If you’re wondering “How much can I sell my mobile home for?” or “How much does it cost to scrap a mobile home?” then the situation is pretty dire. It either means that you’ve got to get it off your property–possibly because it’s an eyesore, or becoming a danger, or attracting vandals–or you’re trying to get some money out of it.
We’re sad to say that the answer to how much is a mobile home worth in scrap is… not very much. Or, at least, it may be more trouble than it’s worth.
There is some good news, however. Scrapping your mobile home isn’t your only choice in terms of recouping some value from it. Donating a qualifying mobile home can:
- Offer a significant tax deduction
- Give someone in need the chance to access affordable housing
- Open up valuable space on your property
- Reduce your property taxes
- Get rid of the need for demolition and the associated price tag
- Put the task of removing your mobile home (and the cost tied to it) into the hands of an experienced nonprofit
We want to ensure you can make an informed decision about your mobile home. That means considering all of the major options. Let’s take a look at demolition and scrapping, and all the associated positives and negatives, first. Then, we’ll dive deeper into what donating your mobile home can bring to the table.
Mobile Home Demolition
The problem is that the salvageable materials from a mobile home are pretty slim pickings. A mobile home is not built from a ton of metal that can be scrapped. That means you’re going to need to expect to pay demolition costs (or do the demolition work yourself). That’s the only way to separate the scrap metal from the debris of the manufactured home.
What parts of a mobile home can you salvage? You can salvage and sell for scrap the chassis, which is made up of steel support beams, and the axles for the trailers.
You may be able to scrap some of the electrical work in the mobile home, including some piping and wiring. Unless a lot of it is copper, however then this probably won’t yield very much money. You can scrap the appliances, too.
The problem is that the most valuable material in the mobile home is that steel chassis. But to get to that you have to demolish a mobile home. Then, you have to cut up the metal into chunks that are transportable.
If you have steel-cutting equipment and a hefty truck, then you might be able to do this on your own. But when you’re wondering how much a scrap mobile home is worth, you really need to weigh the costs of demolition against the possible payout of scrap redemption. And the results aren’t great.
How Much Money Can You Get For Scrapping Your Mobile Home?
Not much, unfortunately! The main value comes from the heavy steel frame underneath the home which takes a lot of work to access. Most scrappers will give you a few hundred dollars to bring that metal to their yard, however, the labor required to harvest the metal will cost a few thousand dollars. The other parts of the home are thin sheet metal, wood, electrical wires, and insulation; none of which bring significant actual value.
The wise approach for harvesting value isn’t scrapping, it’s donating. You’ll receive a tax benefit which will significantly outweigh scrapping while avoiding all the work, coordination, and cleanup of scrapping.
A Major Tax Break for Qualifying Mobile Homes
When you donate your mobile home, you don’t get cash in hand. But you can get something that’s just as useful: a tax deduction, and often a substantial one.
Don’t only ask “How much can I sell my mobile home for?” when you’re considering how to get value out of this asset. There are ways to put money back in your pocket without a cash sale — or any sale at all.
The value of a write-off for your taxes can’t be understated. Deductions reduce your taxable income. That means just about anyone can benefit from one. And removing a mobile home from your property can lower your property taxes, too. That’s even more savings to consider.
On a practical level, a donation takes the burden of dealing with the home off of your shoulders. You won’t need to worry about specialized tools, paperwork, or insurance. Instead, experienced mobile home movers will handle everything from permits to actual, physical removal.
If your mobile home qualifies, you’ll get a tax write-off and enjoy zero-cost removal. At the same time, you’ll help someone in need. Donated mobile homes provide accessible, low-cost housing to those in need.
That’s a win-win-win situation. You benefit, the nonprofit benefits, and the person moving into your old mobile home benefits, too.
Finding the Right Nonprofit for Mobile Home Removal
The best way to get the right pricing for your home is mobile home removal from Banyan Mobile Home Removal.
With Banyan, we pay all the costs to come to your property and pick up the trailer and haul it away–there is no cost to you. But we’re also a charitable organization that refurbishes mobile homes and then turns around and sells them to low-income families at a price they could not find anywhere else. Consequently, you will get a tax deduction for your charitable donation.
This tax deduction is going to be more valuable than the net payout (including the related costs) of tearing down the mobile home and selling it.