Dilemma: extend mobile home or...?

I have a small delema, which really isn't a problem at all, I guess just me being disappointed. My grandmother passed away last year and the land is staying in the family. My dad and my aunt and uncle have split up the land and i have been told I can live on my Dad's portion for free. (And use my aunt and uncle's portions with permission) My grandma had a very small, 1 bedroom mobile home with hookups on the property. This property is fairly large and in the country. Dad and I had discussed building a cob home on the property, and everything was a go. We are also starting a small orchard for family use.
Here is my not-really-a-problem.... i am 6 months pregnant with my 3rd child. My boyfriend just got a new job working about 60 hrs a week and i work full time as well.
This baby will be born in April, about the time i had wanted to start construction. I just don't see a foreseeable way for this to actually happen. there will just not be enough help to get
this project done by ourselves at this time. So.... we are looking at adding onto the existing mobile home. I don't want to sink a lot of money into this project for 2 reasons -1. I don't want to give up and "settle" for less than my "dream home". 2. I don't want to waste money by putting into something that may be torn down in the (nearish) future.
The ideas we have tossed around are buying an older mobile home, one that needs work, and renovating it to something that will fit our family of 5 needs. We can add the smaller, already functioning mobile to it, adding space.
I am NOT trying to sound ungrateful for this opportunity, I am just disappointed that things were not working out as i had planed, and trying to find the best solution for now.
We currently live in an apartment, in a small town. We have no yard for the kids to play, not much room for a garden, and space is at a premium. Also, i hate paying rent and high
utilities We DO have a stable roof over our heads and a clean environment, so its not an emergency situation. Its just the sooner we get "out there" the sooner we can make our lives
better all around.



1. I know this isn't technically all green building, BUT these homes are being reused. Most of the "new" building supplys will most likely be coming form
my Dad, who does renovations on chain stores, and can get a lot of torn out materials for free, that are still good.
2. This is the most frugal option I could come up with. The rent will be free, we will have welll water and free gas. Eventually i would like to transition
a more "off the grid" set up, but as things stand now, I can't pass this up.
3 I guess i am looking for more moral support, some one to say, "sounds good!" or give me a better option, because options are always good!


thank you!
Michele

Hi Michele, just going by what you have told us ... I would be on that property as soon as I could , live in a tent if I had to. Go for it!!

Michele - I second what Miles said. Sounds like you have access to a wealth of materials from your dad and free land, water, gas and a small home already. Cost savings on rent and utilities will make a small add-on feasible, especially if you think that maybe down the road you could use the two trailers to house WWOOFERs, host classes and the like.

Your dream home will materialize as you live on the land and become familiar with it - and it will be all that much better for the time you spend observing it through the seasons.

As for moral support, if you are willing to accept IMmoral support - I'm your girl! Go for it!

All the best!
Jen

OMG I would be killing myself for that opportunity. Dreams are goals not demands. If you have a dream house and you can build it on that land and be happy then move out there and start building. You can wait your whole life for your dream to fall on your lap but if you don't start somewhere I'm 99% sure it will never happen

An acquaintance of mine started a project like this by parking two mobiles side by side a given distance apart, and then building two strawbale walls between them, the whole forming a larger square. The part between the mobiles was then roofed over and finished while daily life went on in the mobiles themselves. Thus it was all in the same space, all heated, and any spare hour could be devoted to keeping on with the project. There may have even been the idea to pull the mobiles out later, during a summer or two, and putting more strawbale wall in their places. Unfortunately the whole thing ended up catching fire....always a danger with both mobiles and unstuccoed strawbales.....

thanks every one! My Dad came over today and we are going to start looking for a used mobile home. I am feeling a lot better about the situation now, and hopefully we will be able to get things going sooner rather than later. I think some of it is just pregnancy anxiety :/

This thread discusses various possibilities. I like the idea of building a post and beam structure over the mobile. --- https://permies.com/forums/posts/list/56/8719

Et Al and the 'pCloud' : Trailer first, then pole barn with generous overhanging eves, and use the hay bales on pallets, to start to frame and insulate a south facing microclimate.

Then a raised and compacted gravel bed and/or french drains, and foundation work and infilling the windward side with tarps, then board and barton or a knee wall for cob !

So many ways to go - The sooner you are on the land the sooner the land will show you its needs and it's gifts ! Big AL !

We lived in a barn (actually a metal shed with concrete floor), if the existing mobile home has a bathroom and washing machine you have it made.

You can buy a second mobile home or camper or build a "garage" that can be bedrooms until you get the dream home done. Garage kits are fairly cheap and can be done quick. It can become a shop or playroom when the new house is done.

Orienting your structure from East to West could make a big difference in comfort and energy costs. Try to put the side with the most windows facing South and dont cover them up with a covered porch.

Good luck on your move to the land.
I did the same thing when younger.
It turned out well, no rent, no commute to site to build anything.
I would not change the mobile home in any way as it will make it harder to move out later, I know the work plus funds would be better used in other areas of improvement in your land.
Up side for me was the mobile home was sold for 700 less than what was paid for it after 3 years use.
Many blessings on your upcoming birth.
Brian