A long journey takes one step at a time. Eating an elephant takes one bite at a time. Removing a mobile home without professional help takes – you guessed it – one piece at a time.
Seeing the potential for our new property was one thing. Taking action to have a livable structure ready by winter was quite another.
But before we could figure out what to build, and to learn if the existing foundation was even in usable condition, we needed to clear what was currently in place: an old mobile home with lean-to additions on each side.
And so, just a few days after closing on the property in spring 2021, Brett gathered a sledgehammer, crowbar, and sawzall, approached the “elephant,” and took the first bite.
Started with windows and hazards
Besides being out of budget, bringing in a contractor to raze the place would’ve resulted in broken glass all around the foundation. To avoid the extra mess and danger, we cut out all the windows first and tried to find and remove other breakables like the bathroom mirror.
Hazardous items were also removed like the big white fuel tank in the picture above. Utilities were not in use for many years, so we didn’t have to worry about disconnecting water, electricity, or sewage.
Moved section by section
The strategy was to work through each of the three sections starting with the east addition. As walls were knocked down, areas of the roof caved in and we’d slowly pull away the pieces and sort them in the yard by type of material. The piles grew quickly!
Brought in reinforcements
By late June, news of our endeavor spread through Brett’s office and one of his co-workers offered to let us use his tractor to finish the job. Just in time… I think the thrill and satisfaction of doing all the work by hand was starting to wane. Plus, time was ticking!
Disposed and repurposed materials
What does one do with all the remnants? At first we made weekly trips to the local garbage and recycling center to dispose of materials. Some things, like the fridge, had to go on a designated day for oversized items.
As the piles grew and we got closer to completion, we ordered a dumpster — and then a second one — to take care of the rest.
Along the way we salvaged some potentially useful items, including 14-foot 2×8 rafter boards we ended up repurposing as cement pour form boards and later the house and garage facia.
Cleared the foundation
The mobile home was gone, but our work was far from over. Next we had to clear the foundation of the frame, cement blocks, and endless debris.
My hindsight view
A DIY mobile home demolition is not for the faint of heart. It took us months to complete the project while balancing other responsibilities including our full-time jobs, managing a short-term rental, and Brett traveling for work. Although hope we don’t tackle something like this again in the near future — maybe ever! — I’m glad for the experience of learning how to demolish a mobile home on our own. I think it brought a greater appreciation for our land, the people who enjoyed it before us, and each other.
Your turn
Do you have a question about the steps of demolishing or dismantling a mobile home? Or just want to say, “You’re nuts!” Let us know what’s on your mind in the comments below.
