We put a small home on my in-laws’ property. It’ll be nice to live mortgage-free, but it’s been tough.
In a candid recount of their journey, Shawn Lentz shares the challenges faced by his family after selling their spacious home in Concrete, Washington, in April 2024, with plans to move into a trailer while constructing a mortgage-free manufactured home on his in-laws’ property. The decision stemmed from a desire to alleviate the burden of rising property taxes and insurance costs associated with their previous house, which had once brimmed with potential but had become a financial strain. The Lentz family aimed to build a modest detached accessory dwelling unit (DADU) on the 5-acre property, allowing them to live closer to their aging in-laws and support them during their golden years. However, what was initially envisioned as a temporary living arrangement in a 23-foot trailer quickly spiraled into a prolonged ordeal, extending over 16 months filled with unexpected setbacks and delays.
The road to their new home has been fraught with obstacles, from navigating the permitting process to dealing with environmental regulations that delayed construction by five months due to the discovery of a newly classified wetland. Despite enlisting help from contractors, the Lentz family often found themselves grappling with conflicting information and the complexities of local building codes. Living in the cramped trailer, which also houses their teenage son and three English bulldogs, has proven to be a test of patience and adaptability. The tight quarters have forced them to creatively manage their living space, with makeshift arrangements for cooking and sleeping, and the constant challenge of keeping their pets from getting into mischief.
Despite the myriad of challenges, progress is finally being made on their new home, with the manufactured house delivered and the critical phases of construction underway. The Lentz family has invested over $275,000 into this venture, and while they acknowledge the emotional and physical toll of living in such confined conditions, they remain hopeful that their dream of a simpler, mortgage-free life will soon become a reality. Shawn reflects on the journey with a mix of humor and frustration, noting that while they would not wish to repeat this experience, the lessons learned and the resilience built during this time have been invaluable. As they await the completion of their new home, the Lentz family is determined to hold onto their dream, looking forward to a future where they can finally settle down and enjoy the freedom that comes with homeownership.
My family sold our home with plans to live in a trailer until we could finish setting up a manufactured house on my in-laws’ property.
Shawn Lentz
We sold our house with plans to put a mortgage-free
manufactured home
on my in-laws’ property.
We’d planned to live in our trailer until the house was done, but we’ve faced many setbacks.
After many months, we’re finally seeing progress on our new home.
In April 2024, my wife and I sold our 4,000-square-foot home in the small town of Concrete, Washington.
Then, we moved into the 23-foot trailer on my in-laws’ property with our teenage son, three English bulldogs, and a territorial iguana named Rawr.
This wasn’t some dreamy escape into the minimalist #vanlife trend. In reality, we were desperate to be free from a mortgage, and we wanted to
live closer to my in-laws
so we could assist them as they age.
Though our Concrete house once felt full of character and potential for endless renovations, it had become a burden, with ever-rising property taxes and insurance costs.
So, we made a plan: Use the funds from selling our house to build a modest
detached accessory dwelling unit
(DADU) on my in-laws’ 5-acre property in Arlington, Washington.
This way, we’d finally be able to
live in a home mortgage-free
.
During construction, we’d simply stay in the Forest River Evo trailer we’d bought a few years ago to use for camping trips. It seemed like a perfectly fine setup for just a few months, maybe four maximum, we thought.
However, this project began over 16 months ago, and we’re still not in our house.
The delays started piling up almost immediately
Our plan was to live out of our 23-foot trailer until our home was finished.
Shawn Lentz
We
purchased a manufactured home
with three bedrooms and two bathrooms that falls within our county’s 1,200-square-foot DADU limit.
It turns out that buying the house was the easy part.
From there, we still had a lot of work to do — applying for a permit, scheduling a wetland survey of where we planned to build, testing the nearby well for contaminants, designing a septic system, and more.
Though we had some help from a contractor and other subcontractors, we felt like we got a lot of mixed messages about what needed to be done and in what order.
Ultimately, we had a lot to figure out on our own. Throughout the process, we became very familiar with local rules and the approval process for building in our county.
We’ve faced so many delays throughout the process.
Shawn Lentz
Still, progress seemed to move at a glacial pace, from dealing with delays from our septic designer to waiting for inspections for electrical, water, and the septic system.
However, the biggest hold-up to installing our manufactured home was the discovery of a new wetland on the property that became subject to regulation.
We needed to make corrections and changes before re-filing our permit, which alone delayed our project by five months.
Meanwhile, living in our trailer has been tougher than anticipated
We’ve been sharing the space with our dogs.
Shawn Lentz
While all of this was happening, we’ve been living in a tin can.
The small trailer has a slide-out for extra breathing room, but the space is still tight. Adding an extra-tall baby gate to keep our dogs from fighting only made it worse.
We have to basically pole vault back and forth over the things to move around the trailer.
We try to spread out when we can.
Shawn Lentz
Our son’s “room” is the casket-sized bottom bunk, while Rawr enjoys the upper tier with a view. The dining nook doubles as my writing workspace, but is now mostly taken up by our son’s gaming computer.
The dining nook is sometimes shared by us and our pets.
Shawn Lentz
My poor wife has been relegated to the bed for everything from dinner to downtime.
Cooking gets interesting. We choose between microwaving, air-frying, or using the crockpot.
Our cooking space is also quite compact.
Shawn Lentz
Precariously balancing plates on tiny counter edges or on top of the coffee pot makes for fun little wagers. Will our dinner hit the ground? How long will it take for the dogs to gobble it up? Many times it’s easier to just go out.
Regardless, we’ve adapted to never-ending trailer chores, glitchy WiFi, mentally defeated dogs, and all the rest.
We’re finally starting to see progress on the house — and we’ve learned so much
Despite the challenges, we’re still chasing the dream of a simpler life.
Shawn Lentz
Our house was delivered in late June. Its two halves are now married together and stabilized with concrete blocks.
Septic, electrical, and interior work are underway, and the water line will soon be run to the existing well.
There’s still a lot of work to be done before it’s completely move-in-ready. However, over $275,000 later, we can finally see the shape of what’s ahead.
And what’s a few more months in the trailer? This extended camping experience has tested our marriage more than anything else in our 12 years together.
We’ve screamed at the Gods. We’ve shouted at each other. We’ve nearly become the Torrance family in “The Shining.”
If we had to do it again (never in a million years), we’d give ourselves a timeline of a year or two. We’d also be prepared to cover additional, unknown costs, like county recording fees and septic-system monitoring, beyond the general estimate provided by our contractor.
Still, we’re holding on to the dream of simplifying our lives and
owning our home outright
.
Staring across the property at our unfinished house is torture. But, we’re hopeful that when it’s complete, this nightmare we’ve been through will have been worth it.
Time will tell if we’ll ever be able to go camping again, though.
Read the original article on
Business Insider
