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lavender_lass

Manufactured home!!! Shock :o

lavender_lass
9 years ago

I still want to fix up the old house, but more as a guest house/man cave than our actual home. There are just too many issues and expanding the house is going to be psycho-expensive. Instead, I'm thinking of putting the vegetable garden behind it (put those asbestos tiles to work) and use the reflected heat to keep the tomatoes happy.

Yes, asbestos is bad! But only if you try to remove it or it's damaged. I have to say, that siding has worn like iron (LOL) and is still in great shape. So, rather than trying to remake our little home into something it's not...we will help it survive and keep the charm of what it is.

Anyway, now (since my mom is going to move in with us eventually) we are looking for one-floor living. And last weekend, we stopped by a manufactured home place (the one where she got her very cute home six years ago) and found a LOVELY home. It's huge, but full of sunlight (windows on three sides) and tons of storage.

So, if I end up with a 2,800 sq. ft. home...are you all going to let me stay on the forum? :)

I choose to think of it as a 1,400 sq. ft. home with a full basement (in my mind) just all laid out on one level. LOL It's got three bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms (perfect since mom might like her own bathroom) and a nice kitchen. The living room/dining room is ALL windows, and we're thinking of adding french doors on each side and making it almost like a sun porch.

This would give us a place for my mom's MANY plants and a sunny place for her to read and entertain her friends...while my husband can still watch TV or make noise with his friends. I plan to be in the kitchen...where I think replacing the small island with a bistro table and a couple of chairs will be perfect for tea :)

Hope you all are having a wonderful spring and enjoying the sunshine we've had this week!

Comments (25)

  • phoggie
    9 years ago

    Sounds like a win, win!

  • lavender_lass
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks, Phoggie :)

    How is your spring going? Are you feeling better, now? I hope so...And enjoying that lovely view!

  • desertsteph
    9 years ago

    "So, if I end up with a 2,800 sq. ft. home...are you all going to let me stay on the forum?"

    I don't think we count basements... we don't care what floor it's on.

  • Annie Deighnaugh
    9 years ago

    Yes, I'll certainly keep you, considering I frequent here and our house is bigger than a small house....but it's small for our area.

  • lavender_lass
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Steph- LOL! Thank you.

    Annie- It's all relative, right? :)

  • ogrose_tx
    9 years ago

    LL, I think that sounds like a great idea, and you will still live on your beautiful land - I have so enjoyed seeing your pictures, especially living here in Dallas suburbia!

    I know you'll figure something out that works. Hope your DH is still doing well.
    ogrose

  • desertsteph
    9 years ago

    "you will still live on your beautiful land "

    and that is such a plus!

  • Shades_of_idaho
    9 years ago

    I am confused. Is your Mom going to move in with you where you are living now or are you going to buy some new property for all of you?

    Either way one level living sounds like a good idea. So grateful we are all one level except the two small steps to the front porch. These could easily be ramped if needed.

    Manufactured homes are so fun to customize.

  • Iowacommute
    9 years ago

    The laws were changed a handful of years ago about lending on a manufactured home. We had a very hard time selling ours and took a huge hi when it was appraised for $70k less than what our offer was. Needless to say the deal fell in through. Just make sure you are educated about the kind of loan you will be able to use if you go that route.

    Home owners insurance is also very high on a manufactured home. Its a pity because they can be pretty nice. Just do your homework.

  • TxMarti
    9 years ago

    I can't say anything LL as I have crept over the 2,000 mark myself. Enjoy your new home, and your plans for the old one sound great.

  • Nancy in Mich
    9 years ago

    If staying on your current land is possible, great! Two things to watch out for: If you move in to a new manufactured home, the off-gassing of the products used to make it can irritate some people. Some get respiratory symptoms, some get headaches. So if anyone in the family has asthma or emphysema or COPD, think twice about manufactured housing. Secondly, if any of the three of you are smokers, it is not a good idea to live in a new manufactured home. Consider used instead. The new ones just up your lung irritation too much, and combined with smoking, you are just asking for trouble. After a couple of years, the irritating chemicals have off-gassed enough that it is safer for smokers to live in manufactured homes.

    I researched this because my asthma went crazy whenever I visited my mother when she lived in a newer mobile home. I would cough all night if I tried to stay overnight. When she moved to an older model, I was okay,

    I believe that the paper I found to read online said that living in a new mobile home was the equivalent to living as a pack-a-day smoker for one year.

  • desertsteph
    9 years ago

    " it is not a good idea to live in a new manufactured home"

    the same is true for a new car. I heard on the news several yrs ago that you shouldn't drive a new car without the windows open. Tells what they are making these things from and what it does to our health. Even our food is packed with dangerous stuff!

    10 yrs or so ago I walked into a new branch of my bank and before I made it to the counter I had a headache. The smell in there was HORRIBLE! it was the new carpeting - and probably the glue they used putting it down.

  • lavender_lass
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Yes, that definitely is a problem! A lot of it is glues and carpeting. I noticed it, when my mom had a new manufactured home. Also, when I visited a friend's house, who just had new carpeting installed in the basement.

    We don't smoke, but that's a good thing to know. Yikes...that's a lot of off-gassing.

  • Shades_of_idaho
    9 years ago

    Fortunately when our manufactured home was newly delivered it was summerish and we were able to leave it opened up for a little over a month before we moved in. We locked the doors at night when we left but left all the windows wide open. no one bothered anything. Even so the smells were pretty strong.

  • desertsteph
    9 years ago

    that's why I wouldn't put regular sheet vinyl down here. Shades - how'd that go when your new vinyl floor was put in?
    I had/am having the vinyl planks put down. that little strip along the sides of the plank stick to another plank. No problem with that.

    I had a major problem just coming into this home when they were painting inside.

  • Shades_of_idaho
    9 years ago

    Desertsteph there was no odor problem with the sheet vinyl we had installed. The glues they use do not smell like they used to and the vinyl smell was barely noticeable. I also had just painted the bedroom.

    Joe came home on oxygen and I was a bit worried but he said he could not even smell anything. He came home 17 days after the floor was put in. The lung doc said no painting until Joe's lungs cleared. Which has now happened. I need to paint the hall.

  • desertsteph
    9 years ago

    that's great shades! they must have new or fixed the old glue. I have problems just going down the detergent aisle at the store! so many scents combined just about does me in. I seldom go to that aisle and I sure make it a quick trip when I do.
    I can't bear being around windex in use either.

  • Shades_of_idaho
    9 years ago

    Yes Steph the detergent isle also bothers me so I avoid it. I make my own laundry detergent.

  • Nancy in Mich
    9 years ago

    My gosh, you all sound like me! I never meant to turn your thread into an off-gas discussion, Lass! How is the planning coming? Anything new?

  • desertsteph
    9 years ago

    nancy - I was so shocked when this started happening to me. Don't remember having this problem in my 20-30s. Now I wonder 'what's next?' Whatever scent it is my sister uses in her house (those little plug into a socket scents) bother me also. When I'm at her house and when she sends things over to me. When she sends clothes I have to hang them outside for a few days to get rid of the smell.

    LL - yes - how is it going? keep us posted.

  • lavender_lass
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Hi, all!

    I have the same problem, so no worries changing the subject a bit. It seems like the 'cheaper fragrances' and room fresheners may use the same basic ingredients. I wonder if that's my problem. Really high end perfume doesn't seem to bother me as much (not a snob) but wonder if they use better quality ingredients or people just wear less, because it's more expensive :)

    As for the home...right now we are sorting and cleaning up our stuff and my mom's. So much to go through and consolidate down to one household, although I want my mom to keep anything she really loves, as do we. We probably won't be getting anything done for a few more months (so much going on) but I will let you know as soon as anything changes.

    Hope you're all having a lovely summer!

  • Nancy in Mich
    9 years ago

    Steph and Lavender Lass, check out the article below and you will see why you are irritated by air fresheners. They put toxic fumes out. I had to complain to my doctor to get her to make the staff take them out of the waiting room.

    Here is a link that might be useful: One of many articles on air fresheners

  • lavender_lass
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thank you for the article! I really have a problem with Febreeze...that stuff is awful :(

    They used to spray it at the nursing home my grandmother was in and then they used it at a rehab facility my husband was in (during his recovery). I finally had to tell them to NOT spray it or I would have to leave.

    It's like you can feel your lungs tightening up over this stuff. Lots of people use it and like it, but I'll stick with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, citrus, chocolate...you know things that smell good AND you can eat them!

    Seriously, a little bit of spices in some boiling water (then simmer) and the entire house smells wonderful :)

  • desertsteph
    9 years ago

    nancy - thx for the article! I'm going to send it to my sister also.

    LL - febreeze is horrible - I'm better off with the icky smell that febreeze is supposed to cover up/get rid of.

  • schoolhouse_gw
    9 years ago

    A can of Fabreeze with Gain fragrance is always in my bathroom. : )

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