Mobile Home Living and Maine

[starwalker]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

Your home is wonderful.

Thanks, Forest. Beats the heck outa the infamous "red house" doesn't it? LOL

Believe it or not, that one is still standing...

[msina]

Originally Posted by starwalker

Thanks, Forest. Beats the heck outa the infamous "red house" doesn't it? LOL

Believe it or not, that one is still standing...

AND you were able to do things quickly and efficiently. I waited,.. a long, long time but, I got my "red house".
I won't get my garden this year. It's been very wet and we have so much to do. I am hopeful that come spring, we'll be settled and ready to put in a nice garden spot and some laying hens. It seems that any sunny day at the present is just a break to get the grass cut and linens hung out to dry.

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by starwalker

yes you are right. However when looking at the lower end of the price range, as we were, I think we made the right choice. Depreciation, all those "investment" and money words that folks use, were not part of the equation for me. What I wanted was a few acres on which to live out my life in peace, and a home that would not fall apart around me nor pitch me into the dungeon; something that would keep me warm and dry and allow me space to do my art and grow my gardens. That is what I got.

Your mileage will likely vary.

Like I said my Mom was fine with living in a mobile home. My brother had one in Greenville we used as a hunting camp and we liked that place alot. My cousins grew up in one in a mobile home park in Kittery. They lived there for over 20 years in the same home! When we were kids we loved visiting them and thought it was so cool that each kid had his/her own room while my brother and I shared a room in our house. On the other hand they thought our cellar, second floor and attic were really something.
Many Maine people choose to live in a mobile home and spend the money they save in big mortgages on toys like boats, snowmobiles, motorcycles and such. Whatever floats your boat! The point was, though not an investment like a stick built house, Mobile homes are very comfortable to live in year 'round and practical for many people.

[Valley Living]

It literally all depends on how you set up your mobile home. Vinyl skirting will not stop pipes from freezing! Many people pour 4-8 inch slabs of cement place the mobile home on top of it and built insulated 2x4 walls under the mobile home. This is a great economical set up and will guarantee that your pipes are safe during the winter months. Also many home owners (House/mobile home) will put some glycol in their heating systems to prevent the heating pipes from freezing. This has proven to be very effective. I would look at construction set up and if it had a slab or not. If it had the slab and insulated walls as skirting I would consider a mobile home anyday! They are cheap to buy, cheap to maintain, cheap on taxes, and if your neighboor bugs you, you can hook it up to your truck and move it to another place. LOL!!!

[Slingshot GiantKiller]

Originally Posted by Valley Living

It literally all depends on how you set up your mobile home. Vinyl skirting will not stop pipes from freezing! Many people pour 4-8 inch slabs of cement place the mobile home on top of it and built insulated 2x4 walls under the mobile home. This is a great economical set up and will guarantee that your pipes are safe during the winter months. Also many home owners (House/mobile home) will put some glycol in their heating systems to prevent the heating pipes from freezing. This has proven to be very effective. I would look at construction set up and if it had a slab or not. If it had the slab and insulated walls as skirting I would consider a mobile home anyday! They are cheap to buy, cheap to maintain, cheap on taxes, and if your neighboor bugs you, you can hook it up to your truck and move it to another place. LOL!!!

That is great information for me to remember....very good tips...thanks so much...

[reloop]

Originally Posted by Maineah

Tens of thousands of Mainers live in mobile homes all year long with no problems. You have to run a mixture of K-1 and #2 heating oils to keep the fuel from jelling in the cold as the oil tank is outdoors and be sure your water pipes and septic lines are insulated or heat taped.That's about it.

Agreed. A heat tape is a must for your water intake line during the winter lest you end up with split and frozen pipes. It's no fun to have to crawl under there in February. Fuel does cost a little more, but as long as it's well insulated and you don't keep it cranked up, it's still most often cheaper to heat.

Overall they are very economical. The plus side for forced hot air heat in my case was that I could hang wet clothes on a clothesrack right over the vent, and have moisture blown through the air. The downside was that it tends to get a little chilly before the furnace kicks on. When we were in one, I loved the kitchen - it had more cabinet and counter space than the house I live in now.

I also liked the fact that it was easy to maintain and refurbish if you wanted - it didn't cost us very much to replace a carpet or wallpaper etc.