Might buy a cheap single wide to live in while house is being built. Advice?

[corn18]

I was looking to order some appliances for my basement. One fridge I was looking at had an estimated ship date of Dec 2022. Yikes!

 

[Ebendana]

Destination trailer alternative

We just had a 48 ft Destination Trailer built at Recreation by Design in Indiana, it has two bedrooms and 3 pop outs, about 450 sq ft...for our vacation property in N. Georgia..not expensive to move (anyone with a full ton truck can do it) and there is a big demand for resales...another possible option. Total price was about the same, but we customized lots of extras like extra insulation, etc.

 

[Global Wizzo]

Can you find a Modular Home vs trailer type to erect. Not sure of pricing these days, but it could give you a nice guest house once yours is done and improve over value.

Good luck.

 

[Vacation4us]

I retired in December 2020, and had planned for a long time to have every window in the house replaced in 2021. I had to shelve that plan.

As it stands now, I think I will be lucky to get it done in 2023-2024.

I just ordered windows today. Lead time 16-20 weeks owner said hopefully February of 2022. Ordered Milgard windows which has a plant less than 2 hours away.

Owner did say he can’t find guys to hire for installation but orders abound for him.

 

[Sunset]

I retired in December 2020, and had planned for a long time to have every window in the house replaced in 2021. I had to shelve that plan.

As it stands now, I think I will be lucky to get it done in 2023-2024.

You can replace just the glass within the window, as long as the actual window is in good shape.

Might be an answer for you for certain windows. Certainly will be cheaper.

 

[Jkstrudwick]

Another alternative…..

….maybe to position the single wide on a corner of the property away from your new home and set it up as a future rental property. With 30 acres you should get enough separation from the rental.

 

[pjigar]

Hehehe, the first two buildings are our single wide (775 sqft) and our tractor shed (1200 sqft) - 50% larger than our house. The new house will have a 750 SF garage, a 750 SF clean workshop, and a 750 SF dirty workshop. Man cave doesn't even come close to describing the 3500 SF of play space I will have. Yes, I have a very understanding wife.

Nice. I have an understanding wife too. We are in a process of building a 3000 sqft workshop which is bigger than our modest 2400 sqft house. Couple of old barns worth about 2000 sqft would be eventual tractor sheds. I was lucky that our land was 20 minutes drive from the old home so were able to build the house without any logistical issues.


PS: Building metal workshop on a slab was an ordeal so far and we are not even close to done.
Building kit - 4 months wait
Windows - 3 months wait
Ground clearing and leveling - 1 month wait
Slab - 2 months wait
Assembly - 1 month wait (promised)

Never imagined the shortages can be so bad. BTW I am handy so I am going to finish the inside myself. It will be faster than the wait time.

 

[street]

Good idea. But personally I would put up a 30’x50’ pole barn with a bathroom, small kitchen/studio and live out of that while building the house. Say 14’x30’ for the studio and remaining 36’x30’ for workshop and storage. This would also be perfect for storing building materials for the house.

If it were me this ^ would be the path I would go. I did read your dilemma on this option but it is best for the buck. You would already have equity built on your place going this route. Here there are companies that put them up in a week. I know of two families that had them done in my area this last summer. You drive by one day and the next it is up. Unbelievable progress and these companies hang there hats on fast and quality. These all so have cement poured as well or if not they don't.

Instead of loosing money when yo sell the single wide this option would increase value and be there for your life time to use. Just my 2¢.

 

[LivetheDream]

Modular barn?

Somebody already mentioned the pole barn idea. Maybe a modular barn builder company? no idea about this company, just googled modular barns. Assuming with 30 acres you are going to have some sort of outbuilding. Modular might go up quick and be somewhat turnkey? https://www.jandnstructures.com

 

[pb4uski]

RV's have a 6 month wait to buy new and used ones are selling for more than new ones. We bought our 5th wheel May 2020 for $34k new. They now sell for $46k if you can find one. I could sell mine for $50k. Terrible time to buy an RV, especially a 5th wheel.

There seem to be plenty of RVs available on dealer lots in our area. We bought one in a private party transaction in September.

 

[pb4uski]

Can you have a garage with attic/bonus loft with bathroom facilities and small kitchenette built first/quick and live in the bonus loft as the main house is being built? And then either use it as guest space or convert it to another use after the house is done.

Have you considered going with a modular home rather than stick-built for the house? It might be a quicker timeline.

 

[mountainsoft]

We have purchased 30 acres in Tennessee for our retirement home. I know it will take forever to get the house built so the plan is to buy an inexpensive $52,000 728 sqft single wide "trailer" and live in it for 3 years on the property while the house is built. Afterwards we will sell the single wide at a loss ( -$20,000? ). I'm thinking it would be fairly easy to sell and move a used single wide.

That's the approach we used when we bought our property.

Originally we were going to build a small cabin and either expand or build a larger home later. However, we found out we were pregnant shortly after we bought the property and needed housing quickly. So staying in an RV or tiny cabin wasn't really a comfortable option. We bought a new two bedroom 14'x56' mobile home (for $20K back in 1991) and ended up living in that for 13 years before we were finally able to build our house.

When we moved into our house in 2004, we sold the mobile for $8K. I think the new owner paid several thousand dollars to have it moved up north to his property.

We couldn't get the occupancy permit on the house until we disconnected the electrical and plumbing from the mobile, but the whole process only took a few days.

 

[Calico]

I just ordered windows today. Lead time 16-20 weeks owner said hopefully February of 2022. Ordered Milgard windows which has a plant less than 2 hours away.

Owner did say he can’t find guys to hire for installation but orders abound for him.

I hope he meets the timeline he gave you!

 

[Calico]

You can replace just the glass within the window, as long as the actual window is in good shape.

Might be an answer for you for certain windows. Certainly will be cheaper.

Thanks, but they are the original 1971 windows and are not in good shape.

On the plus side, the house is very small (1075 SF) and only has 10 windows in total!

 

[MarieIG]

Gee, if I were OP's DW he could have all the pole barns and workshops and sheds that he wanted, but I wouldn't want to live in them! (The single wide trailer looked doable.)