Single Wide Mobile Home Remodel Before and After

Key Mobile Home Remodel Ideas From This Project:

• Painting cabinets instead of replacing them
• Removing unused cabinets for more floor and counter space
• Painting walls with lighter colors to brighten the rooms
• Replacing flooring for a dramatic update
• Updating the functionality of the pantry closet
• Improving layout flow with better furniture placement

When we purchased this older single-wide mobile home for my parents, they loved it just as it was because it reminded them of their first home. We could see its potential, but at the time, there wasn’t any reason to make major changes.

After my mother passed away and Dad suffered a stroke shortly afterward, my brother and his wife decided to move in to care for him. Suddenly, the home needed to work comfortably for three adults, and some of the updates we had been putting off became necessary.

This wasn’t a full gut renovation. We had limited time and a tight budget, so we worked with much of what was already there. By painting, replacing the flooring, improving the storage, and making better use of the available space, we gave the home a brighter, fresher, and more functional feel for under $3,000.

In this single-wide mobile home remodel before and after, I’ll show you the projects we completed, the budget-friendly decisions we made, and the real-life results of our DIY transformation.

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How We Remodeled This Single-Wide Mobile Home for Under $3,000

We needed to do this mobile home remodel quickly so my brother and his wife could move in, and with a small budget, which I knew I could do. Even though my husband was getting nervous about my growing to-do list, I knew I could do it all inexpensively. 

The biggest expense we were concerned about was the flooring. At the time of this remodel, the quote we received from Home Depot was around $10,000 for the flooring and installation. That was well beyond our budget, so we decided to install the flooring ourselves.

Installing Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring Throughout the Mobile Home

If you’re remodeling your older manufactured home, choosing the right floor type is important. We chose luxury vinyl plank (LVP) flooring throughout the home for its durability, easy maintenance, and realistic wood-look finish.

I picked floating vinyl plank flooring from LifeProof and we were able to install right over the old floors. Of course we replaced any damaged flooring and had to level up a few spots, but other than that it was a pretty easy installation.

This flooring completely transformed the whole space. Not only did it make the space more updated, but it made the space feel bigger. It’s amazing what having one consistent floor can do for a space. No more with the 3 different vinyl floor tiles that ran through the space. Now it’s one consistent, beautiful floor.

Here is a rundown of the rest of the projects I did and how I did them. I haven’t added up all the expenses, but I’m sure the whole project was under $3000. Wait to you see what a difference it made.

Mobile Home Kitchen Remodel Before and After

The kitchen area was another big focus for us. In any home—whether a traditional house or a new mobile home, the kitchen is the heart. A kitchen remodel can seem overwhelming, but we took it step by step to stay within our remodeling budget.

Painting the Existing Kitchen Cabinets White

First, we updated the oak looking kitchen cabinets by painting them white. Instead of buying new hardware, we cleaned up the existing hardware and reinstalled them.

New countertops weren’t necessary or within our budget, so we kept the originals. Painting the cabinets and adding the backsplash made enough of a difference that we could update the kitchen without replacing everything.

Removing Cabinets to Create More Usable Space

My dad had a glass cabinet that sat in the corner of his kitchen countertop. This took up so much space on the counter and the only thing in the cabinet was cable boxes, wires, and other miscellaneous stuff. Nothing that you would want to see in a glass cabinet.

So, I decided to take it out. This made so much more space on the counter. Now, there is actually a place to put the microwave that doesn’t take up all the counter space.

He also had a corner cabinet that sat on the floor in the back corner of the kitchen. This cabinet had random items in it like some snack foods, cookbooks, plant food, and vases. Again, not a good use of space. So, we took that out. This ended up making a nice corner for my brother’s water cooler.

Installing a Peel-and-Stick Kitchen Backsplash

While I was shopping for paint colors I looked at backsplash options. I really didn’t need to add a backsplash, but you know…I wanted to. 🙂 The peel-and-stick tile worked great with the paint colors and the flooring I chose.

Installing the backsplash was so quick and easy. I did however learn something. When you start your backsplash cut one side of the tile into a straight line and start from a corner.

I started in a corner but I didn’t cut the tile first and had to go back after and “fill in” a bunch of tiles. This worked fine but I would have saved myself a lot of time if I had just started with a straight edge to begin with.

These small DIY projects made a big difference in the look and feel of our mobile home kitchen, and Dad loved it.

Mobile Home Hall Pantry and Closet Remodel

The hall closet/pantry drove me crazy. It had the cheapest sliding doors that never worked right. My dad tried to “fix” them by adding hinges and making them doors that opened out, but that didn’t work out very well either.

The closet had only three very deep shelves, which made it impractical for storing food. Everything got lost in the back, and much of the available space was wasted.

I took off the doors and the tracks. I removed the dividing walls inside the closet and ripped out all the shelves.

Once the closet was all opened up, I didn’t want to build in any shelving. I decided to purchase free-standing units that could be configured to your needs. I purchased one large metal unit with 4 shelves that measured 46″w x 18″d x 72″h. 

This worked great for dried foods and canned items. I also purchased some containers to hold smaller items to organize things a bit better.

For the other side of the closet, I needed shelving for linens and bathroom supplies. My daughter-in-law had a smaller metal shelving unit that worked great for this. I was able to get all of my Dad’s stuff in there.

This left a small section in the middle which was perfect for hanging cleaning tools, the vacuum cleaner, and ironing board.

Lastly, we got two sets of bi-fold doors. This will open up a whole section and still have room in the hall to move around.

Updating the Spare Bedroom for Dad

The plan was to move my Dad into the back bedroom and give my brother and his wife the other one because it had a master bath that was open to the bedroom. This would make it easier for them to get ready for work in the morning without having to walk to the other bathroom.

The rooms were about the same size anyway, so we were able to set up my Dad’s new room exactly the same way he had it before. We added a recliner instead of the winged-back chair he had in the other room and added a TV on top of his dresser so he would have a place to himself to relax.

This room wasn’t intended to be a designer showcase. Because Dad had dementia, keeping familiar furniture and belongings around him mattered more than creating a completely new look. Moving to another bedroom was already a big adjustment, so we arranged it much like his previous room.

Dad made that bed himself and was very proud of it. He also surprised me by saying he liked the floral wallpaper, so of course, they both stayed. 🙂

And I bet you’re wondering about the hats. Dad came from the generation where you kept everything—and by “kept everything,” I mean displayed everything! If there was a blank space on a wall, he filled it with something.

Before the move, his hats sat on a shelf that ran the length of one wall, and some even hung over the kitchen table and across the window. When we moved him into this bedroom, I gathered all his hats and displayed them there so he could enjoy them and easily grab one on his way out.

At least they weren’t all over the house anymore. 🙂

Mobile Home Master Bedroom Updates

The master bedroom was another space that needed a lot of love. The room felt small and outdated, so we focused on changes that would make a big difference without breaking the bank.

• We replaced the wall-to-wall carpet.
• We installed new doors for the closet to create a more modern look.
• We did a new coat of paint to brighten up the space and give it a fresh start.
• And installed barn doors into the master bathroom.

Sorry I don’t have after pictures for this project.

Refreshing the Mobile Home Living Room

One of our first steps was updating the interior walls with a fresh coat of paint. This was the easiest way to give our space a fresh look without spending a fortune. We chose a bright color to enhance the natural light and make the rooms feel bigger.  Mobile homes are always so dark and depressing.

We wanted to create a space that felt warm and inviting, like a traditional home, while still maintaining the benefits of mobile homes, like affordability and efficient use of space. 

• We installed new flooring 
• We brightened up the living space by adding new lighting fixtures.
• We painted the walls.

We would have loved to replace the old furniture with pieces that fit the small space better, but this wasn’t an option with my brother moving in all his stuff. So we picked the best pieces of what we had to work with for now.

We created a gallery wall with our family photos in the same general area as before, but I simplified the collection by removing some outdated pictures. I started with a wooden “family” sign and arranged the photos around it. I loved the way it turned out.

We also rehung the window-frame photo project we had made for my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary, returning it to the same place it had been before.

Our Mobile Home Exterior Update

Although the exterior needed some work, the only exterior project included in this remodel was replacing the front entry deck. We chose not to replace the exterior doors or paint the siding, keeping our limited time and budget focused on the interior.

If you’re tackling a mobile home renovation, don’t forget to check for water damage and structural issues at the same time. 

Mobile homes have different construction standards than site-built homes, so it’s always smart to research safety standards and, if needed, check with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD Code) and/or your local building inspector for guidelines.

More Photos From Our Mobile Home Remodel

Here are a few more photos from the renovation.

Frequently Asked Questions About Our Mobile Home Remodel

Was Remodeling This Old Mobile Home Worth It?

Despite the small budget, the mobile home felt brighter, more functional, and more welcoming after the remodel. We didn’t gut the rooms or replace everything. Instead, we focused on practical updates that made the biggest difference while working with much of what was already there.

It took time, patience, and a lot of DIY effort, but the transformation was worth it. From the living room to the kitchen and the master bedroom, every update helped turn our house into our dad’s little dream mobile home.

This project was far from a complete rehab or full decorating project, but more like an “I have to get this place ready quick”. But despite that, I think the place looks completely different. Just goes to show you what you can do with a little elbow grease and a little $$.

If you have any single-wide trailer remodeling ideas of your own, please share them below. Let’s help each other out.

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