Mobile home buying guide

Mobile Home

Assessing your mobile home requirements

  • Determine the size of the mobile home you require.
  • Firstly you must work out your requirements for sleeping arrangements, mobile homes these days can have between two and four bedrooms and can easily accommodate large families on holidays
  • In most mobile home extra sleeping requirements may be in the form of pull out beds in the lounge area
  • If your requirements are for longer stays in your mobile home for great comfort and ease of living as regards cooking and dining areas a larger mobile may be advisable even if only two people intend to use the mobile home
mobile home

Choosing your mobile home make and model

  • It’s always advisable to do as much research as possible before making any large purchase & buying a mobile home is no different.
  • British and German mobile home manufacturing is long established and has a good reputation for good build quality and attention to detail.
mobile home

Checking the year of a mobile home

  • Check whether the mobile home is actually the year the seller says it is, they do depreciate so year is important
  • Mobile homes have a badge plate mounted on the chassis either near the boiler or at the front this will identify the year of manufacture
mobile home

What is your budget

  • How much your mobile home will cost depends on numerous factors like year, size & condition
  • Prices can range from 5000 to 50,000 euro
  • If a deal is just to good to be true it usually isn’t, so always be ready to walk away
  • See - Where do you intend to place your mobile home? this can affect your budget
mobile home

Where do you intend to place your mobile home

  • If you intend to place your mobile home on a holiday park how much are their site fees annually
  • What are the average yearly electricity and gas bills on the holiday park
  • Do you want to place the mobile home on a holiday park owned by the dealer you purchased your home from? if so this may result in a discount
  • If you are purchasing from a dealer an placing your new mobile home on a holiday park that is not owned by the dealer who will be paying the transport cost incurred in the moving of an item of such size and weight from retailer to a holiday park site.
  • Do you intend to place this mobile home on the site of a home build if so you may need planning permission please see our Residential Mobile Home Guide for more information on this - Guide coming soon.
mobile home

Where should you purchase your mobile home

  • If you are buying a mobile home privately (which we would not advise) we would always recommend you bring someone with experience
  • If you are buying a mobile home privately (which we would not advise) and something goes wrong you have no come back and may end up badly out of pocket
  • If you are buying a mobile home privately (which we would not advise) remember if a deal is just to good to be true, it usually isn’t, so always be ready to walk away
  • Always shop around and look at all the angles sometimes it’s not always as simple as the lowest price. What value are you getting for your hard earned money. We would advise you always buy from a reputable dealer, a good sign is one who has been in business for many years
  • Most mobile home dealer offer package deals where you purchase a mobile home and the costs of transportation, placing it on-site, plumbing, electrics, gas certifying and first years site fees are included in the deal. (This is usually if you are placing the mobile home on one of their holiday parks)
  • If you wish to buy your mobile home from a dealer and place it on a holiday park not owned by the dealer, some holiday parks will charge the dealer a fee for placement, will the dealer pass this fee on or absorb it themselves?
  • Does the mobile home dealer provide insurance for the mobile home during transportation?
mobile home

Inspecting the outside of a mobile home

  • Mobile homes on holiday park sites in coastal regions may experience corrosion in one form or another
  • You must inspect the chassis to ensure it is in one piece and free of corrosion in all forms i.e. rust or other deterioration of materials
  • The chassis can be greased for future protection but check for damage before purchasing
  • Check the sides of the mobile home, checking that all panels are without defect or damage, this could be costly to repair
  • If you can check the roof of the mobile home checking that all panels are without defect or damage, this could be costly to repair
  • Check that all mouldings and seals are in good condition as improper seals can cause leaks any costly repairs
  • Check that all keys are accounted for, also for any external storage compartments
mobile home

Inspecting the inside of a mobile home

  • The main thing to look for inside the mobile home is dampness
  • Check for water damage by looking for any softness in the floor and around the base of all windows, external doors and all the corners as evidence of this points to water damage
  • You must carefully inspect each area of the mobile home for a soft or spongy feeling on the side walls, these should feel solid to the touch
  • Ask the dealer to demonstrate all the appliances within the mobile homes i.e.: gas appliances, electrical appliances, water system, waste system and taps to ensure all are in good working condition
  • Check that all openings doors and windows operate correctly and can be properly secured as rectifying these can be costly to repair
  • Check that all keys are accounted for and work in there respective doors, windows or external storage access
mobile home

Ensuring safety in your mobile home

  • Before you can stay in your mobile homes it must be pressure tested and certified for gas safety by the Register of Gas Installers of Ireland
mobile home

How should I insure my mobile home

  • There are many options when it comes to who you choose to insure your mobile home we would advise shopping around for the best quote
  • As stated in our Mobile Home Insurance Guide we do recommend Munster Group Insurance, their details can be found on our Mobile Home Insurance Guide
  • Most holiday parks require you to have insurance and to prove that on a yearly basis