Cheapest way to live in the country?

[PNWguy]

With the Anti-gunners in Washington going nuts with new gun laws, I've considered moving to Idaho.

I've been in my house for almost 5 years and owe $95k on it. Current market I could sell it for $140k pretty easily. Planning on putting another $3k into it this spring to remodel the bathroom and update the floors. Could probably get $150k after that.

Looking to move only around 15 miles or so over the border into Idaho and want to live in the country.

Land is rather expensive. Don't need/want a lot and would be fine with 5 to 20 acres. I've seen some decent plots go for around $65k for ten acres with a well.

I'm divorced and don't need a lot of living space. But, I do plan on having house guests. Mainly my daughter and her husband and my three grand kids. My current 1500 sq ft 3-bedroom is perfect.

So, I could almost pay cash for the land, which would leave me having to finance the structure.

But of course, the utility costs are going to vary wildly depending on the parcel. Some have wells already in and some have easy access and power, some don't.

All will have to have a septic system built, some dirt work, etc.

With a budget of only $150k max (plus the equity in my house of around $50k), that doesn't leave a whole lot of room for a house.

Now, I used to work construction and can do most everything except electrical and the heavy plumbing. I could substantially lower the cost of a stick-built house by doing a lot of it myself.

But I've also seen folks who have built pole-barn type structures with half of them a shop and the other half living quarters. That appeals to me.

I also wouldn't be opposed to a manufactured home of some type with a separate shop.

Just wondering what would be the cheapest option.

This would be pretty cool...

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[Sisu]

Manufactured would be cheapest, but these could be added onto and I know some areas of Idaho count these as 'homes', and could be a starter to add onto as $ allows. If you stay awau from building permits, you're usually way ahead of the game.
11 Shipping Container Homes You Can Buy Right Now - Off Grid World

 

[notazombie]

A lot of it will depend on how rigid that county's building codes are. I could absolutely live in an apartment built within a shop/polebarn. My next door neighbor does that as well as a couple others close by. I wouldn't discount a manufactured home either. They are extremely efficient and there's a lot to be said for starting with an empty lot and being moved in and unpacked a week later.
Well is a big variable expense. I would think buying a lot with an existing well (with good water) would be a big bonus. Around where I live water quality varies greatly. Three houses in a row can have wells at three very different depths that taste totally different from each other so knowing what you're buying would be some peace of mind. Septic systems aren't terribly expensive but bringing power in might be.

If I were single I'd probably have about a 40x60 shop with around a 1200' 2 bedroom apartment inside. LOTS of insulation. That would leave about the equivalent of a 4 car garage as shop space. I'd also go 12' high walls so that there would be lots of storage space above the apartment portion. I'd use wood for heat. Electric appliances just to keep things simple. A propane backup generator would be nice.
I'd situate the structure so that there is no indication from the road that it is a dwelling and make it as nondescript as possibly. Maybe some strategic fencing. That's not to say there couldn't be a parking area, porch, or even a small yard out of view of prying eyes.

 

[Geardo]

If I were single I'd probably have about a 40x60 shop with around a 1200' 2 bedroom apartment inside. LOTS of insulation. That would leave about the equivalent of a 4 car garage as shop space. I'd also go 12' high walls so that there would be lots of storage space above the apartment portion. I'd use wood for heat. Electric appliances just to keep things simple. A propane backup generator would be nice.
I'd situate the structure so that there is no indication from the road that it is a dwelling and make it as nondescript as possibly. Maybe some strategic fencing. That's not to say there couldn't be a parking area, porch, or even a small yard out of view of prying eyes.

These a great idea. Why can't our women be OK with this? Houses are dumb.

@PNWguy have you considered a SIP home? Buying a kit and doing it yourself?

I haven't built a home, but did build a 1/3 scale cheap refrigerated trailer with them for my senior ME project. Worked great. We got it down to 32 F with just a modified AC window unit. It was able to handle driving down the highway and being dragged up and down a trailer.

 

[edzz]

If you are looking at buying property and "building" a new home in Idaho spend some time looking at the tax ramifications. Homestead exemption and timber exemption can drastically reduce tax liabilities. Its on you to insure that the required paperwork is filed properly. I've known a number of us that relied on our agent to make sure things were filed correctly and "lost" money due to our timber exemption not being filed. I don't remember what the qualifications are.
My home is ~2600 sq ft sitting above a 1800 sq ft "unfinished" partial daylight basement / shop. No heat or plumbing down stairs so... not classed as living space for taxes. Being primarily subterranean (single garage door on the end) even with the temperatures we are having this week in the single digits and the teens it barely drops below 50 degrees.
If we move I will seriously look at having a similar basement / shop built and having a manufactured home placed on top as an attempt to avoid some of the construction delays many experience building a new home.
Having the ability to heat with wood is great, I burn a lot to keep expenses down just be aware if harvesting your own wood the time and labor / hazards (a lot of people hurt themselves harvesting wood) may exceed the savings. If buying wood you are at the mercy of the market, still more labor than gas or electric heat. My next house will likely have provisions for wood heat along with a pellet stove (set it, forget it and just top off the hopper) with "primary" gas or electric heat.
OK done rambling for now.

 

[PNWguy]

Looked at manufactured homes online at the biggest dealer in the area and was blown away by two things...

First, they are ridiculously expensive for anything with 3 bedrooms and 1500 sq ft. Over $100k.

Second, reading the Yelp reviews reveal that when used car salesman and pawn shop owners are considered too sleazy for their trades, they become manufactured home dealers.

Unbelievable amount of horror stories of months long delays in delivery, improper set up, scams, lying, and overall horrible behavior.

Definitely not going with a manufactured home.

 

[edzz]

1500 sqft $100k so ~$66. per sqft, what are you expecting to pay?

For what it's worth I've had better luck with used car salesmen than new car salesmen.

 

[Joe13]

Guy I met worked in one of the big manufatured home places as a builder and said the QC was so bad that he would never live in one.

 

[Member 34319]

Home Depot sells pretty nice two story prefabbed sheds.

I have seen folks convert them online into homes.

 

[Flymph]

If you have tall ceilings and lots of space, maintaining appropriate temperatures becomes quite expensive. Figured I'd shoot down you shop idea... lol

For that matter, if you were familiar with metal work, you could drastically reduce costs by stacking freight containers together. Granted, your best bet would likely be to buy a home than to build one. Maybe reconsider your distance from Spokane and you will find better odds.

 

[CoastRange57]

Looked at manufactured homes online at the biggest dealer in the area and was blown away by two things...

First, they are ridiculously expensive for anything with 3 bedrooms and 1500 sq ft. Over $100k.

Second, reading the Yelp reviews reveal that when used car salesman and pawn shop owners are considered too sleazy for their trades, they become manufactured home dealers.

Unbelievable amount of horror stories of months long delays in delivery, improper set up, scams, lying, and overall horrible behavior.

Definitely not going with a manufactured home.

They are horribly over priced for what they are. We looked at them and quickly decided that a stick built was a better value.

We are having a HiLine home built on our ground, 1780 sf with some nice upgrades for right at 200K. Another 123K for site work, septic and other stuff. Still a pretty good deal.

When we were looking at them, we stopped at the dealers in Redmond about once a month for four months. The slickster sales clown could not remember us any of the times we came in and we had to go through sh*t each time. Checked their reviews and came up with the same comments. If you are paying cash, you are good, If your are financing, you are screwed.

 

[notazombie]

There are other options. I bought my place with a 3/2 1200' manufactured home on the property and lived in it for about a year while my house was being built at the top of the lot. It was built (manufactured) in '98 so the cosmetics were wearing thin. The previous owner had put a new tin roof on it and new windows and exterior doors shortly before I bought it. Yes, they are cheaply built. But I was extremely impressed with how efficient it was. I set the thermostat at 70 and let the heat run in the winter and the AC in the summer. Never paid more than $100 in a month for electricity. The water heater and appliances were electric as well so that was my only utility.
When the new house was done I listed it on CL as "to be moved" and sold it for $20k to a guy who owned a trailer park. He put new paint inside and out, inexpensive new appliances and carpet and the house looked really sharp. I'd be shocked if he had $40k total including the move and setup.
Just throwing that out there as another option.


I'd still build a shop with an apartment inside if it was me though.

 

[NW Backpacker]

Cheapest? Probably a used mobile home. They're not the best, but they work for tens of millions of people. Consider where you will go during a rare Idaho tornado.

If you can build it yourself, a very simple stick-built home, might be fairly cheap.

Another option might be a steel building:

Metal Building Homes | General Steel

Pick out one of these homes, call or email them and see what it costs:
How Much Does it Cost to Build a House?

General Steel Buildings: Same Day Pricing in 3 Easy Steps

With a steel home I'd be concerned about:
- condensation in the walls on the cold steel siding and framing. ask what kind of vapor barrier is used to keep interior home moisture out of the walls. Are there any thermal breaks between the interior finish and the steel framing?
- roof leaks. are any fasteners exposed to rain? can you walk on the roof or will that bend it? Hail?
- roof loads. make sure the roof is designed for ALL loads you might want to put on it particularly the snow load. I think the steel in metal buildings is designed and fabricated for particular loads and no more. Consider a freak storm that might dump X feet of snow on it.
- can animals (mice, bees, etc) get inside the walls or roof.

For shop areas with high ceilings, consider gas-fired radiant heat, but realize it requires space below to prevent over-heating of nearby objects. Also, probably not compatible with flammable vapors.

Good luck on your freedom quest!

EDIT: another option - rent a house or apartment while you look for a place. Put your $ in something that will grow until you find a place, and hope prices fall. They could also rise.

 

[PNWguy]

Moscow/Pullman is such a screwy area thanks to the colleges and large number of Anti-Gunner types.

Most left leaning area in Idaho and Eastern Washington, and consequently the highest housing costs and lowest incomes.

Our housing costs are much higher than the rest of the state and our incomes are much lower.

 

[Caveman Jim]

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[41mag]

Years ago a low income musician buddy inherited a few $ & moved his dad's old Airstream into a very rural old country barn.

He had adequate carpentry skills & over a few years made an incredible internal living loft while keeping the vintage barn intact.

All was well, his band had indoor practice studio in the lap of priceless rural environment.

Then he moved a blonde in. You know the rest.