Mobile homes used to be only for trailer parks and those who couldn’t afford to live anywhere else. They have come a long way in the past several decades. In fact, many mobile homes have the same upgrades available as upscale stationary equivalents, and they cost a fraction of what fixed construction does. If you choose to live in a mobile home, it doesn’t have to look like one. With the addition of some nice flooring, outside detail, you can live like you picked the “cream of the crop” suburban home — even though it came off an oversized-load truck.
Estimates are that as many as twenty million Americans — six percent of the population — live in mobile homes. A mobile home is one that can be moved from one place to another. With just a little bit of budgeting and a lot of sweat equity, you can turn your mobile home into a beautiful homestead.
Create the illusion of a foundation
The cornerstone to any mobile home is that it looks like it can be on the move at any second. That doesn’t really scream “home.” To make your mobile home look more like a permanent one, add a fake foundation around it to hide the fact that it can be on the road at any minute. All you have to do is put a porch on the front or add a stone skirt to hide the underpinnings, and what you have now is a bungalow. Add some pickets and you can have your dream house — all without the expense that others pay for a new-build constructed spec house. That just makes you the smarter one.
Construct a deck
If you build a deck around the house with steps leading up to it, the curbside appeal is dramatically improved. Not only does a deck make your house look less “mobile,” but it also creates additional living space for you and your family to enjoy more of the great outdoors. If you want to increase the living space of your mobile home and don’t intend to move anytime soon, building a beautiful deck to hide the underside and give it a more “homey” feel is the way to go.
Add some lattice
If you want to give the home a more traditional or “country” look, then use lattice to disguise the bottom portion of the house. With new products made from plastic, the lattice will add elegance and be virtually maintenance-free. It’s a much more attractive look than having siding extend to the ground; lattice gives it depth and makes it look more like a traditional house.
Put in a stone patio
To really increase the aesthetic appeal of your mobile home, invest in a stone patio. Not only will it hide the fact that the home is mobile, but it will also add a traditional look and a welcoming feel. Make the patio large enough to use it as a sitting area to sit and enjoy those long summer nights; maybe even add a fire pit or an outdoor dining area. Making your home look more natural, a stone patio — whether it is real or faux stone, — will definitely decrease the “mobile look” factor and give the home an upgraded ranch-home appearance.
Add a carport
Not only will a carport hide the “mobile home” appearance of your mobile home, but it will also provide a space for you and your car to be protected from the elements. If your mobile home isn’t facing the street but the side is, a carport is an excellent way to upgrade your mobile home and to add a “garage”-type structure as well. It’s a win-win addition that can be done on a very low budget.
Fence it in
Nothing says “not mobile” like a picket fence. Carving out your own little space in the neighborhood, adding a fence is a great little renovation to make your mobile home look more like your dream house. Tie it in with a picket entry way, and no one will have a clue that your house was delivered via flatbed truck.
Mobile homes have come a long way since they first appeared as a housing option. Once created so you could move your home from place to place and as a cheaper alternative to permanently laying down roots, a mobile home can be your dream home without the cost of a new-build spec house and still have all the upgrades. If you put a little extra into hiding what lies beneath, no one but you will know that your house came on a two-ton truck.
