Selling a home and moving on is always bittersweet. Remembering all the memories you made in that house makes you a little nostalgic, doesn’t it? And yet, in the back of your mind, you’re kind of excited. The unknown may be scary, but there’s always room in the future for new memories, adventures, and opportunities.
But facing a future full of possibilities is not always easy, even though it may be exciting. Sometimes we’re too comfortable with our old life to imagine anything better is in store. But we’re here to tell you that that isn’t true. Selling your mobile home can give you a fresh start and be better than you could ever dream. Let’s explore how!
Face your fears
Identifying the reason you’re nervous about this new stage of life is the first step. There are a few common fears of moving that we all suffer from, and yes, it’s totally normal. You aren’t much different than the millions of other people on earth!
Moving away from family and friends
Moving away from family and friends is one of the hardest things you’ll ever do. Especially if you’re single and moving away on your own for the first time, leaving your childhood home and friends can be really tough.
But you know what they say: “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” When your family and friends come to visit, your time with them will be so much sweeter because you’re not around them as much as you used to be. In the meantime, between visits, call or text your parents, siblings, and friends regularly to keep up with their lives and let them know that you’re still there for them.
Fear of the unknown
If you’re moving to a new city, state, or country, you very well may suffer from fear of the unknown. Cultural or language differences can be a problem. Moving to a new state presents challenges like switching your driver’s license, scouting out new churches or school systems, and getting used to changes in climate. If you’re moving to a new city, particularly a big city, driving on unfamiliar busy roads can be a huge step into the unknown. This is especially true for older folks.
Although there could be multiple hurdles ahead for you, don’t despair. You’ll settle into the unfamiliar environment, and it’ll eventually be comfortable to you. Just give yourself time.
Why move?
Selling your mobile home and getting a fresh start means nothing unless you have a good reason to do it. Sometimes just focusing on the reason you’re making this change will help ease your fears and assure you that you’re making the right choice.
So whether you’re moving for work, to help take care of a parent or loved one, or to provide for space for a growing family, focus on the end goal. Are you trying to provide in a bigger way for your family? That’s a good reason to move. Let that be your end goal. Or, on the other hand, maybe you’re an empty nester – your mobile home is getting old and you want to invest in a stick-built home.
It doesn’t matter if your reason for moving is purely necessity or of your own choice. You’re motivated to have a more comfortable life, and that’s worth moving for.
The dangers of hanging on
Let’s get into a couple of practical tips on selling your mobile home. Fresh starts aren’t fresh unless you actually succeed in selling your mobile home, buying a new home, and getting settled in as quickly as possible.
For a lot of people, the problem is holding onto their mobile home for too long. Are you prepared to handle two mortgages? Can you afford to own two homes? Probably not. Often, people hang on to their home not just because of the sentimental value, but for security. They delay selling their home until they finally feel like they’re ready to move into their new home. They ask questions like, “What if my mobile home sells before I buy a new house, and I end up homeless?” Or “What if the renovations on my new home aren’t finished when I sell?”
This is dangerous because it could mean missing the months in which houses sell best (usually May to July). You don’t want to be the person who hangs on too long. Do your research and make prompt decisions. If you have to live in a rental, Airbnb, or your parents’ basement for a few months, that could be better than the alternative. Being stuck with bills, projects, and expenses for two homes isn’t fun. Determine to sell your mobile home quickly, and you’ll bypass a lot of problems that reluctant sellers face.
Purchasing a new home
Even if it’s a fixer-upper, your new home will be new to you, if not actually recently built. Purchasing a new home is exciting, especially if you intend to make it a forever home. But there are challenges and a million questions to be answered. How big will your budget be? Are a big kitchen, three bathrooms, and a pool absolute musts? Where are you willing to compromise?
Let’s take a quick look at a few hypothetical situations and the challenges and joys that are in store for homeowners who decide to make a fresh start.
A stick-built forever home
Stick-built home living is a major change from mobile home living. Stick-built homeowners usually have such responsibilities as large utility bills, mortgages, and upkeep. Basically, it takes more money and time to live in a stick-built.
But the positives far outweigh the negatives. After living in a mobile home park, having the freedom to landscape, buy a pool, and build a deck is so freeing! You own this property so you get to do what you want with it. Also, can we talk about more space? Bigger kitchen. Multiple bathrooms. A basement. If you’re on the road to buying your first stick-built after a starter mobile home, then congratulations! You won’t regret it.
The fixer-upper
Speaking of fresh starts, here’s a situation you might find yourself in: fixing up a shabby old house, wondering if you were nuts to try it.
Well, with a fixer-upper, that “fresh start” you’re looking for may take longer to come to fruition. And it probably will introduce a truckload of unexpected challenges. But the reward, when you finally look around at your finished dream house, will be worth it.
Mobile homes forever
We know, we know. We keep talking about moving on from living in mobile homes to living in stick-built homes. But maybe you’re not quite there yet. Maybe you’re currently searching for that perfect mobile home and amazing mobile home park to settle down in. Maybe you need a fresh start but can’t afford a dream house quite yet.
And we’re here to tell you that that’s great. You’re already familiar with mobile homes and mobile home park living. But moving from one mobile home or mobile home park to another doesn’t diminish the nerves, does it? It’s still a huge change, even if the housing style is familiar. So be sure to call for help if needed, and remember that even good changes can take some getting used to.
The perks of renting
A talk about fresh starts wouldn’t be complete without a little discussion on renting. “Renting? A fresh start?” you say. Like many people, you may feel that renting a home after owning your own mobile home is like taking a step backward in life. Does renting make you feel like a college student again? Better question: does renting make you a failure?
Of course not! Renting does not mark you as an automatic failure, and, contrary to popular belief, it can be perfect for that in-between stage after you sell your mobile home.
Renting a stick-built home
We know that many people who sell their mobile homes are excited to make the leap to a stick-built home. That’s really exciting to us, but we also realize that it’s a big step, especially for newlyweds and singles.
So while you save up to buy your dream home, consider renting a stick-built home. This will help you get used to the idea of caring for a larger piece of property. Far from marking you as a failure at life, renting a stick-built home gives you a taste of the responsibility that comes with owning a stick-built. And it does so without requiring you to spend your savings on buying and/or fixing up the home. Plus, renting will give you a little extra time to scout out the surrounding neighborhoods, cities, and towns. When it’s time to buy your own house, you’ll hopefully have picked a place to put down roots for good.
Renting an apartment
Renting an apartment is similar, in theory, to renting a stick-built home. But, unlike how people look at stick-built homes, most people don’t look at apartments as ideal. There are many seeming disadvantages to living in an apartment. It’s small (which, depending on your situation, might not be much of an improvement on a mobile home!). Often, neighbors live in close proximity. It could be loud, and it’s always possible that your neighbors turn out to be really annoying.
However, renting an apartment is so much cheaper than renting a stick-built home. What’s the advantage of that, you ask? Well, we’re talking about fresh starts, aren’t we? Renting an apartment can delay that coveted fresh start, but it can be very friendly to your savings account. So when you’re ready to finally set out on a mission to buy your dream house, you’ll be thankful you put up with that apartment for so long!
New opportunities
Think about it: you’re moving! There are new things to see everywhere you turn. And after you move into your new place, you’ll have the once-in-a-lifetime chance to see things with fresh eyes for the first time. So before you really get settled comfortably in your new state, city, or town, we encourage you to do a bit of exploring.
Exploring your new home
Here are some great ideas for places to visit and things to do after you move in. Take advantage of the uniqueness of your new home and draw as much inspiration as you can from it.
- Explore boutiques, department stores, and antique shops. Look for unique decor pieces to incorporate into your new home.
- Go on a hike and explore walking trails.
- If you have young children, visit all of the nearby parks and playgrounds. Find your favorites.
- Explore historic areas.
- Join a newcomer’s club.
- Take long walks around your neighborhood and meet the neighbors.
- Go out to dinner.
- Visit the library (don’t leave without getting a library card!).
- Seek out your old haunts. If there was a particular restaurant or store you loved in your old city, find it (or a close counterpart) in your new city.
Helping a relative get a fresh start
Because it’s so common, we’d like to touch on those hard situations when it’s not your own mobile home that you’re moving on from, but a mobile home owned by a relative. The situation can look different for everyone: a parent who recently moved into a nursing home or a sibling, parent, or grandparent who has passed. These can be heartbreaking situations for both you and the people around you.
It’s important, however, to get that mobile home sold no matter how difficult or sentimental it may be. If your elderly relative is still alive and is heartbroken about leaving their home, be gentle but firm. Let them know that you’re sad too, but it’s for the best. Try to set an example of cheerfulness and looking toward the future with joy.
And if you’re working on selling a mobile home because a relative passed away, be aware of the trap of hanging onto it because of sentimental value (as we discussed earlier in this article). Also, don’t be swayed by other relatives who want to keep the home around. It’s best to clear the house out as soon as possible and get it off your hands. Holding onto a house filled with material belongings won’t allow you to move on and get a fresh start. Sell it and move forward.
Face your future
Facing the future is always hard at one time or another. This may be a hard time in life, but you’re hardly the first, and you won’t be the last! Letting go of old, familiar places, and most importantly, letting go of a comfortable and familiar lifestyle, can be one of the hardest things you’ll ever do.
Just remember: this might be the end of a particular phase in life, but it isn’t the last phase. In fact, it’s the beginning of a new one. Keep your chin up through it all and put on a cheerful face. If you set a good example your spouse, children, and the people you’re leaving behind are sure to notice and follow.
Selling your mobile home can give you a fresh start and motivate you in so many ways. As you go through the process of selling, keep that in the forefront of your mind. You’ll be surprised how your outlook changes.
