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18 years ago

Do the definitions really matter? Who cares what makes a home modular v. mobile...let's just get down to business!

Have many of you added to and updated your homes to make them more of what you want? Do you treat your manufactured home like a normal old house?

We live in an 88 single wide Commordore Home trailer. My parents bought it when I was about 8, we lived here a year or so and my parents divorced. The plan was to orginally replace the trailer with a home but that never happened. My father lived here off and on and rented it out over the years.

My DH and I have lived here 5 years now. We have done a lot of work to the place inside and out, replacing and fixing things that are looking worn. I love the changes we've made! We plan to replace our home in the next 5 years or so but thinking about that makes me want to cry because I really do love my home!

Anyone else?

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Comments (6)

lizql
18 years ago
I totally agree with you. Mine is an 88 as well. We have 2x6 sidewalls, extra insulation, skylights, shingled roof, vinyl siding, and enclosed porch. We just recently redid our kitchen. Stone counters and new oak cabinets. We have never used anything in this mobile that one could not use in a stick built house. To top it off, our gas budget is $35.00. I don't think I'd get that in a large home. I don't plan to move anytime soon. Looked at a lot of houses at one time but kept coming back to mine cuz i like it!
jiggreen
18 years ago
hi! we own a 1996 28x70 Colony Laurel model, and we love it. we are on a 1/4 acre rented lot. we have lived here about 3 years and have done lots of work on this place. for the first two years we concentrated on the outside, extensive landscaping, front porch, rear deck. over the course of the last year though our attention has turned to the interior, especially the plumbing fixtures. (it seems that the cheapest faucets and toilets were used in here, but i've had that same problem in my two previous stick built tract homes). we treat our home as if it were our dream home. everything we do to it we consider an upgrade. i've never skimped on anything because it's "just a mobile".
to us, it's just home.
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Hi Mike, Yes, i did buy one..LOL Hopefully i can limit myself to just a couple. Im taking my mother to a garden show tomorrow and they have lots of Orchids and DR's and other things. On Saturday i am planning to head up to PHL for flower show that has the theme of "Hawaii" I hope that i can carry all of the goodies back on the plane!!! I will let you know what i can't live without!!! : ) Greentiger, I also have the same problem with my containers during the summer here in Virginia Beach. My collection of Plumeria like to be in black pots during the spring and fall. But during a few weeks of the hottest part of the summer, we can have temps in the triple digits which can fry my roots. I also had to think of options to protect my trees. Sometimes i will sink my pots snd that really helps, but i have so many trees that i did try and place white contact paper around the outside of the containers to reflect the heat. It did work, but i didnt like the look ... So... I decided to place the black pots inside larger containers and place mulch in between the pots. This seems to work very well when the temps reach over 100 degrees. They are all on my back deck facing the western sun and it gets very hot out there. Thought you may want to see what i did to my containers... The first pic is of my containers (black) The Plumeria love the heat during the spring and early summer. Then once August comes around and we cant breath with the humidity and the heat, i place them inside the other contaner. Just thought i would let you see.. : ) Inside the other container with mulch to protect the roots.. J-105 (Thai) This really helps my trees with the heat..Plumeria love the heat, but cant take high triple digits..any roots would cook in the heat that we have. Hope this helps.. Take care, Laura
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Thank you, Tanie and Jane! > The more difficult the more rewarding you'd feel! Yeah, that's for sure. I wish that for the next 18 years I could go "I was in labor with you for 14 months, and THIS is how you repay me!?!?!" lol > You are a great gardener! Thank you, Jane, for these kind words and others! I am totally humble-bragging about these spikes to everybody I know. :-) > You had some things going for you when you bought the plants. Good points! I would have had a much more difficult time resuscitating them in the winter. I grow under lights, but there are still environmental clues for them to slow down and be lazy. > When we lived in NYC, the most problems came up over winter. [...] They did better when grown under lights over the winter. Yeah, I had an expectation last winter (which was my first winter growing lots of plants under lights) that everything will basically stand still, but some of them did grow. Slower than in the summer, of course, but they did. Lights add a lot of goodness - especially considering that my windows are really dark. Exposure does not even matter when you are on the first floor surrounded by trees and 23-story buildings. > Phals red/purple tinting to the spikes and leaves are most likely purple/ red flowers. Oh, I thought that was just because of the good light! Some culture guides say to give Phals enough light to just turn the leaf undersides slightly purple tinged, but not much more, so that was the look I was going for. There is a comparative photo a few screens above - I experimented putting one twin closer to the lights and the other farther. Maybe the purple spike is the indication of flower color? I have no idea about that - but I did read about purple leaves being light-related. By the way, I have no clue what the flower colors are going to be, but I am DYING to know, of course, so I appreciate your mentioning this indicator. > Now its time to get some healthy ones. They will naturally spike during this period so the stores should be filled with fresh, healthy plants. Yeah, the stores here are indeed full of them - not that they are a deficit at other times... I think I narrowed down the color combo I particularly like, and now it's a matter of catching a good one. > Also, look for a local orchid club near you. I am past that stage. I joined Manhattan Orchid Society 6-7 months ago. Then completely by accident I found out the President of Staten Island OS lives in my building in Brooklyn! (How's that for a coincidence in a 12 million population city?!?!) I joined that Society as well - he and his wife drive every month, and I do not have a car, so this was really convenient. They've become good friends, actually. There is also a third OS in NYC (can you believe that!? Three in one city!), but that one meets in the Bronx, which is just too far for where I live. I've become a huge fan of an idea of plant societies and these Societies in particular (and there's another "Indoor Gardening" one that I belong to, but that one is general, not just for orchids). Just like you said, Jane, they are an absolutely indispensable source of good LOCAL growing info and cheap or even free plants. Highly recommended for anyone interested in plants. > Be aware, orchids are addictive. You might have 2 now [...] Oh, I am WELL past that also. :-) Going to these Society meetings, having access to plants raffled, auctioned, sold or simply given away, making new plant nut friends - there was no chance I would stay with just those 2 Phals. I have 3-4 Oncidium types (one with a spike with 50+ buds, going to start opening any day now), a Dendrobium, a Miltoniopsis (that is also in spike! in my care!), 2-3 Cattleyas (my most favorite flower genus!), an Aerangis, a Tolumnia, a Ludisia, a Bryobium (ugh, that thing is a major Princess!) and a couple of Paphs. So, yeah, addictive they definitely ARE! :-) That is a great picture of your orchids! Many people here are an inspiration and a lot of help, so THANK YOU!
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jessay3
18 years ago
I have always lived in a mobile home. As a matter of fact, my parents still live in the one I spent most of my childhood in. They've been making many renovations, being its a 1985 model single wide. Replacing floors, outdated pipes, doors etc. My husband and I bought a new double wide 4 br., 2 bth mobile home (with 5 acreas of land) last year. While there's still a lot I'd like to change we're happy with our purchase. I like many others have changed faucets, and believe it or not toilet seats. The ones they put on were too small!
My best friend recently told me that I lived in a mobile massion. I'm not sure if that was an insult or a compiment. Not that I care, we're happy, and I'm proud of it and all the hard work we've had to do to get it and make it truely a home for us and our kids.
nwesterner
18 years ago
I have never lived in a mobile, modular or manufactured home, BUT know many who have including family and close friends. You are all very right in saying it is not the physical dwelling (or type thereof) but the fact that it is a HOME, the very home of those who live and love therein. I hope no one ever feels the need to apologize for or try to excuse the type of home in which they live. Just a thankfulness that they have a physical place to live and call HOME.
randytam
18 years ago
My wife, four girls, and I had our six bedroom rented home burn down 4 months ago. We had no renters insurance and lost just about eveything. Thanks to the wonderful people in the surronding community rallying to our aide we were capable of moving into a nice big 5 bedroom victorian style home in Camden Ny. The owner had closed on this HUD home the same day we signed our four month lease. Seemingly a Godsend, the day after he recieved the deed to the home he put it on the market and expects us to show it for him. I guess the term lonterm tennants means four months instead of four years as he led us to believe. We have lived in two large homes now in upstate ny now for over five years. Our fuel bills this year have ranged from $800. to $1200. a month and prior years the same depending on OPEC ofcourse. This has ruined us financially and limits our options so we have considered the prospect of buying a cheap old 3 bedroom single wide mobile home reducing these ungodly fuel costs and doing away with snake in the grass landlords. A this point we are quite optimistic at this option and Any advice on our situation would be greatly appreciated.
thank you and God bless
lizql
18 years ago
Cheap and old does not mean well insulated. I suggest you look into something early nineties to newer. I am very sorry to hear of your situation. Can't imagine losing everything. Good luck in finding something affordable. Do look for one with as much insulation as possible. Also ask for heating bills or budget amounts. Newer windows will be much better than the old aluminum ones. Great conductors of both heat and cold.

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