A mobile home, sometimes called a manufactured home, is made entirely in a factory and moved to the desired location instead of contractors building the home on-site. Mobile homes are not necessarily truly mobile since they are semi-permanent, but have mobile capabilities when necessary.
What Is a Mobile Home
A mobile home is a factory-built dwelling moved to a site on a steel frame. After setup, it is anchored and connected to utilities and often stays in place for years. It should have a CSA label with a visible serial number. In most provinces, look for CSA Z240 MH. In Alberta, new homes must be certified to CSA A277. You can place one in a land-lease park where you pay pad rent and follow community rules, or on land you own where you handle permits and services. If you are looking for 4 season mobile homes for sale in Ontario, look for a mobile home for sale that meets CSA standards and local rules.
Most mobile homes in Canada are either single-wide or double-wide. Single-wide mobile homes are at most 90 ft. long and 18 ft. wide. They cost the least and are the easiest to move since they are a single structure. Double-wide mobile homes measure over 20 ft. wide and have two large pieces, making them more challenging to transport.
Pros and Cons of Owning a Mobile Home at a Glance
Pros
- Lower entry price than comparable houses
- Short build-to-move-in timeline
- One-level living that suits aging in place
- Choose a park or your own lot
- Light upkeep with a small yard
- Many parks include water, sewer, waste and snow removal
Cons
- Pad rent adds to monthly costs and can rise
- Community rules limit exterior changes, parking and pets
- Financing depends on land status, and chattel rates can be higher
- Homes on rented pads tend to depreciate
- Moving the structure is costly and disruptive
- Zoning, siting and installation standards can block certain lots
How to Purchase a Mobile Home for Sale
Step 1: Choose How You Want to Own
Pick a path that fits your goals. You can live in a land-lease park, buy both home and land or place a new unit on land you already own. Your choice sets rules, costs and control.
Step 2: Set Your Budget and Financing
Add purchase price, pad rent, insurance, taxes, transport and setup. Get pre-approved for the right loan. Mortgage loans fit land plus a permanent foundation. Chattel or personal loans fit a home on rented land.
Step 3: Pick Areas and Confirm Zoning
Call the local planning office before you shop. Ask where manufactured homes are allowed, the minimum size rules and required foundations. Note permits and inspection steps.
Step 4: Build Your Team
Work with an agent who knows manufactured homes. Add a lender familiar with both loan types. Line up a lawyer or notary, a licensed installer and a moving company.
Step 5: Compare Parks and Lots
For parks, review pad rent, services included and rent-increase terms. Check age rules, pets and parking. For private land, confirm access, power, water, sewer or septic and internet.
Step 6: Shop and Inspect the Home
When you are looking for mobile homes for sale, choose new or resale, single-wide or double-wide. Find the CSA compliance label and serial number. Look for a small metal plate near the front door, the electrical panel or on the exterior. This label affects use, placement and financing.
- CSA Z240 MH
Year-round dwelling in most provinces. Often financeable with a mortgage or chattel loan when other requirements are met.
- CSA A277
Required for new manufactured homes in Alberta. Also used for modular homes in all provinces. Modular homes are set on a permanent foundation, not a steel frame.
- CSA Z241 Park Model
Classified as an RV for seasonal use. Not a permanent dwelling. Expect RV or personal loans, not a mortgage.
Make your offer conditional on a professional inspection of the roof, plumbing, electrical, heating, underbelly and frame.
Step 7: Secure Approvals and Permits
For parks, complete the application and get written approval. For land, confirm setbacks, foundation specs and utility connections. Keep emails and letters on file.
Step 8: Write the Offer and Protect Yourself
Use a contract that identifies the home and the land. Add subjects for financing, inspection, appraisal, insurance, park approval and electrical sign-off. Set clear timelines and repairs.
Step 9: Plan Transport, Installation and Utilities
Book a licensed mover and installer. Arrange permits, route checks and craning if needed. Choose anchoring, skirting, stairs and decks that meet code. Schedule power, gas, water and internet.
Step 10: Close, Register and Move In
Sign with your lawyer or notary. Transfer the land title if you bought land. Register the home or record the bill of sale as your province requires. Test heat, plumbing, smoke and CO alarms. Start a simple maintenance plan to protect value.
Why Mobile Homes Are Rising in Canada
Mobile homes have increased in popularity in recent years due to their lower prices and ease of transport. Some homeowners live in mobile home parks, while others buy a piece of vacant land to place their mobile homes. In today’s Canadian real estate market, living in a mobile home can be an alternative and more affordable option than conventional homeownership.
Indeed, mobile homes are a great option for people looking for affordable housing. This is especially true for expensive places like British Columbia. With rising house and condo prices and equally high increases in rent, mobile homes seem like a fairly logical financial choice for people who are deeply in debt and cannot continue to pay more than $2,000 for a small apartment.
Mobile homes can be purchased for as little as $150,000, which can be extremely beneficial in terms of low mortgage payments. Not only do these homes include water and sewer utilities, but some can easily settle in four-season parks and have access to recycling and waste collection, as well as snow removal in winter and leaf removal in fall.
The money one can save with a mobile home is its key selling point. A starting home in BC would cost a minimum of $700,000. On the other hand, a 1,000-sq.-ft. mobile home can be easily purchased for $200,000. Mobile homes are also more energy efficient and can be built in half the time compared to a custom house. This is why mobile homes are now being considered by younger people and first-time homebuyers, seniors, and retirees. The market could grow even further if there were more development of home parks.
Mobile homes are now available at many price points and can range from economy versions to high-end. Many homes that are priced slightly higher look as if they were built on-site. There are single-wide units and double-wide units. Some companies are now also making triple-wide mobile homes. In rural areas, many people buy or rent real estate where they can place their mobile homes. In urban areas, mobile owners can rent or lease a lot in a mobile home park, typically on the outskirts of town.
Overall, mobile homes are an excellent way to make the dream of homeownership a reality. They cost less per square foot compared to a built home, and you can get more space for less money. Mobile homes provide tremendous flexibility as they are easier to move compared to a built home. Their financial benefits are slowly overtaking the perception that mobile homes may not offer quality of life. Not everyone can afford to take a $700,000 or $1 million mortgage, and many people do not have sufficient savings for a proper 20-per-cent down payment.
With housing prices continuing to skyrocket, are mobile homes worthwhile alternatives? Here are five things you need to know if you have been thinking about purchasing a mobile home to live in.
5 Things Every Buyer Should Know About Mobile Homes
Mobile Homes Depreciate in Value
When you buy a house, you can perform renovations and upgrades that will increase the home’s value over time. However, a mobile home almost always depreciates regardless of any additions. Like a new car, once a mobile home leaves the factory, it quickly drops in value. The reason for the difference is the underlying land. When you buy a house, you also buy the land underneath it, but unless you have placed your mobile home on land that you own, it is considered personal property. If you own the land with your mobile home, you may see the value of your property increase over time, but that is almost certainly the result of the land, not the mobile home.
You May Not Be Able to Get a Mortgage on a Mobile Home
Getting a mortgage for a conventional home is reasonably straightforward, but a mobile home is trickier because you may need to look at other options to finance it. If your mobile home is situated on a foundation and you own or plan to buy the land it is based on, then you may be able to get a traditional mortgage for it. If you own the land, but your mobile home is movable, then it typically isn’t eligible for a conventional mortgage. Still, you can look at a chattel mortgage, which secures the loan with the personal property. If you do not own the land but plan to move into a mobile home park, then a personal loan is likely your best option; however, be wary of any loan limits your lender may have to ensure that you can fully cover the mobile home.
Proper Mobile Home Installation is Crucial
Improper or incorrect installation of mobile homes accounts for approximately 80 percent of all warranty complaints and can result in severe damage to the house. After only a short time, homeowners can experience issues like leaks that intensify over time to warping and bowing in the home, which is very expensive to repair. There are various types of foundations available for mobile homes that will ensure they are properly situated. You also want to make sure there is a slope on one end of the house to ensure that water does not pool underneath it.
The Doors on Mobile Homes Are Smaller Than Traditional Homes
There are many renovations and upgrades that can be done to a mobile home to make it more modern. One of the main things mobile homeowners do is replace the doors because they are usually smaller than those installed in site-built homes. Upgrading doors is the top mobile home improvement based on return on investment. You can also replace the windows with site-built home windows that are more energy efficient, but you will likely have to retrofit them since they are typically a non-standard size.
The Stigma Around Mobile Homes is Lessening
In the past, living in a mobile home often came with stigma since many people associated them with poverty and low-income areas. This has been slowly changing as more people cannot afford conventional homes and are looking at alternatives to make their home-buying dreams a reality. Additionally, some manufacturers make high-end mobile homes that barely resemble the mobile homes that most people are familiar with.
Frequently Asked Questions on Mobile Homes
Can I be forced to move if the park redevelops?
Yes. Rules differ by province. In British Columbia, you must receive 12 months’ written notice and at least $20,000 in compensation. If the home cannot be moved, you can seek more, up to the assessed value minus $20,000. In Alberta, you must receive 365 days’ written notice for redevelopment, and there is no mandatory provincial compensation. In Ontario, you must receive at least one year’s written notice and compensation equal to the lesser of one year’s rent or $3,000.
Will I be protected from large pad rent increases?
Ontario uses an annual guideline cap with 90 days’ notice. The guideline is 2.5% in 2025 and 2.1% in 2026 unless an above-guideline increase is approved. British Columbia sets a yearly limit for manufactured home sites and allows a proportional amount for higher local taxes and regulated utility fees. The limit is 3% in 2025 and 2.3% in 2026, with three months’ notice. Alberta has no cap. Landlords must give 180 days’ written notice and can raise pad rent only once every 12 months.
Can I rent out my home or do short-term rentals?
Many parks require owner occupancy or limit rentals. Cities can restrict short stays. Lenders and insurers may also set limits. Get written approval from the park and confirm bylaws before you list. Will rental income still cover pad rent, loan and insurance?
What is the biggest surprise cost after purchase?
Transport and setup. Budget for the mover, escort cars, permits, route clearing and craning if needed. Add skirting, stairs, anchors, electrical sign-off and utility trenching. Ask for firm quotes before you remove subjects.
How do I check for liens or money owed on mobile homes for sale?
Use the serial number to search your provincial personal property registry. Some provinces also have a manufactured home registry. Ask the seller for lien releases and proof of payout. Make clearing any liens a condition of your offer.
Ultimately, mobile parks have rarely possessed a good reputation, but things are gradually changing as more development occurs. Mobile home standards have largely improved. These homes are not made with low-quality materials. Instead, they have solid metal frames, excellent wood construction, drywall, and long-lasting roofs. That is why mobile homes are backed by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation today. Mobile homes are also regulated under the Safety Standards Act, ensuring safety considerations are met.
In the end, mobile homes are an excellent choice for many families as housing affordability challenges persist. An experienced real estate agent can help you find your perfect mobile home and land to go with it.
