Have you identified a mobile home that you like, but decided that for this particular home to work for you, you want to move to another mobile home park, or even to your own private land?
This is something we at The Mobile Home Dealer run into on a weekly basis.
Buyers looking to purchase one of our mobile home listings only to have it moved to another location upon purchasing the mobile home is a common theme.
The question then remains if the mobile home which is technically referred to as mobile, how mobile is it really, and what needs to be done in order for it to be moved?
Sarasota, a Spanish term derived from “a place of dancing”, is a Gulf Coast city just outside of Tampa Bay Area. With a lively arts scene, beautiful beaches, and a burgeoning business center, Sarasota is a magnet for people looking to relocate. If that sounds like you, and you’re thinking about moving to Sarasota, read on to learn about what it’s like to live here.
Mobile homes located on leased land in Florida are titled as automobiles within the state but do not believe the exact asset title name as most mobile homes that reside in mobile home parks along the Gulf Coast of Florida have never been moved since they have been delivered to the factory years ago.
When looking at a mobile home, you will traditionally see a light-colored trim around the bottom of the home, and what’s commonly referred to in the industry as mobile home skirting. If you were able to pull back the skirting and look underneath the home, you will see the plumbing components, some of the HVAC components, and several other things, including the axles and wheels that are physically attached to the home itself.
If you have never witnessed the process of a mobile home tear down in preparation for it to be moved, let me tell you, it’s quite a sight!
Mobile home tear-down crews will remove the skirting, secure all appliances within the home, load it on a special truck that kind of looks like a miniature semi-trailer, and off it goes. When watching the teardown of a double-wide mobile home, it is even more of a spectacle as the home is literally split right down the middle and then the process of moving just like the single-wide is then done for both sides.
Each county in Florida has slightly different standards for allowing an older mobile home into their territory, but they all have the same attitude: mobile homes in poor condition are not welcome to cross the county line.
Moving a mobile home in Sarasota includes the requirement that the mobile home is inspected by either a state-licensed mobile home dealer, state-certified contractor or state-registered contractor meeting the requirements of the Sarasota County Construction Industry Licensing Board before the move can be authorized.
If the inspector finds any deficiencies, but the home is deemed repairable, a remodel or repair permit may be required; and, of course, the home will have to be installed to the current standards for tie-downs, bracing, and piers—and inspected again by the county inspector after installation at the new site.
If you are not sure whether your home is movable or not, you can always consult a professional inspector before contacting a moving company.
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Now, this would give the idea to most, including myself, that all that would need to be done to move the home would be to remove the skirting and get it up on a truck, and off you go, right?
Wrong!
Florida mobile homes will not be permitted to be moved unless they are 20 years old or newer. The permit must be obtained by the licensed mobile home mover in order to take it from one county to the next county within the state of Florida. The average age of mobile homes within mobile home parks along the Gulf Coast of Florida has been built between the mid-70s about the early 80s.
Not being an expert at math here, this tells me that the mobile homes that we see on a daily basis around the Sarasota area can not be permitted to be moved since they are too old.
In order to properly and legally move a mobile home off of one piece of property to another within the state of Florida the home has to be 20 years old or newer, torn down, transported, and set up by licensed trained professionals while being placed on a piece of property that is permitted for mobile homes to be on.
The term, a mobile home is deceiving at best, and as such, I would suggest when buying a mobile home along the Gulf Coast of Florida to not only like the home itself but also like the location it sits on, as many times where you see it is where it will remain forever!
Each county in Florida has slightly different standards for allowing an older mobile home into their territory, but they all have the same attitude: mobile homes in poor condition are not welcome to cross the county line.
Moving a mobile home in Sarasota includes the requirement that the mobile home is inspected by either a state-licensed mobile home dealer, state-certified contractor, or state-registered contractor meeting the requirements of the Sarasota County Construction Industry Licensing Board before the move can be authorized.
If the inspector finds any deficiencies, but the home is deemed repairable, a remodel or repair permit may be required; and, of course, the home will have to be installed to the current standards for tie-downs, bracing, and piers—and inspected again by the county inspector after installation at the new site.
If you are not sure whether your home is movable or not, you can always consult a professional inspector before contacting a moving company.
This is Mark Kaiser with the Mobile Home Dealer and we help mobile home Buyers and Sellers get to a better place in life.
See Also:
- How Are Property Taxes Paid On A Sarasota Mobile Home?
- Does Park Approval Even Matter In A Sarasota Mobile Home Park?
- What Does Buying A Sarasota Mobile Home In “As Is” Condition Really Mean?
- How Are Property Taxes Determined On A Sarasota Mobile Home?
- How Is Sales Tax Determined On A Florida Mobile Home?