Spooky Manufactured Home Myths, and Spine-Tingling Truths
When October rolls around, it’s time to break out all things haunted: ghost stories, creepy costumes and spine-tingling songs meant to scare and surprise. Unfortunately for manufactured and pre-fab housing, though, people who aren’t in the know are telling spooky stories about them all year round: stories that might sound frightening but—in 2018—simply aren’t true. Below are five of the most bone-chilling myths still propagated about manufactured homes, and more importantly, the truth.
Spooky Manufactured Myth: Mobile homes and manufactured homes are the same things.
Not true. While some people still (erroneously) use the term “mobile home” to apply to manufactured housing, any pre-fab home built after 1976 is technically called a “manufactured” home or a “modular” home, depending. What’s more, they all undergo extremely serious, strenuous testing and are regulated by some of the toughest construction codes in the business. Read all about it here on the Housing and Urban Development website.
Spooky Manufactured Myth: Manufactured homes aren’t as safe as site-built homes in inclement weather.
One of the most pervasive stereotypes (thanks for nothing, movies!), manufactured homes in recent years have made environmental safety a top priority, whether extreme hail, wind or snow come calling. In fact, every manufactured house must adhere to a “wind zone classification” standard of quality—meaning that it’s been put through the paces of standing up to the upper-limits of extreme wind conditions in the area for which it’s bound.
Spooky Manufactured Myth: I can’t have all the amenities I want in my manufactured home!
If you’re looking for a lot of bells and whistles, manufactured housing has you covered, and even on a budget. (Whirlpool tubs, stainless steel appliances and wood-burning fireplaces—oh my!) After all, would over-the-top fashion designer Betsey Johnson trade her million-dollar Manhattan apartment for a funky manufactured home if she couldn’t properly decorate? Didn’t think so.
Spooky Manufactured Myth: Manufactured homes lose their value—like a car when it’s driven off of the lot.
While this is a myth that’s tossed around a lot, a recent study from the Urban Institute found that manufactured housing appreciates just as quickly as site-built homes. Check out our recent article on this topic to learn more.
Spooky Manufactured Myth: Manufactured home communities are more dangerous than other neighborhoods.
While we can’t go town-to-town and say this is true for everywhere (obviously), the close-knit nature of most manufactured home communities actually ensures they’re just as safe—or safer—than a more sprawling, less interconnected suburb. And it’s backed up by data. A 2014 study by the department of criminal justice at the University of Nevada found that “[manufactured housing] sites showed the lowest rate of violent crime calls for service” compared to similar non-manufactured dwellings.
(And have a Happy Halloween!)
