The new year is on its way, and it is time
to start making plans to renew and refresh.
Perhaps a mobile home makeover is in your
future? Your home is your safe space. This
is where we do most of our living. It’s where
we work, play, rest and spend time with our
families. This is why you want your home to
reflect who you are, and what you enjoy in life.
There are many different and affordable ways
to renovate a mobile home, but you have to
decide what you want. You can renovate the
inside, outside or both, or only small areas of
these spaces. Renovation can be as simple as freshening things up, or it can be an
overwhelming and stressful process.
There are a few areas of concern to keep in
mind when renovating a mobile home. First,
money will be an issue. Avoid disappointment
by making a budget and planning around
it. Doing things yourself can be a great way
to save money. Second, renovations can be
disruptive, some measure of stress is to be
expected. Third, depending on what you are
doing, consider how long it will take, some
renovations take a significant amount of time
to complete. Finally, renovations are usually
a long-term change, so take your time before
making any decisions.
If your renovations may include the need
to obtain a permit from the California
Department of Housing and Community
Development (HCD) and approval from the
owner of the mobile home park where you
live. Be sure to check with HCD and your
park owner. HCD provides considerable
information on line about permits: www.hcd.
ca.gov. Review your park rules and regulations
and lease agreement and meet with
the on-site manager or owner of your park to
obtain approval for improvements made to
your site or home.