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.
Apparently, I read that there are 13 towns south of Coos County that have no zoning restrictions. So, as long as I follow set-back rules and building height requirements, it seems like having a house on wheels would be allowed. I could be wrong about this, IDK I'm only in the beginning phase of looking into it.
I'm leaning more toward NH than Maine, especially the unincorporated areas in ME, as these tend to be in really, far out areas. Outside Bangor is a possibility though I like NH better than that area. Ideally, I'd like to be an hour from a large town / small city. 1 hour from Concord would be ideal. Also, 1/2 hour from a hospital would be ideal. I'm thinking maybe southern Grafton county (Woodstock or Plymouth area) if I had a choice. Woodstock was one town that I saw that has no zoning restrictions.
Thanks for the additional info! I'm thinking I may have to get to the $150k range in savings.
you would be very, very lucky to get a well or septic put in for 8k EACH...
Agreed. Unless the lot has already been surveyed and perc tested, that will need to be done first. Septic design done and permits obtained from the state. I just had a well drilled, which expense as noted depends on soil and depth, but it cost me >$12K just for the drilling and dropping the pump, and that didn't include plumbing and electrical hook-ups to the house, pressure tank, water heater, water testing, re-landscaping the lot, or anything else. All that needs to be done to code. I'd budget $20-25K for the well and septic from start to finish. I doubt it's much cheaper in Maine.
The State of NH has information about all this stuff.
P.S. If you want a house on wheels, you're going to need to do some extra work to insulate underneath or you'll have frozen pipes 6 months a year in Grafton County.
Apparently, I read that there are 13 towns south of Coos County that have no zoning restrictions. So, as long as I follow set-back rules and building height requirements, it seems like having a house on wheels would be allowed. I could be wrong about this, IDK I'm only in the beginning phase of looking into it.
I'm leaning more toward NH than Maine, especially the unincorporated areas in ME, as these tend to be in really, far out areas. Outside Bangor is a possibility though I like NH better than that area. Ideally, I'd like to be an hour from a large town / small city. 1 hour from Concord would be ideal. Also, 1/2 hour from a hospital would be ideal. I'm thinking maybe southern Grafton county (Woodstock or Plymouth area) if I had a choice. Woodstock was one town that I saw that has no zoning restrictions.
Thanks for the additional info! I'm thinking I may have to get to the $150k range in savings.
I know that building your own house is appealing, but you'll get more for your money by buying an existing house. Plus, there are fewer unknowns, so not only is it cheaper, the costs are more predictable. $150K does sound a lot more realistic than $100K these days, even with the existing house route.
One online site that I really like for real estate listings in northern New England is the Bean Group's site. And FYI there is a great hospital in Lebanon, NH and the western part of the state is generally less populous/less expensive. You might try just selecting a whole region and looking for houses $100K-$150K and < 1,000 sq ft, just to see what comes up for existing houses and compare to what might be possible for building your own.
Agreed. Unless the lot has already been surveyed and perc tested, that will need to be done first. Septic design done and permits obtained from the state. I just had a well drilled, which expense as noted depends on soil and depth, but it cost me >$12K just for the drilling and dropping the pump, and that didn't include plumbing and electrical hook-ups to the house, pressure tank, water heater, water testing, re-landscaping the lot, or anything else. All that needs to be done to code. I'd budget $20-25K for the well and septic from start to finish. I doubt it's much cheaper in Maine.
The State of NH has information about all this stuff.
P.S. If you want a house on wheels, you're going to need to do some extra work to insulate underneath or you'll have frozen pipes 6 months a year in Grafton County.
Quote:
Originally Posted by OutdoorLover
I know that building your own house is appealing, but you'll get more for your money by buying an existing house. Plus, there are fewer unknowns, so not only is it cheaper, the costs are more predictable. $150K does sound a lot more realistic than $100K these days, even with the existing house route.
One online site that I really like for real estate listings in northern New England is the Bean Group's site. And FYI there is a great hospital in Lebanon, NH and the western part of the state is generally less populous/less expensive. You might try just selecting a whole region and looking for houses $100K-$150K and < 1,000 sq ft, just to see what comes up for existing houses and compare to what might be possible for building your own.
All good, sound information. It may make sense to just look for an existing house. Is $150k do-able within 1 hour of Concord? Are there online maps that show water/sewer distribution? I assume in-town locations are connected to water/sewer but anything outside of this would be septic / well water.
Last edited by VintageSunlight; 07-08-2019 at 03:20 PM..
All good, sound information. It may make sense to just look for an existing house. Is $150k do-able within 1 hour of Concord? Are there online maps that show water/sewer distribution? I assume in-town locations are connected to water/sewer but anything outside of this would be septic / well water.
As far as what you're looking for, the best way to learn what is available where is to go the link I included and start exploring yourself. Cities and larger towns normally have enough of a tax base to support building a public water and sewer system "in town" where the houses are close together. But small rural towns (even in-town) and the outskirts of larger towns will be well and septic. I don't know of any easy to digest visualizations of sewer coverage statewide, but real estate listings normally disclose right in them what the wastewater disposal system is for that property.
Here's an example, it's a listing in Claremont for a nice little place built in 1900 with a little barn out back. Has a 1000 gal septic system. Was listed at $125K. https://www.beangroup.com/homes/31-S...ex.html?cnt=23
If you look at the map, Claremont is along I-91 at the western edge of NH. Claremont is a decent-sized town itself, as are nearby Lebanon and Hanover, and all 3 would have some job opportunities. Lebanon has the best hospital in the state - Dartmouth-Hitchcock. Claremont wouldn't be an easy drive to Concord though if you are set on that - check Google Maps please.
As far as what you're looking for, the best way to learn what is available where is to go the link I included and start exploring yourself. Cities and larger towns normally have enough of a tax base to support building a public water and sewer system "in town" where the houses are close together. But small rural towns (even in-town) and the outskirts of larger towns will be well and septic. I don't know of any easy to digest visualizations of sewer coverage statewide, but real estate listings normally disclose right in them what the wastewater disposal system is for that property.
Here's an example, it's a listing in Claremont for a nice little place built in 1900 with a little barn out back. Has a 1000 gal septic system. Was listed at $125K. https://www.beangroup.com/homes/31-S...ex.html?cnt=23
If you look at the map, Claremont is along I-91 at the western edge of NH. Claremont is a decent-sized town itself, as are nearby Lebanon and Hanover, and all 3 would have some job opportunities. Lebanon has the best hospital in the state - Dartmouth-Hitchcock. Claremont wouldn't be an easy drive to Concord though if you are set on that - check Google Maps please.
Claremont's tax rates are among the highest in the state and thoroughly outrageous. I wouldn't want to pay that even on a tiny house.
So that RE tax table is a good resource too, but the listing I linked is just a single listing I pulled up as an example to try to motivate the OP to explore the data for themselves... they will be much better informed then, and they know best their needs, their priorities, their budget, where they can work, etc...
As far as what you're looking for, the best way to learn what is available where is to go the link I included and start exploring yourself. Cities and larger towns normally have enough of a tax base to support building a public water and sewer system "in town" where the houses are close together. But small rural towns (even in-town) and the outskirts of larger towns will be well and septic. I don't know of any easy to digest visualizations of sewer coverage statewide, but real estate listings normally disclose right in them what the wastewater disposal system is for that property.
Here's an example, it's a listing in Claremont for a nice little place built in 1900 with a little barn out back. Has a 1000 gal septic system. Was listed at $125K. https://www.beangroup.com/homes/31-S...ex.html?cnt=23
If you look at the map, Claremont is along I-91 at the western edge of NH. Claremont is a decent-sized town itself, as are nearby Lebanon and Hanover, and all 3 would have some job opportunities. Lebanon has the best hospital in the state - Dartmouth-Hitchcock. Claremont wouldn't be an easy drive to Concord though if you are set on that - check Google Maps please.
I'll have to explore that area the next time I'm up. Its a little farther from the Merrimack Valley towns like Concord than I'd like to be. The more I look, the more I think I'd want to be on that I-93 corridor north of Concord, as I love the mountains, and like to be at least a little closer to the coast.
One last question: how rampant is meth/oxy up there? I only ask because its also pretty rampant here in PA, but you can avoid being in drugged-out areas if you do the research. I'm sure this question has been talked about, I just wanted to know if its a problem that WILL affect you no matter where you live or not. Not to insult anyone or the state- I know its a problem everywhere.
Quote:
Originally Posted by KCZ
Claremont's tax rates are among the highest in the state and thoroughly outrageous. I wouldn't want to pay that even on a tiny house.
Oh, thats a good website. Property taxes are probably my #1 issue, as I have no kids and I'm not interested in paying to live in an area with good schools and paying exorbitant taxes for them. I prefer safe areas with mediocre schools, tbh.
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.
