"Free" Mobile home- worth it or not?
 

Hi all,

I have been offered a "free" singlewide. It doesn't seem to be in terrible condition. I have been weighing the options between a mobile home and building a house (both would be between 900-1100 s.f.

The biggest concern of mine is not really the upfront cost, but the tax increase (this is New York State!). A stick built w/basement would increase my taxes approx $4000/yr. A mobile home of similar square footage would increase my taxes approx 1500-2000/yr. Of course this is in addition to my already $2000 tax bill!

If I can get this moved to my site for $1500 or so, set on piers for a total of maybe $5000, it seems as though it would be pretty economical living. I would also probably do a "roof over" with a metal roof and extend to make a porch/carport area.

For those of you who may have done this, is it worth doing? Keep in mind I'm not trying to build equity here, just want a simple living space. And not have to come up with as much tax money each year.

Build if you can afford it. Trying to rework a older Mobile Home can get into a nightmare sometimes. If you get the Mobile Home with plans of adding a "roof over"----before you underpen it you got to add alot of extra pillers under the outside walls(besides the ones under the frame) to support the extra weight of the roof over. If you do not the floor joice will start bowing down over time from the extra weight and this will cause them to bow up in the middle of your floor----Then You Got a BIG problem. Good Luck

Does it have metal siding? If it does, check the floors and walls near the floor to see if there is any rot. Many have a lot of rot. Shingle roof or metal? My Grandmother had a single wide (metal roof, metal sides) with a post supported roof, porch and carport and it held up good. 30 years later the mobile was moved and the cover over became a shop and storage building when all closed in....James

We're doing both.

we got our single wide in fairly good shape for $500. We moved it ourselves (free), put it up on a simple concrete block foundation (less than $100) and tied it down ($200 for the anchors).
Now we're working on building the real house.

A mobile home is not as nice as a stick built home but you get all the plumbing fixtures, rough plumbing, wireing, kitchen cupboards, and maybe appliances included. The only downside is no basement to shelter from a tornado.

Check to see if the mobile home is in good condition, no rot, water tight, ect. Many are not in good enough shape to make the trip to the new place.

I'm not sure about your math but let's say it's correct for moving and installing a mobile home. Compare that to what you will have to pay for a basement or footings for a regular house. Then add on what it will cost to build the stick built home and wire and plumb it. The mobile is way cheaper.

If you are a total scrounger you can have the mobile moved to you property and dropped. Then remove the fixtures, appliances, cupboards, and and whatever else you can use in the new stick built. Tear the sideing off and sell it to the recycler. Then have a fire. Now put the trailer frame on CL and sell it.

I'm very glad I don't live in NY. My taxes for 5 acres with an old mobile home and a small garage are $200 a year.

Please keep up up to date. We want to know if you have joined us trailer trash.

Make sure you know what the moving and set-up costs will be before deciding. Our local school got a "free" modular building for extra classroom space that ended up costing $10,000 to move into place. Not exactly the bargain we thought it would be.

Buy the mobile home.

Pack all your stuff in it, and move to someplace the property tax isn't approaching confiscation rates.

Paying $1500 a year for a $1500 trailer is ridiculous in anybody's book.

Either way would work although I wonder about the efficiency of a mobile in NY during the winter.... I also agree on the taxes, man they skin you up there. Here 40 ac with a 1995 doublewide cost me $185 in property taxes last year.....

Here in Michigan once a trailer gets so old it can't be moved. Junk or walk away from it. Lots of old trailers for free. Don't remember how old it was but it wasn't that old. Something in the range of ten years.
Do the moral of the story is check your local laws first to see if you can do it.

If you go the mobilehome route, please keep us periodically posted as to progress.

Thanks for all the replies/advice so far. I took a quick look at the mobile home today, it is a 14x50. Does need some TLC. One problem right off the bat is it's missing the information sheet stating the year/make/model and whether it's HUD certified or not. If it ISN'T a HUD unit, I cannot re-install it.

I spoke with a local mobile home mover/installer today, he is very close-by. He said he'd come take a look at it and tell me whether it's a HUD unit or not, and if it is, give me a price on moving it. And let me know where the problem spots are, if it's worth bothering with or not. All for the low low price of $50.

I've spent $50 on crazier things.

.....

Get the trailer Put in on a FULL concrete pad or basement ,do the roof over. After a couple of years on the taxroles put siding on the roofover, a couple years after that pull the trailer out one night and burn it.

Be certain the wiring is current and up to code. Fire is a huge danger with older mobile homes, and subpar wiring is a common cause.

I think "free" is a great deal. I would do it. I do appreciate what you are facing with the taxes.

I swapped a singlewide with a young couple in exchange for some labor. I wanted to keep it, but they needed a roof more than I needed more stuff. As I saw it waddle down the road, I told myself, "Man, that would make a good tool shed...", "Man, that would make a good winter goat birthing shed...", "Man, I cold start winter plants in that thing...", etc.

I would take it just to have it.

Yes this, we had a 1982 model that had aluminum wire with copper connectors on the plugs, etc. huge problem that was. They were always loosening up.

Ok, mobile home guy looked at the unit today.......said it was a HUD unit, circa 1993. Some water damage that needs to be examined more closely along one of the long walls.

So, looks like I'm going to be putting in some labor to see whether or not it's worth pursuing. Will be pulling skirting off to examine the underbelly closely. Also pulling interior wall to check extent of water damage.

If you move it you can put temporary 2" x 4" bracing inside. When on site and blocked up I'd recommend basically gutting it.

Rip 2" x 4" in half lengthwise and add to existing side studs. Then you can put in 6" fiberglass insulation.

They put down the carpet before they put down the walls. You will have to cut it away from studs before you can pull it up. You will find lots and lots and lots of staples along the outside walls. Either hammer down or grind off with a 4 1/2" grinder.

Places like Lowes has lots of U-Assemble cabinets and such.

check codes..in our area of Mi..you can't move a mobile home onto your property if it is more than 10 years old

We bought a farm with a 1998 singlewide (14x78) on it separate from the house for the MIL and fixed it up for her and its been great. I am slowly fixing it up but we put a new metal roof on it, built a covered front porch, installed a sidewalk and back deck, replaced all the windows and doors, and did some interior renovation. The elctrical replacement is a work in progress.

In our case the mobile home was free and would have had to be removed from the property if we had a mortgage but it has sure worked well for us. If your even remotely handy they arent hard to repair and make nice. Just dont expect to get your money out of it if you sink any into it.

Before:

http://i47.tinypic.com/qyfspw.jpg

2 Years Later:

http://i48.tinypic.com/71jwq8.jpg

Including inside renovations (2 new toilets, new hot water heater, etc) we have about 8K into it and the MIL loves it. I say go for it; cant beat free.

I agree with the basement/pad. We do not ever have to worry about skirting blowing away, pipes freezing etc.

We purchased a '96 double wide......on a foundation. Well worth it. We also put metal roofing and metal porching around the east and west sides. It's warm and cozy. We also had axles removed so that our insurance rate is lower and taxes are, too.

FREE is for me!!

Go guerrilla and don't tell the taxman. Move it in, off the road, and deep in the woods. Have a minimalist falling down shack as your address, your 'give' to the taxman if they snoop around.

I was off the tax grid here for 14 years...

Locally the Tax Assessor's Office uses aerial maps to compare to their plot maps. If they don't agree they will come out to verify current situation.

We're buzzed every summer and I would bet that's who's buzzing. ;)
Fortunately, our free trailer house really IS the only house on our property, so our taxes have stayed at $20 a year for a house, shop and 40 acres.

yeah you can't hide anything with both google maps and neighborhood drones..

Thanks again for the replies. I was trying to figure out how to put a picture of the mobile on here with out a link, but couldn't figure it out.

Texican-I wish I could go guerilla but I know it wouldn't last very long if I did. My site is only about 550 ft. back in off the road- almost at the end of a dead end road. Trailer would not be visible from the road, or the adjacent properties.. Problem is, there's quite a few neighbors closer to the "beginning" of the road with small "postage stamp" lots that like to come over to my place (mostly uninvited) and use my 80 ac. as their own. I didn't mind so much before as long as people were respectful, but it has gotten out of hand so I pretty much had to shut everyone off unfortunately.

Ok, I ripped into the damaged areas today, the framing still looks fine, mostly just wet insulation, wallboard and subfloor-Which is the worst part, because it's particleboard, it turned to mush.

A bright note- it does have 2x6 walls, not 2x4.

So, theoretically, it looks repairable for a small investment in plywood, etc. and probably quite a bit of my time. I have to figure out the best way to replace the floor under the exterior walls, though, without dropping the roof trusses. I suppose I could make a temporary brace from floor to ceiling to prop up the trusses while I perform surgery on the exterior wall.

Check out this forum. The people are knowledgeable and very helpful.

I doubt they will rape you that bad ever here in the Empire State. As ----ty as they are they use the higher priced houses to build the empire and leave the trailer dwellers alone. You might have to go in and remind them once or twice over the years as they tend to screw those who don't come in and complain. I've had an 85 64' that has been used as a rental for the last 15 years. Sitting on 2 acres with a cheap 32 by 24 garage it's costing me $600 a year. Definitely not super cheap but for NY it is.
Watch the roof. The roof leaks which causes the floor to rot really quick due to the ----ty particle board floor they put in those. You can fix all of it but it can be a real PITA dealing with anything relating to water with one of those. Make ----ED sure to put the water heater in a tub vented down through the floor or otherwise where the eventual water leak won't destroy the floor. That will happen, count on it. Watch the tub too. If it starts to crack get a new tub RIGHT NOW or the water will rot ----ty floor previously mentioned. Trailer tubs are 54" not the 60 that real tubs are. Trailer tubs are ----ed expensive too, ridiculously so if you get fiberglass which is going to last better than the usual plastic. If you redo a bath try to get a real tub and put it in and use real plumbing hardware too as it's cheaper and much better. Trailer exterior doors are ugly priced too and junk though they do fit in the frame. If you need one of those you often can reframe and fit in a nice Stanley that will do the deed much better for half the price although its painful to install. You can heat one of those for not much more than a tank of fuel a year. You can put in a wood stove easily enough but it will have to have an outside air intake which is pretty common on stoves lately. You can fix one up pretty easily as long as you don't expect too much out of the place and keep the costs down using things like 2 by 3's or ripped rough cut 2 by 4's ect. The thing about a trailer though is that no matter what you do with it you will never have a real stick built so keep the costs down.

Drizler, thanks for the info. I doubt I'll get away with $600/yr in my town but if I could, that would be great.

I'm pretty much planning on doing a roofover job right away to prevent any further roof problems. Actually, although it will be more upfront cost, here's what I'm thinking:

Home is 14x50. Pour monolithic slab @30x60. Set home on basically 1/2 of slab. Build a pole type structure w/roof over entire slab/home, with enough clearance to remove home if/when that time comes.

So, basically a 15x60 "carport/porch next to the home. I would situate this on my site where in the "master plan" the garage would be, so I could repurpose it if/when the time comes. Or just be happy with that, and enjoy........

I can attest to this fact in Pennsylvania. I built a high tunnel (wood) last year. I had a visit from the taxman to verify if it was a taxable structure. When asked how he knew.... Flyovers.

Aerial maps are done by USDA as part of their crop stabilization program. It allows them to verify acreage reported for government support. Local plots are the same scale, allowing the tax accessor's office to overlay them.

I just moved from a mobile home, it was an older model (1980) but it was a money pit from day one. It was always one thing after another, I would build if it were me.

Where in NY are you,those numbers are unreal . I live in NNY on 5 acres with a big house and my taxes are NO where close to yours .

I wouldn't put any mobile on "half a slab" here in cold country. Either have it on or off depending on the code but if it's half on half off things will surely be interesting when the frost moves. By on I mean the blocking itself, any overhang is fine beyond the weight bearing areas. As for the roof over that may be subject to code hassles so check first. I did mine almost 20 years back and did it simple and cheap. All I did was lay 2 by 3's right on top of the trailers roof trusses and screwed them long side up right through the roof. To get the length I used a half inch drill bit to countersink it about half way through the wood. Then I laid some more across every 20 inches as purlins and screwed regular corrugated roof tin to it and finally simply boxed in the ends like any house's soffits with half inch plywood. It didn't cost much and has lasted now almost 20 years. Sure you can build small trusses to do the same thing but hey, remember it's a trailer so keeping it cheap is usually the smart way unless you are dealing with the floor. With the rotten places on a floor use CDX ply 3/4 and use 2 by 4's stubbed and spaced alongside the floor joists to make up for the difference in thickness. Use common drywall screws and stay away from the overpriced crap from the trailer supply for nearly everything.
The nice thing with a full pad is the skirting. If you have it sitting on the ground when the trailer "moves" like it will in NY it will buckle or shear your screws every year in various places. I finally resorted to cutting slots about an 1.5" long and secure the ply with regular drywall screws set loosely with a washer on each. Works fine lasts for a very long time as long as its well soaked with stain. I made a shallow trench and filled it with crushed stone to help keep the skirting out of the water for long periods and allow for some give you don't get with frozen mud ect.

Drizler---I think you misunderstood. The slab would be twice as wide as the trailer and 10' longer than the trailer. He would then set the trailer on half of that slab with enough left over to support the roof-over.

Also be concerned about a washing machine. I have seen basins for them to sit in as well. A dripping line behind the washer can cause much floor damage.

Would it be possible to hire a roofer to put hot tar on the entire roof, then follow up with a white coating over it?

Drizler, sorry for the confusion- Chickenmommy is correct in what I intended to convey.

Ken, that would certainly be possible, but I would feel more comfortable with a "regular" pitched roof. This mobile has the arched roof. One of the benefits of adding a pitched roof, either an independent roof or a "piggyback" like Drizler describes, is I can have at least a little eave overhang to help shed water. Right now there is zero eave overhang.

A piggyback roof would certainly be the cheaper of the two options. I will crunch some numbers.

I do know that if I set it on piers it's going to cost me around 5000-6000 to get transported and "set" in place, including tiedowns and piers. So that would be the "cheap" route.

Be sure to take the tie down anchors into consideration when you pour the slab. Also when the straps are removed from the mobilehome. They need to be unwound, not cut.

You might want to look around to see if there are other old singlewides being offered for hauling off.

Ken, thanks for the advise. Honestly, I haven't seen any other "free" mobiles around, and the ones people are selling around here either seem to be in worse shape than this one, or if they are "nice", people seem to want enough money for them that a new one looks like a better option. I can get a brand new basic 2 br. 1 bath for 29,000 +/- including delivery and set fee.

The transportation and set fee is pretty much a fixed cost on a used one except for excess mileage. The one I"m looking at has to be moved approx. 30 miles.