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Modular Homes for Under $50k

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Re: Modular Homes for Under $50k

#221

Post by mywittyname »

bigthymer wrote: post #186
mywittyname wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The standardization in the building trade didn't exist back in the Sears catalog days. For example, 2x4s come in 8ft lengths, using 16 on center studs, 8 2x4s will provide 8 foot of wall, and two sheets of drywall will cover it. And you can order all of the cabinetry, trim, shower enclosures, etc in a form that's ready for installation. A Sears prefab home would not be cheaper today because the inefficiencies that th…

> it's infeasible for a person to construct their own house anymore, given building codes and such What has changed that this is no longer possible any more?

Well, I said infeasible, not impossible.

You can do a large chunk of the work yourself (with a crew). But utility hookups are a no-no without a license. And you'll probably need to hire a crane operator at some point. Plus, there are a ton of building codes in regions that are different from other regions. So you'd better get those all right unless you enjoy rework.

Re: Modular Homes for Under $50k

#222

Post by Mumps »

xwdv wrote: post #155
thesausageking wrote: post #4

This house is 375 sq ft and uses low end materials, and it doesn't include setup, so it's going to cost ~$100k, or $266 / sq ft. Most new home construction is more like $150 / sq ft. And with this system, you're very limited in what you can build. Who's the target customer for this?

The target customer is people with extra land who would like to put up an ADU on their land to make extra revenue from AirBNB. It could probably pay for itself within a year.

within a year? probably pretty aggressive goal. Cheap case, $50k for the unit, $10k all setups (really really conservative).

that's $5k revenue per month, or ~$165 per night averaged. Yes, some places could rent for ~$200/night, but I doubt you'll have 100% occupancy rate.

Re: Modular Homes for Under $50k

#223

Post by harmmonica »

gangstead wrote: post #85
harmmonica wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My friend and I were having a similar fantasy of putting places like that all over the western US so we started with a one-off project to build a tiny house so that it can just be “plopped” down (or rather rolled in). How big were you thinking? Something like 400 SF? Or a proper house? As I said in another comment on this thread I think it’s possible to build something totally custom for a similar budget (200-250 psf…

Possibly that small, but I'm a family of five so sleeping that many quickly becomes a problem. Bunk beds and squeezing in are fine but we're +1 over what almost every dwelling considers family-sized. I hadn't considered a trailer because that usually requires a commitment to owning a huge truck. But are these trailers you are referring to more semi-permanent?

Yeah, agreed, I've had so many conversations about this where people like the idea in concept but when you hear about people actually living in these it quickly becomes clear that it doesn't work for some folks. Specifically, though, in the 400 SF version that we'd like to build next (assuming we're able to actually sell the smaller one we're currently building) it would be on a 30-foot trailer and actually have two sleeping lofts. In that model, a minimalist family of 4 (minimalist, he says, as if!) could totally fit with the two adults in one loft and the two kids in another. At 3 children you start getting more difficult, but I'm sure you could do a 600 SF house, but then a trailer large enough to build such a thing becomes difficult to move.

Re needing a truck, plenty of folks tow tiny houses so that's no problem assuming you don't want to constantly move it. If you wanted to be truly mobile I personally question whether a tiny house really is the right vehicle (ha!) for that lifestyle. And the trailer we're using has jacks, which stabilize the trailer so, no, it's not semi-permanent, but when you jump around in ours you can't feel it moving at all. We also had a thought about adding a skirt to the trailer itself to increase curb appeal if someone purchasing it is going to leave it fixed in one location, but that's for when/if we sell. Gotta finish the interior first.

Re: Modular Homes for Under $50k

#225

Post by organsnyder »

chrisseaton wrote: post #171
gwbrooks wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Since they're very up front about referring to them as Accessory Dwelling units, the primary market is likely people who want to quickly put an ADU in place alongside a traditional single-family home for extra living space or rental income. About one-third of the cost of new multifamily development is typically tied up in zoning/permitting/planning processes. Against that backdrop, ADUs -- particularly if the city pr…

'Accessory Dwelling Unit' is the most depressing way to talk about a home I've ever heard.

I don't see it that way at all. Perhaps I've been too immersed in this terminology (I built an ADU a couple of years ago), but it makes sense given typical property descriptions: it's a dwelling unit (i.e. a place where people live) that's secondary ("accessory") to the primary dwelling. Or is the depressing part the fact that it assumes single family residences?

Re: Modular Homes for Under $50k

#227

Post by harmmonica »

sva_ wrote: post #123
teekert wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Personally, I don't like having neighbours, I like nature, I don't mind living small. Such a house would allow me to put more of my resources in land. Then if I need more room for stuff I can build that myself (stuff requires less isolation and there are less strict rules for it in my country, etc).

Pretty sure you'll still need a concrete foundation, or else the house will slowly drift away. But plumbing is probably the hardest/most expensive thing about it.

I've said this elsewhere in the thread, but putting a small/tiny house on a trailer is a good option and won't drift away (at least not in the foreseeable future since it's on wheels with jacks to keep it in place). I think we've reached a point with composting toilets and grey water where plumbing is not that hard, nor expensive. Yes, you still need a water source, but running the actual plumbing lines is low-cost and as long as you're willing to use a composting toilet (no plumbing lines for that obviously) and make use of your grey water in/around your property (which in a lot of the western US should be the norm instead of the exception) it's pretty reasonable. Does require a different way of thinking about things and in a lot of urban areas the "state" might have regulations that prohibit some of these things.

Re: Modular Homes for Under $50k

#228

Post by toss1 »

thesausageking wrote: post #4

This house is 375 sq ft and uses low end materials, and it doesn't include setup, so it's going to cost ~$100k, or $266 / sq ft. Most new home construction is more like $150 / sq ft. And with this system, you're very limited in what you can build. Who's the target customer for this?

The first idea that strikes me (aside form the obvious in-law apt addition) is to use this approach for the homeless.

It's been shown that the best solution for many (non-mentally-ill) homeless is to literally provide a home. E.g., merely the fact of falling on enough hardships to lose a home and having no fixed address is a major impediment to getting a new job and becoming a homed, taxpaying resident.

Yet I've read repeatedly that California is spending net $1 million per home to create low-standard living spaces for the homeless. This is more than a 10X improvement in these costs.

Re: Modular Homes for Under $50k

#229

Post by datavirtue »

gangstead wrote: post #85
harmmonica wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My friend and I were having a similar fantasy of putting places like that all over the western US so we started with a one-off project to build a tiny house so that it can just be “plopped” down (or rather rolled in). How big were you thinking? Something like 400 SF? Or a proper house? As I said in another comment on this thread I think it’s possible to build something totally custom for a similar budget (200-250 psf…

Possibly that small, but I'm a family of five so sleeping that many quickly becomes a problem. Bunk beds and squeezing in are fine but we're +1 over what almost every dwelling considers family-sized. I hadn't considered a trailer because that usually requires a commitment to owning a huge truck. But are these trailers you are referring to more semi-permanent?

See: Destination Trailers

https://www.forestriverinc.com/rvs/destination-trailers/sier...

Re: Modular Homes for Under $50k

#230

Post by minsc__and__boo »

hellbannedguy wrote: post #165
thesausageking wrote: post #4

This house is 375 sq ft and uses low end materials, and it doesn't include setup, so it's going to cost ~$100k, or $266 / sq ft. Most new home construction is more like $150 / sq ft. And with this system, you're very limited in what you can build. Who's the target customer for this?

If you can get this contraption on your property (foundation, plumbing hookup, electric, all permit fees.) for under 100k in a desirable area, like the Bay Area, it's a great deal. If I had a flat lot that was accesssble, I would look into this further. In my town, even with the protections Gov. Neusome provided, getting an ADU is still a hassle. In my town, rich people are using ADU's to add square footage to their…

>If I had a flat lot that was accesssble, I would look into this further.

This was my thought as well. Seems like a quick and dirty solution to getting a house on an existing lot for immediate move in.

If you're cost conscious then going the longer term route of building your own might be better.

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