The Manufactured Housing Forums

My husband & I are first-time homebuyers in an expensive location (Seattle/Redmond, WA). We're trying to figure out what kind of MH we can afford. We're trying to decide if we want to buy a site-built house on land, or buy land, do site prep, and buy a manufactured home & put it on a permanent foundation. I have several questions:

What kinds of site prep costs do we need to think about & budget for? Septic, water, electricity, foundation, driveway . . . ?

How much can I expect each of these to cost? A very rough range is all I want - I know I need to talk to specific people to get specific figures. But right now we don't even know if the MH/land option is worth wasting time on.

Can most MH be put on a basement foundation? If so, how much would the basement foundation cost?

How much would adding a site-built garage to a MH w/o a garage cost?

What other expenses do I want to consider to raise the quality of my home?

The costs will be different in different parts of the country. The best thing to do is to get bids from three or four contractors for each phase of the site prep. Talk to each bidder and ask lots of questions. It is critical that buyers understand exactly what the procedures are and what to look for in each step of installation. If you want to enjoy your home for years to come your site prep and installation must be handled properly.

The most effective way to learn about the process (step by step) involved in properly installing a manufactured home is a great five-part video series with George Porter, the industry's most respected installation specialist. Mr. Porter leads you through a two hour viewing experience that will prepare you for the numerous operations and complexities involved in the installation of the modern manufactured home.

Don't assume that the retailer or the installer are watching out for your best interests. Take this crash study course now Click Here for More Details This will give you an edge when choosing sub-contractors and help you make sure the site preparation and installation is done right and to your expectation.

The two-hour video looks like it is out for the time being - in addition to the $70 for the video, we would also need to buy a VHS player and a TV, which we have *no* space for in our current home. If it were on DVD, then we might get it. As for getting bids from contractors, I think we are nowhere near that point yet - and we need some answers before we get to that point. We can't buy land until we know that we will be able to afford the site prep and putting the MH up. How can a contractor give a bid when he isn't even talking about a specific piece of land? Maybe I don't know something, and we could get a rough estimate without land from an actual contractor?

Right now we don't know if we're looking at $10,000 or $100,000, or more. If it's $10,000 or in that range (+/- $10,000), we will almost certainly go with a MH. If it's in the $100,000 range or more, then we probably won't even waste our time looking at MH's or land and will just buy a pre-existing stick-built home. If we can't get a rough (+/- $20,000) estimate on likely site prep costs before we get too far along, then we'll probably drop the MH idea altogether as being too financially unpredictable.

Is there anyone in the NW who has done something like this who could share their total site prep costs? Are there any web sites that may help?

Thanks!

Check with your states manufactured housing association to see if there is a requirment for your home to be installed by a certified installer. If so, they should have the know how.

Don't waste your time watching a training program.

Check with your state as they may have licensing requirements for installers or retailers and they can be held accountable for the installation.

As a homeowner, don't become the general contractor by you having to tell someone how to install your home.

Nick

Are you a set up contractor... We dont advise that buyers attempt to be contractors. We suggest that they become educated so that contractors can not take advantage of them. The price of the Manufactured Housing Site Preparation & Installation - - Five Part Video Series is low tuition compared to the cost of a poor installation.