With 2022 coming to a close, it’s the perfect time to refresh your mobile home for the new year with some easy home fixes.
From cosmetic changes that will renew your home’s atmosphere to minor electrical checks that help ensure the safety and functionality of your home, there’s a lot you can do to give your mobile home some love right now that will prepare it for the coming year.
You don’t need a huge budget or tons of DIY knowledge to perform these new year, new home fixes, either!
Changing the Lighting
One of the easiest ways to refresh your mobile home is to change some of its light bulbs and fixtures.
For example, changing the lighting in a room from white to yellow can go a long way toward creating a warm, cozy atmosphere. Vintage-style yellow light bulbs are a great way to do this that will also give indoor spaces a classy, timeless look.
Or, adding an elegant new exterior light fixture can give your mobile home’s facade a unique style, making it more comfortable and practical to use outdoor spaces at night.
Quality outdoor lighting also improves safety and security by illuminating entryways and typically dark areas around your home. Having a well-lit mobile home exterior helps prevent falls and other accidents, as well as deter would-be burglars.
There are many types of mobile home lighting and light fixture updates you might consider:
- Wall sconces (both indoor and outdoor)
- Lantern-style enclosures and glass globes for exterior lights
- Strings of market lights
- Vintage light bulbs
- Yellow light bulbs (instead of white lighting)
- Dimmer lights
- Siding block lights
- Motion-sensing exterior lights
Smoke Alarm Safety
Checking and testing all your home’s smoke alarms is something you should do monthly. The end of the year is a great time to do so, as you’re doing all your other easy home fixes.
Testing a smoke alarm is straightforward — all you have to do is press and hold the test button, which should be visible on the outside surface of each smoke detector.
A loud beeping sound should emit from the alarm when you do this. If there is no sound, or if the sound is weak, try replacing the smoke alarm’s batteries and test it again. If the alarm still isn’t working, it’s time to replace it with a new mobile home smoke detector.
Working smoke alarms in your home is the first step towards avoiding fires before they get out of hand and potentially cause significant damage to your mobile home or cause injury to you and your loved ones.
Smoke detectors are especially vital around the holidays when you’re likely to use more appliances, cook more, and have connected decorations.
Checking Electrical Outlets and Switches
In the best-case scenario, faulty electrical outlets and switches are a minor nuisance but can also present serious safety risks.
You can check whether they’re working as they should with a multimeter. Start by setting a multimeter to the “voltage” setting, then insert the probe into an outlet. You should get a reading of approximately 110 to 120 volts for home electrical outlets.
If the reading is not as expected, or if there’s no reading, call a licensed electrician to check the wiring and fix the problem.
It’s important to note that you should never attempt to perform mobile home electrical repairs, as you could worsen the problem, get shocked, or start an electrical fire.
After you’re sure all your outlets are in good working order, test all your light switches by turning them on and off, ensuring an appliance or light bulb is connected to the outlet or light fixture that each switch controls.
If any light switches aren’t working, get an electrician to fix them, so you’ll have full use of your switches in the new year!
Apart from the functionality of electrical outlets and light switches, there’s an easy home fix you can apply to them to give indoor spaces a new look — try changing the faceplates of old outlets and switches.
There is a wide variety of colors and styles of electrical plates, so you can make your mobile home feel new down to the tiniest detail!
Even just replacing faded, damaged, or otherwise worn outlet and light switch plates can do a lot to make indoor spaces feel well cared for and welcoming.
When removing and replacing electrical plates, turn off the power supply to the outlets and switches you’re working on as a safety precaution.
Replacing Missing Skirting
If your mobile home skirting is broken or missing, it doesn’t just detract from your home’s appearance and hurt its curb appeal.
Intact skirting (aka mobile home underpinning) creates a significant barrier that helps keep pests out from underneath your home. Skirting also plays a vital role in your heating and cooling systems, as it helps retain heat under your mobile home in the winter and cool air underneath it in the summer.
If you don’t fix or replace damaged skirting, you could end up with a family of pests causing damage to your home, and your heating and cooling bills could increase. So, always get damaged siding repaired or replaced as soon as possible.
Replacing missing skirting also allows you to update your home’s exterior, especially if the rest of the siding is getting up there in years and showing wear.
You could use this to replace your mobile home’s skirting, giving your property a contemporary facelift and ensuring that the underside of your home is well-protected for years to come.
Change Your Home With Star Mobile
From lighting and light switches to smoke alarms and skirting, Star Mobile has all the materials you need to make your home feel new again. We’ll have you saying new year, new home — without changing where you live!
Don’t hesitate to contact us for a free consultation on sprucing up your mobile home before the next year (or any time, for that matter).
