This sounds very exciting and I wish you well… Here are some things to consider for what it is worth (and in no particular order):
Your ability to purchase the land is separate from your $30,000 for the structure?
Yes, definitely. If I end up getting this civilian contracting job, my house will delay being built just for another year because I will still be gone, and I may end up with an extra 10k in my hand from it too, but otherwise this is what Im looking at for my house.
Are you looking for an eventual re-sale? Avoid “quirky†designs and details. I have a good friend who did the geo-dome thing and had a hell of a time selling it. I lived in an “A†frame and that was frustrating as heck (you only have two flat walls to put furniture against and the heat in the peaked loft was excruciating) but people seem to like to buy them because they’re cute. You will invest large amounts of time and capital in this however you do it so try to increase your chances of getting a return.
Im not really looking for a resale. I want this to be cheap enough that I don't mind not getting my money back from it. A yurt or a dome would mean I could relocate it, so it isn't a big deal, and I can repurpose them into guest houses as well. My hobbit house is quirky, no doubt about it, but I won't plan on giving it up either.
Don’t do the mobile home…you will never get your investment back (been there) you’d have to pin your financial hopes on the land gaining value. Additionally some areas zone them out….and even the best ones are built like crap. Just say no. No, no, no, no.
I really want to avoid them. I don't think I can talk my parents out of one yet, but I think I found some log cabins that may peel them away from it all, but the problem is that there isn't much we can afford. Buying land is harsh enough, pile a house on it too and we're looking at maybe 50k$ allowed for a house.. That isn't much. Basically, my parents need to be able to easily pay all of their bills on my dad's retirement check. It isn't much. We haven't seen many housing options outside of mobile homes that allow for that. It isn't really an investment on the home we're looking at, so much as just a place to live where we aren't sinking and struggling to swim.
Depending on where the lot is….there’s the survey, the “perk†test (drainage) installing a legal driveway for access (you need to be able to deliver the home to your site), running power from the road into your site and then running the power from that pole to your home and service box (you’d probably be best served by a 100 amp… I had one run recently for $750.00)…..septic tank and its drain field (unless you are near to sewer….but you still have to run a connection to the sewer) Heating? You will have to have a gas line run to the site as well….you can do all electric but wow the cost at least up in the Midwest is considerable. Confronting this can really take the wind out of your sails, but it is just a hoop that must be jumped through. If you buy a kit home or pre-fab the distributer should be able to give you an idea of these costs from their past experiences…..and to that end ask for the contact info of other customers in your area so you can speak directly to them about their experiences with the housing and set-up.
Yeah, this is all stuff I've been told I'd need to go through in this.. I'm ready for it, even though itll be a pain. Something about it is exciting to me though. I'd rather find a cheaper plot of land that I add everything to myself so I know it's done right and has what I need.
Of all your options the cabin seems the most practical in that it is the most expandable, able to take modification. And, it can be built up on posts just as a conventional deck is (as long as your zoning approves it). A deck can be made very strong for relatively little $$$ compared to pouring a foundation or block work.
Yeah, if I went with an option like that I'd have to ensure I put the small house next to where we plan on having our outdoor kitchen assembly so it could serve as a guest house when I get back home, and just a temporary living space/storage shed while I'm there.
Critters…. It is termite country down there, right? So if you build on posts or pilings use the right material and techniques to discourage the little bastards. You can pour concrete pilings and assemble your deck on those (they make fixtures for this).
It is, as a matter of fact. I didnt know that.
A skylight is a hole in your roof. Yes the extra light is nice. But it is a hole. A big hole and expensive.
Habitat for Humanity has (at least up here) the Habitat re-store, a shop where salvaged building materials are available for purchase….door, windows, cabinets, etc. But in a big town there should be a number of salvage companies.
I suppose it is. I was looking at that for building some of the buildings we need on the land--the barn, and the small lean-to greenhouse for the seedlings and such with old windows.
There are some great books on wiring out there and you can do most of this yourself and then have an Licensed electrician come in at the end to check it over and do the hook-up to your circuit box. You’ll usually need a larger amp circuit for your dryer and oven (if you go electric). Seems like you live in a sunny area so when you can afford it you could retro fit solar onto your home. Also if you have favorable weather most of the year your porch or deck can become a quite nice extension of your living room or kitchen.
Interesting things to think about. It is sunny 90% of the time in Texas.
Sounds like you’ve got plumbing covered as far as the household fixtures. You may want to consider an option that lets you divert Grey water (from showers and dishes) into your landscape for use. When you buy a water heater you will get what you pay for, the cheaper ones lasting about ten years (which can be influenced by the quality of your water). Do you have need for heating down there or is it tolerable all year round? Air-conditioning? Either way good insulation and “Energy Star†rated doors and windows (properly installed) would be prudent.
We were just talking about a dual-septic system for that
since I want to put a sprinkler system in a quarter acre of the land where we intend on putting the garden. And Texas weather is HOT with mild winters, A/C is a must (people die without it literally
) but in winter we tend to just use a fireplace and bundle up for most of it.
Will you want to have pets? Where will they be kept or exercised?
We plan on just keeping a few barn cats around for mice and rodents, but otherwise we have a few lazy house dogs.
Not well exercised, they don't really like to, they just sit around and get fat and cuddle. Although I think the one tiny dog will LOVE having more room to run around in, she's young still.
Use the best materials possible for your roof. Everything you own is under it. I like metal standing seam which is expensive up front but will last well in excess of 50 years.
I'll have to google that, I've never heard of it!
You said some awesome advice here.
The main purpose for this land is to give my parents a final place to retire, and settle down.. the house they aim to get isn't really made for doing much besides being a place for them to rest finally, so I'm not too worried about the investment--people forget you're paying for a place to live. It's no different than paying for an apartment, I don't much worry about seeing the money back. It'd be nice, but not at all necessary. I don't see much options for them in terms of housing outside of a mobile home if they want to keep their payments under $500 a month for house and land.
The purpose of my tiny house is to give me a place to live that is paid off, that I don't have to worry about, and after this next year hopefully doing contracting work I'll have no payments outside of utilities, I can just relax, finish my degree, and if I CHOOSE to work after that it'll be purely for the purpose of traveling and making a career I enjoy.
I think my hobbit home can become my first option if I intend on doing things this way.