Temporary Mobile Home Housing While Building

Are you looking for temporary housing while you build your dream home.  It is difficult to move all your stuff around to get prepared for a new home.  In this article Temporary Mobile Home Housing While Building we will discuss the pros and cons of living in a mobile home vs. other temporary housing.

      Temporary Mobile Home Housing: Things to Consider

First, you need to decide what type of budget you are trying to stay within during your building process.  Having a budget for temporary housing will give you the time you need to complete your project.  It will also be less stressful if you know exactly how much time you have. 

Always add on, a couple extra months to the process.  Contractors and the weather can delay your projects significantly.  How long you must live in the home while building usually ranges anywhere from 9 months to 1 ½ years so make sure you are in temporary housing that works for your whole family.

It’s also important to consider where the temporary housing is going to be located.  Is it closer or further away from where you work or where your kids go to school.  Travel time is important when you need to get to a location daily. 

         Temporary Mobile Home Housing While Building

Whether you look at temporarily living in a singlewide or doublewide mobile home while building you need to know the full costs associated. 

The number one benefit of staying in a mobile home is affordability.  You can buy a used mobile home for an affordable price.  You can live in the home for months and then sell it for more or for the same as what you purchased it for.  This gives you a home to live in nearly free while you build your dream home. 

The second benefit to living in a mobile home while your dream home is constructed is that you will be able to oversee your project.  If your contractor has an immediate concern, you are right there to guide him along. 

The third biggest benefit is building sites are prone to people stealing items.  With someone living on the site this is less likely to happen.  You will be quickly available to the site if anything were to come up. 

Having a mobile home on the site is easily movable.  These units are very portable so if you need to relocate you can just move the whole home with heavy equipment. 

Finally, and most importantly you want to check with your building inspector before moving any type of temporary housing to your private land.  There are always enforceable rules and regulations for every county.  Yes, they will probably let you move into a mobile home to stay in while your home is being built but you will only have so much time to move the home once you have a Certificate of Occupancy for the new home.

Read our article I Want to Sell My Mobile Home Quickly.

                                   On Site Temporary Housing

When it comes to having a mobile home for on site temporary housing there are a couple more things you need to consider:

1. You will need power available at the site.  Yes, you can run a generator to give you power to start but having a power source you can hook into will make the stay much easier.

2. Having a way to get into and out of the home is important. Mobile home steps on the front and back of the home come in quite handy and they can be sold with the home when you are done using them. 

3. Having your well hooked up quickly will give you water available at your site as well.  Living from a gallon jug of water isn’t easy.  So, getting this hooked up quickly will provide you and your family with a water source. 

Visit our article on Selling My Doublewide Mobile Home

            Temporary Mobile Home Housing – Rental

There are companies that will rent mobile homes to you during your building process.  These companies will deliver a mobile home to your location and rent it to you while you build.  They will also pick up the home once you have moved from it. 

These companies can be a bit pricier, but it is less money than purchasing the unit and less of a headache when you are done using it for temporary housing. 

Able Housing is one of the companies and they also assist many families that have lost homes to fires and severe weather conditions.  This may also be covered by your insurance company. 

   Temporary Housing Used Mobile Home Vs. New Mobile Home

If you are looking to have a new mobile home moved on to your property living in the old mobile home could be an option.  If you have room on the land and do not plan to put the new home in the same location as the old home.  Once you have the new home set you can move into it and then move out of the old mobile home.  Be sure to check with your local county building office to see if they will allow this.  Typically, they will give you so many days to move the old unit. 

Read our article Ways to Get Rid of an Old Mobile Home.  

Also if you are looking for a used mobile home to live in temporarily visit our article Mobile Home Liquidators.  

    Other Things to Consider When You Need Temporary Housing

Here are some other things you should also consider when it comes to temporary housing. 

Storing your other items will take up room.  You need to consider investing in a shed or some type of storage unit for your items while your home is being built. Another option would be to put all the items in a storage unit or pod but that will cost you a monthly fee.

You need to consider what you will do with your pets while your home is being built.  If you are living in a mobile home at the site, it will be easy for your pets to get accustomed to the surrounding area.  This will give them room to move, and you will not annoy neighbors if they bark or make noises. 

        Temporary Housing in an RV, Camper, or Fifth Wheel

Temporary housing in an R.V., camper or fifth wheel is great as well, if you have a small family.  The living area is much smaller than a mobile home and you typically only have one bathroom to share.  There is very limited space in a camper, and it gives you less room for privacy.

R.V.s are typically made for short-term living and travel.  They typically do not come with a full kitchen or full beds.  Many beds must be folded back up making room for other items in the camper. 

R.V.s or campers are also not made for severe weather.  You may experience leaks, heat issues and overheating due to hot weather conditions.

Pets in an RV or camper also add to the limited space issue.  It really does not give your pet much room to move around.

One last thing to consider is the fact that RV or campers need to have their bathroom areas dumped.  The storage area is only so big for waste so you will need to pay to have a pump truck visit your camper or you will need to tow the camper to a waste release area.    

In conclusion, RV or camper temporary housing is doable, but it’s important to consider all the drawbacks.  For many families a mobile home is a better option.   

                         Hotels Used for Temporary Housing

Living in a hotel can be very expensive.  In fact, it is probably one of the more expensive options to choose from.  Plus, you will not get back any of the money you invest in this type of temporary housing.   Even if you have budgeted to live in the hotel delays and weather can put you even further into debt. Hotels may also run out of space which could leave you homeless.

Another problem with living in a hotel is the noise from different neighbors.  In a hotel you have guests on every side of you.    Kids frequently visit hotels with their families, and this can make your sleeping arrangements difficult.

If you have a pet or multiple pets a hotel can be a very hard environment for them.  Trying to keep them quiet when they hear noises is almost impossible.  It is in their nature to want to protect you and your family. 

Plus, a hotel does not offer you any extra storage area for all your items that you have for your old home.   You would need to rent a storage unit or a storage pod on top of your hotel stays.  

              Local Mobile Home Park – Temporary Housing

You may consider talking with a manager at a local mobile home park if you are looking for temporary housing of 3+ months.  Many mobile home parks have empty units that they rent.  Filling one of these units temporarily might be of interest to the park.  Each park has different rules so if one manager states that they can’t do it be sure to check around with other parks. 

Read our article on Renting a Mobile Home.

                                     Need Somewhere to Stay

You might even consider renting a stick-built home.  Calling up landlords in the area to explain your situation and what you are looking for is always an option.  This may be a bit more expensive and you won’t get back any of the money you invested in renting but it would give you and your family a place to live while your home is being built.    

                  Fire or Severe Weather: Temporary Housing

Needing temporary housing because of a fire or severe damage to your home can come on unexpectedly.  Having a temporary home available quickly will help to put your mind at ease while your insurance company figures everything out.  When your world is turned upside down it is great to be able to get into a home where you can start to rebuild. 

The number one thing that comes to mind when you have a house fire or home emergency is the safety of your family.  Homes can be replaced and having your family safe means everything. 

Furthermore, if any of the items in your home survived the fire or weather destruction you will need to store those items as well.  Finding temporary storage for them should be another priority you should consider.

                   Temporary Housing: Friends and Family

Another option for temporary housing would be to check with friends and family. Many times, they have an extra area for you to stay in while your home is being built.  This can be difficult if you have a large family, and you have pets.  It is hard to stay with someone for months on end.  Having your own place to get away and having privacy really is worth the extra money.    

                Complete Home Construction – Moving In

Once your construction is complete it is time to move in.  If you are living at the site, it will be easy to start the process of moving your items into your new home.  If you have a basement area it is a great place to store items and then slowly pull them into the home.  Having boxes all over the home can make things a bit chaotic.  However, if you have gotten this far the worst is now behind you! 

In Conclusion

Temporary mobile home housing while building can provide you with everything you need to live.  When you are finished building the unit is mobile so it can be moved easily.  Hopefully this article has given you some ideas of what will work best for you while you are building. 

You might also enjoy our article Do Mobile Homes Depreciate.