My New House & Workshop

[Curious Hound]

I built my house in 88 and garage in 89 because I had 2 small kids at the time. Now that I'm retired I tell people I live in the garage and sleep in the house, what you're doing makes perfect sense to me. Can you park your RV on the lot and live in it while you're building?

I've done that. When I finished 9th grade, we moved. New house wasn't ready yet. Our family of 4 plus beagle lived in a pop-up camper all summer til about September.

My parents did it again after they retired. That time it was a 32ft fifth wheel camper.

 

[19Walt93]

When I bought my first house it was shell with shingles on the roof, no wiring, no plumbing, no interior partitions, and "construction" stairs- construction meaning wobbly and temporary. We lived there 2 months before I had running water in the house, we'd stop at parents house to shower on the way home from work and fill our water jugs. We moved in on a Saturday with help from more friends than we expected and I got up early(for a 22 year old) Sunday and ran wiring from the entrance box, through the kitchen and bathroom and across one living room wall so we could plug in the stereo, the I took the U Haul truck back. I worked on the house every week end and vacation for a decade then sold it for a profit that allowed me to build this house and garage with only a $60,000 mortgage. The car payment on my 11 Escape was about the same as the mortgage payment.
Novel concept for 2020: If you do a lot of work and save money you'll come out ahead. Getting married at 20 to the woman who's still my best friend 46 years later helped a lot, too.

 

[sgtsandman]

LOL.
For those that don't know, after I divorced in 2016, I've spent the last 4-years living in my camper at an RV park. I should have bought a house, but could never find one with a garage in my budget that I liked

Soooo.... You're trailer trash?


*ducks and takes cover*

 

[Jim Oaks]

Can you park your RV on the lot and live in it while you're building?

I could, but I wouldn't have any running water or a toilet. I could fill my fresh water tank and use the bathroom in the camper, but I'd have no place to dump my holding tanks. If the building had a sink and toilet I'd be set.

Soooo.... You're trailer trash?


*ducks and takes cover*

Funny.

It's actually pretty nice where I'm at. Most of the people in here are here for long periods of time. Some are retired and leave once or twice a year to travel and then come back. The people in the new 5th wheel next to me are going to retire soon and then travel. The people that just moved out on the other side are having a house built, and moved their camper to the home site. They had the builder put in a connection to the septic to hook their camper to.

There's a laundry room, dog park, and swimming pool here. I'm paying about $720 a month for rent and electric in an area where houses are $300,000+ and 1-bedroom apartments are $1,000+. I like it, especially since it's just me and my dog. But I miss having a garage.

There's a RV park not to far from the property I'm trying to buy. I could move there for $500 a month and that includes electric. Still, moving to the property would be best.

 

[G8orFord]

Is the lot serviced by municipal sewer or septic tank? Either way, it might be possible to have a temporary connection while your building your house. You should also be able to get a water connection. IIRC, there was a house on the lot before.

 

[Jim Oaks]

There is sewer and city water. According to the sellers agent, there was once a house there, but I think it was a long long time ago. There's no evidence of a house ever being there.

 

[19Walt93]

That's a nice looking camper, I'd be tempted to permanently mount it somehow and hook up the utilities. $720 a month to park it doesn't sound like a bargain to me.

 

[Curious Hound]

Depending on location, $720 might be a deal. I paid $34 per night for a tent site with water and electric this past week. Only 2 nights and that was the cash discount price.

 

[Roert42]

That's a nice looking camper, I'd be tempted to permanently mount it somehow and hook up the utilities. $720 a month to park it doesn't sound like a bargain to me.

I lived in a trailer park for a few years, I did not get electric included and paid more. Had to cut my own grass too.

 

[sgtsandman]

Is the lot serviced by municipal sewer or septic tank? Either way, it might be possible to have a temporary connection while your building your house. You should also be able to get a water connection. IIRC, there was a house on the lot before.

 

[Jim Oaks]

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Its painted and decorated inside. It's like living in a tiny house. I'd be content just having a deck and a garage if I could.

 

[Curious Hound]

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Its painted and decorated inside. It's like living in a tiny house. I'd be content just having a deck and a garage if I could.

Hey. That's convenient to set 2 places at the table. You can eat breakfast on one side and dinner on the other side. Then just clear the table and wash dishes once a day after dinner.

 

[Ramcharger90]

I prefer an underground house. Like the size of a Amazon warehouse just underneath a mountain.

 

[sgtsandman]

I prefer an underground house. Like the size of a Amazon warehouse just underneath a mountain.

 

[Ramcharger90]

Deeper