Living in a manufactured home is a fantastic option for those striving for home ownership. Depending on your specific area, there are many options of manufactured home communities. It’s important to visit several and get a really good idea of the value each offers. Regardless of which manufactured home community you select, it’s so important that safety concerns are considered before making your final decision.

The safety of your home and the community you live should be top priority. Manufactured homes make a very safe home; however, just like a traditional single family home a proper inspection should be conducted.

Let’s review a few items that should be on your safety checklist.

1. Structural – When buying a new or used manufactured home the structural integrity is vital to your safety. This is true for the roof and the interior/exterior walls. Consult with a professional inspector who will check for leaks, termites, insulation, and other essential elements necessary for a safe structure.

2. Electrical – Just like a weak structure can be dangerous, old electrical is not safe either. This is another element that will be reviewed in an inspection. When purchasing a new manufactured home you should ask questions about the power output and the type of system powering your manufactured home, so you understand what are the safe limits. This can impact your monthly electrical costs too.

3. Security – Installing an alarm for your manufactured home adds that extra level of security for your home and personal property. There are some new homes that offer an alarm system and others have been added aftermarket. You should know that a security system can come with an extra monthly fee too. If security is your focus, there are some communities that offer a guard gate, to give residents more peace of mind.