TheCG Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 We're moving outside of the city to a mobile home on my in-laws' land. I'll go from having city water & sewer to a well and a septic tank, from a house to a mobile home. Our initial move-in date was exactly a month ago from today, but kept getting bumped back. They say it'll be this weekend. So, what do I need to know about living outside of town? FYI, we also don't have internet out there yet, so I can only really get on at work or in my inlaws' house right now. Quote Link to comment
sassenach Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 Stay stocked to keep staples up so you are not running to town just for a few things all the time. Strengthen and insulate plumbing , A/C vents /ducts. Put the dark film on the windows if you can for summer heat and light factor. Think small and very organized. How old is it? Quote Link to comment
The WE2's Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 Pay attention to how the mobile home is located. Will your windows face the south and/or west for energy gain during winter (sun) or north from which the winter winds will blow? Good skirting/insulation will be a must as well as well wrapped plumbing and an electrical tape if you can. If on propane, make sure you fill before the weather gets bad and then set yourself up for metered re-fills if you can afford it. That way you won't run out and have to wait for availability in severe weather. Are you on a well or cistern? If a well, make sure the pump house is kept warm. Sure wish CGA would check in since she had lots of experience in this area in her previous location :-( Quote Link to comment
Cat Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 If you're out of electricity, you're out of water. No toilet flushes. No drinking water. So think ahead. We have a pond that, if it's not completely iced over in the wintertime, provides us with water to flush the toilet. We just don't "flush" until somebody does ummm... #2. Or if it starts to smell pretty strong. Just dump it down into the bowl until it goes out, so the pipes from the back tank to the bowl don't accidentally get clogged with anything accidentally dumped from the pond water. Otherwise I run water in the tub if I feel we could lose power. And I keep drinking water stored. I used to get it from Mom's house in several-gallon water containers, but haven't for a long time now. I guess I could get it from my brother. Quote Link to comment
TheCG Posted October 8, 2014 Author Share Posted October 8, 2014 The house is practically brand new. Someone bought it, lived in it for 6 months, and sold it back to the mobile home dealer. They're repainting, laying down laminate so there won't be any more carpet, and basically making it new again. We're hoping to be able to move in this weekend. It faces east, as the evening light pours in through the dining room windows on the back of the house. However, note that we live in an area where if we get 3 inches of snow, everything shuts down and people think the world is going to end again before it melts in 2 days. Winter winds normally go from north to south. I plan to at least get several 5-gallon jugs as soon as we move in. The wells out here are apparently too deep to run manually, so we'd have to get a generator (read: go into town and kidnap Dad's, as storms normally don't knock out power in town) if the power is going to be out for a while. I'm talking to hubby about installing some kind of tank where the pump can fill it up at night and we get better water pressure. Our water is...not appropriate for drinking. As in, every dog who has drank that water has gone blind and died of cancer. The water line is being run underground from the well, and there is an outlet next to where it goes into the mobile home for heat tape to be added. This is already on the list of things to do. The skirting is going to be rock in front and hardi-board the rest of the way around. Hubby has agreed that when he builds the back porch, it will be designed where I can put a wood-burning cookstove out there and seal it where it's another room to be used during the winter, whether it's by removable panels or doors that slide down. We won't have propane attached to the house...but I do have 1 or 2 of the heaters that you connect to a propane bottle for camping, and if all else fails, there is an RV that's designed to run off the grid that will probably be stored on our property during the winter. As for storing staples...I'm still trying to figure out how to do food storage that meets my dietary requirements. I flat out can't do grains except for white rice, and no tomatoes. Most processed foods cause issues. I plan to get a pressure canner and start canning meat, plus buy a few gallons of coconut oil. I can live with canned veggies, but would like to start canning my own. I normally have enough food in the pantry and freezer to last at least a week of normal meals, but it's a bit low now as the RV does not have much storage. Quote Link to comment
Mt_Rider Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 If you'd possibly be off-grid during a major crisis....and you're Texas....you'll broil in that mobile home. An insulated roof over the mobile home will be a great investment. MtRider Quote Link to comment
Ambergris Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 Speak to your husband before you run to town for anything, and insist he speak to you before he goes. If one of you needs postage stamps and the other needs gas, only one person has to make that trip. Coming and going will eat up huge chunks of your time if you're not careful. Quote Link to comment
Cat Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 Speak to your husband before you run to town for anything, and insist he speak to you before he goes. If one of you needs postage stamps and the other needs gas, only one person has to make that trip. Coming and going will eat up huge chunks of your time if you're not careful. Time AND money! Excellent advice! Quote Link to comment
TheCG Posted October 10, 2014 Author Share Posted October 10, 2014 We're still going in every day for work. I generally do any running before I head back out. We're honestly only about 10 minutes from the nearest Walmart, but we are trying to reduce trips. Quote Link to comment
sassenach Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 That is handy! Glad to hear it. Quote Link to comment
TheCG Posted October 13, 2014 Author Share Posted October 13, 2014 So...they're still working in the house, but the lady who does the final cleaning is supposed to come tomorrow. Everything is out of our house but the cleaning supplies, because I need to go clean tonight so it can be listed. Can I crash yet? Quote Link to comment
Mt_Rider Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 I know what you mean!!! MtRider ....soon! Quote Link to comment
TheCG Posted October 14, 2014 Author Share Posted October 14, 2014 So...apparently we were a bit optimistic in assuming they'd actually be done today. Unless a miracle happens, I think we're looking at November based on the rate at which they're working... Quote Link to comment
Daylily Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 How exciting!! I can imagine how tired you are. Hopefully, you won't have to wait until November Quote Link to comment
ScrubbieLady Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 Something I learned is to not run errands unless I carry a cooler. It is 7 miles to Dollar General and 22 miles to grocery stores. I just keep a folder cooler bag in my van. Never know when you decide to pick something up. Also good to carry some extra water for your short trips to town in case they turn into longer trips. Quote Link to comment
TheCG Posted October 19, 2014 Author Share Posted October 19, 2014 I generally keep a flat of water bottles in the car and the cooler I used when running around on my scooter when we lived in town. It's very well insulated sturdy. They're not *quite* done yet, but it sounds like the inside sho I'll d be finished and cleaned in the next day or so. In other news, we have an offer for full asking price on our house 2 days after it went on the market (we're in a crazy area for real estate). We're praying that everything goes through quickly on that. Quote Link to comment
Mt_Rider Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 That sounds reallly good, TheCG! MtRider Quote Link to comment
TheCG Posted October 28, 2014 Author Share Posted October 28, 2014 Offer on our house fell through. We're still hoping that this will be the week we get to move into our new home. Quote Link to comment
TheCG Posted November 2, 2014 Author Share Posted November 2, 2014 Halloween was our first night in the new house. Had an offer on the old one, but we're not accepting it. We're making a looooong list of everything that needs to be fixed. Quote Link to comment
TheCG Posted November 14, 2014 Author Share Posted November 14, 2014 WE'RE PAST THE 10-DAY OPTION PERIOD for selling our house in town. Now, as long as the financing comes through, we'll be good to go. Quote Link to comment
Mt_Rider Posted November 14, 2014 Share Posted November 14, 2014 That's great! Are you moved out to the trailer by now....I know you were moving; then didn't......Might have missed it when you did move. MtRider Quote Link to comment
TheCG Posted November 14, 2014 Author Share Posted November 14, 2014 We're now living in our new mobile home. RV has been cleaned out and drained. Sitting outside our old house in town waiting for the plumbers to be finished - the inspector found a gas leak behind the hot water heater! Quote Link to comment
Mt_Rider Posted November 15, 2014 Share Posted November 15, 2014 Oye! You'd want THAT fixed!!!! MtRider Quote Link to comment
TheCG Posted November 15, 2014 Author Share Posted November 15, 2014 $400 later...it's fixed. No BOOM. Quote Link to comment
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