Mobile Home Living: How to Make Your Single-Wide Exterior Look More Attractive
Even if you settle your mobile home in a wooded area with a bubbling brook it will still look like a trailer sitting there. One of the problems is that when movers set a trailer they have to remove all trees and other obstacles to get it in the space. That can tend to make the place look bare in the front, or the back, depending upon which direction the movers had to go to place the home.
Codes are different from town to town, concerning underpinning for the trailer, from brick to block to vinyl. Vinyl underpinning is the least expensive so many people opt for it. The underpinning comes in varieties such as rock-look or brick-look. The problem with the vinyl underpinning is that it often gets dented or stained, from storms and such. Go the extra step to place brick underpinning on the mobile home. It looks much neater and makes the trailer seem more welcoming. It will give you less trouble in the long run and can’t be blown down by wind.
There are several ways that you can make your mobile home look more attractive with small investments. One thing you can do is make sure you have plenty of bushes and plants surrounding the home. Section off a few feet in front of the trailer, for the entire length of the front, and line it with gardening timbers. Place bushes and other plants in the area. This will hide the area where the trailer meets the dirt. Don’t allow the bushes to grow up past windows, though.
Flower gardens can make a big difference for a mobile home. When guests see beautiful gardens as they pull up it gives the appearance of serenity and comfort. A birdbath, surrounded by flowers, or a small flower garden is a great start. Don’t crowd your front yard with too much foliage and shrubbery. You don’t want a crowded look to your front yard.
Lay a walkway from the parking area to the front of the mobile home. Things you normally see at a person’s home, such as a walkway or sectioned parking area, will give the mobile home a neater look and keep it from looking so much like a trailer. Consider solar lights which give a soft glow at night and lighten the walkway.
Invest a little money in a really nice front deck. Not only will a deck give you a place to sit on a summer day, or entertain company, but it will make the place look more roomy. Decks are mandatory in most cities or rural areas, but the codes usually call for only a 4’X4′ deck to be positioned at the front door. Select something much larger such as a 12’X16′ instead. Have the deck treated regularly so that it will last a lifetime. Place plants, silk trees, patio furniture and other comforts on the deck.
Consider a one or two-car garage, separate from the home, to be attached to one end. The garages are built and sold as-is or you can have one built. Not only does the garage make the place look larger but it gives you a place to keep many things that there’s simply no room for at a mobile home. If not a garage, consider a nice outbuilding for storing belongings.
Mobile homes have a way of looking dumpy after weather takes its toll on the roof. Keep your roof cool-sealed, which is a silver-looking or white covering, that coats the roof. Without the sealant rust can run down from the roof and stain the vinyl siding on the outside. The roof should be resealed every few years. It’s easy to coat the roof yourself by purchasing the sealant and mopping it onto the roof.
Your home means a lot to you even if it’s only a mobile home. You can still have an attractive place, with all the comforts, by following a few of these suggestions for improving the looks on the outside.
