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BrianAbington · 05-01-11, 07:08 AM

Need some thoughts on my plan.
Due to some family issues I am now required to move back to the midwest.

I will have a chance to live rent free for a while with family while I reestablish my self back in the Omaha area.

Once I get into a good job/school I want to save up and buy a home.

Land with at least county power is often found for $3,000-$5,000 for 1/2 to a full acre depending on how close to Omaha it is.

What I am considering is buying a small lot and once I have purchased the home to be moved, over several months dig out as much basement hole as I can by hand then rent an excavator to get the last bit down to 6 ft or so. This is mostly be used for storage and a place for water and electrical to be out of the main house.

Have a foundation poured then put an older home on the foundation.

Periodically on craigslist there are double wide trailers that someone had on their property they longer need because they built a new house...they often are selling for $1,000-$6,000.

Cost to move seems to average around $4,000

Once it is moved to the lot I would gut the inside put in new flooring plywood if needed...remove and recycle the old metal siding and roof. Then replace with plywood, new siding, new windows, build a roofover with 3' overhangs.

I would gut the interior and add 8" to all exterior walls (8"top and bottom plates, 6" inner studs, with 2" gap between inner and outer studs forming 12" walls)

Blown insulation in all walls with rockwool in air gap around living room to sound proof from any neighbors.

Since most mobile homes have no inner support walls I could in theory rearrange any rooms in any way I wanted. (trade the place of the utility room with a bedroom, eliminate a 4th bedroom to extend the living room..etc...)

I could also give the master bedroom a 6" wall dividing it from the rest of the house. Same with the utility room so you would never know the washing machine was running.

I would also install a tankless water heater remove all old HVAC components and install a minisplit system for HVAC.

I figure I could do all of this for under $20,000 if I did most of the work my self.

This keeps the mobile home from going to a junkyard in pieces and allows me a cheap way to obtain a home and land I own myself and turns it back into a healthy home that is more efficient that it was ever intended to be.

Also on another note because I know some one will tell me to just rent a back hoe and spend a weekend with it...I want to dig by hand because this gives me time to replenish money that was spent...also I think I am at a point in life were I need to put that kind of physical labor into my home to really emphasize the fact that I am doing this for my self.

Anybody else done this?

05-01-11, 07:08 AM	#1
BrianAbington Lurking Renovator Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Spokane Area Posts: 12 Thanks: 3 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	reusing an old home Need some thoughts on my plan. Due to some family issues I am now required to move back to the midwest. I will have a chance to live rent free for a while with family while I reestablish my self back in the Omaha area. Once I get into a good job/school I want to save up and buy a home. Land with at least county power is often found for $3,000-$5,000 for 1/2 to a full acre depending on how close to Omaha it is. What I am considering is buying a small lot and once I have purchased the home to be moved, over several months dig out as much basement hole as I can by hand then rent an excavator to get the last bit down to 6 ft or so. This is mostly be used for storage and a place for water and electrical to be out of the main house. Have a foundation poured then put an older home on the foundation. Periodically on craigslist there are double wide trailers that someone had on their property they longer need because they built a new house...they often are selling for $1,000-$6,000. Cost to move seems to average around $4,000 Once it is moved to the lot I would gut the inside put in new flooring plywood if needed...remove and recycle the old metal siding and roof. Then replace with plywood, new siding, new windows, build a roofover with 3' overhangs. I would gut the interior and add 8" to all exterior walls (8"top and bottom plates, 6" inner studs, with 2" gap between inner and outer studs forming 12" walls) Blown insulation in all walls with rockwool in air gap around living room to sound proof from any neighbors. Since most mobile homes have no inner support walls I could in theory rearrange any rooms in any way I wanted. (trade the place of the utility room with a bedroom, eliminate a 4th bedroom to extend the living room..etc...) I could also give the master bedroom a 6" wall dividing it from the rest of the house. Same with the utility room so you would never know the washing machine was running. I would also install a tankless water heater remove all old HVAC components and install a minisplit system for HVAC. I figure I could do all of this for under $20,000 if I did most of the work my self. This keeps the mobile home from going to a junkyard in pieces and allows me a cheap way to obtain a home and land I own myself and turns it back into a healthy home that is more efficient that it was ever intended to be. Also on another note because I know some one will tell me to just rent a back hoe and spend a weekend with it...I want to dig by hand because this gives me time to replenish money that was spent...also I think I am at a point in life were I need to put that kind of physical labor into my home to really emphasize the fact that I am doing this for my self. Anybody else done this?