Category: Manufactured Homes

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Planning Your Retirement? Consider a Manufactured Home Community

Posted on February 12, 2018 by - Manufactured Homes

For many individuals, the thought of retirement is daunting. A change in lifestyle, routine, and housing situation is a just a short list of concerns that many contemplate when thinking of their retirement plan.

This phase in life doesn’t need to be daunting. The transition to retirement is a phase that should be exciting and celebrated! With a manufactured home community, Station Grounds can promise a living situation that is fitting for all walks of life – whether you are someone who cherishes their independence, family life, and/or hobbies.

Why You Should Consider a Manufactured Home Community

Fewer Chores, More Fun: With a space to call your own and some maintenance available on-location, it is no secret that life at Station Grounds requires minimal household chores. This leaves extra time for more enjoyable activities right from your home or within neighbouring communities. We highly believe that independence and leisure time is important and healthy for the mind and body. To further encourage a fun-filled lifestyle, Station Grounds provides lawn maintenance and roadway snow removal, again to lessen your workload!

Recreational Activities Close By: Free time is something we make a priority at Station Grounds. If you are someone who likes active living, interested in taking up a new hobby, or love social events then our manufactured home community would be ideal for you! With the town of Coaldale and the city of Lethbridge close by, Station Grounds residents have the opportunity to stay connected to a community through events and activities available within either city or town. The close proximity makes transportation short and sweet, leaving you with more time to tackle new hobbies. Retirement is your chance to experience new things, in a safe and friendly environment.

Be a Part of a Community: Living in a close-knit community like Station Grounds gives you the opportunity to really get to know your fellow neighbours, this is a perk that we are most proud of! Nothing feels quite as rewarding as being a part of an inclusive community and connecting with those around you. When living in a manufactured home community, you get the chance to meet like-minded individuals who share the same interests as you, allowing you to build strong and healthy relationships that will last a lifetime.

Now, we only chose to highlight three perks to living in a manufactured home community but there are so many other benefits like: convenience, safety, peace of mind and more! We can ensure you that when choosing to live in a manufactured home community, you are choosing a community to connect with, convenience, and a great balance between excitement and relaxation. Like stated previously, your transition to retirement doesn’t need to be stressful. Let’s celebrate this phase in life together!

STATION GROUNDS | MANUFACTURED HOME COMMUNITY

Located in the thriving community of Coaldale, AB, Station Grounds offers a quiet, safe, small-town community that’s only minutes away from the bustling heart of Lethbridge, Alberta. Leasing a lot in Station Grounds is a stress-free and low-cost alternative to buying. Worry-free living at its’ finest!  Station Grounds has a property manager to respond to any concerns or questions about your manufactured home in any season including the cold Alberta months.

Downsizing: Tips for Moving Into A Manufactured Home

Posted on January 2, 2018 by - Checklist, Manufactured Homes, Uncategorised

Moving into your new manufactured home can be a long & difficult process, we understand that downsizing from house to manufactured home is a big job to take on and we’re here to help you enjoy the process. These tips below will help you in organizing your big move!

Get ready to relax in your new manufactured home on your first night.

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TIP 1: PLAN AHEAD

We cannot emphasize this enough, Plan your move ahead of time. Whether you are looking to downsize or move from another community, having the plan for your move early helps you enjoy the process and relax along the way. A great place to start is a checklist! Breakdown your checklist with dates and stick to the timeline.

When you have your checklist created, stop by your local dollar store or market and grab some labels. You’ll need these for marking boxes  so everyone knows where your belongings go for easy unpacking. Don’t be shy with the labels, mark each side of the box to ensure that your items are treated carefully.

TIP 2: PURGE & PACK

There is nothing worse than moving into your new space only to realize you have no need for some items or have no room. Be realistic about the space that you are downsizing from and understand what your manufactured home can handle.

Start by asking yourself some questions:

  • What do you want your lifestyle to look like?
  • What is going to change / what is going to stay the same when you move?

If you want a minimalist lifestyle, really dig into what you need or don’t need, chances are most of the stuff stored away in your cupboards have not been used for a year or more. Decide what items have sentimental value and what items you simply spent a lot of money on. We know this can be hard to do and taking pictures of each item helps with the disposal of unnecessary things.

Downsizing can be made easier if you invest in multi-use furniture, this will allow you to transform your living room to your at-home office in no time. Choose furniture such as night stands and coffee tables that allow you to store pillows and blankets for easy access and easier clean up.

TIP 3: TAKE INVENTORY

If you are choosing to hire a moving company (see tip 5) to help with the transition, we recommend it, take inventory of your household items. Not only does this help to stay more organized by knowing what items are pack, this list is useful if something goes missing during the move.

TIP 4:  CONSIDER PACKING TIPS

Before grabbing the cardboard boxes & bubble wrap consider using reusable boxes or packing in items you already need to move (i.e. dresser drawers). Cutting down on utilizing cardboard boxes allows you to pack and unpack easier while reducing your waste. Being able to stuff your dresser drawers with items such as cleaning products, personal ware, or blankets & towels keeps you from making that extra trip to the moving truck.  By opting for reusable bins you will have more storage room once you move into your manufactured home for those items you may not need right away. 

TIP 5: CHOOSING YOUR MOVING COMPANY

When hiring a moving company make sure you ask the right questions! Hiring the moving company can be the toughest part of the whole moving process but worth the time invested to make sure everything arrives at your new home properly. By asking the right questions and researching prior to hiring the moving company lowers your risk of having potential issues like theft or damage when moving into your new manufactured home community.

TIP 6: MEET THE NEIGHBORS

Welcome to Station Grounds in Coaldale, Alberta, your new home! The hard part is over, now get out there and meet your neighbors. Try asking what creative storage tips they can share with you to help as downsize. 

STATION GROUNDS | MANUFACTURED HOME COMMUNITY

Located in the thriving community of Coaldale, AB, Station Grounds offers a quiet, safe, small-town community that’s only minutes away from the bustling heart of Lethbridge, Alberta. Leasing a lot in Station Grounds is a stress-free and low-cost alternative to buying. Worry-free living at its’ finest!  Station Grounds has a property manager and an onsite tenant coordinator to respond to any concerns or questions about your manufactured home in any season including the cold Alberta months.

winter in alberta - how to winterize your manufactured home - STATION GROUNDS

Winterizing Your Manufactured Home

Posted on December 6, 2017 by - Manufactured Homes, Winter Posts

 

Alberta, Canada is especially known for their winters with very cold weather and a long snow season so, it is necessary to be prepared! Winterizing a manufactured home is not that different from a detached house but to simplify the process for you, we have put together a list of things to consider before winter rolls in.

Whether you have purchased your manufactured home yet or not, this checklist is a great tool to keep in mind when purchasing your manufactured home. If you are looking for a manufactured home, Station Grounds has partnered with local manufactured home companies that we can ensure will have what you are looking for in your new home.

Making sure you take the time to winterize your house can help you stay warmer, keep the heating bills low and avoid unnecessary repair costs.

1. Insulation

As the winter weather approaches, it is important to take the time to winterize both the inside and outside of your manufactured home. The first steps in getting the exterior of your manufactured home ready for the winter may be a trip to the local home repair store for some insulation. Whether you purchase spray foam insulation or insulation bales, both options aid in the heating of your home.

You can use spray foam insulation for any cracks and crevices along windows, A/C units, where pipes enter into your home or around any doors. Institution bales can be used to insulate the bottom of your manufactured home.

2. Outdoor Items

Make sure to take a good look at what you have outside of your home – BBQ? Recreation Items? Patio Furniture? Sometimes its not until the first snow fall that we realize the “little things” that kept us entertained all summer long are now going to be ruined by the wet snow.

In your manufactured home, you may not have the space to store these items inside without giving up your livable space. Consider a plastic shed or  portable storage unit that can be kept in your yard to store your summer items such as your barbecue, lawn furniture, garden hose* and lawn tools with ease throughout the winter season.

* Make sure that you unhook your garden hose to allow the freeze proof faucets to drain.

3. Water Lines

While you are unhooking your garden hose, this would be a good time to check your water lines. Without properly winterizing your water supply, you are putting yourself at further risk financially and in need of emergency repair to your home. Your water lines should be protected throughout the winter season and installing a heat cable is a possible solution. We suggest that you look into the manufactures instructions as the protocol may differ according to various water risers in your manufactured home.

4. Interior Items

Interior maintenance for winter survival is an ongoing project and a great place to start at the beginning of winter to make sure the furnace filter is cleaned regularly. A furnace filter is easily forgotten so make sure you mark your calendar! Your furnace filter should be changed once a month during the house-heating season. Through the restriction of airflow and increase energy demand, you will see a difference on your bill if you skip this winterizing project.

Get rid of that draft – placing a rolled up towel at the bottom of a drafty door is a great way to save on your energy bill! If it’s a drafty window that has you chilled, consider a window insulation kit at your local hardware store is a quick and dirty solution to that extra air flow.

5. Manufactured Home Proofing

The skirting on your manufactured home should be installed as per the manufactured guidelines, as this is a great way to keep the draft out from underneath your home. Make sure that all access points are closed off prior to the snow fall so there are no animals getting in to cause potential issues to your winterizing efforts.

In the case of serenely cold nights, avoid pouring small amounts of water down the pipes as it may lead to freezing in the sewer lines.

Planning on a getaway? Leave cupboards and closet doors open at night in case of severely cold nights. This allows heat to circulate in areas that may not get proper heating.

6. Emergency Items

With winter storms rolling in, it is important to be prepared for any situation! Having bottled water, canned foods and winter crops stored in your home ensures that you are able to make it through any storm, whenever it comes.

With the sun setting earlier, power outages have more affect on our ability to navigate in an emergency situation. If the lights go out, it is a good idea to store matches, extra batteries, and a flashlight so that you are still able to navigate through your house in an emergency at any time of the day.

Other items to keep in your emergency kit:

  • Sleeping bags / pillows
  • First Aid Kit
  • Battery powered radio
  • Non-prescription pain medications
  • Glasses / contacts
  • Pet food
  • Personal Hygiene items
  • Paper cups, plates, utensils and paper towels
  • Paper, pens
  • Games, puzzles and books

STATION GROUNDS | MANUFACTURED HOME COMMUNITY

Located in the thriving community of Coaldale, AB, Station Grounds offers a quiet, safe, small-town community that’s only minutes away from the bustling heart of Lethbridge, Alberta. Leasing a lot in Station Grounds is a stress-free and low-cost alternative to buying. Worry-free living at its’ finest!  Station Grounds has a property manager and an onsite tenant coordinator to respond to any concerns or questions about your manufactured home in any season including the cold Alberta months.

 

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