Not too long ago, mobile homes were only seen as affordable housing options for those who couldn’t afford stick built houses. Fast-forward a few decades later and mobile houses are now appealing to a different group in society.
It’s now not uncommon to find people willing to pay seven figures just for a mobile house and with people willing to pay such large amounts, this has launched the niche of luxury mobile homes. Unlike the standard manufactured home, luxury manufactured houses are designed, structured and fitted to appeal to a different class of buyers.
From high-flying business persons to movie stars, luxury mobile houses are now the in thing, serving as both homes away from home and as permanent homes.
However, it’s not just the crazy rich who are eyeing these fortresses of creature comforts, even ordinary people are now starting to step up and are doing their own thing as they too attempt to achieve a little bit of luxury in the places they call home.
For some people, this is the new DIY project and some are spending several years slowly building their luxury mobile houses from scratch.
Trends in Luxury Manufactured Housing
While our ideas of luxury differ, it’s still nice and inspiring to see what others are doing on the other side of the fence. From the simple to the extravagant, let’s have a glimpse at how mobile homes are helping people enjoy a life of luxury.
Mobile Homes as Holiday Homes
Holiday homes have traditionally been associated with the rich, the sort of people who can talk about having a place in the mountains or by the lake. However, mobile houses are now bringing this particular luxury down to a more affordable level.
One of the challenges of having a holiday home in an exotic location is that these locations are usually off the beaten path. This makes it difficult to get all the construction materials to the site. Apart from poor accessibility, these sites may also offer poor weather protection and this can result in expensive losses of construction materials.
Manufactured houses are changing all this. The entire construction process is carried out in factories under controlled environments resulting in cheaper construction and less wastage.
Although the owner of the home will still have to incur expenses to get the home to the final location, this will be a one-time trip that may even be covered by the manufacturer to some extent.
With some manufacturers providing free delivery within specific distances, manufactured home holiday homes are now becoming an affordable luxury for many people.
Luxury Recreational Vehicles (RV)
For people who’ve dreamed of a life on the road, enjoying wide open spaces without sacrificing the comforts of modern life, there is no better time to live that dream. According to trendhunter.com, this is a trend that is catching on among those who’ve been working for a while and have money saved up and retirees.
This trend is turning RVs from the simple structures we know to monstrously large mobile homes as people turn them into fully functional houses that can be parked and driven off at a moment’s notice.
These appropriately labeled ‘opulent RVs’ come in sizes as large as a Greyhound bus and they come with a kitchen, bedroom, lounge area, bathrooms etc. One of the most eye-catching things about these homes is that there’s plenty of space for everything and some even come with optional bars and fireplaces.
A few examples such as the Volkner Mobil Performance even come with parking space for a sports car.
As you would expect, these mobile houses don’t come cheap and are mostly aimed at wealthy people such as movie stars so they can serve as temporary homes when they are on movie sets.
Transforming/Expanding Mobile Homes
This is a trend that is catching on much more slowly, which could be an indication that the technology being used is still being fine-tuned but the current examples such as in Will Smith’s $2.5 million home (as seen on HGTV), show just how amazing the results can be.
These mobile homes look like regular trailers but once on site, the walls and the roof are pushed outwards and upwards respectively, expanding the living space inside the house. Because of this feature, these mobile houses have much more space than a normal trailer and some, such as the example above, even have two stories.
Everything in these high-priced homes is designed to suit this unique feature to prevent things from getting crushed or falling over as the house transforms.
Compact Mobile Homes
You may think that a luxury mobile home is all about getting as much space as possible but compact mobile homes are helping to change this perception. The problem with large luxury mobile houses is their size means they can only be pulled or carried by something with a large and powerful engine.
These vehicles also stick up wherever they are. For the luxury lovers who are all about keeping a low profile, compact mobile houses are turning out to be the answer.
Some of these houses are small enough to be pulled by regular cars and thanks to innovative designs and technology, many of them have everything you may want in your luxury home on the go.
Using multipurpose furniture and space saving furniture and appliances, people are fitting more items into these small spaces, ensuring they have all the comforts they need with them at all times.
Location, Location, Location
Luxury isn’t always about the home itself. A million-dollar home without much of a view isn’t the sort of luxury you want. This is why people are spending quite a bit of money to ensure that their mobile homes have a spot in some of the most luxurious locations in the world.
Beachside mobile home parks can now be found in places such as Paradise Cove in Malibu (according to Wall Street Journal) and even with landowners charging several thousand dollars each month for a single lot, there are many people willing to pay for these seaside locations.
Modified Buses
Sleeping on a bus is not everyone’s idea of luxury but many people do this nowadays and they are enjoying a better quality of life than most people would believe. What makes buses so well suited for this sort of modification is that they come with large windows and lots of space.
The buses are also built for transportation so you’re sure that they work quite well for those who are into the nomadic lifestyle. There are others who are even using double decker buses (as seen on metro.co.uk) and attaining enough space for their whole families, giving them holiday homes they can take with them wherever they go.
Ideas for a more Luxurious Mobile Home
We all want a little bit of luxury in our lives even if it’s just the one thing that will make your home feel richer. You may think that this isn’t easy to achieve in a mobile house but depending on whether you’re getting a new mobile home or already living in one, there is plenty that you can do to add to the quality of life in your mobile house.
Reclaim the Outdoors
Luxury isn’t all about what’s inside the house. Quite often, it’s what’s outside the house that can greatly change how you get to enjoy life inside your home. There are several ways that you can reclaim the space outside your house.
- Put in larger windows: Large windows are an excellent way to enjoy the outdoors without being outside your home. When you have a particularly scenic surrounding, it would be a shame to keep all that beauty out with small windows. Think about getting larger windows or even glass walls to enable you to take in the beauty of what’s outside from inside your home.
- Extend your home: This is both a great way of reclaiming the outdoors and expanding the living space in your home. A simple covered porch where people can sit and relax on a hot summer day is one way of adding floor space by pushing outwards and focusing on the space outside your home.
- Rooftop terrace: A rooftop terrace is something you won’t find even in some luxury prefab homes and this is more than just a way to enjoy the outdoors. A rooftop terrace adds character to the house and when you’re relaxing all the way up there, it’s hard not to feel like you’re living in luxury.
Make your Home Smart
Smart homes don’t just feel luxurious, they feel downright futuristic. Being able to control all manner of things inside your house from a single central location or even when you’re nowhere near the house is an amazing experience. When you do it correctly, it may even turn out to be a money saver.
- Smart Locks: Your sister from out of state arrives unannounced and she’s at your house. Unfortunately, you’re still in the office or elsewhere and won’t be back for some time. Smart locks can enable you to unlock your doors remotely so you can allow someone entry to your home even when you’re not around.
- Smart Lights: Smart lights can turn on or off depending on specific settings and some even have motion sensors that automatically turn them on when movement is detected in a room. Instead of banging into every piece of furniture in the room or stepping on toys your kids forgot to put away, smart lights will turn on when you walk into a room and even turn off when you leave. The latter feature can be an energy saver if you have kids who keep leaving the lights on.
- Automation: Imagine being able to change the look, shape and lighting in your home by only pressing a button. It may seem like something from a sci-fi movie but all this is happening in the world today. Many homeowners are now automating functions that were traditionally done by hand. Opening and closing shades, deploying/opening hidden storage compartments, deploying hidden furniture etc.; these are just a few examples of how automation can make your house look cool while also relieving you of cumbersome tasks.
A good internet connection is important when you want to make your home smart. With good Wi-Fi, you can easily use features such as smart locks, remote monitoring systems, smart entertainment systems etc. throughout your home.
Use Luxurious Lighting Solutions
Lighting is one of the most luxurious solutions you can invest in. Although your house may not look like much, you may be greatly surprised by just how much the right lighting solutions can change how your mobile house looks and feels.
- Natural lighting: If your mobile house is located in a place that receives plenty of natural light, you’ll want to take advantage of that. Although large windows may be enough to bring in more light, these may not always work if there are buildings or tall features nearby and this may not be the solution you want to go for if the view outside the windows leaves a lot to be desired. Even so, there are still at least two ways that you can allow that luxurious sunshine into your house. For starters, you can put in a skylight. A well-positioned skylight will ensure you get all the sun you need for a brighter home.
The second solution is to put in clerestory windows. These are the windows that are above the eye-level (according to Wikipedia) and usually just below the ceiling. These windows don’t just make your house look luxurious, they are also good for lighting and ventilation.
- Artificial lighting: Sometimes your house will look okay during the day but not as impressive at night. The first thing you must ensure is that you get the right bulbs (in terms of hue) to bring out the best in every room. Another approach is to buy extravagant light fixtures such as chandeliers. These over-the-top lighting solutions are a must have for many luxury prefab homeowners especially when it comes to pendant lamps.
Raise your Ceiling
A high ceiling is yet another way of adding some luxury to your manufactured home. One of the reasons why a manufactured home may not feel so luxurious is that the standard roof is usually not as high as it could be.
Low roofs aren’t just cheap, they are also easier to transport. However, nothing stops you from going for the high roof while designing the house or even if you’ve been living in it for a few years. A high ceiling adds space and makes your house feel freer.
The extra space is also useful because it can allow you to add a loft or clerestory windows. The extra vertical space also makes pendant lamps and chandeliers much more impressive to look at.
A Change of Material
The quality and type of materials you choose for your home can add or take away from your luxury experience. Even a well-designed house will not feel as nice as it could if the materials used look or feel cheap.
It’s quite normal to go for less expensive materials at the beginning but as time progresses, you may want to slowly switch out the less expensive stuff for something that will look and feel better. A few areas in your home that could benefit from a change of materials include:
- Floors: You can start out with vinyl and bring in the hardwood floors or tiles when your finances are in a better state.
- Side walls: For the walls, you can choose to either put in a completely different material or you could simply choose a better color.
- Countertops: If you spend much of your time in the kitchen, good countertops can really make the place look and feel better. A material such as granite is more durable and is also good for showing off.
- Furniture: Leather upholstery or even using better quality cloth can turn your cheap sofa into an oasis of luxury that you can’t wait to relax in at the end of the day. It will also change how your lounge looks.
Splurge on a few Extras
Spending a little extra to get the additional features that can be added to your house during manufacturing can yield a completely different result in terms of how the house looks and feels.
Although the extras may not be necessary, especially when you’re on a budget, when you want a little extra luxury, you should definitely give one or two a shot. Even if these extras aren’t in the original design, talk to your manufacturer to see if they can be added to the home. Extras that you can think about include:
- Fireplaces
- Bars
- Heated Floors
- Vaulted ceilings
- Crown molding
A Little Bit of Luxury for Everyone
Mobile houses and luxury weren’t always thought of as compatible ideas but times have since changed. Even the wealthier individuals around have found it difficult to resist the allure of mobile houses and this has started the niche of luxury manufactured homes.
These houses come in all shapes and sizes and many are even permanently on wheels, allowing the owners to take their homes with them wherever they need to be.
While some are using these mobile houses as a home away from home, others have even made them their permanent residences, taking advantage of mobile home communities in unique locations to enjoy a better quality of life.
However, luxury isn’t just for the top-earners and now even regular mobile home owners can add that extra bit of luxury to their mobile houses.
By building houses that make the most of beautiful surroundings, taking advantage of innovations in smart home technology, using beautiful lighting solutions and more luxurious materials, there is plenty of luxury for everyone to enjoy. You can even go for one or two extras so luxury can be a world you come home to every day.
