The Manufactured Housing Forums

Hello everyone,
I have been reading the posts on Manufactured Housing Global Network. I
did a search for utilities but could not find the answer to my
question. We have bought a lot just outside Pensacola , across the
state line in Alabama. We have about five years before we can actually
move (retire) but would like to do projects each year or a couple of
times a year. We would like to have the utilities connected and
possibly have a circle drive put down. Sometime in the interim we plan
to buy an RV to stay in it on trips down. This is my question. Can we
have the utilities run before the we place a house? (possibly hook the
RV up for power.) What kind of costs would we be looking at then, to
have the utilities connected in the house? We would also like to plant
ground cover in the arc of the circle drive so it can spread and take
hold before we move. We'll need to have a septic tank installed as
well. Should it be installed before the utlities are run? I bought two books about site prep and buying a manufactured home. Both we informative but both list the utilities being installed after the house purchase. Also, can you tell me what kind of foundations are used in the southeast area, (very sandy ground). The book I read mentioned two kinds, one you have to get on your back on a car wheelie and scoot around, the other is tall enough that you can walk (though in a stooped position) around cemented crawl space. Is the type you end up with an option at the dealer level?
Thanks for any information and/or advice you can give.
Sincerely,
Kathy

Utilities such as power are run after the home is placed and passes all inspections(local codes).If you want to run power to a temporary location for RV's you would have to apply for the permit and run accordingly.Check with your local power company for details.Water and sepic can usually be run before but you run the risk of damaging your septic instalation by doing this.Rolling a home over your new tank and drain field would be a expensive mistake.Putting a drive in would be possible but again, remember, it could be damamged when the home is moved in
The height of the foundation is governed by local codes.You usually have to be at least 13 or ft above sea level.This is usally not a big deal unless you are near the coast.You have a survey down to determine your elevation.Regardless of the height it is advisable to have concrete footers under all the piers of the foundation.This is not always down but is well worth the extra cost.You dont want your home to start sinking into soft soil down the road.Costs on all these items vary in different areas,shop around for the best price if the dealer does offer them or you are not comfortable with him .

Bill give a pretty good answer...power would be only a temporary power source...some power companies will not install them for the long term use...check with the power company..

While checking things out..you better check with the local building authorities as to the use of an RV on the property..This would not be allowed in many counties..

Depending on the proerty..the ground cover might be in trouble when you move the home in...Big home take up much more room than most circle drives..

We bought unimproved property 2 1/2 years ago - 3.6 acres. Over the first year we fenced it all. Over the next year we added a power pole and had electric run. Then we could plug things in - we also had a security light added. Then we had a well put in. We planted a "landscape garden" with throwaway plants from a local nursery. We now have 86 crepe myrtles, 40 ligustrum, 20 leyland cypress and 12 pittosporum. We put down soaker hoses and ran them on a timer for when we weren't there - which was through the week. We thought about a driveway but opted not to do anything for the reasons stated by Murray and Bill. We put in a 20 foot gate thinking any size home would fit through it. We bought a 32 x 80 and it would not fit through. They had to pull up about 13 feet of fence along with it. The good news is, they put it all back. We had the septic tank put in after the home was placed. It is in front - to the side a little and I don't think the home would have gone over it, but we just hadn't gotten around to it. The only thing that was really painful was that when we put the power pole in we didn't know where - exactly - we wanted the house. So it was over closer to the fence. Consequently, it cost us $775 to run the electric to the house and for a dedicated line for a 5 ton heat pump - all underground. In the long run, we will be glad we have no overhead lines to the house, but at the time it seriously hurt our bank account. This is in southwest Georgia. We bought a top of the line Fleetwood - yes, I know all the stories - but it had the floor plan we wanted and many upgrades - also great price since it was a lot model. We may be unhappy down the road, but we have been in three weeks and the booboo's are minimal and insignificant so far. We are thrilled and happy for now!