78' skyline 12x 60 sw reno

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mattjslaunwhite
Posts: 25
Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2014 8:19 am
Location: nova scotia, canada

Hello everyone! im glad to be a part of this community, '
little about myself, My name is Matt, im 28 years old and bought my first MH!,

shes a 1978 (took many days of researching to get this info lol) skyline 3bdr 1 bath 12x60 sw. we were renting it and the owner was too deep into it and wanted out, so my grandmother bought it for me for $5000. she needs a fair bit but iv grown up building houses and generlly between me, my dad and grandfather there isnt much we cant redo.

now before you all tell me to scrap it and get a new one consider this, i got it as part of a living inheritance, i owe no rent or mortgage on it and my grandparents are covering 90% of the reno costs and they wont give me a budget, just told me they will get what ever it needs.

the bad:
bathroom: well, the floor and all 7 (yes 7) layers from PO's is rotted right away, starting in about a week or so where tearing out the whole room right down to the metal frame and redoing it from there up (joist,underlay, coverings), new bathtub and toilette (both im sure are org from the stamped dates) and all new plumbing

bedrooms: mostly minor updating needs to be done, one room still has a floating ceiling that needs drywall but the other 2 have been dry-walled (but not finished, just painted)

Roof: the metal roof is completely shot, fix one leak 3 more happen, def open to ideas on that, iv done up cad renderings of peaked, metal, rubber, etc. after reading alot on here im worried about the weight issue.

kitchen: well first off the kitchen has about 3 sqft of counter space, so the whole thing is getting gutted and redone, going to put in a breakfast nook and a island.

other mics stuff: full plumbing, full electrical redo, removal of the Al and replaced with siding. deep cherry wood laminate everywhere but the bathroom

ill take some pictures shortly and post them up. work starts next week once my grandparents are back from florida.
"The only thing impossible is being impossible itself" - my life motto
mattjslaunwhite
Posts: 25
Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2014 8:19 am
Location: nova scotia, canada

realized i have no photos of when we rented or for feb/march (took ownership feb 1st)

just took a pic of everyroom before i ahd to go in for work (work a at home call center job)

heres the photobucket album, easier the uploading them all here

http://s56.photobucket.com/user/mattjsl ... %20project
"The only thing impossible is being impossible itself" - my life motto
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Greg
Moderator
Posts: 5696
Joined: Wed Feb 28, 2007 8:01 pm
Location: Weedsport, NY

Well Matt she is a little rough, but with work you can save it.

It is going to be tough but doable. The fact that you are living in it will make the job harder. If it were empty I would gut it down to the studs and build from there. that method makes it much easier since all of the walls would be gone and and you don't have to work around them. The same would go for the ceilings & floors. Doing a room at a time will require lots of planning as you have to keep thinking about the next room and how it will tie into the one you are working in.

The first thing you will want to do is relevel the home before doing any rebuilding, that way everything will be true. If not everything will be off.

I am sure others will add their thoughts as well.

Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
mattjslaunwhite
Posts: 25
Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2014 8:19 am
Location: nova scotia, canada

thanks Greg!, ya, even tho its my first MH and MH reno my father and grandfather have done tons (most of the time a full gut and rebuild like you said)

surprisingly when i checked the level is was only 1/10th of a inch off so i got lucky on that that. within the first week of owning it i replaced every outlet in the place (bulk box at home depot cost me $7, had enough for the whole place), and fixed what i could for leaks, first thing getting done starting next week is the roof, best to start top down, then the bathroom. iv got a almost brand new (5 years old but only used 5 months of the year since) toilette and tub from my grandmothers MH (shes crazy putting a walk in tub in but ohwell lol ) and my grandfather is going to build all new cabinetry for the kitchen and bathroom, we knew what we were getting into when we bought the place, helped that we rented it since last aug lol

ill take some pics of the outside tomorrow and post them up.
"The only thing impossible is being impossible itself" - my life motto
DCDiva
Posts: 191
Joined: Mon Oct 19, 2009 10:16 pm

Congrats on your first home! A great buy. We have totally gutted 2 mobile homes 1973 and now they look new. I have blog I have to add to it when I have time again LOL but you can see some of they things we ran into and some results. I hope both mobile home before and afters are in it.I will post the blog but if it does ot show up search for Melissa and Brian's Great DIY Adventures--when I looked for it. I was shock to be on Pinterest---wait until i update our adventures :lol:
http://myprojects-dcdiva.blogspot.com/
I am still alive!! Melissa in WV DCDIVA
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Greg S
Posts: 541
Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2008 10:13 am
Location: Kingston Ontario Canada

As far as the roof is concerned I would defiantly go for the peaked. All of the seventies homes in our community have had peeked roofs added and it defiantly is worth the expense.
The roof along with new vinyl siding, skirting and new windows/doors will give the appearance of a new home.
As far as the structure of the home being able to support the roof is concerned your building inspector will be able to answer that question at the time you apply for the building permit. They will have the code and the specific requirements for your area.
Your biggest issue with the expense of the reno will likely be in the fact that your home will have a cap in value likely requiring you to spend more money than the home will likely end up being worth. Depending of course on the real estate values in your area. Sweat equity will be your most valuable asset.
The place is rough and it defiantly appears to be a 100% reno. Realisticly it is only worth the effort if you plan on staying long term.
Are you in a park or on private land?
An individual must enforce his own meaning in life and rise above the perceived conformity of the masses. (Anton LaVey)
mattjslaunwhite
Posts: 25
Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2014 8:19 am
Location: nova scotia, canada

its in a park for now, and theres other MH in the park in the same or worse shape going for between $10,000~$20,000 canadian, most around here arnt in the best of shape but the rental's rack in the money, on avg rent is $600 + utilities for a run down unit. my lot fees are only $126
"The only thing impossible is being impossible itself" - my life motto
mattjslaunwhite
Posts: 25
Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2014 8:19 am
Location: nova scotia, canada

due to park regulations bc my lot is the lot with the community well, last summer the p/o had to remove the oil furnace and tank. we've changed it to electric heat since then but when i go to redo the floor should i be able to just remove the old ducting that isn't being used any more and seal up the old furnace vent holes to prevent heat leakage?i don't see it being a problem as there no longer used and as of right now are pretty filled with garbage etc from years of no active furnace.
"The only thing impossible is being impossible itself" - my life motto
DaleM
Posts: 385
Joined: Wed Apr 07, 2010 10:07 am

When you say electric heat do you mean baseboard style heat or an electric furnace? Reason being if you have baseboard and no longer use the original ducting you need to get all your fresh water plumbing into the living space of the home. The plumbing depends on that heat in that duct to keep it from freezing in the winter.
mattjslaunwhite
Posts: 25
Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2014 8:19 am
Location: nova scotia, canada

baseboard and the furnace wasn't used for 2 years prior to being removed and we never had a frozen pipe in here, only pipes ran outside underneath are the hot/cold for the kitchen sink and there double insulated
"The only thing impossible is being impossible itself" - my life motto
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Greg S
Posts: 541
Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2008 10:13 am
Location: Kingston Ontario Canada

You may not have had a frozen pipe yet but you will, guaranteed. If it's cold enough to need heat the day will come when it's cold enough to freeze your pipes. When it happens you will wish you had moved the plumbing before you completed your renovation.
An individual must enforce his own meaning in life and rise above the perceived conformity of the masses. (Anton LaVey)
mattjslaunwhite
Posts: 25
Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2014 8:19 am
Location: nova scotia, canada

we have had 2 of the worst winters yet and have gotten lucky, but i do understand your point about the long term. could i run them just along one of the outside walls inside when i tear them apart? or if i put a bit of a insulated sub floor (max 1") can i run it there? def open to suggestions. grandparents are back in nova scotia from florida today so ill know in the next few days to direction things will be going
"The only thing impossible is being impossible itself" - my life motto
mattjslaunwhite
Posts: 25
Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2014 8:19 am
Location: nova scotia, canada

been a slow week, havent done much to the MH, been working and working on my truck i got. starting the bathroom reno in a week or so,
"The only thing impossible is being impossible itself" - my life motto
mattjslaunwhite
Posts: 25
Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2014 8:19 am
Location: nova scotia, canada

lifted my back deck up, main purpose was to move it forward a few feet but also to gauge how bad it was under it,

Image

yes, somehow i managed to pull it away and flip it up by myself lol great feat for me as back in sept i was in a grease fire that burned over 32% of my body (20% which where 3rd/deep 2nd degree burns) guess iv regained my muscle mass i lost
"The only thing impossible is being impossible itself" - my life motto
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Greg S
Posts: 541
Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2008 10:13 am
Location: Kingston Ontario Canada

I would suggest you be very cautious investing money in this home in renovations. It is unlileley you will ever get your money back out. To begin you should be investing in adding insulation not doing any cosmetic renovations. It really dosn't appear to be worth doing much beyond simply making it functional.
Your biggest expense will be simply trying to pay to heat it in the winter.
An individual must enforce his own meaning in life and rise above the perceived conformity of the masses. (Anton LaVey)
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