ Water heater OFF and drained. [2]
✔ Tape toilet seats and lids.
✔ Add RV antifreeze to sinks and toilets.
✔ Disconnect and drain W/D and Ice maker.
✔ Ideally keep heat set at 50+ degrees F.
✔ Open sink doors.
✔ Keep a small heater near water well pump. (your land)
✔ Check home every few days for furnace issues or someone changing thermostat.
✔ Check propane or oil tank. Fill slightly if needed.
✔ No/Broken furnace = Tougher sale when freezing.
✔ Ideally Replace missing skirting if possible.
✔ Ideally Add heat tape and insulation noodle to all exposed water pipes under home for future freezes. [3]
Related Article: Cold Weather Prep
In a perfect world, with an extra budget… (warm or cold)
It may be a wise idea to have a repair budget for each project based on repairs, exit strategy, and more. Whether you plan on living in the mobile home yourself or flipping the mobile home for a profit, the repairs below would be ideal for the future buyer/residents.
Keep in mind that the repairs below are in an ideal situation. These repairs will certainly cost time, energy, and money to repair and improve. These improvements typically go towards money-saving and comfort for the future buyer/residents.
See the list below of ideal repairs for comfort and savings in the coming winter months.
✔ Get nit-picky to Insulate any air gaps, cracks, holes in interior and exterior. Check windows, dryer vents, electrical outlets, holes in siding, holes in floors. Use expandable foams, tapes, or caulks right for the job. [5]
✔ Clean furnace filter.
✔ Fix/Replace furnace if not working.
✔ Clean fireplace vents.
✔ Cover outside hose spigots if water is on.
✔ Fix missing or damaged insulation in the mobile home underbelly. Fix tears. [4]
✔ Replace missing skirting.
✔ Add insulation to water heater if door is outside.
✔ Add heat tape and insulation noodle to all exposed exterior water pipes. [3]
Download Checklist Below
Wholesaling mobile homes. Do this…
When you’re wholesaling mobile homes you do not usually have the control, time, budget, or desire to make any/all of the preventative repairs and take all of the precautions listed above.
Important: As a mobile home investor or mobile home broker you are the person of authority in the transaction. The seller may not have much money to make improvements however they can clean their home up, take basic precautions, and heed your advice.
✔ (OCCUPIED) Electric ON, Gas ON, Water ON.
✔ Owner should…
✔ Keep warm in home.
✔ Drip faucets when freezing.
✔ Clean furnace filter.
✔ (NON-OCCUPIED) Electric ON, Gas ON, Water OFF.
✔ See It’s cold or freezing. Do this… section above.
✔ Strongly encourage seller to shut OFF water and drain water out of system. [2]
✔ Strongly encourage furnace remains on lowest temp.
Snowbirds: Leaving for 3 to 6 months.
Congratulations! Personally, I love that people are able to have second homes down south to get away from the colder weather. If you will be leaving your mobile home with intentions of coming back please consider following all of the advice and instructions below.
✔ Tell neighbors check regularly. Park manager keep an eye out and call you and/or police if needed.
✔ Shut water OFF coming into home.
✔ Open faucets to empty most water. Open outside hose spigot.
✔ Drain hot water heater of water. Breaker OFF.
✔ Add RV antifreeze to sinks, tubs, and toilets. [2]
✔ Keep a small space heater near water well pump. (your land)
✔ Disconnect/drain hoses from W/D & Ice maker.
✔ Electric: Ideally ON
✔ Set lights with timer.
✔ Gas: Ideally ON
✔ Furnace: Ideally ON and set to 50+ degrees F.
✔ Fill propane or oil tank.
✔ Remove any items that could freeze in cabinets. (if furnace off)
✔ Close blinds. Lock windows and doors.
✔ Keep valuables out of sight.
✔ Optional security camera with WIFI.
Turning mobile home water back on from the main line. Do this…
This entire article has a theme, if the mobile home will be vacant then shut OFF the water. Do not allow this element to become a negative variable or potential costly problem in the future or near future.
Pro Tip: If the water is OFF, turn it back ON to verify there are no breaks and toilets/faucets work property. Then turn water OFF and follow instructions in the It’s hot, warm, neutral, or cool outside? (Not freezing) section above.
If the water is shut OFF, then it may need to be turned back on. If you followed the steps above to properly winterize a vacant mobile home, then please follow the steps below when returning the water back on to the home.
✔ Check for signs of damages from water or broken water lines. Weak at connections.
✔ Unplug heat tape.
✔ Turn on water knob in kitchen sink.
✔ Close outside hose spigot.
✔ Connect W/D and Icemaker
✔ Turn on main line to home.
✔ Listen and watch for leaks! (Turn OFF water, dry area, and fix any broken pipes immediately.)
✔ Fill hot water tank. (Make sure tank is closed)
✔ Check sinks and toilets for leaks.
✔ Check around and under mobile home for leaks.
The choice to make certain improvements and repairs as described above is yours. Remember that prevention is often times much less expensive than repairing preventable damages.
In conclusion, mobile home investing is fast-paced with you actively marketing yourself, advertising, seeing properties, making offers, dealing with repairs, paperwork, negotiating, and so much more every week.
With all of these activities you are expected to master, do not let the ball drop with protecting your current investments from water damages.
You will not learn everything from one video or one article online. Moving forward any mobile home related questions you have never hesitate to please comment below or reach out directly at the email address below.
Any additional winterization tips or suggestions? We’d love to hear them below.
Love what you do daily,
John Fedro
support@mobilehomeinvesting.net
Sources related to the numbers above:
- https://youtu.be/-iQcq1M1ICE (Identifying water shut off values under your mobile home.)
- https://youtu.be/9M1QzeTDrSk (Winterizing a manufactured home.)
- https://youtu.be/VjjergOQy6I (Adding heat tape/insulation to water pipes below home.)
- https://youtu.be/FCfKzJPAmzs (Adding insulation under the home.)
- https://youtu.be/PgEuSN4m754 (Adding spray foam insulation to fill cracks and air gaps.)
6 Comments
Nefertiti
February 18, 2022You are so knowledgeable–I don’t know where to start!!! I had Hope of upgrading into a new manufactured home but circumstances have changed. Now I am hoping I can remodel my 2000 Horton double wide into a dreamy home. Question–do you have any referrals of companies that work on mobile homes?
John Fedro
February 21, 2022Hi Nefertiti. Thank you for reaching out and connecting. Great name as well. Thank you for the kind words and I do hope that some of these articles/videos have been helpful to you already. I regret to hear you will not be purchasing a new manufactured home at the moment. However in my opinion the prices on new manufactured homes are ridiculous and through the roof at the moment. Likewise, labor and material prices are up as well. Make sure to properly vet and screen your mobile home handyman or handy women. I would also encourage you to start with referrals. Referrals from local park managers, other mobile home investors, real estate investors, local mobile home supply stores, or any references you can find through online websites. I’m unsure of exactly where your mobile home is located however I would definitely encourage you to contact and speak with at least 20 people who say they have had mobile home repair experience. In my opinion you want to work with someone that is knowledgeable, shows up on time, is professional, takes notes, measures things, takes the job seriously, again, shows up on time, has their own tools, can provide you with references, will bid out the job before hand and does not want to get paid per hour, and lastly does not expect to be paid before work starts. In my opinion you should pay for materials separate directly from the store, then pay for labor only after the labor has been performed. This means that you can pay one half of the job is done and then make a final payment when the full job is done. Some handy people or contractors will not like this. For electrician and plumbers you may pay them up front, however for handy folks or contractors would encourage you to not pay them until the work has been performed satisfactorily. I hope this helps and point you in the right direction. Moving forward any follow-up questions please never hesitate to reach out anytime. All the best.
Talk soon,
John
Linda Myers
February 21, 2022Hello Mr. Fedro:
I live in a 55+ mobile home park in Los Angeles, California. I invested in this house a starter home to upgrade, sell and buy a larger home, likely out of state. However, I have become aware that the park manager has been operating unethically when others have sold their homes by not approving the sale unless its done thru her (commissioned) and on her terms, which usually ends up with the seller taking a loss (one incident was $25K). I have heard this from several people. I also heard that she once refused to accept rent for a tenant who was 2 months behind due to job loss and when they came up with the money she refused to accept the rent and took over the title for nonpayment. Unfortunately, the park owners basically do not respond to any communications from tenants. I have also researched a bit and found this seems to be a fairly common issue in mobile home parks across the country,
My question is mostly related to the first scenario since I may be planning to move in about a year: how can I protect myself from this scenario. And also an answer to the latter question would be appreciated. These people were all seniors who had no one to advocate for them, so they probably did not put up much of a fight. I’m just wondering if you can provide some information, legal recourse or legislation so I can learn to protect myself and also share with the other seniors in the park. Knowledge is power! I have basically invested my life’s savings into this home in the hope of being able to realize my retirement goals. It’s so horrible and scary to have something that you have worked so hard for taken from you by a dishonest person – especially when its your HOME. When it happens to elderly people it’s really sad because they may never be able to recover.
Any advice or resources you are able to offer will be greatly appreciated.
Best regards,
Linda M
John Fedro
March 4, 2022Hello Mrs. Myers,
Thank you very much for reaching out and connecting. Additionally, thank you for the detailed comment as this certainly does help me understand your situation a bit better. I sincerely regret to hear about this park manager treating residents this way. It is amazing to me how some park managers actually get and keep their job. Some of them are terrible people skills and seem to truly be evil and/or hate others. However I’m very glad to work that this is the small small small minority of park managers. But they do exist. And they can make life a nightmare for the residents living in the community. Every state has a manufactured housing Association and I would encourage you to contact yours to file a complaint. Have others call to file multiple complaints. You may want to also contact the local news departments and any manufactured home attorneys the California manufactured housing Association can provide to you. Over the years I have gone through a number of situations like this. Finally we are fighting back. It will be a podcast coming out in the future about a similar situation dealing with a nightmare and very unstable park manager. We will tell the story about how we took him down.
However, with regards to your immediate situation the park manager is holding many of the cards. What they are doing is definitely not legal, ethical, or write in any sense of the imagination. However things like this keep happening because they are difficult to prove and the park owners keep letting them get away with it. The mobile home is yours and therefore you are able to remove it if possible. I’m curious the age of your mobile home and if there are any big additions. You may want to run an advertisement advertising the home “must be moved”. This way you will at least know what your options are assuming the park manager will not approve anyone and becomes very difficult. You may also try to use the park manager from the very beginning. If you play nice perhaps the park manager will not direct her anger towards you and just play along so that she sells the home and makes a commission. However that is likely wishful thinking. Have no doubt that she will likely give you some hassles as well.
I hope that the advice above help some and make sense. Very glad to hear you are fighting this. Keep in touch moving forward. You will definitely have more questions and follow-up and never hesitate to reach out any time. Keep in touch and let us know what happens please.
Talk soon,
John
Shirley Ramos
March 11, 2022Hello good morning. My name is Shirley I have a question for you to do a mobile home title transfer. Do I have to have a Virginia DL or can I use passport.
John Fedro
March 14, 2022Hi Shirley,
Thank you for reaching out and connecting. The state of Virginia does ask that you have a Virginia address when titling a mobile home into your name. There may be ways around this however you want to contact the Department of Motor Vehicles to find out for sure. You should be able to use the passport as long as you have proof of residency in the state. However definitely double check with the DMV. Hope this helps and point you in the right direction.
Sincerely,
John
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