Over the past few decades, manufactured homes have grown to provide housing for over 22 million citizens in the United States. In North Carolina alone, you can already find over 600,000 manufactured homes.
While they are an affordable and reliable housing option, many people are concerned that manufactured housing is just a fancier term for a mobile home. However, this is definitely not the case. In fact, many believe that it’s too expensive, or even impractical to make a manufactured home energy efficient, which is merely a misconception.
Energy Efficiency
Energy optimization has been the topic of interest that touches many aspects of our life, notably in the residential and commercial construction industry. Continuous innovations and efforts to save home energy costs have been implemented to improve nationwide standards for more than four decades. With this in mind, you can be sure that many of the measures taken to improve energy efficiency in a site-built home will apply and benefit manufactured homes too. Examples of such measures include:
- Opting for LED bulbs instead of incandescent bulbs
- Ensuring that HVAC air filters are checked and replaced often
- Add insulation to walls and ceilings
- Choosing ENERGY STAR appliance options
- Invest in doors and windows that are energy efficient
- Use showerheads that are low-flow
While the upfront cost for implementing all these measures might not be cheap, this is a meritorious investment that would provide comfort, increase your property value, save energy costs in the long run and last but not least, protect our planet.
Energy Efficient Programs
If you’re struggling with financing the implementation of energy efficiency into your home, there are programs that you can leverage on for financing. Examples include Duke Energy’s Helping Home Fund and the Upgrade to $ave retrofit program organized by Roanoke Electric Cooperative. Some nationwide programs that you can tap into are the Modular Housing Innovation Project and the Manufacturing Housing Toolkit, which can help you to get started.
The programs work in different ways. Some offer financial support with regards to installing energy efficient structures and appliances, others offer a loan-to-buy program, and some even offer consultation and training to enable homeowners to make the best decision for their dream home. The options that are readily available to you will differ based on the state and region that you reside, so be sure to check with your local authorities and manufactured home management for more information.
Get Your Dream Home with MCM Communities
If you’re looking for your dream home, it can be a confusing time with the diverse array of options across different locations to choose from. When it comes to manufactured homes, they are not only available at a fraction of the cost of a regular brick-and-mortar house, but you will be able to easily adopt modern techniques and measures to make the house a home.
On top of having stylish and modern floorplans, you can also be sure that our communities also offer a unique living experience with reliable management and amazing locations.