Manufactured Home Square Footage Preferences Trending Smaller for Some Purchaser and Larger for Others
Today’s manufactured homes are available in floor plan sizes as small as 600 square feet and as much as 3000 plus square feet. The average size home purchased is approximately 1400 square foot, which would equate to a double wide 24 feet wide and 60 foot in length, or a single wide 18 feet wide and 80’ long. (Note: 18 feet wide homes are not available in many states).
In recent years families with children are beginning to prefer the larger double section homes or triple section manufactured homes that can be ordered with 4 or more bedrooms to accommodate family size. The smaller single section mobile homes are not as popular with family purchasers as they have been in the past. However, they are still the most popular size for the young unmarried adults without children and single person homeowners.
Meanwhile. the so-called “baby boomers,” those who are retired, and the “empty nesters.” adults who are not retired, but whose offspring have left the family home, are beginning to trend toward smaller double section manufactured homes. This is somewhat interesting in that these two demographic groups have traditionally accounted for a high percentage triple wide high square footage home floorplans.
This downsizing trend of the baby boomers and empty nesters is probably resulting from economic conditions of the country over the last few years. This age group of homeowners do not want the expenses of maintenance and upkeep labor associated with living in a large manufactured home or a site built home.
Many in this age group are choosing a manufactured home, usually a double section home, as probably the last home they will purchase in their lifetime. The affordability, quality of construction, and maintenance free aspect of manufactured homes serves their requirements, more so than any other type of housing. Many will choose to locate a manufactured home in an adult or retirement community near their grown children and grandchildren, while others will opt to place their manufactured home on rural private land away from the hustle and bustle grind of urban living.
Manufactured home builders are unique in that a manufactured home can be built to satisfy the home requirements of any age group or family status, for placement most anywhere a homeowner wants to live, and at a cost far less than a comparable site-built home. One of the big advantages of a manufactured home is that it can be constructed to the exact specifications of the purchaser and be available to occupy within a few weeks, as opposed to several months with a site built home.
(Photo via Destiny Homes)
