Mobile home trailers, remodel or replace?

[Brian37]

I have gotten to the point where my house simply needs help or needs to be replaced. Part of me doesn't want to spend the money for a new one. In my view, the damage doesn't seem to be that severe, but it does need a lot of work. I want to go the cheapest rout. The floors in some spots have rotted, the entire bathroom needs to be redone.

[J a c k]

What else needs to be done? I'm thinking life expectancy. Does it seem like it will hold up even after you fix the bathroom long enough for the investment to make sense?

[Brian37]

What else needs to be done? I'm thinking life expectancy. Does it seem like it will hold up even after you fix the bathroom long enough for the investment to make sense?

Problem with buying a new one is that I will loose far more money, like I said, If I am going to stay in it for a long time, which I intend to, it just seems cheaper to redo the interior. Structurally outside some of the floor rotting the roof is solid not leaks, I may have my neighbors do it. I watched them gut their entire house, redo the inside and outside and it looks great. 

It was built in 1980.

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I did look up all the crap about buying a new one, and moving it and that seems to be far more of a headache.

[vorlon13]

Quite popular in this area to rehab them regardless of condition or expense.

Heck, SW of Omaha I'm aware of an old decrepit mobile home a tree fell across severing it into 2/3 and 1/3 sections. I'll be damned they didn't stitch it back together. No idea why, maybe it's just easier to fix 'em regardless of the cost than to jump thru all the hoops of replacing one.

[Brian37]

Quite popular in this area to rehab them regardless of condition or expense.

Heck, SW of Omaha I'm aware of an old decrepit mobile home a tree fell across severing it into 2/3 and 1/3 sections.  I'll be damned they didn't stitch it back together.  No idea why, maybe it's just easier to fix 'em regardless of the cost than to jump thru all the hoops of replacing one.

Thank you, I think you just made up my mind here. It is going to cost me, and worst case will be having to replace the septic tank, but good thing is the more expensive ones are up to 13,000 to 25,000k but those are for big houses. Mine is a standard two bedroom trailer mobile home, I don't see that worst cost being that high. The rest of the damage seems to be cosmetic I am looking at my friends and neighbor to help me with that. I was highballing it at 50k but I am thinking it wont even cost that to do everything.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Quite popular in this area to rehab them regardless of condition or expense.

Heck, SW of Omaha I'm aware of an old decrepit mobile home a tree fell across severing it into 2/3 and 1/3 sections.  I'll be damned they didn't stitch it back together.  No idea why, maybe it's just easier to fix 'em regardless of the cost than to jump thru all the hoops of replacing one.

Thank you, I think you just made up my mind here. It is going to cost me, and worst case will be having to replace the septic tank, but good thing is the more expensive ones are up to 13,000 to 25,000k but those are for big houses. Mine is a standard two bedroom trailer mobile home, I don't see that worst cost being that high. The rest of the damage seems to be cosmetic I am looking at my friends and neighbor to help me with that. I was highballing it at 50k but I am thinking it wont even cost that to do everything.

Be sure to watch Kill Bill II before you start.

[chimp3]

I have gotten to the point where my house simply needs help or needs to be replaced. Part of me doesn't want to spend the money for a new one. In my view, the damage doesn't seem to be that severe, but it does need a lot of work. I want to go the cheapest rout. The floors in some spots have rotted, the entire bathroom needs to be redone.

Are you going to have to borrow a lot of money to fix this place? I think money is better spent on standard homes that appreciate over time. You can always recoup most of your investment and sometimes turn a tax free profit.

[Jackalope]

I have gotten to the point where my house simply needs help or needs to be replaced. Part of me doesn't want to spend the money for a new one. In my view, the damage doesn't seem to be that severe, but it does need a lot of work. I want to go the cheapest rout. The floors in some spots have rotted, the entire bathroom needs to be redone.

Are you going to have to borrow a lot of money to fix this place. I think money is better spent on standard homes that appreciate over time. You can always recoup your most of your investment and sometimes turn a tax free profit.

^^^

Though the financials may make that non-viable.

It's always going to be a depreciating asset so should be evaluated in terms of utility value for the money, over the lifetime of the asset. It might be that buying a new unit makes the most financial sense, it might not, but without reasonably accurate estimates it's guesswork.

[chimp3]

Are you going to have to borrow a lot of money to fix this place. I think money is better spent on standard homes that appreciate over time. You can always recoup your most of your investment and sometimes turn a tax free profit.

^^^

Though the financials may make that non-viable.

It's always going to be a depreciating asset so should be evaluated in terms of utility value for the money, over the lifetime of the asset. It might be that buying a new unit makes the most financial sense, it might not, but without reasonably accurate estimates it's guesswork.

Right. That is why I asked about borrowing. How much over time would you actually pay for the repairs. If you had cash and the repairs will get you 20 years of housing affordably then it may be worth it. I have a truck with nearly 300,000 miles. I have been spending  about $1500 a year with repairs and maintenance the last 5 years. So, $125 a month is better than a $400 a month payment for a new one.

[Brian37]

I have gotten to the point where my house simply needs help or needs to be replaced. Part of me doesn't want to spend the money for a new one. In my view, the damage doesn't seem to be that severe, but it does need a lot of work. I want to go the cheapest rout. The floors in some spots have rotted, the entire bathroom needs to be redone.

Are you going to have to borrow a lot of money to fix this place? I think money is better spent on standard homes that appreciate over time. You can always recoup most of your investment and sometimes turn a tax free profit.

No, my mom left me savings I will have no problem fixing it, I do not have to borrow money, the only rub is shortening the time it gets me to my social security. I really have no interest in leaving or profiting off the house, just making it functional.

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When I die, I will be willing the property to my sister, what she decides to do with it is up to her. The prob with buying a new location and hauling off this unit is I would still be stuck with property taxes on both, not to mention the mortgage on the new one. I am leaning to simply fixing this one up since I intend on staying in it.

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I could literally go out tomorrow and buy another property with cash, I simply don't want that depleting the savings my mom left me with. Economically it seems fixing it up is my best and cheapest option.

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^^^

Though the financials may make that non-viable.

It's always going to be a depreciating asset so should be evaluated in terms of utility value for the money, over the lifetime of the asset. It might be that buying a new unit makes the most financial sense, it might not, but without reasonably accurate estimates it's guesswork.

Right. That is why I asked about borrowing. How much over time would you actually pay for the repairs. If you had cash and the repairs will get you 20 years of housing affordably then it may be worth it. I have a truck with nearly 300,000 miles. I have been spending  about $1500 a year with repairs and maintenance the last 5 years. So, $125 a month is better than a $400 a month payment for a new one.

My goal is to spend the minimum amount possible on repairs, stay in the house. I don't have to borrow. The bathroom is a disaster. That is looking to be 8 k by itself high end. 5 k for the septic tank. 10 k for new interior sheetrock and flooring. My budget I am comfortable with with all the repairs is about 40k. 50k in a pinch. I feel more comfortable doing it this way than buying new property or replacing this one since I have no intent on leaving. I am thinking that I am highballing all of this regardless.

My neighbors said they spent 30k inside and outside, on their house and while mine might cost slightly more, I am thinking it should cost less since I am not redoing the roof or exterior. The bathroom and replacing the septic tank are my biggest concern. With the floor rot, I think instead of replacing every sector, I can simply replace that particular spot outside the bathroom, which is way gone.