Making Our Trailer a Home: A Renovations Wishlist

Paid-for or not, this trailer of ours is old, dirty, and outdated and we are determined to modernize it and make it home. There’s only one small problem.

It’s a 1972 mobile home.

Completely renovated, $30k is the absolute max we could get for this property if/when we choose to sell it. $25k is a more realistic number. No matter what improvements we make to this place it is still a mobile home from 1972 and nobody in their right mind is going to pay more than $30k.

We paid $14k and we expect to sell it for $25k.

So, let’s do some math.

25-14=11

In order to break even, we have $11k to renovate this shack. Think that’s a lot? Let’s see if $11K can get us all this done…

(Side note: a crappy camera phone + dark wood paneling = low quality interior pictures. Sorry about that.)

The Front Yard

To Do

• Remove dead water oak and use wood chips from it for the garden
• Trim other water oak
• Remove azaleas and miscellaneous bushes
• Remove bricks from side garden bed and level ground
• Replace broken light and remove concrete sides from driveway
• Paint all exterior siding and trim (possibly replace with new siding?)
• Paint shudders and replace all windows
• plant flowers in flower bed
• Add landscape lighting?

The Carport

To Do

• Replace front door and light
• Pressure wash (along with the rest of the house)
• Remove carpet from front door steps and paint?
• Add seating, planters, and a new door mat
• Remove shrubs and add new landscaping
• Paint carport frame?

The Dining Room

To Do

• Replace carpet with wood laminate
• Add new white, glossy trim
• Get new rectangular dining table
• Replace fan with an updated light fixture
• Get shoe cabinet
• Replace A/C ground vent (throughout entire house, too)
• Update window treatments

The Kitchen

To Do

• Gut entire kitchen. The end.
• Just kidding
• Not really
• Okay, really, tear out all old cabinets and sink and add new
• Tear out dividing wall and old pantry
• Construct a bar and get bar stools
• Replace fridge (we found a $1400 Whirlpool side-by-side fridge at Lowes in the clearance section for $800!)
• Add dishwasher
• Add new water line to fridge for water and ice dispenser
• Move gas stove to other wall? Add new gas line?
• Sand, prime, paint
• Update lighting
• Replace floor with vinyl tiles

 The Living Room

To Do

• Replace carpet with vinyl wood planks (hopefully going with a medium to dark wood grain color)
• Sand, prime, paint wood paneling (either white or light gray)
• Paint fake brick wall
• Paint ceiling
• Add new white, glossy trim
• Replace light switches and outlets
• Mount TV to wall
• Get new area rug and furniture (someday)

The Bathroom

To Do

• Replace tub and surround
• Repair bathtub plumbing
• Replace hot water heater
• Replace toilet
• Replace vanity side wall
• Paint ceiling
• Replace vanity and mirror
• Sand, prime, and paint (we chose Olympic’s Oasis)
• Add glossy white trim
• Install new subfloor and add vinyl tile
• Replace doors, hinges, and outlets
• Replace light fixtures
• Replace window

Most of the bathroom remodel is done so hopefully you’ll see the reveal soon. It was disgusting and scary and I’m elated how well the reno turned out! Stay tuned.

The Hallway

To Do

• Sand, prime, paint walls
• Add new trim
• Replace light fixtures
• Install a new digital thermostat
• Replace carpet with vinyl tile
• Add a small gallery wall
• Paint and hang mirror
• Install closet organizing system

The Master Bedroom

To Do

• Sand, prime, paint walls
• Paint ceiling
• Add trim
• Replace light fixture
• Remove built-in dresser
• Replace doors, hinges, and outlets
• Replace closet door
• Install new closet shelving
• Install vinyl flooring

The Girl’s Room

To Do

• Remove built-in dresser
• Repair hole in floor
• Sand, prime, paint walls
• Paint ceiling
• Replace shelving in closet and add new
• Replace doors, hinges, and outlets
• Install subfloor and new vinyl planks

The girl’s room is actually the “master” and we are thinking of switching the rooms to give the ourselves an adult bedroom for once. We need to replace our king bed which engulfs both rooms (we bought it when we lived in our old, big house) with a queen bed and make our kids sleep in their own room by themselves. Wishful thinking, but a girl can dream.

The Patio

To Do

• Replace screen door and interior door
• Replace screens
• Put up external patio shades to dust and dirt from getting in the patio
• Paint or stencil concrete floor?
• Create a cute laundry area- build cabinetry for supplies and laundry baskets
• Install a new water line under trailer from bathroom to patio for washer
• Update light fixtures
• Buy patio furniture and outdoor rug
• Paint concrete steps

The Backyard

To Do

• Put up a privacy fence with gates to completely surround property
• Replace A/C unit
• Replace water pump and build a new pump house
• Remove satellite dish
• Buy new storage shed
• Tear down old storage shed and turn the concrete pad into an outdoor seating area
• Build a bigger stationary chicken run and coop.
• Build garden beds
• Plant dwarf fruit trees

So, that’s the list. Think we can do all this for $11k? I think we can if we are frugal about it. The bathroom is just about done and it’s real nice. It’s absolutely amazing what paint and new flooring can do! The next rooms we are tackling will be the living room and dining room and then after that, the two back bedrooms. The kitchen will be next  (which I’m anticipating will be a royal pain in the butt) followed by the patio and outside renovations.

Very excited about this but it’s moving slowly since we are doing it all with cash.

Have you done any remodeling lately? Share in the comments below and thanks for reading.