Green homes are all the buzz now, and rightfully so. As a society, we must learn to live in greater harmony with the environment. How we consume resources at home is a large part of our daily environmental impact.

You may have already begun your effort to reduce your environmental impact by adding low-maintenance sustainable landscaping to your manufactured home. You probably also use eco-smart products to reduce pollutants from everyday tasks like laundry and dishes. But did you know that just by living in a manufactured home, you already contribute to resource conservation?

When compared to a conventional home-and-land combo, constructing your home required three times less material, which also means more energy and resource conservation. In fact, you and your neighbors use 10 to 100 times less energy and resources (propane, water, electricity) than those living in traditional dwellings. Built in a climate-controlled factory, your home is a more efficient product in and of itself.

UMH Properties Inc. proudly designs manufactured homes to make it easy for you to go green in a home that's affordable and built to last. When selecting your next home sweet home, make the choice you can feel good about! 

When they see manufactured homes for sale, many people worry about whether or not they’ll be able to bring their own personalized zen into the home. Luckily, with a few tips, it’s pretty easy to pull off.

Indoors

Focus on bringing natural colors and textures inside. Bamboo shades, cork floors, wood frames, and seagrass accents are all great options. Choose natural, soft fabric, like cotton, in light colors. This unites the two spaces, indoor and outdoor, into one.

Outdoors

The sound of running water from ponds or fountains is always soothing. You can also use big stones, Asian sculptures, and wooden structures to achieve the zen feel you’re striving for.

You want to take advantage of the natural light in your home. It’s also a great idea to place beautiful green plants indoors and outdoors. They add beauty, serenity, and will purify the air around them.

If you’ve decided to look into manufactured homes for sale, or if you already own one, bringing zen to your home is as easy as adding a few simple details. Overall, you want to keep the feel natural, neutral, and tranquil. 

 

While manufactured houses make great, affordable homes, they sometimes have space challenges, especially when it comes to the needs of a kid’s bedroom. Here are some ideas to make your kid’s bedroom fun and usable at the same time.

Utilize color blocking to mark off different areas. For example, the closet could be a bold red while the desk area may be painted forest green. This breaks up the space and helps teach children where their things belong by color-coding the room.

Save space by combining functional items, like putting a desk underneath a loft bed. This doubles your use per square foot. It’s also enticing to kids who like the idea of the top bunk! If your kids are sharing a room, focus on purchasing bunk beds with storage space underneath the bottom bunk to take advantage of the available space.

Manufactured homes are some of the most affordable homes on the market, which is why they’re so popular with families—and kids get cozy, multifunctional rooms out of the bargain. Make sure to make the most of the space available to ensure that your kids love hanging out in their cool new bedrooms. 

Making the best use of closet space in manufactured homes is much easier and more affordable than you might think. Here are four simple ways to maximize your closet.

1) Hang more with rods and soda tabs

Quadruple your space for hanging clothes by adding an extra row of clothing rods and then slipping soda can tabs onto the hooked part of each of your hangers. The second hole in the tabs can accommodate another hanger.

2) Fill space with shelving

For closets in manufactured homes with too much floor space, filling the area with shelves or pull-out bins allows for more organization.

3) Install a towel rod

Hang a towel rod or two on the inside of the door for easy storage of scarves and ties.

4) Put up a bulletin board

A bulletin board on the closet wall or door is the perfect, tangle-free solution to storing jewelry. Earrings stick right in while necklaces and bracelets can be secured with pushpins.

Use our tried and true tips to make the most of the closet space in your manufactured home.

Whether on a Florida shoreline or in the middle of a Kansas cornfield, manufactured homes are the perfect candidates for cozy, beach-themed getaways—and you don't even have to get away to enjoy them. Here are five tips for creating your own tropical oasis.

1) Paint with Beachy Colors

Painting with colors from light brown and yellow palettes helps mimic the sand while accents in stark whites, aquas, and teals mimic splashes of water, sky, and clouds.

2) Display Nautical-Inspired Artwork and Decor

No beach house would be complete without seashells, starfish, and other nautical elements such as rope, sailboats, and bottles.

3) Provide Ample Lighting

Replacing dark curtains with sheer white ones and adding extra lamps throughout the house brightens manufactured homes, even on a dreary day.

4) Mix Clean, Modern Furniture with Rustic Accents

White or beige sofas with time-worn coffee tables imitate the refreshing but timeless appeal of the beach.

5) Open Up Your Living Spaces

Try to decorate without creating clutter and open shades and curtains periodically to recreate a sunny beach day.

Beach decor can add an inspiring and serene mood to your home. Try these tips to create your perfect getaway. 

Your manufactured home is your castle, and you want it to stand out from all the others. But how? The options seem nearly endless. You might not have as much of a yard to work with as others do, but that does not mean you can't work to maximize your space and help it achieve its ideal beauty. Here are some ideas to make your porch pop:

1) Add a covering: It's amazing how much larger adding a roof over your porch can make your home appear overall. It has the additional benefit of giving you some protection from the elements so you can enjoy your porch at any time.

2) More protection from the elements: If you've got a roof to work with, consider installing screens or plexiglass between the roof and railing, particularly if the lower wall is solid.

3) Landscaping: Whether around just the porch or the entirety of your home, the right landscaping gives your home a distinctive edge. The more colorful, the better.

4) Add a wrap-around: Why have your porch just at the front of the home? If you have the resources, expand the porch to go all the way around your home.

5) Hanging baskets: If you don't want to landscape intensively, these floral arrangements provide a nice pop of color where you need it the most.

6) New furniture: Has it been a while since you changed the chairs on your porch? A simple end table or new rockers will breathe new life into an old structure.

7) Paint: A fresh coat of paint can make your porch seem brand new again. Go brighter, go darker, or do whatever your heart desires.

8) Warm it up: If you've got the space, heating lamps or a fire circle can make your space suitable for all seasons.

9) Expand it: Whether you want to go up or out, make your porch a little larger, if the space allows for it.

10) Change up the materials: Why not add logs or stone? These can be inexpensive and a great way to make the porch look brand new.

With these ideas, you can have the nicest manufactured home around. It's amazing how little changes can make a world of difference for your home. 

Imagine you've been looking for a simple but noticeable way to make your manufactured home stand out from the rest, but you’re having a hard time coming up with just the right touch. Shutters are a simple and relatively cheap way to get just what you're looking for, and they have the extra advantage of providing your home with additional protection from the elements if you use the right sort. This can be particularly advantageous if you live in a coastal area and are apprehensive about hurricanes and the accompanying high winds.

Before you go to the hardware store to make a purchase, consider the type of shutters that would be the best for your particular situation. If you're just looking for a nice external touch for your home, decorative vinyl shutters are your best bet. They're inexpensive, durable, and come in a range of colors and styles, giving you a little bit of personalization to work with. The same can be said of fiberglass shutters, which tend to require a bit more maintenance. Aluminum shutters are a good option if you don't mind sacrificing some aesthetics for functionality and better protection from high winds and flying detritus. They present an affordable and lighter alternative to steel shutters.

When you've made your purchase and you're ready to install the shutters, make sure you've got the right measurements. Drill holes that are big enough for the screws used to attach the shutters to the windows, and make sure you've got anchors to sink them in further. Install the hinges first, and once you've got a solid frame in place, it's time to install the shutters.

After your shutters have been installed, make sure you're taking regular care of them to maintain their integrity throughout the years. With proper care, they should remain functional and provide an extra splash of personality for you manufactured home for years to come.