OK, so we bought a tiny little house on an acre of land thinking that we'd build an addition to accommodate the 5 of us (the house is a little under 800sq ft). Made sense but we can't find anyone that can build what we want and I don't have the time. So we're thinking about buying a trailer/mobile home/modular home, whatever you want to call it and having it dropped right up next to the existing house, siding it to match, and tying it all together, essentially turning the trailer into a pre-fab addition. It should work ok shouldn't it? Any ideas or opinions? I'm all ears. Thanks

OK, so we bought a tiny little house on an acre of land thinking that we'd build an addition to accommodate the 5 of us (the house is a little under 800sq ft). Made sense but we can't find anyone that can build what we want and I don't have the time. So we're thinking about buying a trailer/mobile home/modular home, whatever you want to call it and having it dropped right up next to the existing house, siding it to match, and tying it all together, essentially turning the trailer into a pre-fab addition. It should work ok shouldn't it? Any ideas or opinions? I'm all ears. Thanks

it's really no different then what a double-wide trailer home is. so yeah, it shoudl work. just make sure whoever is doing the work is licensed. if not, if something goes wrong then it's on you. also make sure you buy the permit to do it, you're property taxes might/might not go up.

you shoudl be able to talk to your local building/inspections office to find out.

Any zoning regulations that would apply?

..:wtf:..This is so wrong, in so many ways...Check with the building department first, they can best explain it for you...;)

The plus side is that if a tornado rips through you would only loose half of your house.

We are in a manufactured house here (fancy double wide)..

There is a foundation that looks about 2+ ft deep then slump block and the house is tied down about every 18" of so..

Its FHA aproved and can handle the wind in our area. I'm not sure about where you are.. but if you get tornados I'm sure they have similar if not more stringent rules about how they are mounted to the ground.

~Mark

I need to get some pics. There are 3 houses like this in a row a few miles from my house. 2 are built up next to the house, and the 1 is a house built around a trailer.

We kinda did the same thing to my friends house we found one that was free and in perfect shape . It was just 2 year older then wear they lived would allow. But it up and build a house from it but up new siding and a tin roof. Why you may ask? The taxes on it is way less then a real house and it was a lil bit cheaper to build. If done right no way to tell it was ever a trailer at all.

I need to get some pics. There are 3 houses like this in a row a few miles from my house. 2 are built up next to the house, and the 1 is a house built around a trailer.

That would be sweet if you could grab some pics of that! I've been all over trying to find evidence that this has been done before to take with me to town council next week. Just want to prove that it can look decent if done right. I'll build a pitched roof to match the existing and put on vinyl siding straight across so you can't see the seams.

Well, I'll try and head over that way tomorrow. Should be decent weather to take an illegal bike ride.

..:wtf:..This is so wrong, in so many ways...Check with the building department first, they can best explain it for you...;)

Building department? We moved to a town with a population of 200, my family increased the total population by 2.5% when we moved in! The "building department" is three guys named Earl splitting a case of beer! :bdrunk:

I'm no professional builder, but I own an Explorer and am damned good at improvising and making things work, even when maybe they shouldn't. :hammer:
Why is it wrong? Please elaborate, I'm looking for all the input and ideas I can get!
Thanks,
Gary

The idea needs to be worked on-

You'll need to orient the "add on" house so the utilities enter in the same proximity-for instance.

If you can add to the existing foundation, set the " add on " house to it and work out the utility bugs I think it would work out--

The ones I am talking about look "well lived in". A lot of people put additions on trailers, it's basically the same thing.

..I am a builder and I have lived in towns with a smaller population, honest... I have actually seen a house built around an outhouse and 1 house in arizona which was 1 room with the sleeping bed on the roof and no running water or outhouse...;)

..The afore mentioned houses don't make them legal or safe.

..It sounds like you have all you need if you get pictures??..I am not familiar where you are located..Are you in the states or elsewhere???...

...A trailer is not considered a "permanent" dwelling and is built to different spec.'s than a house...A modular home is not a trailer and is built to certain codes of it's own...

...Insurance companies will drop you in case of any problems you need to have them compensate you for...Say you have a fire and loss of life...No Inspections, no insurance...

In the states, a trailer must be "Permatized" before it is habitable as a single family home unless, it is used as a trailer...A trailer and a house have to be "X" amount of feet (50' I think but it varies)away from each other...Most states and or county's have laws as to "length of time" utilities can be hooked up to a temporary living space (a trailer)..Only after inspections can a trailer recieve the utilities...A trailer can not be attached to a residence by law..Etc..Etc..Etc...

...This is all I will say on this as I know you are set on doing it anyways..:banghead:

Dang Ted you are being tough on this guy. I have seen a bunch of places build like he is talking about. They were south of the Rio Grand.

Seems pretty shady what you are planning on doing.

..lol, sorry...I don't mean to sound so hard...

..lol, sorry...I don't mean to sound so hard...

But all very true.

If I remember correctly Prud'homme is just outside Saskatoon Saskatchewan. My old home province. As I recall, not too stringent in the housing codes. My experience in SK is that many of the small towns just adopt the national housing code and call it good. I'm not an expert, nor can I fathom what would be needed for such a transformation.

Oh, and I'd shoot for more of a prefab rather than a trailer. Odds are most of your trades are enjoying the building boom in Saskatoon.

Yeah, it's the boom that's killing us. Everybody and their crews are flocking to 'Toon Town to cash in and no one wants to work outside the city on a relatively small project like my addition.
You see, just to clarify, the plan was to build a proper addition, 16'x47' but I only wanted the exterior structure built and finished and tied into the existing properly and I'd take care of all the interior finishing. 4 months later I can't even get someone out to have a look, let alone give me an estimate! So we started looking at some of the pre-fab outfits to see if we could have the addition built off-site and then moved on, but no dice there either. So as a last resort we started looking at the trailer idea.
Really I just need three and a half walls built and a roof but you'd think I was asking for the Sistine Chapel!
I am NOT set on a trailer addition, I know it's a questionable idea at best:D, but I am set on getting enough living space for the family (or breathing space for me!) so I don't go crazy:confused:
Anyhoo...

' but I only wanted the exterior structure built and finished and tied into the existing properly and I'd take care of all the interior finishing.
Anyhoo...

There is your problem. Any real contractor won't take a half of a project like that. If you screw something up it could be blamed on the contractor and it opens them up to a bunch of legal problems.

Maybe try craiglist. Around here there a bunch that say "cuntractor god werk cheep reverals avalable" Sounds like a legit person to me.

My old neighbor wants an AC unit installed in her house. She wants someone to come out and tell her what to buy cause her friend can get "employee" pricing at a supply house. Then she wants you to come install it. How many problems do you see in just this one item. Say a part is missing that he said to get will she want to pay an extra $100 for a return trip? What if a month after the install a part fails who should have to pay to fix it? She is trying to save a few bucks but is making it more work for the guy that does the install.. It is no wonder she cant get anyone to come out and look at it.

On jobs I do the customer specs the finish products such as faucets and light fixtures. I buy them and then install them. That way if something is missing it is my fault.

..You could talk to the 3 Earls, (Building Dept.)...They would know the local sub-contractors...Ask them for a concrete guy, a plumber, and a framer...All you need is to get a hold of one of them...Each trade know of a guy who does the other trade and will pass the info on and this may help you..All small towns have their own, dare I say, "networking"...;)

...As what RockRanger was stating, this will make you the General Contractor (G.C.) which has monetary benfits with some downfalls as he stated..It won't be easy but it beats taking shortcuts that you will pay for later...:dunno: