While it's probably not as difficult as selling your permanent home, selling a mobile home does take some preparation. To make sure you get the best price for it with the least amount of inconvenience, you can learn how to prepare the mobile home for sale, how to promote it effectively, and how to close the sale on your own.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Getting started
Step 1. Clean it thoroughly
Before having your mobile home valued or showing someone around it, spend some time cleaning it up from top to bottom. Clear the clutter and put it in a trunk or another house. A clean house will sell faster than a house that clearly needs maintenance.
Put yourself in the shoes of a potential buyer. It is important to vacuum all animal hair, to deodorize the carpet, to make the mobile home as welcoming as possible and in its cleanest version. Your windows, bathroom, and kitchen have to be spotless if you hope to get a good price for them
Step 2. Make all necessary repairs before putting the property up for sale
Pay particular attention to problems with levels, plumbing or the like that could make someone think twice before buying your mobile home. Even if you have to incur repair costs on an asset that will no longer be of use to you, you can increase the potential purchase price of your mobile home by investing in it now.
Taking pictures that hide any defects may seem like a good idea, but if someone calls in an inspector to assess the property before making the purchase, they will ask you to make the repairs. Sell it honestly and anticipate any issues that may arise
Step 3. Determine the value of the mobile home
Before putting the mobile home up for sale, you must estimate its value and the price you want to get from it. Determine the selling price by consulting your bank to find out what you still owe them to repay your property.
- To easily get an idea of its value, the easiest way is to call in an expert who will assess the property. This inspection is a step that a potential buyer will most certainly accomplish, so providing your own results will keep you one step ahead and even convince buyers not to do the expertise, it will help you in the process of negotiation.
- Expert reports are also available quickly online, at low cost. You should check out mobilehome.net, accessible here.
Step 4. Consult your lot manager to find out if there are any restrictions on putting up signs that mention the sale of a property
If all goes well where your mobile home is placed, place your “for sale” sign in the garden or on the main window.
If your mobile home is located in a mobile home location such as a campsite, you should let the manager know as soon as possible that you plan to sell the vehicle and determine whether the potential buyer wishes to live in the same location. In most parks, the buyer will have to submit a written request which must be accepted in order for the mobile home to remain in this park
Part 2 of 3: describe it
Step 1. Take pictures
The first impression the buyer gets is often the most important, so take several high-quality photos that will showcase your property to make it even more attractive and desirable. Take pictures immediately after cleaning it and ideally take the pictures after you have cleared most of your personal belongings.
Step 2. Advertise online and on sales sites
The best way to attract potential buyers is to have your mobile home listed on the homes for sale databases, much like Mobile Homes By Owner here or other specialized classifieds newspapers. The more places you advertise your property, the more likely it is to be sold very quickly.
- To make your mobile home appear online, you may have to choose between different options. In general, you will choose a budget option where you can put a single photo or a premium option which allows you to put more photos, but at a higher price. In either of these cases, your ad may remain on the site for the set price until the property is sold.
- It is also advisable to explore free options like Le bon coin, which allow you to quickly write the ad and put in as much detail as you want. Because classifieds newspapers charge a per-word rate, the ads tend to be sectioned and very short, which sometimes makes reading frustrating.
Step 3. Be available for inspections and visits
Get ready: if you've done your job well, a lot of people will get in touch with you and want to visit your mobile home, walk around and ask specific questions. Try to set aside hours for tours or possibly consider organizing “open houses” so that everyone can come and see the property at the same time.
Be both firm and flexible, and consider negotiating the price. Don't get fooled, but don't miss out on serious offers either, even if it's a little below what you initially hoped for. It is better to close the sale than to pass up opportunities
Step 4. Close the deal
When you've found someone willing to make an offer that you think is acceptable, fill out the paperwork to close the deal. Select a date that suits everyone and hand over the keys to the mobile home to the new owner.
Part 3 of 3: closing the sale
Step 1. Transfer title to the property to the new owner
All the documents that an owner needs should be transferred to the new owner. Depending on the model you are selling, you probably have a gray card, similar to the gray card for any vehicle, which you need to transfer to the buyer. You can do this by requesting the transfer from the prefecture and giving the name of the buyer.
Step 2. Provide proof of address if necessary
In some countries, proof of address or proof of residence must be presented, which you can send to the new owner. The purpose of this document is to record the occupation of a particular location vis-à-vis insurance and land tenure.
Step 3. Make a bill of sale
Whenever a large sale is made, you must provide a bill of sale to the buyer to make the transaction legal. This is an important step in preventing litigation if the buyer wants to change their mind about the transaction. Contact the chamber of commerce to learn more about the documents and procedures for making a deed of sale.
Step 4. Hire a real estate agent if you can't make the sale
Selling a house of any type on your own can be time consuming. If you have a busy job, kids, or other responsibilities, it can be too much of a sudden. Don't waste all of your time selling your property yourself if you can delegate these responsibilities to a professional real estate agent who will do the work for you quickly and efficiently.