Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I don't want to offend anyone, nor do I speak from the perspective of a snob, but here's my situation:
We plan on renting for a short time in Greenville, before buying. My short term objective, is to gather as much info about the Greenville area as is possible, that I might purchase a home.
We don't want anything fancy, nor do we want anything large. The idea of a trailer home is very appealing to us, in part because we're not looking to spend a lot on a home; (we don't) seek to spend a lot of time, money, or effort, in maintaining our yard - above and beyond keeping it neat and clean; in addition to the fact that many trailer homes are usually in semi rural settings. Again...all of this speaks to what we're looking for.
Now, as for not wanting to offend, here's my issue with many of the trailers that I have seen: some are built very poorly, and the quality of the materials that are used is poor. More specifically: it's not the assembly that I am concerned about; it's the lack of reinforcing around windows and doors, etc. A lot of homes that I saw are fitted with plastic faucets. I know that trailers have to meet standards, but standards mean little to me; new houses have to meet certain standards, and I have an issue with the materials used in many newer homes as well.
Can anyone fill me in on how trailers fare in the Greenville area? What's their lifespan? How do they handle the weather (e.g. wind and hail)? How long does the plumbing last in a trailer home? What about wells in the area...are there any issues with the availability and quality of groundwater?
Do any local builders specialize in fitting homes for people like us - who want quality construction and materials, put into a trailer that isn't huge or elaborate?
My goal buying this house was 60k instant equity, now with improvements looking a 90K equity. My goal, by a 1 to 2 acre lot and a new single wide and finish my life almost debt free.
My brother just spent around 40 grand sprucing his up. It was supposed to be just new siding and roof, but when they started staking the siding off, around every window had rot, so that had to be fixed, and since the old ones had to come out for this repair, he had new ones put in. On the flip side, theres one very near me that's been there as long as I can remember, looks just like it did back in the 70s. Seems to have held up well. We ran into a problem with my singlewide back when the wife and I got married, we couldn't get our new furniture through the door. Doors weren't standard sized, but smaller.
My goal buying this house was 60k instant equity, now with improvements looking a 90K equity. My goal, by a 1 to 2 acre lot and a new single wide and finish my life almost debt free.
Very smart planning, on your part.
Quote:
Originally Posted by UpstateJohn
My brother just spent around 40 grand sprucing his up. It was supposed to be just new siding and roof, but when they started staking the siding off, around every window had rot, so that had to be fixed, and since the old ones had to come out for this repair, he had new ones put in. On the flip side, theres one very near me that's been there as long as I can remember, looks just like it did back in the 70s. Seems to have held up well. We ran into a problem with my singlewide back when the wife and I got married, we couldn't get our new furniture through the door. Doors weren't standard sized, but smaller.
Okay, so a trailer isn't a disposable arrangement then; I can buy it today, make improvements as needed, and keep it indefinitely then. Perfect.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DSMRE
There are ones of different quality like anything else. Just depends how much you're willing to spend.
I did see a company who retails through a dealer in Gaffney, that advertises walls made of 2x6's, with R19 insulation. I bet there's a huge savings to be enjoyed, when heating/cooling the unit.
We considered going with a mobile home. You can get pretty good ones, from what I hear. The problem is in resale value. When I built our home, it was intended to be our last (earthly) home, and I hope that it is. But things change; stuff happens; you wind up moving. We also considered a modular, but again, they are often confused with mobile homes, and resale can suffer. For the record, they are NOT the same thing! In the end, I wound up building a very nice house that cost well more than a mobile home, even though I built it myself.
There's a double-wide right next door to us, and I happen to know the particulars, as I tried to buy it. The original owner defaulted on the mortgage before it was even done. He owed $102K on it. It sat for some 10 years, as the bank wouldn't cooperate, but a contractor finally bought it for $36K. He put a lot of time and money into it, as thieves had broken the windows, stolen the wiring and A/C equipment, and the roof was failing. It just sold for $136K, on one acre of land. At 1600 square feet, it's bigger than our house.
We're in a rural area, and our lawn consists of green stuff that I mow once in a while. Our house is rather small by today's standards, and extremely energy-efficient. We didn't want a McMansion with a $400/month power bill. I'd be interested to see how much energy a current, quality mobile home uses. I'd also be curious as to what a really good mobile home costs.
FWIW, we are recently retired, and debt free. We never made a lot of money, but have always been very frugal.
Okay, so a trailer isn't a disposable arrangement then; I can buy it today, make improvements as needed, and keep it indefinitely then. Perfect.
Depends on what you buy. The thing you have to remember though, is some items are exclusive to trailers, and there are laws that have to be followed depending on the county. Example: In Laurens County you have to have certain sized decks in certain places. You cant get power until you meet these standards. Cant get water until you get power, stuff like that.
My old single wide, I did do some upgrades such as regular faucets instead of the cheap plastic ones andinstalled a dishwasher where there wasnt one just to name a couple. When it came time for new carpet it was a nightmare because the carpet was laid down BEFORE the walls and the carpet actually went under the walls. Somehow, the big bath tub got a big crack in it. I was wating to just repalce it with a regular tub, but it would have required more work than I wanted to do, so I just went back with what was in there. The exterior walls were 2 x 4 construction, but interior walls were 1 X 3, and It had a metal roof which made for warm summers even though I had central air. I put a window unit in to supplement the central AC, and my power bill actually went down slightly because the AC wasnt running almost 24/7. My brothers is built with 2 X 6 walls ext. and 2 x 4 interior. He always complains about his power bill both summer and winter, but IIRC its around 230 average. My last powerbill for my house was 250, but it has been hotter during that cycle. My mom lives in modular built in 2013. That this is just like a house. House type windows, plumbing, walls, etc. If I didnt know it was modular, I would swear its a stick built house. In the part of Anderson she lives in, she could have almost built a house like this for the same price, but wouldnt have been in it as fast.
My mom lives in modular built in 2013. That this is just like a house. House type windows, plumbing, walls, etc. If I didnt know it was modular, I would swear its a stick built house. In the part of Anderson she lives in, she could have almost built a house like this for the same price, but wouldnt have been in it as fast.
So there is not that much of an advantage to build a stick house vs modular?
So there is not that much of an advantage to build a stick house vs modular?
From the ones I've looked at, Modular construction seems pretty comparable to stick built. The big difference comes in general public perception. A lot of people attach a stigma to modular construction so they tend to not appreciate as well in value as stick built homes. Trailers in general do even worse. Even if you put it on a permanent foundation and have it titled as a regular home, a trailer just isn't going to appreciate in value the way a stick built home will appreciate.
So there is not that much of an advantage to build a stick house vs modular?
Im sure both have advantages over the other, Im sure. Im no carpenter so I can say ones better because of this or that. I just know moms looks like a stick built house to me, vs a mobile home compared to the ones Ive been in. For example, most mobile homes Ive been in have papered drywall sheets, with a strip in between the sheets. Moms doesnt, it had unfinished drywall, and the crew finished and primed it in a few days.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
