{"id":19677,"date":"2020-10-26T16:21:35","date_gmt":"2020-10-26T23:21:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=19677"},"modified":"2026-03-31T13:18:29","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T20:18:29","slug":"how-to-give-mobile-homes-curb-appeal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/how-to-give-mobile-homes-curb-appeal\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Give Mobile Homes Great Curb Appeal: Disguise the Boxiness"},"content":{"rendered":"

In recent decades, the U.S. has seen a blossoming interest<\/a> in mobile homes, officially known after 1976 as manufactured homes<\/a>. Statistics from Nebraska show a 226% increase in manufactured housing<\/a> since 2009, and today a total of 22 million Americans live in<\/a> these portable, prefab units. Packing a lot into an average 960 square feet<\/a>, these structures offer cost savings, efficient living, and increasingly customizable designs.<\/p>\n

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Step one: Talk to an expert!<\/h3>\n

Selling your house soon? Connect with a top agent near you to get an expert opinion on how much your house will sell for, what to fix before listing, and the latest local housing market trends.<\/p>\n \n

\n Learn More<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/strong><\/p>\n
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<\/a> Source: (Manufactured Housing Institute<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But if you\u2019re one of these mobile home owners, you know the trade-offs. For one, you don’t have great appeal to impress guests or potential mobile home buyers if you ever decide to sell your property. While a single-family home often exudes a welcoming aura naturally, a mobile home needs a little extra help in the looks department. Thankfully, there\u2019s a lot you can do to counteract a mobile home\u2019s boxy and boring exterior and disguise its semi-truck trailer design.<\/p>\n

This guide features advice on how to give mobile homes curb appeal<\/a> by working with and around their unique structure. We\u2019ll offer tips for getting started and provide a list of specific projects to inspire your next trip to the hardware store. You\u2019ll be in love with how your mobile home looks in no time!<\/p>\n

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<\/a> Source: (K303 \/ Shutterstock)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tips for any mobile home curb appeal project<\/h2>\n

Manufactured homes differ in a few key ways from traditional stick-built properties<\/a> as far as rules and ownership, which could impact your curb appeal plans. Keep these details in mind before you purchase any paint or start planting trees:<\/p>\n

1. Know what you own (and who\u2019s responsible for its upkeep)<\/h3>\n

There\u2019s a reason why manufactured homes cost about half the price of a single-family home of similar square footage:<\/p>\n

\u201cIn most mobile home parks, you own the trailer, but you\u2019re just leasing the land,\u201d explains Carl Young<\/a>, a a top real estate agent in Knoxville, Tennessee.<\/p>\n

That means when the time comes to sell your mobile home, \u201cyou\u2019re not selling real estate because you don\u2019t own the land, which means we can’t put the listing in the MLS,\u201d Young adds.<\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t own the land itself, you may be limited on what you can do to your lot in terms of adding in-ground curb appeal \u2014 and it may even be the community\u2019s responsibility to spruce up your landscaping at the very least.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlthough, some of these homes are located in manufactured home<\/a> subdivisions rather than managed communities, in which case the sellers do own the land,\u201d says Young. \u201cThose subdivisions often still have an HOA which may restrict what you can do in regards to curb appeal, but they\u2019re usually pretty lax.\u201d<\/p>\n

2. Get permission before you spend any money on repairs<\/h3>\n

Check the curb appeal regulations put in place by your community\u2019s property management company or HOA association. Every community is different, but most will have restrictions on decisions like:<\/p>\n