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The Lacefields purchased an older-model manufactured home to save money and lessen their environmental impact, says Mother Earth News. The couple told their own story, some quotes from that story follow. Mother Earth made this part of a larger series on eco-friendly ways to live well, debt free.
For less than the price of many used cars,
this couple now has an environmentally friendly home.
“We started with an older-model manufactured home. It gave us a place to live as we decided what else we needed. We liked the idea that we were “recycling.”” The Lacefields wrote.
While the couple called the home ‘older,’ the photos suggest this was a federally certified manufactured home, perhaps built in the 1980s.
“Our one-bed, one-bath manufactured home cost $7,500, including delivery and the heat/AC pump. Setup cost us about $500. We changed out the windows (to double-hung, double-pane), added a porch on the front made of wood that we milled on our Wood-Mizer sawmill, and put a mudroom on the back made primarily from salvaged materials. Our total cost was under $10,000.”
The Lacefields began with a modest single section pre-owned home,
which they did some updates and additions to, as shown.
The single section home was described as being a modest 750 square feet. “If you make every space count and get rid of your “junk,” 750 square feet is actually a lot of room for two people — especially in a warm climate where so much of our time is spent outside.” the couple said.
Other than professional installation of the home, heat and air, the pair did the rest themselves to save on costs. Their biggest concern had little to do with the house, and more to do with the question of the ‘image’ of the home, how others might now picture them.
Once the home was installed, the Lacefields
lived in the home while they added features and updates.
“Decide how important other people’s opinions are to you. If you can handle the stigma, there are some strong upsides to a manufactured home.” they said. Among those upsides?
The Lacefields mentioned these:
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“On the other hand, our land taxes this year are $30. That is mighty hard to beat! We do get to celebrate all the way to the bank.”
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“We prefer to think that we live in a recycled home that allows us to keep a very small footprint on the Earth.”
Fortunately, some believe the ‘image issue’ tide is changing and that it will accelerate in the years ahead. Among the reasons?
Modern manufactured homes are being increasingly recognized by news outlets such as theBoston Globe and CBS News as good options.
Additionally, about 1 out of 9 members of the public who toured manufactured homes at the recent Eastern Ohio Home Show either purchased or applied for one on the spot, or indicated they would like to buy in in the next year.
While this couple selected a more modest single section home, larger “single wides” may have 2, 3 or even 4 bedrooms. Multi-sectional homes can be one, two or more levels. They can be set over a basement and including residential style designs which are attracting people from millionaires to those of modest means, as the CBS News report linked above proved.
As many ManufacuredHomeLivingNews readers know, producing a manufactured home means some 30% less wasted material, saves energy and as the Lacefields stated, offers good, low cost living.
As the Lacefields also said, these are facts worth celebrating. ##
(Photo credits: Mother Earth News)
