Terminology Tuesday (Tricks of the Trade) – Moving a Porch

(Note: I think it’s important to know the terminology and words used when learning any new business including mobile home investing. I came up with ‘Terminology Tuesday’ as a way to go over the terminology used in the mobile home business. It’s important to know the terminology when talking to people in the business so you’re all on the same page).

**** Tricks of the Trade is a new series I have started that will be included with“Terminology Tuesday” posts. The goal of this series is to share with you the “tricks of the trade” I have learned in the mobile home business.

When moving mobile homes, one of the things I’ve encountered is how to move the porch. Usually, I include negotiating in the porches with all of my deals – most times it’s not a big issue.

(Note: Regarding moving homes, I have a deal now with my favorite parks where they pay for my moving costs if I fill a lot. At this point in my career, I receive free lot rent as well. However, it has not always been like this. In the beginning, what’s going to matter is building relationships which do take time).

One of the first things you’ll need to figure out is whether or not you even want the porch – both the front and the back. Usually, the front porch is bigger than the back porch which usually consists of stairs and a railing. Though, you’re going to need to know the specifications needed once at the new location – the park manager will be able to provide you with the details needed in terms of size requirements.

(Note: Before you move the home, you may want to check with the park manager of the park you’re moving the home to. In some cases, they may already have a porch or two they can give you at the park – this has happened to me a few times).

In order to determine whether or not a porch is good or not, you’ll need to check the wood. Is it sturdy? Or does it feel like it’s going to break apart? Also, check for the type of wood and dampness because if the wood is not good to begin with and there are wet spots it may not be worth it to bring the porch. If this is the case, your best bet would be to have one built at the new location.

Once you have figured this out, the next step is to decide how you want the porch moved. Basically, there are two ways to move a porch – 1) move the entire porch as one piece or 2) take it apart by disassembling it and transporting the pieces to the new location to have it re-assembled.

In my experience, I’ve done both. It’s really a matter of preference. But, I will say – it’s much harder and more time consuming to have it disassembled and re-assembled at the new location as it’s best to have the same person to do both jobs who can put it back together the way it once was. Though, I will say – it can be a bit tricky to attempt to move the porch as one piece especially if it’s a larger one.

(Note: Being in this business, I cannot stress the importance of having a good carpenter on your team – woodworking issues definitely do come up with things such as the porch, floor repair, etc).

I will share with you two situations where I’ve decided to disassemble and re-assemble the porch as well as move the entire porch as one piece. Here they are:

Case Study #1

Front porch disassembled and re-assembled at new location

Back porch chose not to take as wood was no good

Case Study #2

Front porch transported to new location as one piece

Back porch transported to new location as one piece

Tractor used to lift and transport porches

Porches ready to be transported to new location

So there you have it – two experiences I’ve personally had of ways to move a porch.

I hope this “Terminology Tuesday” post has been helpful and has given you some useful information – it definitely has for me.

Happy investing!

p.s. Feel free to leave comments on any post either here and/or my Facebook Page. Comments are always welcome, thanks for reading!