Mobile << MOH buhl, >> home is a house built in a factory and then transported by truck to a homesite. A mobile home has built-in wheels, which are removed once it reaches the homesite. Mobile homes are designed as permanent, year-round residences and resemble traditional houses built on lots. Most are never moved from the original homesite. As a result, the term manufactured home has begun to replace mobile home.
Manufactured homes range from 48 to 70 feet (15 to 21 meters) in length and 12 to 32 feet (3.7 to 8.5 meters) in width. Several units may be joined at the homesite under one roof. The houses typically have a living room, kitchen, two or more bedrooms and bathrooms, and closets and cabinets. Many homes are sold equipped with carpeting, draperies, kitchen appliances, and heating and air conditioning. Some are sold with furniture. A mobile home may rest on a block foundation, a concrete slab, or a basement. Once installed, the house is connected to electric power, gas, and water lines.
Manufacturers in many countries have established their own standards for mobile home construction. Mobile homes cost less to own and maintain than do most other houses. They are common in the United States and northern Europe. In the United States, over 22 million people live in about 10 million mobile homes. Many of these houses are in mobile-home communities on lots that the residents rent or own. In some neighborhoods, mobile homes occupy lots alongside traditional houses.
See also Building construction (Prefabricated construction) .
