How to Find the Value of Used Mobile Homes

Valuing a mobile home depends on age, features and condition.

A mobile home is considered personal property rather than real estate. That means that it depreciates like a car instead of appreciating like a house on a foundation. Despite the depreciation, if a mobile is livable it has some value and someone will be willing to pay something for it.

Instructions

1. Find the value on NADA Guides. Go to NADAguides.com, click "Manufactured Housing" in the top menu bar and request a report online, by mail or fax. The home must be built after 1971 in order to find a value by this method, and you must have the make, model, year and details about the home. There will be a fee for this service.

2. Base the value on what other mobile homes sell for. You can ask a real estate agent or a mobile home dealer to help you determine the value this way. They have access to the sales prices of other mobiles and can help you find a price based on similar number of amenities, condition and year. If you use a real estate agent, he may expect you to list the home for sale with him, so make sure to be clear about whether you intend to list the home with him or not.

   Alternatively, you can do your own research by looking at properties on Craigslist and calling on "For Sale" signs in your area to get an idea of what other people are asking for their mobile homes.

3. Add to or subtract from the going price to account for the particularities of your mobile home: the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, location, condition of roof, windows, flooring and walls, fenced yard, carport or garage.

4. If you cannot come up with a value based on the above methods, put the mobile home up for sale at a price that you would like and see if you get offers. If you don't have any showings or offers, lower the price until it sells.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have the mobile home advertised at a particular price and no one calls or no one makes offers if they do call, drop the price. The only reason a mobile home won't sell is because it's priced too high.

• The value provided by a mobile home dealer may be lower than what a retail buyer would pay.

References

• NADA Guide: Manufactured Home Values

Resources

• My Great Home: Selling a Manufactured Home