Alamo Homes

Welcome back to the second installment of our series “5 Things To Ask Before Buying A Manufactured Home” aimed at helping inform new buyers of manufactured homes. So you may have concluded that buying a manufactured home is the smartest route financially for your family. But now you are asking yourself, what exactly are manufactured homes like these days? Perhaps you have in your mind an image from decades ago of skinny, cramped, somewhat ugly trailer homes with minimal insulation and tin siding that gets so hot in the summers your electric bill from AC costs more than your mortgage! Thankfully, that is not the case with most manufactured homes these days.

In this article we will briefly explore what a Singlewide, Doublewide, Triplewide, Modular, Park and Cabin manufactured home have to offer you in terms of elegant design, spacious living quarters, modern appliances and quality construction materials.

Singlewide

The most basic manufactured home available, a singlewide is a simple, cost-effective solution for the family that wants modest living space with the option of having up to three bedrooms and two bathrooms on most models. A variety of features in these models make them very attractive, such as open floor plans, the latest appliances, insulation under the flooring (on some models; be sure to ask!), wood siding, and more. Depending on where you plan to live, some home parks may only have room for a singlewide in the available park lots, as they are usually the smallest lot unit. A good example of a singlewide would be the Sierra Vista 3/2 Singlewide SMB1676B which is a 3/2 model. However, while the width of a singlewide is generally the same across the board, the length can vary substantially, giving you more or less square footage in which to live.

Doublewide

A significantly larger option, a doublewide is named such because it is generally double the size of a singlewide. Probably the most commonly purchased manufactured home, a doublewide is an excellent option for a family that wants large bedrooms, a spacious kitchen and living room, and access to numerous floor plan styles to suit their family’s needs. With twice the space of a singlewide a well-designed doublewide has some amazing features such as large master bathrooms with Jacuzzi tubs, breakfast nooks, open floor plans with kitchen islands, and walk in pantries. Doublewides are generally similar dimensions to a one-story residential home. A good example of a doublewide would be the Cavco 3/2 Doublewide TX3268G FLX which is 2085 sq ft as a 3/2 model.

Triplewide

If you are looking for the most space around in a manufactured home then a triplewide may be the best option for your family. Similar to a doublewide, a triplewide is named such as it is generally either three times the size of a singlewide or is a doublewide with an extra large room included onto the structure. Boasting similar features as a doublewide, these models add an extra dimension of space to give you an enormous living area often with four to five bedrooms and two to three bathrooms.

Cabin Homes

When you are looking for a home that not only fits the whole family but has elegant style, beautiful wood siding, and hardwood cabinets, doors and trim on the interior, a cabin model might be best for you. A cabin home is similar in floor plan design to a sizeable doublewide, though smaller models are available. However, a cabin home is just that, a cabin, and in appearance is a very attractive home with natural wood on the inside and out. The Athen’s Pine Mountain Cabins are great examples of cabin model homes, and generally are over 1,800 sq ft at the largest in a 3/2 model.

Park Models

In contrast to the spacious living spaces of a double or triplewide manufactured home is the significantly – and purposely – smaller park models. These models are generally one bedroom, one bathroom, with a kitchen and living room in front. Park models are generally for those who just want a simple, but well-made and modern, housing solution to fit in a lot in a manufactured home park, want a getaway retreat for the weekends, or need an extra guest house on their property for visitors, family, or friends. Park models are small, affordable, but comfortable and modern. A good example of a park model is the Cavco park model at Alamo Homes .

Modular

You might have heard the term modular home before, and wondered what they were. In simplest terms, it is a factory-built home that is completed in modules prior to being moved to the home site, where it is then put together in sections to form a home on a permanent foundation and fixed at one location. It is very similar to the emplacement of a doublewide home, and some models available as doublewides can also be emplaced as modular homes, but is also different in that the modules of the home can sometimes be redesigned to how you, the buyer, wants them to be laid out. Some modular home models can also support two stories in a home and also have the distinct advantage of being considered as similar to a site-built home by most insurance companies, banks and other agencies.

If you are looking for a local value-priced high-volume dealership that has more information on these types of models, and can walk you through specific models in these categories, Alamo Homes of San Antonio, Texas, is a great place to go (www.alamohomes.net). There are many other low-priced deals at Alamo Homes for name-brand singlewide and doublewide models in Clayton, Cavco, Fleetwood, Athens, and other manufacturers. Just ask their sales staff for more information!

You can check out homes of these types at: Alamo Homes New Homes Site and see for yourself why many people are deciding to go manufactured and go with Alamo Homes.

Check back soon for part three of this series: “Should I Buy Used Or New?”

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