What to do? Live in a shed or rv?

[cricket49]

We are planning to build a house on our land in a few years and are at the beginning stage. So much work ahead of us which many of you are quite familiar with. We are looking for the least expensive and most logical option.

We were thinking about buying a travel trailer or 5th wheel to live in while working on the land and having the house built. We still have jobs and the property is 6 hours away from us. We have never bought an rv and find the cost to buy very high and issues (repairs, maintenance, insurance etc.) Even if we buy a used one, we might end up with many repair issues. Then, we have to purchase a truck that can haul one - another expense. We are not young and with no rv experience might be "taken" by shops if things go wrong when traveling to the land. Experienced rv'ers might duct tape the problem until they get home knowing it is a small issue.

The next option is building a shed on the property which we were going to need once we move there. Living in the shed while commuting back and forth and also when building the house. However, I am reading so many articles that have me wondering if this will also end up as an expensive option. We want to insulate the shed which brings other additional expenses. Ventilation issues for roof etc. I remember as a child walking into a shed in the summer time and the heat was overwhelming. So we are looking at adding electricity -- no plumbing -- and a well installed on property for hauling water. We would prefer having the water plumbed into the shed but then we would have to go with permits etc. more expense.

So, anyone have any advice for me? I know many of you have already gone this route.

[fishhead]

What state?

You could run a hose from the well into the building and just disconnect it if there are any inspections. That would work for summer.

You could also put up an outhouse if zoning allows it.

An insulated garage makes a nice temporary shelter and can be divided with temporary walls.

[gila_dog]

We went thru the same thing about 8 yrs ago. Our solution was to buy a lightly used 24 ft travel trailer. We pulled it to the property using our Ford F-250 pickup. If you don't have such a truck, then you're going to have a hard time building a homestead anyway. A good pickup truck is really essential to home building and homesteading. The first thing we invested in was a good gravel driveway. Then after the trailer was at the property we had a septic tank installed, brought in power and had a well drilled. All these things were necessary for the house and homestead anyway. Total expense so far, about $30K. Now we had a place to live more or less comfortably while we built the house (which took 8 months). Once the house was built the travel trailer became a guest cabin. We also use it occasionally for trips. We had a carport put up over the trailer and to provide covered parking for the truck. The carport keeps the sun and other weather off the trailer, so it will last a lot longer.

There are lots of jobs and expenses associated with building a homestead. Don't get discouraged by the overall size of the project, just make sure you have an clear overall goal and then take on the individual jobs one at a time. Having good overall plan is necessary, tho, otherwise you will be backing up and re-doing things all the time. And that's a big waste of time and money. Good luck, and have fun!

[Convoy]

Before you do anything check you local law to see if they allow either (some places don't). Also for both options check how hot or cold the temperatures get.

I know a few oil workers that live in RV's when at camp - but they pretty much had to rip them apart and re-insulate them or had them custom made to withstand the winter temps.

[jwal10]

Will you want a garage in the future? Build now for the storage, with a small apartment above. Insulate the garage, floor between and the entire apartment, nice hobby studio in the future or use as bedrooms when you add the attached house....James

[vpapai]

It depends on your best deal. RV is instant livability but will always be a compromise with the smaller bathroom and other facilities. You will still need a source of electricity, water, and a place to dump sewage if you do not have a septic. You will still need all of the utilities for the shed, but you could make it more comfortable at the expense of time. We had an RV and are using it, but are planning to build a garage with an apartment to be used in the future as housing for visitors after we build our house. It is important that you address the comfort requirements of your spouse so that they will maintain an interest in the property.

Much better to build well for the long haul and make it work for you. We love our RV's flexibility to use for travel, but it also makes for additional maintenance.

You could also look at getting a portable building and turning it into a micro cabin.

Build something as a haven where you will be able to rest comfortably after working and driving to the property, so that owning and working on your place will be enjoyable. Working on your place can quickly lose its luster if you do not have a place to clean up and get a good night's rest.

You can also put in an "Agricultural" well and/or electricity so that you could avoid some zoning or local government issues. You need to do your homework and see what is required.

Start small, do it once. Your plans will evolve once you have spent some time on the property.

[cricket49]

Thanks for all the responses.

The land is located in Tennessee in the Smoky Mountains and is unrestricted property. We currently have a pickup truck but not a HD one. We are planning on buying a HD pickup in the next year or so. The garage is up in the air at this time but if we build one, it will be built at the same time as the house. This shed will be small. Maybe 20 x 20 with a loft. It can be very cold in the area during the winter since the land is located between two mountains. Summer should be quite nice unless the temps are close to 100 degrees.

[fordy]

...................First off , you need to know and understand the zoning requirements that you must comply with that affect the placement of your home , septic system and water well ! In Tx septic must be 50 feet from water well , then the 'Perk' test will determine what type of septic system you will be required to install . Once you have educated yourself relative to zoning , then you should sit down and draw UP a master plan that shows the placement of all structures , including a barn with electric and commode........which could also become your shop , storage , visitor quarters , etc .
...................Until you have a master plan you're just guessing about 'where' everything will go ! Probably should find a builder to build your barn with the idea of this same builder , also , building your home . You can achieve the maximum leverage by using the same builder for all structures when it comes time to making changes to your plans . Besides , an experienced builder will have all the zoning laws stored in his head and can guide you through the master layout in short order . , fordy

[badlander]

I agree with the idea of putting up a garage. You could also go with a pole building that you put insulation into. In the future you will definitely need an outbuilding to store equipment in. In the mean time it would give you shelter as you build.

RVs are handy, easily attainable and used ones can be found at a reasonable price. We have friends who lived in their 24 foot RV until their modular home was installed and ready to move into.

Where you live will depend on which route you take. How cold are your winters? How hot are your summers? How long is it going to take you to build your home? If you are looking at a couple of years that RV is going to get mighty cramped mighty fast. On the other hand a large pole building will give you a place to live and a place to put your building materials and tools as you work.

Good luck with your project.

[arnie]

have you looked into second hand mobile homes instead of an rv . sometimes these can be bought pretty cheep and dealers have the guys that will bring it to your site and set it up; shop around . a shed or small barn /garage that will be a permant addition will not be wasted money as you will always need agood shop to work in and store your stuff and tools as mentioned earlier check into local building codes as far as getting water septic and electric . here its very rural ;you can't get power unless there is an approved septic and water ;outdoor priveys are fround upon and nearly impossible to get an ok for . check into a temporary power hook up for a construction site or by naming your temp housing a barn you can get electric .

[Terri]

When I finished insulating my tough shed the entire thing, including having the shell put up for me, was about $4000 for a 12 x 12. I remember thinking it would make an awesome cabin for camping.

However, I think the government will have the last say for you. Some counties allow you to live in a trailer or whatever while you build but not a shed: you can contact the building regulation people to find out.

Other counties do not care.

[Patriot]

One thing to consider as well is property taxes. When you start adding structures, your taxes will increase.

I have been considering what to do in something like this as well. If it was me, I would put in a pole barn/metal building that is big enough to hold a tractor with double doors, water and sewer.

Then inside, you can do some framing and build walls/ceiling to create an apartment inside the pole barn. This will be a place to stay, you can insulate the area that you are living and park your vehicles inside.

This allows you to also work on vehicles out of inclement weather. Put in a wood burning stove and it will keep it more than tolerable.

If you don't want to install septic, you can always do a composting toilet. But you still need water so installing a well is vital.

[Bellyman]

You can go either way.

A 20X20 shed with a loft is a pretty good sized building, and not much smaller than a lot of garages. It would certainly be a livable size. Your comfort might be an issue if you don't plan to have heating, cooling or running water. Also, unless you wanted to have a "guest house", it might not be something you want to spend much on making nice on the inside if you'll just want to tear it all back out again when you have your house built.

An rv has the advantage of pretty much being a place you can move into. Your bed, shower, toilet, water heater, refrigerator, furnace, air conditioner, kitchen and living room are already there and usable if you put in the utilities needed for them. It sounds like you're going to be putting in electric, water and sewer anyway so if you get them in first, it makes it really easy to live in an rv, and comfortably.

If you don't have utilities and don't want to put them in right away, there are still ways to make an rv work pretty well. Water and sewer are probably the most difficult. Electric could happen with a half dozen solar panels and a half dozen golf cart batteries, a charge controller and an inverter. You couldn't run your air conditioner but most everything else in the rv would be very workable, especially since most rv refrigerators, water heaters and furnaces run on propane... plus just a little 12 volt electric.

RVs don't usually come cheap but neither do 20X20 sheds. You might be able to build the shed where you can't easily build an rv. You might have more use for the shed on the homestead after you're finished building the house than you would an rv. (Might be a workshop??) Or you might want an rv as a "bugout vehicle" (??) in case you ever feel like you have to get outta Dodge. (One never knows about things like a forest fire raging through.) You won't be pulling your shed behind your truck with the essentials and leaving in that kind of emergency.

There are just a lot of arguments to be made either way. And none of them are wrong. But there might be something that resonates better with you and your situation.

Best of luck as you move forward with your dreams!!

[agmantoo]

Go to the area where your property exists that you are going to build on and see if you can locate a cheap mobile home that is setup already. Buy that and use it as a "home base". This will avoid duplications of expenses at the new home site, paying for permits and code compliance and should be ready for occupancy immediately. Once you get the new home built use the "home base" as a rental. This income will help in paying for the new home and you can deduct any repairs to the mobile home once it becomes a rental. If you do not like having rental property you could then do a 1031 exchange since it was an income producing property. Doing this will prevent you from having a structure on your homesite that you may regret and you will not have the issues with selling a RV.

[Forcast]

6 hours is a good days drive to run to the property. How much time will you really be spending at the property now? I might go with the camping theme. How long before you would live on the property full time? If you are doing weekends or a weeks vacation in a year I would buy a camper locally have it delivered.and set up. I don't think you will be doing much winter visits, snow, ice on unpaved, unplowed roads. In the meantime I would have the perk test. well put in,septic and temporary electric pole line put in. If the land won't perk, or your well is a no go, what's the point of building anything other than a camp ground. Didn't you have to have the perk before buying the land? I'm in Eastern panhandle west va. And that was the first thing. Then the road just a path dirt to get in the gravel but after the first good snow and plowing the gravel is gone And gravel crusher run what ever is very high now , then the well and finally temporary electric the the actual building of the cabin. And that took 14 months.

[cricket49]

Lots of great suggestions.

We had the land surveyed and the soil scientist out for the septic permit. He recommended a couple of places on the property that would be idea for the septic. He also suggested a place to drill a well which is in a gully coming down the mountain. He said that way it will be gravity driven. He is no well expert just 30+ years of living in the area and knows the lay of the land. From what I have read there is no guarantee of finding water when drilling for a well. We have had 6 people out on the property and everybody has told us we will find water. Springs on the property, pond, stream, creek and branches.

I agree with so many of the comments that we need a plan in place. We are talking to a company today that will come in and remove many of the trees, correct drainage/driveway issues and bring in gravel. That is the first step.

Your replies and feedback have given me much to think about.

Thanks!

[jwal10]

I would still go with the garage. 1 story on a concrete slab, 24' wide x20' deep, 2"x4" walls, insulated and sheetrocked. Garage done, house can be added right onto that or free standing. Inside walls placed as you want, can be removed easily later. Install 1-9' wide insulated garage door, frame header in for the other one. Use 1/2 for living, 1/2 for secure storage. Pour a patio slab outside a walk in door for grilling/eating to keep living part cool. My DS and I can build one in 8 days, cost of materials, less than cost of a 12'x16' shed delivered, minus concrete. Sheet rocked and completely insulated shell, Non groove 4'x8' T-111 for sheathing, house wrapped. We battened the front for interest, can be removed and re-sided right over later, to match the house. Look at a garage shell kit at a lumber yard or online. Me, I would plumb in for bath and hot water heater, great for cleanup later. Frame up inside like a small hotel room.

You don't need a heavy duty pickup, a 1/2 ton and a little single axle utility trailer will do nicely. I used a 1990 S-10 el pickup for all my construction projects. The lightest, cheapest, 4cyl, 5 sp. economy leader and an 8' light utility trailer....James

[SteveD(TX)]

It would help if we knew your budget for this project. Personally, I would prefer building a permanent structure that could be used after you move into your permanent home. Yes it will be more expensive to do, but without knowing how much you have to spend, I have no idea if it is your best option.

[Freeholder]

I would say build the shed, as long as local regulations allow.

1. You will want the shed for other uses anyway, where the RV would be single-use, and would have to be sold when you are done.

2. You can make the shed more secure against theft and weather, so you'll be able to store stuff there without (as much) concern about losing it before you get back.

3. With insulation, a well-built shed will be more comfortable in any weather than a thin-walled RV.

4. I haven't read all of the posts, so I don't know if you mentioned how much building experience you have, but a shed can be good practice for the building method you plan to use for the house.

5. A well-built shed won't cost any more than a decent RV -- you won't have the amenities that the RV comes with, but it won't be any worse than camping.

Kathleen

[LauraD]

My hubby and I plan to do the same thing (buy land & build), and we intend to use the shed approach. At this point, I'm thinking a 12x16 with sleeping loft, no plumbing, a rubble trench foundation, and an insulated slab for thermal mass. I'll frame in a larger doorway for the riding lawnmower (door to be added later), and the structure will become the garden shed once the house is built. We will probably do something similar foundation-wise for our permanent home, so this will give us good practice.