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The way to do this if you're not wealthy is to get a cheapo plot of land on the Oregon/Washington coast ($<100k for up to .5 acres) and put a manufactured home

The way to do this if you're not wealthy is to get a cheapo plot of land on the Oregon/Washington coast ($<100k for up to .5 acres) and put a manufactured home on it. It's way simpler, cheaper, and the construction on manufactured homes has improved a lot over the years (they're framed with 2x6s to survive transport, and this makes them sturdier and better insulated than most traditional houses). I did it and it's been great! No complaints. No architectural magazine is going to feature my house though.

throwaway98211 5y ago
What manufactured homes did you consider during the process?
- carabiner 5y ago
  Another option is kit homes. I've been looking at First Day Cottage and Shelter-Kit. They are designed to be assembled by homeowners, but some people hire contractors. This FDC on Reddit looks extraordinary. https://www.reddit.com/r/woodworking/comments/sibihx/first_day_cottage_99_complete/ https://www.reddit.com/r/woodworking/comments/sibihx/first_d... https://www.shelter-kit.com/patrick-kit.html https://www.shelter-kit.com/patrick-kit.html
asavadatti 5y ago
Any recommendations on manufactured homes?
- JALTU 5y ago
  Here's one, see my comment about: https://www.ideabox.us/ https://www.ideabox.us/
carabiner 5y ago
Yeah where can I find land like this within 30 minutes of Seattle/Tacoma?
- claudiulodro 5y ago
  You can't, because land within commuting distance of a major city is going to have more people that want it, and be more expensive. You need to go farther out. I'm not super familiar with the Washington coast, but in Oregon places like Lincoln City, Yachats, Coos Bay, Otis, etc.
- DVassallo 5y ago
  You can’t. (I just bought 12 acres 50mins within Seattle.)
  - carabiner 5y ago
    Wow. Might I ask where? I'm thinking of places like the outskirts of Monroe, North Bend. I've heard of people doing this farther out on the Peninsula in places like Port Angeles.
    - qbasic_forever 5y ago
      You're about 15 years too late to find 'deals' in Monroe/North Bend area. It's seeing huge growth and property values are way up. There's not as much land as you think too since a lot of it butts up against state and national forests.
      - carabiner 5y ago
        Well. Anywhere else? Should I go out to Wenatchee?
- WSSP 5y ago
  there's a lot of land on the WA/OR coast, but you won't find it cheap in a Seattle suburb, which is where a 30 minute drive along the coastline will take you
- qbasic_forever 5y ago
  Expand to 1.5 hours or so drive and I bet you could find some options.
coding123 5y ago
You must not be aware that mfg homes have gone up in price by about 60% and are now on 14 month wait.
- bkjelden 5y ago
  Still going to be cheaper than a site-built home in a rural, high cost of living area. The materials price increases that are causing factories to raise their prices are also hitting local contractors who do site-built homes. In fact, if anything, the factories can insulate you from this price volatility more because they have a lot more bargaining leverage with their suppliers than a local contractor who's doing 10 homes a year.
hnthrowaway0315 5y ago
The manufactured home thing is really interesting. Do you have more information regarding that? I Googled a bit and found much info about "Mobile home", is it the same thing?
- bkjelden 5y ago
  Yes. In factory built home parlance, generally, a 'mobile' home is built to HUD building codes (which are the same nationwide) and is not considered a permanent residence - often time it stays on wheels even when put in place, and can theoretically be moved at a later date (although they rarely ever are). These are also sometimes referred to as 'trailer houses'. They used to be built very cheaply and were a depreciating asset (think like a car or an RV), but there are higher quality options these days. A 'modular home' will be built to spec to the local building codes wherever it is being placed (which is usually IRC + whatever peculiarities local government officials have tacked on). They are placed on a permanent foundation, cannot be moved, and are generally treated as equivalent to a site-built home once finished. Again, you can spend a little or a lot on these, some factories will do fully custom designs that would be completely indistinguishable from a high-end site-built home once finished. Many factories will build either variety, some specialize on one over the other. In rural, higher cost of living areas both varieties are often quite a bit cheaper than a site-built home, both because of the efficiencies and economies of scale a factory can provide, and also because they can be built in an area with lower labor costs and shipped to your land. In populated, growing urban areas, the cost benefit diminishes a bit because production builders can approximate the benefits a factory has by building 100s of homes in the same neighborhood at the same time. edit to add: My information pertains to the US, the article references land in Canada. I don't know as much about factory built homes or building codes in Canada.
- claudiulodro 5y ago
  We used Skyline: https://www.skylinehomes.com/ https://www.skylinehomes.com/ They're pretty standard American-looking houses, though a little narrower than a traditional house because they put them on a truck.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
CalRobert 5y ago
The book How to Build a House, by Larry Haun, is a great read if you want to try this yourself. irishvernacular.com/ also has a guide to building a lovely, modest, warm home yourself (with friends, admittedly) for <50k .
- georgeoliver 5y ago
  Great link, thank you!
- second--shift 5y ago
  He has a great series of VHS tapes (wow getting old) uploaded to Youtube, just search his name. Highly worth a watch
JALTU 5y ago
In my short experience, there is a very practical difference between "manufactured" and "modular" which is explained at the Ideabox site link below. We have seen/stayed in one of these Ideabox homes and they seem a good balance for a house when you're not a "I want to build my dream castle" kind of person (that's me). https://www.ideabox.us/ https://www.ideabox.us/
- JALTU 5y ago
  To clarify a little: Where I am interested in building, there are county-wide laws or code regarding mfg vs mod homes, effectively taking one of those options off the table for me. And, just to be clear, I am not a build my castle person, but I do want something more modern than the usual cabin in the woods. Hence, Ideabox...
- mleonhard 5y ago
  Ideabox's cheapest home is a 780 sq ft 1BR for $230K. According to their cost estimate, the total cost would be $420k. This seems over-priced. Pre-fab homes should be cheaper than custom-built homes. A new home of that size will not cost $400k in Wyoming or Kansas.
  - moralestapia 5y ago
    >Pre-fab homes should be cheaper than custom-built homes. Yeah that's my main pick with all pre-fab proposals that eventually pop-up here and there, some of them even winning awards for "affordable" housing. Every. single. time. the total cost of the project is on the 6-7 figures range ...
xyzzyz 5y ago
Regular houses these days are also commonly built with 2x6s for external walls.
- dekerta 5y ago
  That might depend where you live. 2x6 is standard here in my part of Canada, but that's just for added insulation, not for any structural reason. Older homes were built with 2x4 exteriors
  - xyzzyz 5y ago
    Yes, it’s being forced all around by new insulation codes. Structurally, 2x4 walls are plenty enough.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
celestialcheese 5y ago
Is there a difference with manufactured vs prefab in the resale process in the eyes of lenders? That's what has always steered me clear of doing this. If you need to sell, I've learned that manufactured homes are not lendable by many institutions. Maybe this new class of modular will count as "Stick built" for lending purposes. They seem really nice.
bradly 5y ago
Also in BC/PNW you can buy old houses that are going to be demolished. Some friends on Lopez Island had an old home shipped over and plopped on their 40 acres where they then started growing wheat and baking bread. https://www.nickelbros.com/residential/homes-for-sale/ https://www.nickelbros.com/residential/homes-for-sale/
nlarion 5y ago
You're out of touch with current prices if you think 5 acres is sub 100k anywhere but eastern wa/or...
- claudiulodro 5y ago
  .5 acres (1/2 acre)
  - nlarion 5y ago
    My mistake!

throwaway98211 5y ago

What manufactured homes did you consider during the process?

carabiner 5y ago
Another option is kit homes. I've been looking at First Day Cottage and Shelter-Kit. They are designed to be assembled by homeowners, but some people hire contractors. This FDC on Reddit looks extraordinary. https://www.reddit.com/r/woodworking/comments/sibihx/first_day_cottage_99_complete/ https://www.reddit.com/r/woodworking/comments/sibihx/first_d... https://www.shelter-kit.com/patrick-kit.html https://www.shelter-kit.com/patrick-kit.html

asavadatti 5y ago

Any recommendations on manufactured homes?

JALTU 5y ago
Here's one, see my comment about: https://www.ideabox.us/ https://www.ideabox.us/

carabiner 5y ago

Yeah where can I find land like this within 30 minutes of Seattle/Tacoma?

claudiulodro 5y ago
You can't, because land within commuting distance of a major city is going to have more people that want it, and be more expensive. You need to go farther out. I'm not super familiar with the Washington coast, but in Oregon places like Lincoln City, Yachats, Coos Bay, Otis, etc.
DVassallo 5y ago
You can’t. (I just bought 12 acres 50mins within Seattle.)
- carabiner 5y ago
  Wow. Might I ask where? I'm thinking of places like the outskirts of Monroe, North Bend. I've heard of people doing this farther out on the Peninsula in places like Port Angeles.
  - qbasic_forever 5y ago
    You're about 15 years too late to find 'deals' in Monroe/North Bend area. It's seeing huge growth and property values are way up. There's not as much land as you think too since a lot of it butts up against state and national forests.
    - carabiner 5y ago
      Well. Anywhere else? Should I go out to Wenatchee?
WSSP 5y ago
there's a lot of land on the WA/OR coast, but you won't find it cheap in a Seattle suburb, which is where a 30 minute drive along the coastline will take you
qbasic_forever 5y ago
Expand to 1.5 hours or so drive and I bet you could find some options.

coding123 5y ago

You must not be aware that mfg homes have gone up in price by about 60% and are now on 14 month wait.

bkjelden 5y ago
Still going to be cheaper than a site-built home in a rural, high cost of living area. The materials price increases that are causing factories to raise their prices are also hitting local contractors who do site-built homes. In fact, if anything, the factories can insulate you from this price volatility more because they have a lot more bargaining leverage with their suppliers than a local contractor who's doing 10 homes a year.

hnthrowaway0315 5y ago

The manufactured home thing is really interesting. Do you have more information regarding that? I Googled a bit and found much info about "Mobile home", is it the same thing?

bkjelden 5y ago
Yes. In factory built home parlance, generally, a 'mobile' home is built to HUD building codes (which are the same nationwide) and is not considered a permanent residence - often time it stays on wheels even when put in place, and can theoretically be moved at a later date (although they rarely ever are). These are also sometimes referred to as 'trailer houses'. They used to be built very cheaply and were a depreciating asset (think like a car or an RV), but there are higher quality options these days. A 'modular home' will be built to spec to the local building codes wherever it is being placed (which is usually IRC + whatever peculiarities local government officials have tacked on). They are placed on a permanent foundation, cannot be moved, and are generally treated as equivalent to a site-built home once finished. Again, you can spend a little or a lot on these, some factories will do fully custom designs that would be completely indistinguishable from a high-end site-built home once finished. Many factories will build either variety, some specialize on one over the other. In rural, higher cost of living areas both varieties are often quite a bit cheaper than a site-built home, both because of the efficiencies and economies of scale a factory can provide, and also because they can be built in an area with lower labor costs and shipped to your land. In populated, growing urban areas, the cost benefit diminishes a bit because production builders can approximate the benefits a factory has by building 100s of homes in the same neighborhood at the same time. edit to add: My information pertains to the US, the article references land in Canada. I don't know as much about factory built homes or building codes in Canada.
claudiulodro 5y ago
We used Skyline: https://www.skylinehomes.com/ https://www.skylinehomes.com/ They're pretty standard American-looking houses, though a little narrower than a traditional house because they put them on a truck.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]

CalRobert 5y ago

The book How to Build a House, by Larry Haun, is a great read if you want to try this yourself. irishvernacular.com/ also has a guide to building a lovely, modest, warm home yourself (with friends, admittedly) for <50k .

georgeoliver 5y ago
Great link, thank you!
second--shift 5y ago
He has a great series of VHS tapes (wow getting old) uploaded to Youtube, just search his name. Highly worth a watch

JALTU 5y ago

In my short experience, there is a very practical difference between "manufactured" and "modular" which is explained at the Ideabox site link below. We have seen/stayed in one of these Ideabox homes and they seem a good balance for a house when you're not a "I want to build my dream castle" kind of person (that's me). https://www.ideabox.us/ https://www.ideabox.us/

JALTU 5y ago
To clarify a little: Where I am interested in building, there are county-wide laws or code regarding mfg vs mod homes, effectively taking one of those options off the table for me. And, just to be clear, I am not a build my castle person, but I do want something more modern than the usual cabin in the woods. Hence, Ideabox...
mleonhard 5y ago
Ideabox's cheapest home is a 780 sq ft 1BR for $230K. According to their cost estimate, the total cost would be $420k. This seems over-priced. Pre-fab homes should be cheaper than custom-built homes. A new home of that size will not cost $400k in Wyoming or Kansas.
- moralestapia 5y ago
  >Pre-fab homes should be cheaper than custom-built homes. Yeah that's my main pick with all pre-fab proposals that eventually pop-up here and there, some of them even winning awards for "affordable" housing. Every. single. time. the total cost of the project is on the 6-7 figures range ...

xyzzyz 5y ago

Regular houses these days are also commonly built with 2x6s for external walls.

dekerta 5y ago
That might depend where you live. 2x6 is standard here in my part of Canada, but that's just for added insulation, not for any structural reason. Older homes were built with 2x4 exteriors
- xyzzyz 5y ago
  Yes, it’s being forced all around by new insulation codes. Structurally, 2x4 walls are plenty enough.

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

celestialcheese 5y ago

Is there a difference with manufactured vs prefab in the resale process in the eyes of lenders? That's what has always steered me clear of doing this. If you need to sell, I've learned that manufactured homes are not lendable by many institutions. Maybe this new class of modular will count as "Stick built" for lending purposes. They seem really nice.

bradly 5y ago

Also in BC/PNW you can buy old houses that are going to be demolished. Some friends on Lopez Island had an old home shipped over and plopped on their 40 acres where they then started growing wheat and baking bread. https://www.nickelbros.com/residential/homes-for-sale/ https://www.nickelbros.com/residential/homes-for-sale/

nlarion 5y ago

You're out of touch with current prices if you think 5 acres is sub 100k anywhere but eastern wa/or...

claudiulodro 5y ago
.5 acres (1/2 acre)
- nlarion 5y ago
  My mistake!