Our 12+ DIY Mobile Home Exterior Makeover Projects Increased it’s Value ~ Why and How We Did Them
It’s time for a long overdue update on our Mobile Home Exterior Makeover! We have done a number of projects since our last mobile home makeover update. All our projects were chosen to increase it’s value for resale – and increase it’s fun and ease of maintenance while we own it. Maybe there’s ideas here that can help you choose and execute projects for your own property?
Choosing where to start on a big project like a mobile home exterior makeover can be daunting. We’re sharing why and how we did each project.
Why do we even own a rundown mobile home in the woods?
Here’s all the background: We went and did it. We let the debt zombies right back in!!!
by Robin
Yes and no.
The land? YES! It’s a lovely two acre spot with a river flowing through it, a charming bridge and our own little forest. And less than an hour’s drive from home!
The mobile home? Nope. Not even close. It was 40+ years old and had a lot of deferred maintenance (a nice way to say “broken crap”) – including some hidden things our home inspector failed to pick up – which cost us thousands.
Here are all the projects we’ve done so far for our Mobile Home Exterior Makeover (and where to find more details):
1) First things first: Fix what’s Dangerously Broken
- Nothing damages homes quite like water. It’s a pretty powerful menace – and can do it’s damage quietly. Case in point:
The cause: a poorly installed roof membrane that leaked water INTO the walls.
You’d think our home inspector would have caught this. Nope. (Always always always be suspicious of brand new carpeting.)
Full story here:
Mobile Home Makeover ~ Outdoor Rehab Progress = less crazy & dysfunction
2) Make it Water Tight
- Once the repairs were done we had all new windows and doors installed. This was far too large of a job for us to do on our own.
They were at the end of their lives – if you look closely you can see they don’t quite close all the way.
This means water can get it and – well – it did.
Not shown is a back wall that needed replacing too.
We splurged on the doors – they have huge windows and bring in lots of light – and built in blinds for when we need privacy.
Also, we had the door swing out to maximize the space inside. A game changer for the kitchen/dining layout.
3) Prevent Problems: New Gutters & Roof Properly Installed
- You can also see above that we (Ed) installed full size gutters around the whole building and installed the roof membrane properly over the top of them. THIS will keep the water away and out of our mobile home!
Value enhanced!
4) Comply with Insurance Company to Keep Costs Down
- In the photo above you can see a very old heating oil tank. Our insurance company insisted it be replaced – or our insurance would be thousands more – or null and void.
- We rarely need to use full furnace heating. We only use our property May to October when the water pipes aren’t at risk of freezing. The weather is pretty warm.
- We opted to have the tank disconnected and removed to save so much money – and add a lot of safety.
- For the handful of nights a year we need heating we rely on effective electric heaters:
- like this amazing high efficiency one in the main room; and
- cuties like this in the bedrooms
- We kept the old furnace and ductwork in place in case a future owner would like to reinstall.
5) Add Features That People Enjoy
- Our first was a hot tub! We love sitting in it at night when the stars are country-bright and the fire is roaring. (Romantic, dare I say?)
- Here’s the affordable one we chose: An Affordable, Durable Hard Sided Portable Hot Tub? We Found it
- We built a tree house in the woods! Not exactly a “mobile home makeover” but definitely a value add. We picture the next owners having kids who will fall in love! Here’s the details: 6 Essential Tips ~ How to Build a Treehouse your Kids will Love for Years
- We also added a zipline to the treehouse!
- We don’t have photos of our latest feature, but we added these hanging chairs to the covered part of the deck. We knew the kids would love them – we didn’t expect how much the adults do too! We almost fight over them.
6) Maximize the Deck
It was pretty large – about 20′ – and covered. It could be enjoyed in all kinds of weather.
We knew it could be even better! And now it’s an amazing feature where we spend so much time.
Details here: How to Build a Deck for a Hot Tub – for $250 and 2 Hours Work
Details here: Our Simple DIY Deck Extension ~ how to add onto a deck without digging posts!
Details here: How to Make a Deck Rail Bench – Simple DIY Builtin Deck Bench Seating Tutorial
Details here: Wood DIY Deck Planter Box to Upgrade an Old Deck with Plants and Style
7) DIY Projects to Add Curb Appeal
- A dead giveaway to the age of the mobile home were the shutters AND the very front side of it. And not in a good retro, vintage way. More like a rundown, maybe-never-even-seen-better-days-way. To help we did two projects:
Our DIY version could be plausibly functional, and were a quick and cheap build: Easy DIY Wood Shutters ~ How to Make Board and Batten Shutters for under $10 a pair!
Then eureka! We decided to add an arbour: This DIY Arbor Solved Our Curb Appeal Problem ~ Here’s How…
8) Improved the Lighting
- Every single light on the property was tired and dated. Mostly colonial style – which is rarely a good look, but especially on a 70’s mobile home. It was too fussy and fancy – we needed modern, clean lines.
- We swapped out all the lighting to be more appropriate to the look we were going for:
8) Improved Outbuildings
- We inherited a weird-moon-themed shed that just looked distractingly odd. We gave it a super quick makeover: Simple, DIY Old Shed Makeover on a Budget
- Not shown YET! We converted a large shed into a very fun pool hall! We’ve got to take some after shots and share ASAP. Stay tuned!
Robin and Ed are a DIY-loving couple with over 25 years of design and build experience. Also, Robin is a Nutritionist and former Registered Dietitian and Ed is an award-winning Business Educator. We share strategies for living a rich life on a DIY budget: creative money-savvy ideas for a stylish home, healthy meals and family fun. Our work has been published in the pages of Do It Yourself, Farmhouse Style and Better Homes & Gardens magazines.
