Construction – Page 6 – The Homestead

Call it counter-cultural. Call it crazy. We have decided to take up housekeeping in an RV while we build our home. We do have a history of RV-living. Since we lived in the New Orleans area when Hurricane Katrina hit, we found ourselves living in a trailer for several months. We have done it before and know how it is.

Why do it?

In 2005, when Katrina hit the Gulf coast, we had no idea initially just how long it would be until we could go home. Only a couple of days after Katrina passed through New Orleans, we could see that it would be awhile before things returned to normal. We had several motivations that made the purchase of an RV seem a logical choice:

1. We had two kids and a large dog and were completely sick of hotel living. At least at a campground, we would have plenty of outside space and room for the kids and dog to run.

2. With the huge number of evacuees in the area, short-term apartments were in short supply.

3. We had no idea how long we would be evacuated, so were reluctant to sign a long-term lease.

4. If we were able to return home, but had no power, water, or sewer service, a trailer seemed like a very self-contained solution to use while working on home repairs.

5. Since my husband had to remain in the city where the evacuated military aircraft (from the New Orleans area) were positioned, even if allowed back home, he would have to stay with the aircraft, so the idea of staying together as a family unit was more appealing.

6. The idea of family camping trips in the future sounded like fun.

As it happened, we ended up living a total of 4 1/2 months in that RV… We learned a great deal from it and look back on it as a happy time. Since we had a overall good experience that time, we decided it would be a good thing to consider again during our construction… with a few changes.

We lived on-base at a very safe campground during our evacuation. There was a central bath house and a coin-operated washer and dryer at the campground. The boys had many a pleasant evening with a campfire and marshmallows at the campground. We became quite adept at preparing meals in our little trailer and learned many of the tricks of RV living. The boys continued right on with school at the little dining table.

Two things would have made such a huge difference in the standard of living. Better bath facilities and our own washer and dryer. It doesn’t seem like those two things would be so crucial. After all, we did have in our trailer a lovely shower/bath/toilet combo and separate bathroom sink. The laundry facilities were only a short walk away. I think I am just a bit spoiled to whine, but there it is.

We looked at our options for the build of our own retirement home. We could have chosen to rent a small house in town or even accepted the kind offer my parents made for us to stay with them. In the end, we decided to modify the design of the workshop to accommodate our needs and make things a bit more comfortable so that we could live on-site.

At first, we thought of actually building a living quarters at one end of the workshop and keeping it as a guest quarters later on, but couldn’t really justify the added cost when we looked at how little we expected to actually need guest quarters after the home was finished. We came upon the idea to just put in a finished bathroom with shower, sink and toilet and equip the workshop with a washer/dryer hookup. With those two things and our 5th wheel RV, we’d have all the comforts of home.

Cost-wise, it works out very well. We figure the extra cost of adding a bathroom to be fairly minimal and a useful bonus to our lives after the construction was complete. It will allow us to eliminate the cost of a rental house and rented storage units during the build time and also to protect our materials by living there.

It will be another adventure (but even better… this time we’ll have better plumbing).

(Otherwise Known as: Ain’t Skeered!)

Venturing out on your own home construction project can be a daunting challenge. Depending on where you decide to build there is an unending maze of bureaucracy to negotiate before you break ground! We are fortunate that we chose to build in New Mexico, in a county where the rules have not gotten too ridiculous. Some counties of New Mexico, such those which serve Santa Fe and Albuquerque, are simply out of control. It seems that the larger the population, the bigger the government and hence the more rules and administrative requirements there are. The well-meaning technocrats continue to find new and creative ways of protecting us from ourselves. I realize that many of the rules and codes are well-intentioned, but I digress. Some of the important keys to overcoming the fear of the unknown are; a measure of self confidence, massive research and a good friend who is in the construction industry in the area where you are planning to build.

Settlers did it centuries ago… so can we!

For centuries the settlers built their own homesteads with few tools, no money and materials harvested from their land. It was simply how things were done. There was no question about doing so, it was a matter of survival. For over a century Americans have relied on artisans and professionals to build their homes. We have lost a measure of confidence in our ability to do such things for ourselves. You need to have some self confidence. It serves to support your notion that you can actually manage a project on your own. Even with the most basic of skills, you can do some or much of the work yourself. If you frequently do home repairs or renovation projects, you possess many of the skills to tackle some of the work on your own. Critical things such as wiring, installing an HVAC system and metal roofing, for example, might be the projects you reserve for the subs. If you are not handy with any tools or are physically unable to perform the physical tasks required, you can still manage the project and save a hefty amount. I always balk when I hear someone say, “If you are not a doctor you wouldn’t perform your own heart surgery why would you build your own house?” The two are not the same. They are not even close. Granted, there are many pitfalls and potentially dangerous aspects of building your home, but you CAN do it yourself! I never realized that until I began to do the research.

Where to Start

The research is important, of course, to provide you with the knowledge of rules, requirements, codes, costs, procedures, which sub-contractors to select for your project, which products are the best or cheapest and a host of other subjects. I would recommend spending several months doing that research so that you can examine the scope of your project, determine what you will accomplish yourself and narrow the costs down. We spent the better part of a year doing the research. It’s amazing what you can find online. I also relied heavily on books which detailed construction techniques, Name Your Link“>codes, and general how-to books to finalize our plan of attack. Depending on how well you and your spouse get a long, there are lots of details that can be fun to work on together. My wife and I have a great arrangement; she picks everything and I like it! (Except in the detached, unheated, non-air conditioned workshop! That is man’s domain. Women stay out!)

A Helping Hand

Having one of more friends or trusted confidants to rely on will be of great benefit. We are fortunate to have a good friend who is a general contractor in our hometown. We treat it like a business transaction and pay for work and advice. No one wants another weekend job for a friend! Keep the relationship professional and you can still remain friends long after the project is finished. Our friend knows almost all of the subs in town. He knows which ones to trust, who does the best work, and who charges reasonable rates. He knows where to find the best prices on materials, and how to negotiate some of the bureaucracy. We elected to have our workshop built while we are still living in another state (1326 miles away!). When we arrive in New Mexico, the workshop, complete with full bathroom and laundry hook-up and an RV pad complete with water and electrical hook-ups will be ready for immediate move in. We plan on living in our RV while we build our house. We’ll be on-site so we won’t have to worry about material security and the commute to the job-site can be done in house slippers if needed. Food, bathroom, laundry and the most important ingredients — coffee in the morning and home-brewed beer in the evening — are right on site!!

Simply said, we ain’t skeered no more.

Category: Construction

Living in an RV?

Don’t be Afraid to Build Your Own Home