Your mobile home served you well for the last several decades, undergoing the hardships of different weather patterns and regular use.
But now it’s time to let your home retire. What do you do but explore the variety of ways you might be able to get it off your hands? In the process, you come across the question of whether or not it’s plausible to donate a mobile home.
It’s a great question. There is a myriad of reasons you may want to donate. Donating your property can elicit feelings of joy in seeing your things are given one last use by others who could use it for a good cause. Giving back to your neighbors and community is certainly rewarding and you’ll feel just as blessed as the ones receiving the donation.
And to top it all off, a tax deduction is nothing to frown on. Depending on the circumstances surrounding your donation, such as whether or not the organization is qualified, you can itemize your deduction on your federal 1040 form. The organization you donate to must be qualified so that your donation is tax-deductible.
Can I donate a mobile home?
Generally speaking, yes you can donate a mobile home. There are a few stipulations involved, but we’ll discuss those further down.
Taking the time to donate your mobile home is a wonderful act of generosity, and there are several organizations willing to accept such a gift.
Fire departments
If your home is at a point where no one wants to or cannot reside within its walls, you may consider donating it to a fire department.
Taking the pains to remodel it may not be worth the effort. But giving it up to your local fire department will give your mobile home one last moment of purpose before hauling the remains off to a dumpster.
In many cases, your local fire department could be eager to take on your mobile home for training purposes. A controlled, real fire is a great way for firefighters to keep up with their fire-fighting skills.
Ask them if it’s possible to get a tax deduction on the house. And be prepared to have any leftover remnants of the mobile home picked up and dumped.
Kars4Kids
Here we have another option for those looking to donate a mobile home. Kars4Kids is a charity that makes real estate donation easy, tax-deductible, and beneficial to helping thousands of children across the nation.
Over 32,000 individuals are reached by the Kars4Kids program.
If the home meets their standards for donation, this charity will normatively take mobile homes that can stay on the property it sits on. Your mobile home’s HUD tag number must be provided.
Closing and recording fees will be covered by the charity, but if you want a tax deduction. You’ll have to pay for the appraisal if you do not already have one.
So if your mobile home still has a little life left in it, donating it to places like Kars4Kids is a great idea.
Real Estate with Causes
At the present time, Real Estate with Causes is accepting all types of real estate for donation. Mobile homes are on their list of welcome donations.
Through your donation, Real Estate with Causes is able to receive the funds from the sale of your property. Those funds can be funneled into programs that aid individuals and entire communities.
Thankfully, through Real Estate with Causes, you can become free from your property, enjoy the benefit of a tax deduction, and evade brokerage fees. It’s a win for all involved.
Churches
In addition to the above suggestions, you may also reach out to churches in our community. If your mobile home could still function with some repairs, a church may be interested in using it for their various ministries to the community. It could provide shelter for the homeless, visitors, single moms, or simply provide a base of operations for any other church project.
How to donate your mobile home
Now that you know where to donate a mobile home, let’s look at the how.
In many cases, just as you would with a mobile home sale, you’ll need to have your home inspected beforehand. This is especially important if its purpose is to provide shelter. See if any repairs are necessary prior to donating. As you make your repairs, be sure to save your receipts. You’ll want to provide them to the charity or organization receiving your donation.
As mentioned further up in this article, an appraisal is important if you want to get the appropriate tax deduction.
A title transfer and perhaps the relocation of the mobile home will be required to complete the process. If your charity wishes to keep the mobile home on the rented lot, you may arrange the transfer of the lease with them.
Finally, charities who handle mobile home donations on a regular basis will be ready to help you through the process. They’ll try to make it as painless as possible for you.
Repurpose your mobile home
There are many options to donate a mobile home for the benefit of others. If you think it’s not quite time to retire your mobile home to a good cause, weighing the option of a mobile home remodel may be a better alternative.
About Dan Leighton
