You may have noticed that some mobile homes have attached garages. How does an attached mobile home garage work? And how does a home owner acquire one? Just what does a buyer see in an attached mobile home garage?
In today’s article, we’ll provide the answers to these questions and more.
Most folks can appreciate the benefits of a mobile home garage — especially in bad weather and as a place to store those Christmas decorations. A garage is great for shelter and for storage.
But what does it take to get an attached mobile home garage, and how does a mobile home with attached garage appeal (or not) to a buyer?
What does a buyer see?
You may be here as a mobile home owner who’s looking to add a garage to your property or as a seller who’s looking to increase value or you’re just curious about what a mobile home with an attached garage looks like. Whatever your status, we hope to shed some light on your questions pertaining to your mobile home journey.
So what is it that a buyer sees when it comes to an attached mobile home garage? To answer that question, we’ll need to delve into what it means to say that a garage is detached and how that differs from an attached mobile home garage. Let’s break it down together.
Detached vs. attached garage
So what’s an attached mobile home garage and how does it differ from a detached mobile home garage?
An attached mobile home garage is a garage that serves as an addition to the structure of the mobile home. It’s a bit of a challenge to build because it requires careful planning so as to not compromise the mobile home’s structural integrity. There are two ways to go about an attached mobile home garage: an adjacent or an integrated garage. Adjacent garages are attached but have their own foundation. Integrated garages are also attached but they share a foundation with the mobile home.
Now, how about a detached mobile home garage? This type of garage stands alone and apart from the mobile home. Compared to an attached garage, it’s easier to add to your property. There’s no need to worry about seamlessly attaching it to your home structure. Instead, you can focus on materials and construction for the garage alone. And there’s no need to prep the mobile home itself for attachment.
As far as pros and cons go, you’ll notice there are similarities for both attached and detached garages.
Detached mobile home garages: pros and cons
Now let’s talk about the pros and cons of detached mobile home garages.
The pros
A detached mobile home garage provides shelter for your vehicles, storage for your belongings, and a workspace for your hobbies or other pursuits.
Another benefit of a detached mobile home garage is that it gives you flexibility in placement. You don’t have to worry if you don’t have space between the mobile home and the edge of your property line for a garage. Instead, you can place the garage wherever you want, even somewhere in the backyard if that’s where you have space. There’s a world of design possibilities since you’re not limited to the amount of space adjacent to your mobile home. Having a garage further away from your mobile home may be appealing if you have a hobby that happens to be noisy. Plus, a garage can increase your mobile home’s curb appeal and resale value.
The cons
As far as cons go, the most glaring problem is that you won’t have easy access to your garage in bad weather. You’ll have to go out in the rain or snow to enter your garage.
Attached mobile home garages: pros and cons
Next, let’s take a look at the pros and cons of attached mobile home garages.
The pros
For the pros of attached garages and mobile homes with an attached garage, we’re looking at having space to store your vehicles — and of course, a safe place for storage and for your hobbies or work. (An attached garage’s close-by convenience is especially felt by those who have freezers in their garage.)
An obvious pro is that you can access your garage without ever leaving the house to face the elements. And you can potentially piggyback off your home’s electrical and HVAC systems for utilities. As with detached mobile homes, you will potentially see an increase in your mobile home’s curb appeal and resale value. And that’s certainly great news.
The cons
On the flip side, there are a few cons to consider. Attached garages don’t work well if you have narrow space between the side of your mobile home and your property line. You’ll have to grapple with permits and see that you have professionals on board to keep your mobile home’s structure from being damaged. Integrating additions to mobile homes is a big hassle as you generally don’t want to mess with the structure of the mobile home.
You would do well to reach out to your county’s office for guidance on expectations. Otherwise, your mobile home with an attached garage could be deemed unsellable in some locations if additions are not permitted — or if the addition did not meet the locality’s criteria. This could hurt down the road when you want to sell!
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Attached garages and buyers
If the mobile home is a newer model that looks house-like, an attached garage will make it look even more “house-like.” It will bring greater appeal for the buyer as they’ll have a place to park their vehicles and get into their homes without getting soaked or chilled in bad weather. It also provides convenient and accessible storage for things that homeowners don’t need to see all that often. (Looking at you, Christmas ornaments!)
Should I convert my attached garage?
Now that we’ve talked about the pros and cons of attached or detached mobile home garages, here’s another question we want to tackle.
“Should I convert my attached garage?”
Some folks are enamored with the idea of creating an additional bedroom out of their attached garage. In other words, transforming the garage into something other than a garage. We would warn you against it. Why? Having the garage increases your resale value. If you get rid of it by “converting it” into a bedroom, you’re losing some value. We would suggest you find creative ways to grapple with the problem of tight spaces. Perhaps you could convert a bedroom into both office and living space — or turn a living room nook into office space if that’s what you need.
Best way to get a mobile home garage
If you’re wanting a mobile home with an attached garage, the best way to achieve this is to buy one that’s already set up that way. It will be less of a hassle than adding a garage yourself — whether attached or detached.
However, if that’s not an option, read on.
Adding a garage to your mobile home
Let’s say you’ve identified that you do want to add a garage to your mobile home. We discussed the pros and cons of attached vs. detached. But how do you go about adding a garage? Read onward for some tips on how to get there.
First things first — know what’s allowed
Before you begin, the most important effort you can make is that of knowing whether or not you can add a garage to your mobile home.
Some localities will require permits or not allow mobile home structures to be altered at all! Before you begin, do your research. It will help you determine if a detached garage is the only option for your mobile home or you can get a mobile home with an attached garage.
Consider the foundation type
If your mobile home is on a permanent foundation, an attached garage will work. Otherwise, you’ll have to plan for a detached garage.
Consider the exterior design
As you work on your vision, consider the exterior design of your garage. You want it to work with your mobile home, not against it. Otherwise, you’ll have an eyesore on your hands! The best way to go about this may be to reach out to your home’s manufacturer. Oftentimes, these manufacturers can build the garage and seek out the right siding so that it matches your mobile home.
Work with professionals
Whether you’re working with the manufacturer or with private contractors, see to it that you have professionals who come well-recommended. Look for the warning signs of a bad match with a contractor. The last thing you want on your hands is a poorly-rated contractor taking your money and turning your project into a nightmare.
Improve your garage’s appeal
For those who already have a garage to work with, let’s talk about increasing your garage’s appeal. Here are some fantastic ways to improve your garage. (Hey, it may even turn into your favorite place to work when you’re done implementing these ideas!)
Connect utilities to it
If you don’t have electrical or HVAC in your garage, you could increase appeal but getting those systems set up. Having electrical and HVAC in your garage can make it a more comfortable place for you to pursue your hobby. Or it could simply help with visibility as you load and unload your vehicle. There are certainly benefits to such an addition.
Insulate and sheetrock the walls
Now let’s talk about creating some energy efficiency for your mobile home. By adding insulation and sheetrock walls to your mobile home garage, you’ll reap the rewards of energy efficiency. This is a must if you’re connecting heating and air to your garage. There’s so sense in seeing that energy seep through your walls — and watching your electric bill rise at the same time!
Fix up the garage floor
Take a look at your garage floor. Does it look uneven or unsightly? Try an epoxy floor. It’s an affordable means of giving your garage floor a fresh look. And one perk is that it’s resistant to oil stains. The improved aesthetics will be worth the change!
Repaint or upgrade your garage door
If your garage door has seen better days, consider repainting it or upgrading it. But if you find that your garage door is beyond a simple paint job or minor repairs, it may be time to replace it.
Install a garage door opener
Are you manually opening and closing your garage door? It’s time to level up with a garage door opener. At the touch of a remote, you can open and close your door without leaving the car or moving a muscle!
Implement helpful storage ideas
Another way to improve your garage for personal use is to implement a storage system. Do you have bikes? Consider installing a hanging bike rack. Do you have multiple storage bins? Try introducing a shelf system to get them off the floor and neatly stowed away. There are plenty of ideas out there for an organized and efficient garage.
Empower your life with an organized garage! Gone will be the days of trying to figure out where you left that power tool you need.
Add a mop sink
In a perfect world, we wouldn’t have to worry about mops and cleaning.
But the world is not perfect. And that’s why we have mop sinks. For those extra grimy things you’d rather not wash in your kitchen’s food-prep sink, a mop sink is useful. Do you have an extra muddy mop to contend with? A mop sink’s got you covered.
Working on an exceptionally grimy project? Greasy hands from handling car maintenance? Use the mop sink. You may be surprised at all the use it’ll get with its convenient location right in the garage.
Increase curb appeal and resale value
In this article, we took a look at the benefits of an attached mobile home garage in the eyes of a buyer. You saw the pros and cons of both attached and detached mobile home garages.
We also provided some helpful tricks to increase your garage’s appeal if you already have one.
As you can see, a garage — whether attached or detached — is a big asset to any mobile home. Plus, there are many more mobile home garage ideas that you can try out.
With curb appeal in mind, check out these 7 different ways to increase your mobile home curb appeal. From a quick run to the store for paint to a more long-term project such as landscaping, you’ll appreciate these ideas.
