Any experience with mobile/manufactured homes?

[2orb]

Definetly not a mobile home, but the article mentions $20/sq ft cost to build.

Cordwood masonry:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/19/garden/cordwood-masonry-gains-new-fans.html?_r=1

 

[AME3]

Ingenious! Can't beat the cost IMHO. Of course you are gonna have to tell your friends that you're living in a hobbit hose lol beats a child's play house though lol

Definetly not a mobile home, but the article mentions $20/sq ft cost to build.

Cordwood masonry:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/19/garden/cordwood-masonry-gains-new-fans.html?_r=1

 

[MelissaWV]

They say that if a tornado approaches, you need to find a ditch somewhere...

This, which so many are ignoring.

It depends on where the OP lives. My major experience with mobile homes is seeing their residents have to be rescued/evacuated regularly from problems which do not topple more traditional homes.

 

[oyarde]

I have seen a few EF 4 tornado's and what they do , I have never made enough money to bother trying to build something that might withstand that .....

 

[AME3]

Dosn't cost much to tie the thing down and cut a hatch in the floor and maybe dig a couple feet of dirt out...the econo approach

I have seen a few EF 4 tornado's and what they do , I have never made enough money to bother trying to build something that might withstand that .....

 

[AME3]

When I was working for emergency services we toured several areas of tornado and hurricane damage several different years. And we are not in tornado alley either we are in the center of North Carolina in the Piedmont. The damage in the State that has been inflicted (especially trailer parks where most of the deaths occurred) was unbelievable! Seeing it in person is nothing like watching it on tv....Lightning, fire and wind has my full attention every time now....

I have seen a few EF 4 tornado's and what they do , I have never made enough money to bother trying to build something that might withstand that .....

 

[MelissaWV]

I have seen a few EF 4 tornado's and what they do , I have never made enough money to bother trying to build something that might withstand that .....

That is why I said it depends on where the OP lives. It may or may not be an important consideration. The smaller tornadoes and microbursts in Florida, for instance, often will flip a trailer where they might have just moved lawn furniture or downed a tree limb at a house.

 

[oyarde]

That is why I said it depends on where the OP lives. It may or may not be an important consideration. The smaller tornadoes and microbursts in Florida, for instance, often will flip a trailer where they might have just moved lawn furniture or downed a tree limb at a house.

Good point

 

[Kluge]

Definetly not a mobile home, but the article mentions $20/sq ft cost to build.

Cordwood masonry:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/19/garden/cordwood-masonry-gains-new-fans.html?_r=1

I've read up quite a bit on it since you posted (thanks, by the way), and after we close on our property (and finish the necessary repairs on the existing house), it seems that the best way to get experience and confidence with this type of structure is to build a shed first. I'm thinking a play house for the girl or garden supplies. It'll take over a year though since the wood we cut for it will have to be seasoned.

Some very interesting options though, and very appealing financially.

 

[presence]

Poke a hole in the ceiling... move some insulation aside and check the rafters. If they're made of anything less than nominal 2x6's... RUN AWAY.
Measure the thickness of the exterior wall including exterior sheething and sheetrock. If less than 4 1/2".... RUN AWAY.
On a pre 1990 mobile home count on new outlets and switches throughout.
On any mobile home count on new faucets (I recommend american standard cadet) and under sink cut off valves and supply lines throughout.
Also, on older mobile homes... count on a new hot water tank (and flooring replacement beneath), new well tank (and flooring replacement beneath), new roof (possibly a good amount of new roof decking) and a 60 tubes of caulk or so around the exterior
Any newer mobile home... count on living in a formaldehyde bubble for a while.

presence

 

[angelatc]

I've read up quite a bit on it since you posted (thanks, by the way), and after we close on our property (and finish the necessary repairs on the existing house), it seems that the best way to get experience and confidence with this type of structure is to build a shed first. I'm thinking a play house for the girl or garden supplies. It'll take over a year though since the wood we cut for it will have to be seasoned.

Some very interesting options though, and very appealing financially.

If you take off the front of this one, and nix the concrete floor, you have the perfect field shelter for a pony.

 

[Kluge]

If you take off the front of this one, and nix the concrete floor, you have the perfect field shelter for a pony.

My daughter does not need a damn pony!

We went out to the property yesterday and walked all 15 acres--turns out that we have a couple acres that are fenced in for horses using an electrical fence. It was so overgrown I couldn't tell. Needs minor repairs, but the structure is there.

 

[angelatc]

My daughter does not need a damn pony!

We went out to the property yesterday and walked all 15 acres--turns out that we have a couple acres that are fenced in for horses using an electrical fence. It was so overgrown I couldn't tell. Needs minor repairs, but the structure is there.

Awesome! When we walked the property I didn't get, we found a huge fenced in garden area fenced in like that. Overgrown, and a couple of the poles had fallen down...but it wasn't a couple of acres.

I don't know squat about horses. I've seen some that were fenced in with electrical, but I've seen others that were contained with simple split rail fences. I assume it's the nature of the horse.

 

[Kluge]

Awesome! When we walked the property I didn't get, we found a huge fenced in garden area fenced in like that. Overgrown, and a couple of the poles had fallen down...but it wasn't a couple of acres.

I don't know squat about horses. I've seen some that were fenced in with electrical, but I've seen others that were contained with simple split rail fences. I assume it's the nature of the horse.

When we drove out, I saw several pastures with just electric fences--and some pastures with a combination of split rail and electric. Not sure which is better, cost-effective or if it's due to the horse's temperament.

Split-rail is reasonably cheap fencing though.

We found several boulders, a chicken coop, the remnants of a tree house and a burn pit that you could throw a horse in on this property. So I guess we're getting chickens.

 

[LibertyRevolution]

I am looking into this now myself.. but I refuse to live in a trailer.. or anything with seams.. I cant stand that look..

So I keep coming back to this SIP stuff.. Anyone got any bad things to say about it?

Here is a stupid video of SIP constructed house:


I really like this house, this is not what I think when I hear modular house:


Its not modular like them ones they put on a trailer and are craned off onto the site and then seemed together..Its panels you build on site.
To me this seems like the future of stick built. Why manually cut everything on site when you can have machine precision and just nail it together?

 

[angelatc]

We found several boulders, a chicken coop, the remnants of a tree house and a burn pit that you could throw a horse in on this property. So I guess we're getting chickens.

I think the horse pasture is an omen. ;D

 

[angelatc]

I am looking into this now myself.. but I refuse to live in a trailer.. or anything with seams.. I cant stand that look..

So I keep coming back to this SIP stuff.. Anyone got any bad things to say about it?


Its not modular like them ones they put on a trailer and are craned off onto the site and then seemed together..Its panels you build on site.
To me this seems like the future of stick built. Why manually cut everything on site when you can have machine precision and just nail it together?

I like the look of it. But - and I might be wrong - it looks like they're putting particle board on the exterior walls?

ETA - OK, it's OSB. But I'm not sure I'd want that on the outer walls.

 

[pcosmar]

Any experience with mobile/manufactured homes?

Some. Lived in some.. Several in fact. owned a couple. affordable housing.
+ & - with them,, like everything else.

I sold my last one for $450K

Last one except for the run down one on my new land.

 

[Origanalist]

I like the look of it. But - and I might be wrong - it looks like they're putting particle board on the exterior walls?

They will side over that after putting a weather barrier on it.

 

[Kluge]

I think the horse pasture is an omen. ;D

Looks like the girl might just get a pony someday....but not until she's old enough to take care of it, dammit.