print font size Mobile home: everything you need to know about it to get started

Renting a three-room apartment in Prague costs around twenty thousand per month without utilities. In two years it will add up to almost half a million - with that money you can already have your own house! Well, not brick, but mobile, you still have to buy a plot of land, connecting to power networks and sewage also costs something. But still, that's a challenge worth thinking about. Today, mobile homes really provide full-fledged living at a high standard, which is why they are not as exceptional here as they were a few years ago. Currently, in connection with the rise in real estate prices, interest in them is therefore increasing by leaps and bounds. Not only thanks to the price, which is significantly lower than the price of a classic apartment or family house, but also thanks to the speed and simplicity with which you can have it on your property. On the other hand, it's not like you buy a plot of land one day, a mobile home the next, and you're living there in a week. It's not that simple again. If you have nevertheless started to think about purchasing a mobile home, then read what you should know and what to expect. There are a lot of misconceptions about mobile homes.

What is a mobile home?

Mobilheim, mobilhaus, mobilhouse, mobilhome. These are all different designations for the same thing, that is, a mobile home, having a wooden structure on a steel lattice frame, which includes a handling chassis with one to three axles and a connecting device. Although it is equipped with wheels, this is for easier handling, but not for regular transport. After placing it in the desired place, it is simply not expected that you would actively and often drive it somewhere. Yes, thanks to the wheels, it is easier to move to another plot of land or move within the plot of the same plot, but it will not work without heavy handling equipment: transportation over longer distances is made possible by a tractor with a low loader, and placement at the final location (prepared in advance) is carried out using a powerful vehicle ( tractor, off-road) or crane.

The price is around a million and you can live there. See what mobile homes can look like

Just like classic housing, you can choose different sizes from 2+KK to 4+KK. Smaller mobile homes are intended for individuals or couples, larger ones for families. Compared to a classic family house, the mobile one has a shorter lifespan, on the other hand, it can be easily recycled after it has reached its end of life. If you decide to sell it, the new owner will take it away and you have the land ready for other activities.

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A mobile home in the role of a seasonal cottage and a house inhabited all year round

When choosing a mobile home, you need to take into account the purpose for which you are purchasing it. If we leave out commercial use (sales stand, office, etc.) and focus only on personal use, then someone buys it seasonally, as a cottage for the summer, someone with the intention of permanent residence, then we are talking about a year-round mobile home. The price is also related to their use: seasonal houses, therefore cheaper, tend not to be insulated. You can't do without good insulation for all-year-rounds.

Whether you intend to buy any of them, before buying, ask about the experiences of other people with the specific type of mobile home you have chosen. I met a case where the owners bought a seasonal, uninsulated house, and it was already cold during the colder summer. On the other hand, when the hot days came, they had an extra ten degrees inside. For these reasons, they finally embarked on the originally unplanned warming. On the contrary, newly manufactured modern mobile homes have triple glazing, high-quality insulation that ensures minimal heat loss, and are low-energy.

Mobile home: other options

Used or new?

It depends on what you expect from the home. Used ones are mainly imported to us from Great Britain and the Netherlands, where such housing has a long tradition. The equipment and the overall design of the interior and exterior tend to be quite similar in most used houses, if you look at the websites of the sellers, you will get a fairly clear idea. You will then know if it suits you this way, or if you want to invest in changes and how radical they will be. However, you can also work with this if you are handy or have someone handy. Some of the sellers even offer mobile home renovations and modifications. Examples of mobile homes built from recycled materials can also be found on the Internet.

The overall appearance of a mobile home can be completely changed by, for example, facade decking beyond recognition. You need to know in advance whether you are able to secure the necessary modifications, and calculate how many crowns they will cost you in a specific case, i.e. whether it is worthwhile for you to refurbish a cheaper used house, or buy a more expensive house that will not need further modifications. It is also always necessary to check the quality of the construction and the degree of insulation. Remember that the better thermal insulation a mobile home provides, the easier and cheaper it is to heat it. The new mobile homes that are on the market have both a classic and completely modern look, which also applies to their equipment. Some companies can make a mobile home completely according to your wishes, within a few months.

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Mobile home mortgage? Yes, it's possible

Times are changing, and with it the view of some banks. While previously this was not possible, nowadays you can get not only a non-purpose mortgage, but also a classic mortgage for the purchase or renovation of a mobile home. Each of the banks has slightly different conditions: some will allow you to get a mortgage only if your property is registered in the land register (so that it can become a mortgage), i.e. if it receives a descriptive or registration number (you can buy mobile homes marked directly as testable), otherwise the absence of a descriptive or registration number does not matter if you guarantee another property or land on which the mobile home stands.

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Where can I put it?

Many articles about mobile homes tell you how easy it is. You don't need a building permit or approval to place them - and that's where it all ends for some of their owners. The house will then be built on any plot of land, whether it is a meadow or a clearing somewhere near the forest. Error! It is essential what function the house fulfills. Do you use it as a warehouse or for living? According to the purpose of its use, it is necessary to obtain the relevant permits from the building authority and to meet all the criteria determined by the decrees. You do not need a building permit, but you do need to obtain a zoning permit from the building authority. Zoning lasts for 30 days, and to get it, your mobile home must meet the following:

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