Can I sell a Tennessee mobile home that has to be moved?

Buying the home without the land is normal for us

Park residents, people renting a lot from a neighbor, and families with a home sitting on land they are selling separately all end up in the same spot: the home has to go somewhere. We buy in that situation regularly, which is different from most buyers who only want a home that stays put.

The catch is that a home which must move carries the entire cost of moving it, and that cost comes straight out of what anyone can pay for the home.

What actually decides whether a home is worth relocating

Movers look at the structure first and the cosmetics never. A tired-looking home with a straight frame and a dry roof moves fine. A pretty home with a soft floor and a sagging ridge can come apart on the road.

• Year built, and whether it predates the June 1976 HUD standards
• Single-wide versus double-wide, since a double moves in halves and costs roughly double
• Width and length, because oversize loads mean escorts and route restrictions
• Frame, axles, hubs, tires and hitch, or whether that hardware has to be sourced
• Roof condition and whether the ridge is straight
• Floor structure, especially soft spots near doors and around plumbing
• Additions bolted or built onto the home, which usually have to come off
• Where it is going and how far, including whether the destination is approved and prepared

Moving costs are the number that changes everything

A move is not just the truck. It includes disconnecting utilities and skirting, tearing down and hauling additions, permits, transport, a set crew at the other end, blocking and re-leveling, anchoring, and reconnecting water, sewer and power. The setup side often costs as much as the drive.

That is why two identical homes can be worth very different amounts. One that can stay where it is has a much wider set of buyers than one that has to be trucked sixty miles to a lot that still needs to be prepared.

Older homes and where they can legally land

Relocation and installation of manufactured homes in Tennessee involve state manufactured housing and installation requirements, and installers are regulated. Beyond that, many parks and many counties will not accept a home over a certain age, which is often the real constraint on an older single-wide long before the physical condition is.

This is general information, not a code determination for your property. The state fire marshal's codes enforcement office and your local codes office are the authorities on what is allowed where your home would go.

What to send us before anyone drives out

We can usually tell you whether a move is realistic from a phone's worth of photos and four facts. That saves you a visit and saves us a wasted trip.

• Year built and the size, for example 14x70 or 28x56
• The city and county where the home sits right now
• Whether you have a place for it to go, or need us to handle that
• Photos of all four sides, the roof line, the underside if you can see it, and any additions
• Photos of the data plate and HUD tags if you can find them