That would be a lot of money to spend on an old mobile home. How ugh would a new one cost would be what I would look into?

A new single wide would cost 40-50k. New double wide would probably be at least 60. We are considering swapping it with a new or newer one but it would be a lot smaller. 1200 sq ft compared to 1800. We’d definitely be more comfortable in the old one and if I can’t make much on a sale I could rent it out somewhere later on. We have options, just weighing the pros and cons.

When you say new are you thinking brand new or just newer? There is a lot of information on value of used mobile homes, seems 1987 is the cutoff date. I would be concerned that spending $20,000. to remodel an older mobile home would not increase the value for resale. However. If you could use it then get your investment back through rent maybe I am wrong. While you maybe correct this is not a financial decision I would make. Good luck to you

Mobile homes DEPRECIATE. They are not real property and you would get zero “improved value” for putting any miney into it. It’s like a car with a flood salvage title. Virtually worthless. As is buying any new mobile home. They DEPRECIATE.

If it’s gutted, I don’t see how you could make it liveable for $20-30K.

NADA shows the value being $15k in original condition (not remodeled/updated). Going by this, I would think I could get $20k being updated. Realtor says I could get what I put into it but the longer I live in it, the more the value would go depreciate.

We would likely look for one less than 10 years old for around $30k (going by what I’ve seen for sale in the area. We’d also have to pay for permits to move the house and everything involved with connecting utilities.

Another thing to consider is we have 2 kids and this larger home would be more comfortable while we are saving to build. I think I’d be more rushed to build if we were cramped in a smaller house. The reason we are considering this is to save $ quicker.

jbro12,

You asked for opinions here and were given several then you try to prove those opinions wrong. If you have done your research and believe what you have found why and what are you asking for? You are there and see what we can not and have detailed research you did not share. That said my OPINION will not change, spending money on an older and once flooded trailer is not where I would put my money or my family. Good luck to You!

Sorry for that. I value the opinions. Just giving mine too and considering others. Weighing ideas. Your opinion made me realize that it’s not worth it unless I plan to rent it out later. Even then it might not be worth it.

Would it be worth buying a used mobile home in your opinion? I don’t think buying new is a good idea b/c of the depreciation.

If you can’t make it livable for $5000, then forget the idea of a mobile home at all. Just concentrate on your new build.

Moving a mobile home may cost more than the coach is worth. Is your mobile on piers, some mobile homes on piers, were installed using a crane.

It’s on the property already so it wouldn’t be moved. It’s on cinder blocks about 3 ft about ground. I wouldn’t even think about moving one to remodel.

Trying to decide whether to remodel it as cheap as possible or buy a new/used one to live in for at least a few years before building. I want to live on the property I’m buying and we aren’t ready to build. My goal is to be debt free before building our house and this would help, either way. I don’t care that it’s a trailer like some. No matter which route we take, it will depreciate and we will lose some money. That’s expected. I’m trying to minimize that loss. Leaning toward buying one that’s only a few years old with cash and moving it.

You wrote you plan to sell the mobile home, if you don’t plan to move it, how will you sell it? Now, you want to buy another one, how will you move that one? Are you thinking of buying a travel trailer?

Based on being on blocks 3’ high, your coach is not a trailer. You may need a crane to move it. In my area, it costs over $20 k to install a mobile home.

If I don’t remodel it, I’ll give it away. It’s being left on the property at no value. I’m just buying the land. I’ve had a single wide moved and set up for less than $2000 before. It was on blocks also. Worst case I’ll burn it to the ground.

Sorry for the confusion. If I remodel it I will either sell it or rent it out somewhere else once the house is built years from now. I will call around to verify it wouldn’t cost a fortune to move it though. It has axles. Just needs tires.

I'm not an expert on these matters, but I think you'll have trouble getting your money back if you do extensive remodeling of a 32 year old mobile.

I'm kind of with Sophie on this. In your place, I'd apply at least 75% of your budget to starting the new house NOW. I'd spend no more than $5-7k to make the mobile barely livable. Ideally much less.

Think hunting cabin in the woods. Replace only what you absolutely have to, and get as much of it used as you can. Shop garage sales, thrift stores, ReStores. That's where I like to get replacement fixtures for my rentals when tenants damage them. Who cares if they're 30 years old and out of fashion?

If you have no walls, don't build them, hang curtains and use dividers. The kids will gripe. Let 'em. Remember, it's only until the new house is done.

If you think that sounds impossible, consider that millions of poor people worldwide live in far worse conditions.

Would it be as safe and comfortable as a "real" house? Maybe not, but that would encourage you to get the new house done sooner. :)

If you opt for another smaller mobile to replace it instead, consider that many postwar generation families did just fine in homes of less than 1000 SF. Where I lived in the 1960s, the family down the street raised 8 kids (or was it 9?) in a tiny one-storey bungalow.

Have you thought about mold? I can't imagine the mold issues on a flooded out mobile home that has been sitting in the open for the past 2 years. I wouldn't consider moving into it with any amount of remodeling. Think of your children's health.

I think we’ve decided not to remodel it. Estimate is too high. I like the idea of doing the bare minimum but I’m not ready to build. I want to pay off some debt. My goal is to be debt free or very close to it before I build. This would be a cheap option but wouldn’t be worth it unless I lived in it for a long time then rented it out on another piece of property.

I don’t think mold would be an issue since it has been gutted and sprayed. I would have an air quality test done before putting up insulation anyway.

Thanks for all the input. I think we have made the right decision and won’t put any $ into it. I’m either going to give it away to the first person that attempts to haul it off or see if my local fire department wants to use it for training and burn it to the ground.

Good idea to have the local fire dept use for training. I wouldn't even want to risk the liability of selling it to an individual to haul off in our hyper litigious society...

I’d give it away and make someone sign an agreement that I’m not liable for it but getting the fire department in there to burn it would probably be quicker.

That looks newer than a 1986 model.

It is a 93 model. I thought so too so I asked for a copy of the title and it is. Doesn’t matter. Estimate came in too high to remodel it and I don’t have the time to do most of the work myself to knock the price down. I’m either going to find someone to haul it off, demo it and scrap all the metal, or get the fire department to use it for training then scrap the metal.