We recently decided that a manufactured home may be the best way to get a cabin on our land, versus working with a builder. I have been looking up what dealers are in our area and what manufacturers they work with….so far, I haven’t had a lot of luck with people getting back to me though, and when they do its very vague. So…I’m turning to the internet to see if I can get more answers to my questions:

1. What is the process like? Do we have to go to the retailer in person? The only retailer who has gotten back to me only listed 3 models that are on their lot, so if none of those models are ones I am interested in seeing, should we go there and look at them anyway?

2. Assuming we will have to order something in advance…if a dealer sells the products of a specific manufacturer, does that mean that they sell ALL the models that that manufacturer makes? Like, can we order whatever we want, as long as that manufacturer makes it or will we be searching for a dealer who not only deals with the manufacturer that we want, but also will order us the model that we want?

3. Let’s say you like a model that has more bedrooms than your septic allows. Can you still use it as long as you use the extra bedroom as something else? Like an office or a den? Or would you not be allowed to place it on the lot unless the floorplan shows the correct number of bedrooms? Can the dealer change the floor plan so that the extra bedrooms are renamed as offices?

4. How long does the process take? The only dealer to get back to me so far randomly threw in to her response (in which she didn’t really address the questions that I asked) that they are on “back order until April/May.” Does that mean that if we ordered tomorrow, we’d have a house delivered in April/May? Or does that mean that people who ordered a long time ago are still waiting on their homes and they’ve been told that the soonest they will get them is April/May?

5. Can we have them do extra stuff to our unit before delivery? Like add extra insulation (we are in MN) or put on a metal roof or switch out the carpet for flooring?

Also, kinda random, but… Why do some manufactured home walls have vertical “seams” every 4 feet or so, and others don’t?