Mobile home owners everywhere enjoy incredibly low monthly house payments, without having to worry about taking care of a huge yard. Unfortunately, mobile homes also have a tendency to look dated and inexpensive, which can make your place hard to sell later. If you want to improve the curb appeal of your mobile home, consider these two ways to update the exterior.   

1: Replace the Façade

Because mobile homes tend to cost much less than their single-family counterparts, people have a tendency to make braver decisions regarding the original color of the siding and design details. For example, since the typical single-wide mobile home starts at around $37,100, homeowners might be more willing to choose bright yellow siding with decorative metal finishes. Unfortunately, the trendier something is, the faster it tends to look dated.

If your mobile home looks a little older, consider replacing the facade with different materials. Here are a few options that can dress up your place:

• Brick: If you own the land where your mobile home is parked, consider hiring a professional mason to install a brick façade. In addition to dressing up your place, it will also strengthen your home and make it less susceptible to wind damage.  
• New Siding: Is your older wood siding covered in scratches and peeling paint? To keep future maintenance costs low, consider replacing the exterior with fiber cement siding. This inexpensive composite material is made from wood particles and cement, so it is very durable and flame resistant. In fact, fiber cement siding has a Class A fire rating, which means that it will stay intact, even when it is subjected to a flame for over 2 hours.
• Stucco: Everyone loves the smooth, silky look of brand-new stucco. Think about removing that old siding, replacing the home wrap, and having stucco installed. Cement stucco comes in a huge range of colors and textures, so you can customize your home to your preferences.

Although you might be tempted to do the work on your own, always use a professional contractor to update your mobile home façade. In addition to doing the job the right way the first time around, a contractor will be able to spot underlying trouble, and address issues before they damage the integrity of your home.

2: Bridge the Gap

After updating your home's exterior, you might wonder what you can do with that unsightly gap between your home and the ground. Unfortunately, this gap usually acts as the ultimate telltale sign to prospective buyers that your home is manufactured; even if the interior looks brand-new. Here are a few ways that you can bridge the gap to give your mobile home an upscale look:

• Porch: Instead of having those stairs lead directly to your front door, consider adding a porch to the entire exterior of your home. In addition to giving you a great place to sit in the afternoons, a porch can also cover up that gap, and give your place a custom feel.
• Shrubbery: If you prefer a more organic approach, consider planting dense, slow-growing shrubs around your entire mobile home. Small bushes and shrubs can add a pop of color to your property, and make your mobile home feel like a cozy cottage. Another plus to planting shrubbery instead of installing another permanent structure is that you might still be able to access your crawlspace to install new wiring or plumbing.
• Trellis and Ivy: If you are having a hard time choosing between plants and a permanent structure, consider installing a trellis and covering it with ivy. You can add a little gate into the trellis to access your space, but the ivy will limit the visibility to the area underneath your home. Remember to keep the ivy well-trimmed to keep it from growing out of control.  

Investing a little time and money into your mobile home might help you to get your place ready for the market, and could even spark a bidding war between potential buyers.