7 months and counting

tonasket · #1 08/03/06, 09:56 PM

Hubby and I are planning on moving to our property in aprox. 7 months. We are stocking up on all kinds of things, tools, books, food, boots and clothes,equipment, etc.. What I'm curious about is what would you all be doing if you had 7 months to prepare? Moving to bare, treed land putting in our well, will have an outhouse, living in a large camping trailer, it's just the 2 of us and that's how we want to live, will build a living room onto the trailer before the next winter (with help of course) Just wondering what you'd be doing,hoping and expecting lots of great things maybe I didn't think of. Thanks.P.S. not going to have any animals the 1st year - gonna take that time to get used to things just for us, before taking on the responsibility of animals.

**clovis** · #2 08/03/06, 10:03 PM

Instead of buying items, I would stockpile cash, and as much of it as possible.
You can always buy what you need when the time arrives.
clove

WAB · #3 08/03/06, 10:09 PM

Either save cash or I would move the camper on it now and start working on it along and along. Then when you finally move there it will be paid for and Most of the hard work done. (The moving ,setting up, and getting ready -hard work) Get your room and porch built, well dug, outhouse or septic done. Any animal pens and out buildings built. Then when you move it wont kill you to get things set up.

WAB · #4 08/03/06, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tonasket

Moving to bare, treed land putting in our well, will have an outhouse, living in a large camping trailer.

Why would you want an outhouse whne you have a camper? I assume the camper has a bathroom in it.You can dig a small septic system for your camper with no problems. Then you can sit in the warm! LOL!!!!

tonasket · #5 08/03/06, 10:14 PM

We are saving money, I forgot to mention that, also the property is 4 hours away, so going up there often is pretty much out of the question. Also, once we move I am retiring, yea!!!!! That's the best thing of all. So all the work once we get there won't be a problem, that'll be our jobs, husband already is retired. Our income will be cut by 3/4 but, all but the property will be paid off before we move,and that payment is very little. I am working until the move.

WAB · #6 08/03/06, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tonasket

We are saving money, I forgot to mention that, also the property is 4 hours away, so going up there often is pretty much out of the question. Also, once we move I am retiring, yea!!!!! That's the best thing of all. So all the work once we get there won't be a problem, that'll be our jobs, husband already is retired. Our income will be cut by 3/4 but, all but the property will be paid off before we move,and that payment is very little. I am working until the move.

I would at least have the water and septic in before I would make the move. Having to haul water sucks! You wont regret that!

**Terri** · #7 08/04/06, 07:11 AM

What WAB said. A gallon weighs 8.6 pounds, and there are dishes and cooking and drinking and handwashing.........

Also, what youo buynow has to be STORED now, and properly. You have ONLY the storage space on the camper?

How very crowded your life will be until the room is up! I agree with the others: store more cash and buy things as you have a place to put them!

minnikin1 · #8 08/04/06, 07:21 AM

Before anything we would suggest a safe place to lock up your tools.
I would build a tool shed big enough to set up a comfortable work area.
You don't want to have to completely undo your working area each night when you clean up, just to set it all back up in the morning. (ie enough space to set up saw horses etc.)

I don't necessarily agree about waiting to buy what you need. There are tools you are going to need right away. Once your in the country it is very inconvenient to chase them down. When you're on the spot needing an item, you can do less price comparison, and usually have fewer choices, and you have to drive far to get them. Besides, prices just keep going up.
I wish we had collected more of our tools ahead of time!

congratulations. The waiting is hard!

Lynne · #9 08/04/06, 08:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WAB

Why would you want an outhouse whne you have a camper? I assume the camper has a bathroom in it.You can dig a small septic system for your camper with no problems. Then you can sit in the warm! LOL!!!!

An outhouse comes in real handy at times, like when you have a party, or am working outside and all wet, muddy, 3 layers of clothes on, etc...

If you are interested in having fruit trees you can decide where the orchard will be and start planting now. Same goes for picking out a garden spot and amending the soil, fencing if needed. I second having a place to lock up your equipment, saves you hauling what you need back and forth.

Congrats on the new land!

jnap31 · #10 08/04/06, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WAB

I would at least have the water and septic in before I would make the move. Having to haul water sucks! You wont regret that!

Make a catchment with a tarp when you first get there to catch water while you dig a well, Septics are a waste (no pun intended) of money and time be different and make yourself a nice out house.

tonasket · #11 08/05/06, 09:54 AM

Shed will be up before we move, a real nice storage shed big enough to hold everything we will need it to. For a little while we will also have a storage unit in town (15 miles away) for the furniture and such that will go into the room. We need the time when we first get there to clear the driveway and spot for the big trailer while living in our smaller one at the bottom of the property, closer to the road.

No electricity, only cell phone service (great reception), neighbor is thrilled we're moving up there finally (have had prop. 2 1/2 years) they've been up there a couple years across the "road", they've offered all the great water we'll need til well is in, they hauled water for 4 months. The little town offers 500 hundred gallons of water for $10.00 and we have a huge tank and pickup to haul if we need to.

Bought solar lights yesterday to line the path to the outhouse.pkg of 8 lights for $19.99,bought 3 pkgs. would rather get items here where prices are much lower and much more choices, than closer to property. Thanks for the great ideas.

EasyDay · #12 08/05/06, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tonasket

Hubby and I are planning on moving to our property in aprox. 7 months. We are stocking up on all kinds of things, tools, books, food, boots and clothes,equipment, etc.. What I'm curious about is what would you all be doing if you had 7 months to prepare? Moving to bare, treed land putting in our well, will have an outhouse, living in a large camping trailer, it's just the 2 of us and that's how we want to live, will build a living room onto the trailer before the next winter (with help of course) Just wondering what you'd be doing,hoping and expecting lots of great things maybe I didn't think of. Thanks.P.S. not going to have any animals the 1st year - gonna take that time to get used to things just for us, before taking on the responsibility of animals.

Seven months prior to our move, I was busy down-sizing. It's amazing how much junk one accumulates over years of raising kids, etc. I took one room or closet at a time, pulled out only the essentials (which included sentimentals, much to DH's chagrin!), and put a bunch of stuff on ebay. Good way to make a few bucks on my "junk"... people like other people's junk, donated the rest and took the tax deduction.

The less you take with you, the less you have to deal with when you get there. Makes it easier to focus on what your "new" needs are and not spending senseless hours on where to put the old stuff.

By the time we were ready to move, I was down to one moving van full of stuff! I thought

... but DH said he was hoping I could get down to one pickup truck load!

Yeah, right!

Dixielee · #13 08/05/06, 10:34 AM

There is so much that many of us could tell you, but based on experience, you probably won't listen, we didn't and now wish we had! You have preconceived notions as to how it will be, but it will all take at least twice as long and cost 3 times what you had planned. In any case, since you asked...here goes.

We did basically the same thing 7 years ago at our place. If at all possible, have the well in and a generator to pump the water before you get there. You may have a lot of time to do the work, but time has a way of slipping away. If you are spending your time hauling water and lighting lanterns, cooking by woodstove or propane, running to town for supplies because you don't have much stored....it really cuts down your productivity.

Stand firm about no animals until you are ready. We had chickens roosting in a tree over our bedroom window (living in a converted school bus), crowing at 3 am, goats coming into the house, pigs rooting in the garden, etc. while we were working on the infrastructure. It is really tempting to get some animals, but wait.

I think having running water was the turning point for me. Then I could wash all the dishes I wanted, wash clothes, hose off the porch, take long hot baths (you will really need them) etc. Without lots of good water, you will find yourself grouchy and dirty.

Having not only the storage shed, but a place to store staple food supplies will be nice. You will be very cramped in the camper. Even if it is a fun place for the week end get away, living in one full time can get very old. You may want to build a nice covered porch to extend your living area. There you can have a grill, sitting area, etc. so you won't feel so confined.

Make sure you have your supplies in good solid containers. We have lost more than one box of goodies to rodents. Squirrels are beautiful creatures but can destroy a box dehydrated apples, clothes, air mattresses! Spoken from experience! Then they stored their acorns in the air intake of our car and nibbled the wiring!

Packrats really do trade things with you! You will find your keys are missing, but have a nice rock left in their place.
The nice thing about finding a packrat's nest, is that it is like Christmas! You get all your stuff back!

After about 4 months of living in the bus, we rented a small house about 5 miles from our place and worked on the property over the next few years. We were able to have our animals (fences and barns up by then), yet go home to a relatively civilized environment to take a good shower, watch a little TV and play on the internet. We were not able to get electricity for the first several years because of easement issues, having to run wires over many miles and obtaining rights to do so. You may not have that problem, but you may want to check how much trouble that is going to be. Looking back
we would have gone solar and wind generation if we had known how much trouble it would be and how much it would cost.

Well, we finally made it. We moved a trailer to the property so we could work on the house (the 5 year plan), and turned it into a pretty nice place. But it is not without a lot of sweat, a little blood and a lot of money. Have fun, just look at it as a lifetime project, a labor of love and you will not get too discouraged.

HilltopDaisy · #14 08/05/06, 07:53 PM

I would be watching my local freecycle for anything that might come in handy. You may want to subscribe to the local weekly paper (just because it's so much fun!).