Is this a crazy home building idea?

Question

I had this Idea today to build a real house in modules that can be moved easily. And even removed and relocated easily should I ever want to.

I don't have land and I don't want to buy land until I can plop the house and studio that I want on it. Is it a crazy idea to go about it this way? I know I can do it and do all the work myself...electrical plumbing...roofing everything.

People are going to say "buy a kit home" or buy a removable home or bungalow and have it moved. But I really want to design a home that is exactly what I need and purpose built with a darkroom and photo studio and horse area's.

Anyway I just want to get some opinions....If I can build now....and then buy the land and just move it...i think it would save heaps of money. What do you think?

Answer 1

i thin its a very creative idea but you would need to consult someone who is a licensed contractor/ house builder.

it could work but may be more than you bargained for. due to the fact that that would be a heap to move.

Answer 2

go for it. if you draw the plans yourself, make sure you have an engineer sign your plans stating that everything is up to par and that it is structural and strong,and you must list all the straps that you use, window numbers, door numbers, etc. and you need to have all this ready before you go to the building inspections office to pull your permits and with the plans make sure you have copies because you must have one on the job at all times, and they need one so if i was you id make 3 copies. i know you would be saving money building the house yourself.

Answer 3

Yeah but modular homes are sometimes cheaper to buy than build and you cand also have them build to suit your needs. If you really wanted to do it you better be a very good architech and engineer.

Answer 4

I suppose it could work, but I'm not sure you're going to save money, and I don't follow your reasoning of not wanting to buy land until you have a house ready to plop on it. If you build a house and then want to move it easily, it will have to be small enough to get on a trailer. Of course you can move a house of any size, practically, but it can get expensive. That money is probably better spent on the building itself rather than on moving it around. If you build these modules, I can see it being a lot of fun trying to fit them onto a foundation after.

I can see some snags. What building inspector is going to approve a house that hasn't been actually put together yet?  When you buy a modular or mobile, the manufacturers make sure that the building will pass codes.

The other thing I see is that it's probably harder to find a lot that will work for your house than to find a lot and then fit a house to it. I built my last house. I spent a year of evenings planning my perfect house. Then I went looking for a lot, and when I found one in the neighbourhood I wanted and in my price range, it was back to the drawing board, literally, because my perfect plan didn't fit on the lot I had.

I would advise finding the land you like, and then building the house. The land itself may dictate some design features and orientation. What if you have a fabulous view from one side, and that's the side away from all the big windows?  Do you want the sun to the shine straight in your bedroom window in the morning, or into the kitchen? Changing the land is almost impossible or very expensive. Changing a house design is a matter of pencil and paper, or computer work.

Do some more research. Mobiles, modulars and kits can come in just about any floor plan you like. Have you looked at Panabode?  If you want to save money on building the house, choose a lot where the foundation work and road access is simple, choose a simple design, and choose your materials carefully.

Answer 5

I work for a RR, and I have heard of people using those intermodal containers for hunting cabins...complete with electricity, water and heat.....you could expand on that idea

Answer 6

The only difference is the wood used.

The rest you can get as designs from several home supply stores such as home depot, lowes - etc..