Selling house to live in mobile home

gollyitsolly

Im seriously thinking of selling my house and going to live in a mobile home by the sea. With this property charge coming in ,whats the point of buying bricks and mortar and killing yourself trying to pay for it? I thought my home would be something my kids would inherit but 2 of them have left and they hate Ireland.They have no intentions of living here in the future. Im thinking,sell up,give them a few bob ,buy a decent car and move into a mobile home. No big bills and maybe I could actually go on a holiday sometime. What do people think ?

(planning issues aside) Have you spent winter in a mobile home?

For exposed sites on the west coast you would need to be very well anchored during a storm.

gollyitsolly

No,but then Ive a house that costs a fortune to heat. People have survived living in mobiles for years. Its very rare for a mobile home to overturn in Ireland. Why dosent somebody with a bit of land open some trailer parks here,I wonder? I can see this being a viable option soon . Although some trailer parks in the USA dont have a good image. But proper vetting could apply.

Mike Clerk

Thats a great bohemian idea but what about your family and about those stuff like household objects,have you planned to sell them or carry it in your caravan?????

gollyitsolly

I have masses of stuff,but living now is more important to me. My kids dont mind what I do. How much of what we own do we actually NEED? I am so sick and tired of this bloody recession and reading everyday about people killing themselves because of debt. There has to be other solutions. I will keep personal stuff and home is where we will gather together wether its my kids apts, the pub, hotel or my mobile.

user37

Hi,

Id just like to add that ive just bought a mobile home! Granted its not by the sea and we will be staying in it while we save 4 a house but we do expect to live in it for 4-5 years! the one we got had double glazed windows & doors, a wood buring stove, and gas central heating! ive also bought an electric blanket but im defo not worrying about the coldness!
We are in the height of a recession and personalily i thought renting as a waste of money, after rent we would have to heat a big house etc!
i think life is short, and if your feed up living to work , its time to work to live and start enjoying yourself!:)

kippy

Lads,
If ye plan on living in a mobile near/beside the coast (in indeed anywhere on this island) you are in for a tough time during any storms.
I lived in one when I was relatively young for about two hears while my father built our house.
At the time there were only 4 of us (two parents and two kids) and it was grandish space wise.
Where there issues were were during heavy rain and storms.
Yep it was well anchored down but you couldnt hear a thing apart from belting rain during the rain and if there were storms you'd hear everything and the "walls" would often "bend" in and out with the rain, you'd almost think the windows would break. Also very little privacy in one.

If you could get a decent one in a well managed site (including sewers, water and electricity), well anchored down, I suppose you could tolerate one for a while, but they don't come without their own cost and planning issues.

I'd have a house any day tbh,

kippy

gollyitsolly wrote: »

I have masses of stuff,but living now is more important to me. My kids dont mind what I do. How much of what we own do we actually NEED? I am so sick and tired of this bloody recession and reading everyday about people killing themselves because of debt. There has to be other solutions. I will keep personal stuff and home is where we will gather together wether its my kids apts, the pub, hotel or my mobile.

People dont kill themselves "because of debt".
That much has to be clarified.

SNORBEAST

What would be the average price of a good mobile home?

Would a holiday apartment be more feasible?
Or maybe trading down in the your current area?

Mr. Chrome

Off topic a bit, but if I didnt have a kid I would love to sell my house, buy a decent campervan and spend my days travelling around Europe.

Idbatterim

the property tax firstly is at such an nearly farcically low rate, that I wouldnt be making a big decision based on that alone. Do you have a mortgage and are you in negative equity op?

JuliusCaesar

Mr. Chrome wrote: »

Off topic a bit, but if I didnt have a kid I would love to sell my house, buy a decent campervan and spend my days travelling around Europe.

Have you investigated the cost of diesel and places to stop?

gollyitsolly

Thanks everyone for the replies. I do own the property so negative equity is not a problem. But trying to run and maintain a property as I get older, im 50,is a big worry. I suppose a decent mobile could be bought for 20 to 30,000euro. If it lasted 20 years. And its possible to move it to different locations too. I dunno,I just feel like this house is a money pit and a ball and chain around my neck and Im looking for an escape.

djimi

Surely a mobile home would come with its own set of expenses? Like where are you going to park it? Youll either have to buy the land or pay a monthly/annual rate. It will also have upkeep which is not going to happen for free.

I admire the idea and personally there is part of me that would love to try it to see what it would be like as a somewhat alternative lifestyle.

gollyitsolly

Oh I know. If you are on an official site its about 2,000 a year for management. Still,upkeep and water and esb cheaper than a house. And I wont be in it much anyway. I,ll be out galivanting with all the money Im saving!

_Kaiser_

kippy wrote: »

People dont kill themselves "because of debt".
That much has to be clarified.

Don't know about that.. there's a lot of people under a lot of stress and pressure financially these days, some of whom can't see any way out from the threatening letters, debt collector agencies, unemployment etc

I'd say that (if such a thing was possible) an analysis into the causes behind some of the single-occupant motor "accidents" into trees involving young men fopr example would be very depressing

P_1

Another thing to be mindful of is the reaction you might get for 'doing something that is other then the accepted norm'

Just look at the stereotypical view of travelers. You might want to be careful that you don't get tarred with the same brush.

_Kaiser_

If it's just really a roof over your head you want OP why not rent an apartment somewhere cheap and put your surplus stuff into storage?

gollyitsolly

Idbatterim wrote: »

the property tax firstly is at such an nearly farcically low rate, that I wouldnt be making a big decision based on that alone. Do you have a mortgage and are you in negative equity op?

P_1 wrote: »

Another thing to be mindful of is the reaction you might get for 'doing something that is other then the accepted norm'

Just look at the stereotypical view of travelers. You might want to be careful that you don't get tarred with the same brush.

The norm in life in Ireland right now isnt working for a huge amount of the population. Who is to say that the alternative lifestyle might just become the new normal? Dosent bother me what anyone says or thinks of me. Maybe the travellers are the smarter ones than us norms anyway? But I understand your point. A lot of people worry about image and lifestyle and what people think and it wouldnt be suitable for them.

P_1

gollyitsolly wrote: »

The norm in life in Ireland right now isnt working for a huge amount of the population. Who is to say that the alternative lifestyle might just become the new normal? Dosent bother me what anyone says or thinks of me. Maybe the travellers are the smarter ones than us norms anyway? But I understand your point. A lot of people worry about image and lifestyle and what people think and it wouldnt be suitable for them.

The 'curtain twitches' basically. People who think its their right to judge people for doing things differently. Sadly they have too much influence in this country so unfortunately you need to factor this into your considerations.

Another thing to consider is utilities etc, it could be tricky setting up a decent internet system in a mobile home, likewise cable or satellite tv.

I'm not trying to discourage you but you do need to consider these things. Personally I would love to have the freedom of living in a mobile home.

gollyitsolly

Yes the internet could be a problem. The reason I posted was to hear of things I might not have considered,so thank you.

djimi

Depending on where you are mobile internet should be an option for you. I have a wifi dongle that allows me to connect several devices to my O2 3G mobile broadband, that would certainly have enough range for a mobile home and should give you decent speed in a good connection area.

Satellite TV should not be an issue if you are not moving around.

SmithG

I would think that internet would be an issue and the weather could be a killer!

BostonB

Many can't get decent Internet in a house. Tbh its an advantage to be mobile. While you can't move a house to a better location for internet access. You could easily move a mobile home.

I would say there is another option though. You can rent quite cheaply if location isn't an issue. Certainly you might get a great deal on a holiday homes for extended periods out of season. While avoiding cost of repairs tax's etc.

air

How much a year is your home actually costing you per year if you already own it?
Or is it just that you want to free up your equity for lifestyle spending (nothing wrong with this!)?
Perhaps you could work on reducing the running costs of your existing home instead?

makeorbrake

Even if the OP (or anyone else) wanted to go for that option today, what's on the market that would fit the bill right now (for a stand alone site that would already be geared up for this) - or in the case of caravan parks, what options are there? Any links?


I keep an open mind but I don't think it will save a whole lot as such - it's certainly not clearcut in that respect - you'd have to run the numbers. Furthermore, I don't think the options are out there (remain to be convinced otherwise - and would be delighted if someone can do that). Therefore, you may be restricted in getting exactly what you want.

I think for something like this, you'd have to go the whole hog and do it in some far flung spot! :-D

kippy

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

Don't know about that.. there's a lot of people under a lot of stress and pressure financially these days, some of whom can't see any way out from the threatening letters, debt collector agencies, unemployment etc

I'd say that (if such a thing was possible) an analysis into the causes behind some of the single-occupant motor "accidents" into trees involving young men fopr example would be very depressing

I wouldnt deny the single vehicle motor crashs, however debt is not a cause of suicide.
Suicide is not a straight forward cause and effect type act.
Were debt a cause of suicide I and many more like me would be dead years ago.


OP, It looks like you plan on buying a caravan and having the option to move that around the country.
2 things.
1. These are usually very small and a lot more open to the elements.
2. A mobile home (a bigger job) can be "moved" but there is a cost involved in this.

OP, I think you need to sell your own house and rent another.

Owldshtok

Do it on a trail basis for a while to see if you can live that way.Rent your house out while renting a mobile home.

doubleglaze

OP, I don't think your idea is a good one. You would be swopping short term gain for long-term pain. Mobile homes are not suitable places for elderly folks with mobility issues. Where, in your retirement, would you find the money to trade up from a cold and poorly insulated mobile home to a cosy house with the option of a downstairs bedroom should one be required?

You are still 15 years or more away from normal retirement age. With your kids grown up, this should normally allow one greater financial resources to start making prudent plans for a financially comfortable old age when serious health issues may arise.

KittyChai

We have been in a mobile home since August and will be here until sept when our house is finished! Ours is 12foot x 30something feet! Most are only ten feet wide the extra two feet makes a big difference space wise. It means we can have a curved kitchen with peninsular bit rather than straight small galley kitchen. Also we have a regular table and chairs rather than a booth. We put draft excluders in all windows and doors makes big difference. I hung heavy curtin at front door and hallway to block draft. We could be roasting in here at times we have gas fire and storage heaters some nights last few weeks we ddnt need them on. In bedroom we had electric blanket and thermal black of curtins.
I love it and have upholstered couch and made place feel really homely. We purchased this for 5k.
Go for it! Things we do miss tho are a dishwasher and a proper powerful shower! Serviced sites such as holiday parks can be expensive so do investigate!

Mrs OBumble

doubleglaze wrote: »

OP, I don't think your idea is a good one. You would be swopping short term gain for long-term pain. Mobile homes are not suitable places for elderly folks with mobility issues. Where, in your retirement, would you find the money to trade up from a cold and poorly insulated mobile home to a cosy house with the option of a downstairs bedroom should one be required?

You are still 15 years or more away from normal retirement age. With your kids grown up, this should normally allow one greater financial resources to start making prudent plans for a financially comfortable old age when serious health issues may arise.

+1

This was what I was thinking as I read the OP's post.

Imagine being 75, needing a walking frame to get around, and needing to climb out of a mobile home every time you need to go to the loo. Or if the mobile home has a sewerage system in it, imagine the mechanics of emptying the tank if you're unstead on your feet.

OP, it sounds liek you need to trade down on the house front.

bigtomw

Hi guys, sorry for resurrecting an old thread, but just wondering for what do people who are living on their own sites who maybe waiting for a house build do with their sewerage

MarkAnthony

bigtomw wrote: »

Hi guys, sorry for resurrecting an old thread, but just wondering for what do people who are living on their own sites who maybe waiting for a house build do with their sewerage

Just guessing here but get the septic tank installed first?

happypants

bigtomw wrote: »

Hi guys, sorry for resurrecting an old thread, but just wondering for what do people who are living on their own sites who maybe waiting for a house build do with their sewerage

Now I want to know how the OP got on and did they go for the mobile home!!

MarkAnthony

Got me thinking about how I'd avoid the property tax came up with this:

the_syco

It's a lot harder for someone to steal ones house, than it is to steal a mobile home. It being mobile and all. Also, check if there are any travellers with your surname, in case someone mistakes you for a long lost cousin, and decides to park next to you. It's not like you can just ring the cops; they have a history of not being able to do much to trespassing travellers.

The long lease thing; there'll probably be something to stop you staying the full year, otherwise travellers may take residence, and they won't make an exception for you, as discriminating against travellers is one of the big no-no's of Irish discrimination law.

Whilst on the topic of travellers, people will probably assume you are one, and you may find yourself ostracised from the community you wish to live in.