Welcome back,
Congratulations! If you are reading this article then you are now holding a vacant mobile home in the fall/winter months, or you’re educating yourself about what to do when this happens to you. Most areas around the country experience some freezing weather, some way more than others.
Enemy #1: Standing water Freezing in pipes
Just a few hours of freezing temperatures can damage and burst your mobile home’s water pipes both inside and underneath your investment mobile home. Completely replacing the water pipes underneath your mobile home may cost you between $1000-$1500 installed by a handyman.
Costly damages can happen in just 1 night.
Be ready for winter. Active mobile home investors please see below…
Scenario #1: VACANT Mobile Home you’re having Repaired
If you’re an active mobile home investor, this will be the main section for you. In these situations you’re fixing a mobile home and want to keep it safe from freeze-related damages.
While fixing and rehabbing a mobile home you will typically have the power and water turned ON inside the property. If there is a gas oven or gas furnace this is ideally properly working and the gas-lines have been pressure-tested if vacant and required by law.
✔ Keep heat on 50° or higher to prevent water pipes inside the mobile home from freezing and bursting. (must do)
✔ Option 1: In areas with minimal freezing (few nights here and there), let water drip over night when freezing temperatures arrive. A slow drip will keep water moving in the pipes and are less likely to freeze/burst. (highly recommended)
✔ Option 2: In areas with moderate freezing (consistent days and nights), wrap pipes under home in heat tape and/or foam-noodle insulation. (highly recommended) It only takes a one-time freeze to burst pipes.
✔ Option 3: In areas with severe freezing (continued days and nights for weeks and weeks), wrap pipes under home in heat tape and foam-noodle insulation as above. (highly recommended)
✔ Seal leaks around windows, doors, vents with exterior/interior caulking. Seal larger gaps in ceiling and floors with Great Stuff brand expanding foam. (optional, but recommended)
✔ Install outdoor facet protectors. (optional, but recommended)
✔ Replace missing skirting to provide a shield from the wind and cold weather. (optional, but recommended)
Disclaimer: Heat tape has caused fires in the past for mobile home homeowners. It is a very low risk, however a real one. Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions on your heat tape kit. Make sure your handyman follows the instructions as well.
Helpful article: Properly adding heat tape to your mobile home 101
Scenario #2: VACANT Mobile Home (just sitting for the next few weeks or months)
In these situations, you have decided to hold this investment mobile home empty until the warmer weather arrives. In this scenario the utilities are all usually turned OFF. In this scenario the mobile home likely needs significant rehab/repairs or else it likely would already be on the market for rent or resale.
In situations like this you are ideally paying no lot rent or the mobile home is on your own private property. You may strategically be waiting because you are busy with other projects, waiting on a handyman, taking a lengthy vacation, waiting for more cash-buyers at tax time, etc.
✔ Turn OFF the main water shut-off to the mobile home.
✔ Turn OFF gas or electric to hot water heater. Drain hot water heater.
✔ Open all faucets to allow more water to drain naturally.
✔ Use a portable air compressor to force compressed-air into the mobile home’s pipe system. This is optional however recommended if the home will be sitting for weeks and weeks. Portable air compressors may be found online or at a local pawn shop for under $100.
✔ Pour 3-4 cups RV antifreeze (antifreeze made for recreational vehicles) into each of your mobile home’s drains, including the; sinks, bathtubs, toilet bowls, and toilet tanks. This will help keep any remaining water in the lines from freezing.
There are more than 5 steps to properly prepare your mobile home for being vacant in the winter months, however the video below does a very good job at explaining the specific process to safely remove all water from your water lines.
Pro Tip: Even thought the home is vacant, check on your investment occasionally to inspect for damages, new issues, and squatters. Instruct the neighbors to alert you if anyone is seen next door.
Educating Your Payment-Buyers on Preparing for the Colder weather
Many mobile homes are leaking thousands of dollars of hot air in the winter and cold air in the summer. This may cause your tenant-buyer’s electricity, gas, or propane bills to skyrocket during colder or hotter months of the year.
Enemy #2: Air gaps & poor insulation letting out air.
If you are selling a mobile home via monthly payments then consider speaking with your tenant-buyers and educating them on the benefits of increasing the insulation and sealing up major air gaps in the mobile home. Great Stuff brand foam is a common gap-filler around traditional homes and mobile homes.
Increasing the efficiency of a mobile home may lower the payment-buyer’s energy bill monthly and extend the life of the home’s heat/AC systems.
Helpful article: Insulating your mobile home 101
Provide the Free Mobile Home Winterization Checklist to each of your payment-buyers during the summer months each year.
Click the image above to download.
Helpful article: Winterizing your mobile home as a homeowner
If you are renting any mobile homes then the choice to add insulation and prepare for colder temperatures is completely your decision. Listen to your renters throughout the year and consider making improvement and updates as needed.
Many mobile homes from the 1970s throughout the 2000s naturally leak air from various locations in the walls, ceilings, floors, around windows and doors, etc. Addressing these air leaks with simple fixes such as caulking and adding foam will only add to the efficiency of your mobile home.
Finding VACANT mobile homes throughout the year…
Every month there are buyers and sellers, some months more than others. As an active mobile home investor you will continue investing throughout the year.
While many home owners prefer not to sell during the holiday months, some folks have little choice but to sell as soon as possible for various personal and/or financial reasons.
Some questions to ask while considering any vacant mobile home (anytime of the year)…
✔ How long has this mobile home been sitting vacant for? Days, weeks, months?
✔ Is the water or power turned on or off? It is usually turned off unless the park or owner had it turned on recently.
✔ Will an electric or gas inspection be needed (prior to turning on the utilities) due to this absence in utilities being used?
✔ Has this mobile home been vacant since the last big freeze? Was it vacant through the last/current winter? If so, has it been properly winterized?
✔ Can you see evidence of anti-freeze splashes and residue around sinks, tubs, and toilets? Is there still water in the toilet bowls or tanks?
✔ Are any water pipes visually broken?
✔ Are you able to verify the water pipes are not broken? During winter, if the mobile home has been properly winterized the seller may want the water OFF (until you buy) due to the pipes refreezing.
✔ What other structural and cosmetic repairs are actually needed?
✔ How long will this home take to repair? Do you have an experienced handyman ready to make repairs?
✔ What is your ideal exit-strategy for this time of year? Do you have a buyer’s list ready when you rent or resell?
✔ Do you understand the process moving forward? Do you understand the park rules, application process, time of year, buyers, what else is for sale, etc. What questions do you have about the process and steps ahead?
✔ Can you trust the seller and/or park manager?
✔ Will this potential investment be profitable, very profitable, or skinny?
Whether you are investing in 20 mobile homes per year, or only 2, protect your investment during the winter months by keeping the pipes from freezing and keeping your residents happy. Save money with preventative maintenance, adequate insulation, and common-sense heat-loss fixes mentioned above.
Did we miss anything? Mobile home investing questions about your specific situation? Please comment below.
Love what you do daily,
John Fedro
support@mobilehomeinvesting.net
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Related mobile home investor videos:
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11 Comments
Mike Hagar
November 8, 2019I have not purchased any homes but was just thinking what it was like buying homes this time of year. I am in Montana and already seeing 6 inches snow on the ground. I’m sure this time of year makes things harder. Thank you for putting all of this together. I will likely be in touch again.
Sincerly,
Mike Hagar
John Fedro
November 10, 2019Hi Mike,
Thank you for reaching out and connecting. Moving forward will certainly have a number of questions and concerns. Never hesitate to reach out any time. Happy to help if possible. With regards to your thinking about what it is like buying homes this time of the year… I can shed a little bit of light. Once school starts in the fall we typically notice or on a 30% drop off in the amount of sellers that are selling. People do not want to have to move if they do not have to. With that said a number of folks still do need to move and will have a deadline sometime in the near or distant future. The weeks of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s virtually come to a crawl however the rest of the weeks you will still receive calls as long as your marketing is strong. January and February things begin to pick up more and by March people have some of their tax money back. But you definitely are correct that it is different in a bit more difficult to get around once the snow is on the ground. Lastly, this time of the year there are bit fewer buyers, however there certainly are still people that want deals. This may make it a bit more difficult for sellers to sell, and for you to resell depending on your exit strategy. When purchasing homes this time of the year it is good to build in an extra month or two of holding costs. Normally our home so pretty quickly however this time of the year things may take a little bit longer. And it should of course be winterized. Hope this helps. Keep in touch.
Talk soon,
John
alonzo black
November 8, 2019Sir whats the can in the picture? Thank you
John Fedro
November 10, 2019Hi Alonzo,
Thank you for reaching out and connecting. The stuff in the can is expanding phone. It is pretty handy however some people go overboard with it. The brand is called Great Stuff and you can find it here. https://www.walmart.com/ip/GREAT-STUFF-Gaps-Cracks/17756646 there are different types of cans for different applications such as small cracks or big cracks or inside or outside, etc. It does expand a good deal so people typically use a little saw or razor to remove the excess. Now that you know what this is you will see it around a number of mobile homes in the future. Hope this helps. If you have any follow-up questions never hesitate to reach out any time.
Talk soon,
John
J.Neeve
November 21, 2019Hello,
Thank you for putting together all of this information. I am probably already a bit late however I wish to add the heating tape under my mobile home this year. It is already getting pretty cold. Is this something I can do myself or should I hire a pro? Where would I find someone to do this? Any idea on how much this could cost for a single wide? Thank you in advance.
John Fedro
November 24, 2019Hi J. Neeve,
Thank you for reaching out and connecting. Get this tape on sooner rather than later. When in doubt, hire an experienced mobile home related handyman or plumber to help put this on. Not sure how seasoned you are in dealing with handymen so here are some tips with regards to hiring handymen and contractors. https://www.mobilehomeinvesting.net/mobile-home-handyman/ With regards to where to find someone to do this, you can look online at sites such as Angie’s list, Craigslist, FB, and by asking around at local mobile home parks to see who they use that has mobile home experience. I hope this helps and starts to point you in the right direction. Moving forward if you have any follow-up questions never hesitate to reach out any time.
Talk soon,
John
Ella Starr
June 28, 2021Thank you for talking about how getting your furnace inspected can save your life. I am moving into a mobile home this summer. I will actually find a reputable propane tank dealer locally.
John Fedro
June 30, 2021Hi Ella Starr.
Thank you for reaching out and connecting. I do hope that this article has somewhat helped already. When dealing with propane a local and reputable dealer is definitely the way to go. Some propane units may be placed directly next to the mobile home, and others may need to be placed 10 or 20 feet away. If this is located in a pre-existing mobile home park than the park manager will likely have to sign off on this propane tank as well. Call around to get some quotes for sure. Perhaps other people in the park can recommend one or two local professionals. I hope this helps and point you in the right direction. Moving forward if you have any mobile home related questions never hesitate to reach out any time.
Talk soon,
John
Ed Conjura
January 9, 2022Thank you for the article! We have a singlewide mobile home, as a second home at the beach. It’s in a mobile home park open year round with year round residents. We keep the heat on @ 54′ in the winter. I do drain the water tank and blow out the lines with a compressor. Is rv antifreeze and that process necessary for toilets, sinks, tubs, ect, if leaving the heat on? Even with heat on I do blow lines, bc heat is not “under” the home, but curious about RV antifreeze in the interior of a home that the heat is left on. THANK YOU!
John Fedro
January 27, 2022Hello Ed,
Thanks for reaching out and commenting. I love that you have a second home right on the beach. That sounds beautiful and extremely relaxing. Great tip with regards to keeping the heat on at 54 in the winter. Smart idea to block the lines with a compressor. The anti- freeze in the lines is definitely some overkill, however prevention is often times cheaper than fixing broken pipes. Getting all of the water out of the lines is top and main priority. Great job with that compressor.
Talk soon,
John
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