Tour Our Paid-For Suburban Homestead

We did it! We closed on our first paid-for property! It’s not our forever homestead (it’s only a quarter acre and it’s not farm land) but it is a great starter property. We paid $14,000 and that included a quarter acre of land, well, septic, existing power pole, carport, and patio. Notice I did not mention the house. We didn’t pay for the house because the house not worth anything.

Here’s why… it’s a 1972 double-wide mobile home. It is literally not worth anything so we didn’t offer anything. It’s a 900 sqft fixer upper. It’s small, old, dirty, and outdated.

First Impressions

It was a dark, rainy day the first time we went to look at the trailer. Upon entering we were greeted by wall-to-wall wood paneling, brown shag carpet, and small windows covered by dusty blinds. The water and electricity were turned off. It was like a dungeon. I remember telling Ava not to touch anything (and that wasn’t because the place was full of breakable things). I was grossed out by the filth and condition of the kitchen. And the bathroom? Bathrooms freak me out in general but this bathroom, the Devil himself may as well been living in it. The shower was cracked, stained, and unusable. The sink leaked and the cabinets were decrepit. I never looked at the toilet.

There were glimmers of hope, though. It is in a quiet neighborhood surrounded by lakes and forests. The trailer has a nice carport and screened patio. It’s on a paved road with high-speed internet access. It has a decent-sized yard. There are no major problems with the trailer and despite the dirt and filth, is in good condition for its age. There is also the possibility of renovating it and selling it later for a small profit.

I was not super excited about this property but compared to the many other homes we looked at in this price range, this place was a dream. Honestly, it’s been quite an adjustment moving from a newly constructed custom built 2200 sq ft two-story house to a 40 year-old 900 sq ft trailer. Quite an adjustment. But, we’re making it work; we’ve been here 2  months and already it feels more like a home. We have so much we want to do! The only things we need are #time and #money. Have any I can borrow?

Just kidding. You know I don’t borrow money. Stay tuned for updates on cheap renovations to this place. The first order of business will be…you guessed it…the bathroom.

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