WE are moving to a trailer??HELP!

with all the money you'll be saving it will be worth it and you can fix it up acceptable, esp if they are going to take improvements off the rent, keep receipts for everything.

have you discussed an option to buy it from them? if they are older they might consider that?

maybe a land contract.

then you could do what you want with it..people around here have done as much as to build pole buildings over house trailers to super insulate and waterproof them..reallly..one built a huge 2 story pole barn over all but one end of their single wide and had the windowy end sticking out..and then they ended up building rooms inside the pole barn opening to the trailer..quite a set up..they just sold it for about $100,000

there are a lot of things you can do..maybe you could start a thread on "fixing up old mobile homes"

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Brenda Groth
http://restfultrailsfoodforestgarden.blogspot.com/

Wow you guys are truly the best; let me reread this all and then I will respond specifically . We live in central IL

No matter how old the furnace is, inspect the firebox and heat exchanger of the furnace. Do it now so if there is rot you can replace the components with time to spare. This is a life saver-do it.

Look under the home for undone insulation, torn moisture barrier (it should be completely covering the bottom side, it keeps air out) and damaged air ducts also a skirting that has vents that can be covered in the heating season is the way to go. Any durable sheet material can be used, just attach it strong and put in vents so it can vent in the summer to get rid of moisture (very important).

Sounds like you all are wood heat capable so if you can put in a wood stove it would go a long way for efficiencies.

Looks- Your on your own Baby/Sir In these times I'd put my labor into something I could turn into a profit for the family like food.
Good luck and hope you enjoy the new home.
jim

We will probably not build anything around the outside like a pole building or even add a regular pitched roof, since this is only a rented place, and also dont want to do things that are not really have to things, we want our landlords to see we are being frugal.. There is skirting, but some of it is plywood as well, so we will def pull some off, and get under and check the central air and heat ducts for any leaks or critter issues, and fix those. Also plan on insulating all water pipes. Then we will secure the skirting well.


Painting the paneling and all other walls are going to be a must ) Thanks for the reminder, it will at least brighten that up! And yes, the roof sealant is a great thought, we need to inspect the roof and see if it needs that for sure!

i would love to build a little deck on the back porch where we are going to fence in the play area, and do some decorating with plants and such, just to give it a homey appearance. Great idea of foundational plants!!! That would look so pretty!!

Caulking every window and door, good thought, need to do that for sure!! And throw rugs, yes we will need some, the carpet is ugly and stained, but i am going to steam clean them first.

Making some sort of frame for climbing beans or morning glories for shade and pretty is a good idea if i can think of a way to do it inexpensively.

Replacing all plywood floors that are sagging and adding some paving sidewalk stones would be a good plan.

We will just have to stick with the shower and tubs, bc that is a big reno that we cant ask them to do, it is usable, and i can clean it, so im fine with it.

Thanks Ryan for the offer of a PM on the fix ups, when we get in there we just may need some advice

THEMOBILEHOMEWOMAN!! Love this !! Thanks, she has tons of stuff on you tube as well, so i will be able to get ideas from her

we did not get a lease, we dont want a lease, bc we dont always like being stuck in a contract with anything, not even our rental, but they wont raise the rent, we know them from other friends, stand up folks, donated land to the local church and stuff, even though they arent any more well off than anyone else, just very sweet.

we cant buy it, bc they will not sell, which is ok...its family land, and their marine son is going to retire there in 10 years , and so they are saving the place for him...I love that about them, they value family heritage and land...

So, ive still got a lot of links left to read, but thank you thank you thank you!!! I am not stuck up or prideful about living in a mobile home, just dont know much about them and want our home to be a place my children and husband are comfortable in and want to come home to I will post pics later, ill post a lot of bf pics, and then i will post pics as we fix it up ) Garden will going in soon!!!!

ok, will def check furnace and all you said, at least my hubby will ) yeah, we arent putting a ton of money in this place but we want it clean and not look like its falling apart, so that is what we are doing, but def will be putting our own money in the veg garden, fruit trees, and chickens

Prime all the walls before you paint them. It helps A LOT if you are painting over that funky wallpaperboard that most trailers have in the kitchen and bath.

I gotta ask, where in this country can a person rent any sort of abode on 19 acres for under $300 a month? Let me know so we can move there! lol

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"Perhaps I'll have them string a clothesline from the hearse I am in, with my underwear waving in the breeze, as we drive to the cemetary. People worry about the dumbest things!"
by Wendy

I will tell you, this was absolutely God, we are in central IL and i have never seen any other places like this for less than $400!! It is soooo rare, that i was blown away that there was any land...I thought, $300 for an old mobile home, ok, thats fair, but then the 19 acres, i was shocked!!!

Check Home Depot for oops paint. They sell it for $5 a gallon or $25 for a 5 gallon bucket. If the color is too dark you can mix some white with it to tone it down. For an inexpensive deck, get free pallets to make the basic deck, then take apart broken pallets and use those boards to fill in the gaps. The boards will last a long time.

Sign up for freecycle.org. Also check craigslist. There are always people giving away used lumber.

The Roof Kote will help to insulate the roof and seal any tiny cracks. It will help to keep the mobile home cooler in the summer also.

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“Thanks to my mother, not a single cardboard box has found its way back into society. We receive gifts in boxes from stores that went out of business twenty years ago.”
― Erma Bombeck

.................There is a process that is utilized too find air leaks on travel trailers , they pump air from outside into the trailer with ALL openings , closed thus pressurizing the trailer ! Then , they use soap bubbles on the inside around All openings , those with leaks will see the bubbles on the Outside ! Then it becomes a simple process too reseal all openings with air leaks . , fordy

fordy,

that is great but if we are doing it ourselves, i dont know what to do, i did see where you can light an incense burning stick and put in front of any door or window frame and see the smoke move?? would that be sufficient?

...............It might ! The basic idea is that the pressure on the inside of the structure is higher than the outside , so air will move too , and through those opening(s) that aren't tight . If , you have an RV repair or dealership fairly close by call them and see IF they know of someone who can perform this service . I'm thinking the service is around $100 too $150 , so It isn't tremendously , expensive . , fordy

We heated a 1960 trailer with a wood cook stove. Worked perfectly and was of course very cheap.

If one heats with wood one doesnt care much about drafts. The stove will put out enough heat that you will want the cool air.

i totally agree with the wood, but not sure if landlords would agree...i dont want to push too many things, and make them think we are very unhappy or anything, quite the contrary, i want to do the things they simply cant afford to have hired done, or cant physically do themselves, bc it benefits us both in the long haul~ we gain experience we need in more mechanical and cosmetic fix ups, and also they gain a better renting trailer )

I have a cute little wood stove that is in my home office (16 X 16). This would be perfect for a single wide mobile, just a small one. The cost of heating that little mobile home will flat shock you in the Winter. Ask me how I know (DH lived in a little single wide mobile even smaller than that one when we married 7 years ago). It had storm windows, too. The older ones are very poorly insulated. What type of heat does it have?

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Christie Acres
www.SequimForLife.com
http://www.irealtyvirtualbrokers.com...lori-christie/
http://luxurywaterviewhomes.com/
SequimLiving@gmail.com

I bought the foam insulation from a local place that sells seconds. I put it inside all the closets on the outside wall and inside the bottom cupboards and behind the built in dressers. Didn't take up much space. I put the silver side facing me, so the areas were lighter. Since my closets, cabinets, and dressers were all on the north side it made a big difference. You could see the outlines of the insulation on the outside of the trailer on frosty mornings.

Kathie

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www.littlebitfarm.net

How old is it? I've seen lots or trailer burndowns because of the electic wiring. For something temporary I think you're getting a gread deal.

im really not positive on age?? im thinking 20 or so years, but thanks for the wiring tip, we will have tons of smoke detectors up!!

for those of you suggesting woodstoves, what will insurance say about that?? arent trailers more fire hazardous anyway? i know my mom at one time had a wood stove in a trailer and it was more than enough heat, and saved tons of money, but they also didnt have home insurance, and in the end, had a fire and lost it all, with nothing to help replace any thing...

So, we are renting the trailer for sure, we have started cleaning and cleaning and fixing and fixing, and painting and painting...There have been a few issues, we found 2 water leaks under bathroom, which landlords are having fixed next week, we took all the plastic off windows and realized around the windows has obviously had moisture at some time, bc some of the panel boards are rotting, so im trying to fix that, we fixed the closet floor, and we are still going to have a lot to do bf we move in, and there will be lots after as well, but oh well right?? I mean, we have a roof over our heads, it is dry , and cool in summer, and warm in winter, that is what matters, not how old and outdated and redneck it is, lol! PS, the redneck part is a compliment I am really trying to look at stuff positively and on the bright side..The landlords are replaceing the back door and frame, bc it isnt shutting right and needs fixed, so that is a blessing, they are doing everything they can to help us make it decent so im concentrating on making the kids rooms great, so they feel very at home!!! I want them to love their rooms, and be able to go lay in bed at night and feel safe and warm and cozy Thanks for all the help!! I will post pics soon!

I lived in a repossessed single-wide for years. It sure beats paying out funds you don't have for more "conventional" housing.

My dad put a door where the hall entered the living room so I only had to heat half the mobile home during waking hours. I used an electric blanket during sleeping hours and had a small space heater in the bathroom for bathing and dressing. The door helped me manage heating and cooling bills.

Putting down contact paper in all the drawers and shelves made wiping them down a lot easier as most were of particle board which does not wipe well.

I stapled decorative sheets and fabric to some walls to cover the dark panelling. If privacy is not an issue, roll up blinds are easier to clean than curtains, which gather dust and cause allergy problems. However, in the cold months, I hung quilts over windows and doors to prevent drafts and help insulate (in one bedroom I used a sleeping bag instead of a quilt for that).

yeah, i had a break down yesterday as i walked in the trailer and looked around in the bright sunshine, ( i could see several major issues i had, one in bathroom, one in kitchen, and it all has to do with being able to clean, im not worried about ugly or outdated, but some stuff, was kinda rotting or falling apart as i tried to clean it, and just started bawling, by myself there, trying to decide if i can make it livable, so came home, and husband was upset with me, but he calmed me down and figured out what im crying about, so he says it is fixable and then the landlord assured us that we could fix all this stuff and take off rent, that they would pay for any materials above the rent, so im feeling a little better...im just so hoping it looks better with furniture in it...