Took the plunge and bought a place

[sonofman]

I bought a place in Elberton, Georgia. I have been looking for about a year, and couldn't find what I really wanted. I was tired of paying rent, so I finally broke down and bought something. I put my good faith money down today and will be signing the paperwork on Thursday. I will be paying cash, so I will have no mortgage on this place. I am looking for any and all advice that anyone has to offer. I would like to be as self sufficient as possible, and I want as many valid opinions as I can get on the ideas that I have.

I am including an aerial picture of the property so that you guys can see what I can see. All of the trees/stumps will be removed from this property within the first week that I am there. I don't want the little bit of scrubby pines and whatever else is there. The property is 7.9 acres and it is 99% open and has been a hayfield for years and years.

Black arrows are utility poles. I am going to look into having these moved so that they are not running right through my property. I have to talk to the utility company. Some people have said that the utility company will move them on your dime for about $500 per pole. To me, that would be reasonable. I am hoping for that. In the worst case scenario they won't move them at all. I have looked at the tax map and couldn't see an easement on the property. If there is no easement then my guess is that the judge will make them move them IF they don't cooperate. I am hoping and praying for an easy remedy though. If they have to stay where they are I will begrudgingly live with them.

Red arrow is a 4 bedroom 2 bath mobile home underpinned nicely to a pretty solid foundation. It was "built" in 2000 and is in great shape. It has gas heat, central air, gas stove, and has all the luxuries you would want. I would like to relocate this home to the corner of the property that is to the south and have the home facing north so that solar panels could be mounted on the roof. My worries are that the septic and well are located within proximity to the home now. I would prefer not to put in new well or septic, but am considering it if necessary. Red star is where I would like to put the home.

Brown arrow is the septic. You see my concerns about this above.

Blue arrow is the gas tank. The home has a gas log fireplace and gas stove and gas heat. I would prefer that everything be electric if I go the solar route. The tank can be moved easily and will not really be an issue.

Green arrow is a 12' x 16' little shed. It is what it is. It doesn't offer much head clearance and isn't very well built. I will probably put it on Craigslist and send it down the road.

Yellow arrow is a deep well with a beautiful pump house with electric lights and heat so that it does not freeze. I hate where this is located as I would like that to be the middle of a pasture, but this is what it is. I would much prefer that this well be where I would like to put the home, but again...is what it is.

This property is in the 7B zone.

In a perfect world, I would like to move the home to the point where I mentioned earlier and put solar on the roof. I would like to switch the heat and appliances to electric and scrap the gas fireplace etc. If I move the home I would like to have ONE utility pole at the north east corner of the property at the road and run the line underground back to the south corner where the house as a back up to the solar power system. I would run the driveway down the eastern property line. On each side of the drive would be various fruit and nut trees, raised bed gardens, and bee hives. The rest of the property would be pasture. I am thinking of Southdown Babydoll sheep, kune kune pigs, and possibly two miniature Jersey cows or maybe a small group of dairy goats...maybe Nigerian dairy goats? I am uncertain of that. I planned on a small building for raising quail and have given thought to raising snails as a source of income, selling them to the fancier restaurants here in Georgia. That is a pipe dream at the moment, but we all dream.

In the real world, all of the ugly utility poles stay where they are, and the home stays where it is, the utilities stay as gas etc, and I will fence AROUND the home area and get about the same amount of pasture area for the animals mentioned. I don't pay for water, so I can irrigate the pasture if needed. I will always have plenty of grass as long as I don't have too many animals.

Please give me ANY and ALL thoughts that you have on this. I appreciate any words that are given with being helpful in mind. Thank you.

[sonofman]

This is to give you an idea of what I would like to do with the property if I am able. This shows the trees removed, and the mobile home moved, the utility poles moved, the driveway moved, and the green line shows where the perimeter fence would be for livestock. I would probably go with a well made high tensile electric fence...probably 6 wires...maybe 7?

I would plant fruit and nut trees down each side of the drive, along with berries, raised bed gardens, container gardens, and also have bee hives.

[sonofman]

If I am forced to leave the home where it is now, and I am unsuccessful in getting the utility poles moved, it will look a little like this I think?

This would pretty much force the entire "yard" to be a garden. I am not opposed to that idea as I don't really care what the property looks like from the road. I don't need a lawn to be happy. I am much more concerned about function and productivity than I am with making the cover of H&G magazine.

This property is also very close to a HUGE lake. Its less than two miles from my front door to the ramp, which is cool for fishing once I can afford a boat. I was also thinking of putting a small pond on the property where maybe I could raised golden shiners, lake chub suckers, and papershell crayfish. Along with worms in a composting situation I think that I could make a fairly good dollar selling bait because I am on the main highway on the way to the ramp. I am just looking for any little source of income that I could produce on this land so that I don't have to spend any more days in an office than I already have over the last dozen years.

If I could make a $100 a week selling bait and all I had to do to make that money was dip out some shiners or put some worms in a container I would be more than happy to do it. A little pond would be good to have in my opinion, and having worms and compost is something that I will always want anyway.

[karenp]

Is there utility right of way where the poles run or are they just for the farm? You may not able to put the house there if it is on the right of way. It seems like a lot of expense to move the house I doubt it would be worth it.

[po boy]

Don't those telephone poles deliver power to your home????
If that's the case you could run it underground.

Nice place and congrats.

[Jennifer L.]

Sounds to me like you might have just settled on a place because you were tired of looking. (Maybe not, but it's kind of what you sound like.) You've put a lot of thought into your place, but maybe you still shouldn't rush into putting money into things until you have been there for at least a few months and are sure "this is the place".

As to your planning, I would NEVER move my house to an edge of a property that was next to land I didn't control. Who's to say who or what is going to be 20' over the property line looking in your bedroom window? Or putting their trash pile, etc? I think a central location for house and buildings makes a lot more sense for a farm, anyway. Moving septic tanks is another expense I wouldn't want to deal with and I don't see that your septic is that close to the well? But that's going to depend on soil characteristics.

Underground wires are great if you are ice storm territory, so I think that's a good idea. It's not that cheap to do around here, though, but if it's manageable where you are, go for it.

I'd never cut down good trees, too slow to get large trees back, but it's a matter of personal taste.

Looks like you'll have fun figuring this all out. Good luck!

[COWS]

Lots of luck dealing with the power company. If you want them moved off your property that will mean they will be on someone else's property and that will open another can of worms. The other property owners will not want the poles either. If the poles just provided power to your house you could, as po boy said, have the power run under ground on your dime. At any rate, looks like a great place.

Where would the water for a pond come from? I don't see a stream on the property.

COWS

[Carol K]

Congrats on your purchase. I wouldn't move the house either, same reasons as Jennifer. I'd plant some shade trees for the house now, I'd think about shade for your animals. I'd fence the perimeter also.
Take it slow, live there a while before you make any major decisions. 7 acres with animals doesn't go far, so start slow.
Mist of all enjoy it all.

Carol K

[wy_white_wolf]

Congrats on the purchase.

I'd keep the house closer to the center like it is now. Sticking it in tight to one corner like you've suggested leaves no buffer between you and what the neighbors may do in the future. Would you really want in that corner if they decided to setup hog pins next to you? At least leave room for trees that can serve as a wind/sight break.

Also going full electric is not good of an idea for solar. You'd have to be grid tied to support the firnace/stove as inverters and battery banks that can support them get real expensive. Look more into solar thermal for heating.

WWW

[geo in mi]

How much cash do you have left over? Seems to me that you will need a lot for all the makeover projects you have outlined. Will you be treating the property as a homesteading project, that is, to obtain some degree of self-sufficiency, or will it be a sort of "hobby" farm?

A "homesteading" style--and goal, seems to me to rely on your soil and water. From the pictures, it looks to me like you may have to spend even more cash to bring your soil up to the fertility that can support the animals you hope to have, and to give you lots of biomass for composting and gardening, and mulch. You would also cut down all the present trees.--What will you replace them with, and will your soil be able to grow them? You will need firewood, and lumber maybe, for the future, unless you are willing to shell out more cash for it.

And what about your water situation? Will you be able to dig a pond, for irrigation and fire protection, and livestock--or will you have to rely on your well--and however many gpm's it delivers?

Also, what about buildings--for livestock shelter, for machinery storage and repair, for a workshop, feed storage, how much more cash will that require?

And, did you drive a two mile radius around your property to see if there are any dumps, race tracks, CAFE's, or undesireable's?

And did you get a full survey, with irons and flags, and recorded at the courthouse?

Just a few thoughts, even though you have already put your money down....

Best of luck.

geo

[GeneMO]

You could have the electricity going to your house run underground. That would eliminate the one pole. The rest, you may as well forget. I have never heard of the utility company moving a line cause the landowner just didn't like seeing the poles. Dont think that is gonna happen.

As for the animals. Why the exotic pics and cows? Just get some regular ole Duroc/Yorkshire cross. And a regular milk cow. I dont believe in all the fad/exotic livestock. I have seen too many fads come and go, pot bellied pigs, emu's, etc. They end up being worthless and end up being given away or turned loose.

And I see no need to destroy the trees. Cattle will graze underneath them. And livestock needs shade. A contented cow will give more milk, comfortable pigs gain weight faster. Dont get rid of your shade. There is also the windbreak benefits, and the wildlife benefit.

Good luck, Gene

[jwal10]

I would just move in, build perimeter fence and see what comes up. I too would leave house where it is at. Leave all good trees, you may regret taking them out. There will be plenty of work to do. This will also give you time to settle into it, make it your own and love it, or, keep looking for the "perfect" place. For now you need to do what builds the most equity, with an eye on still being able to sell to the rest of the buying public. So, both what you "need" and what would still sell....James

[MichaelK!]

I have to agree with both Jennifer and WWW. Don't move your house. That's just opening a whole can of worms you want to avoid. On second thought, since you're interested in worms, never mind.

Seriously, do not give up propane utilities. Sure you can go with solar for electricity, but electric heat and electric cooking on solar is totally unrealistic. It just doesn't get any better than gas for cooking. I'd keep that no matter what. For home heating, a woodstove or two might be a more sustainable option. You really want redundancy in your energy supplies.

What's that going on in the upper left-hand portion of your photo (NW?). It appears to be lots of cars more or less randomly distributed. Is it an auto junk yard or something? If so, that's were I'd be planting orchard trees, to act as a screen for unattractive commercial activities. I'd definately plant high value trees like pecans, walnuts, peaches, and whatever other fruits/nuts are adapted to your area.

I don't have much to say about animals, other than goats are more browsers than grazers, and grassy pasture will be better for cows and sheep than goats.

[Maura]

I’d also be skeptical of moving the house. It is a mobile home, think about the lifespan of it. Sit there a few years and if you decide you really want the house in a different location, sell the MH while it is still good and build a new house where you want it. I think the current location is better. It puts you in a cozy spot with your homestead all around you. You don’t need to fence the whole place. You can use portable el fencing when you move your animals around. This is what we did and had the lawn mowed by our sheep. If you start with portable you can always change your mind and find out what really works best for you before deciding on permanent fencing. You may find you need a system of chutes at certain times of the year, or to create a small pen for some reason. Take it easy.

[am1too]

I'd keep things the way they are. If fencing is needed I'd cut the yard to say 10 ft from the side of the drive. If you're really considering a road side business you will need reasonable parking and maneuvering space. People can't drive.

[COWS]

Didn't notice the 7 acres figure. I'm in SC so I'm somewhat familiar with conditions in the general area.

All soil in the SE that I am familiar with, except the sea islands, is acidic, so you might as well plan on an application of lime, but soil tests are a good idea.

7 acres will support a maximum of 2 cow calf pairs.

Selling hay is an excellent idea, but you have to pay to have it baled. I suggest trying to have it baled in small squares for pickup in the field as baled.


Do you plan on growing feed for hogs or chickens. Corn that you can pick by hand is the easiest and cheapest to do. You will, however have to build storage rat proof if possible. The procedure I have seen done is to build a plywood building and cove it with tin so that the rats can't climb the walls to get in under the eaves. Tin at bottom of door so they can't chew through the door. Have it high enough off the ground so predators or your dog or cat can get to any rats that try to chew through the floor. For your existing small building you might get steel barrels to store grain in and cover the tops with weighted sand screen wire to keep rats, or birds out. If you are buying feed storing it in barrels might be a good idea also. Don't kill black snakes that hang around either, they are better than a cat for killing rats, in warm weather,

COWS

[Nimrod]

Congratulations on finding a place and no mortgage.

Get title insurance. They will do a complete title search and guarantee it so some long lost relative doesn't pop out of the woodwork and take the property away. You would lose your money.

Good advice so far. Go really slow on changes. I would live in it for at least a year. Find out where the wind drifts the snow, what parts dry out first and last in the spring, ect.

Put in backups. Then put in backups to the backups if you can. You have gas heat. It doesn't take much electricity to run a gas furnace. If the power goes down you will still have heat as long as the gas lasts if you have a small generator and/or a solar electricity set up. Have electric heaters on hand if the furnace goes out. Put in a wood stove and a supply of wood. You will have heat even in a blizzard. Fireplaces are worse that nothing. More hot air goes up the chimney than heat goes out into the room.

Put in a gas cook stove. Try to find one that doesn't need any electricity to ignite the oven and burners. It will work during a power outage. You can also heat food on top of your wood stove.

You have to have water. Track down the circuit breaker for your well pump. Is it 240 volt? How many amps? You should have a generator that puts out the correct voltage to run your well pump. It should have 2 or 3 times the amperage needed for the well pump because the pump motor will draw that much to start up. Find out what amperage the well pump is. If you can't find it, the breaker is at least twice the pump's amperage. Generators are measured in watts. Amps times voltage equals watts. Watts divided by voltage equals amps.

Put up a wind break of trees and shrubs to block the winter wind.

Get a soil rest and amend the soil before planting anything.

Good luck. Remember, if you are caught or killed we will disavow any knowledge of your actions.

[Harry Chickpea]

Cart Horse

Title search
Title insurance
Survey or at least copy of existing certified survey
Review past tax records and valuations
READ and understand copy of any and all zoning restrictions
Check out "neighborhood" by visiting and just sitting around - especially Friday and Saturday night.
Verify that water meets minimum standards

THEN plunk down cash.

[FarmboyBill]

What is the size of the area in 3rd pic, from house to road inside the green band?
IF your thinking of farming it, Id run a fence from the green line L of the house straight down to the lower boundry line. Then Id run a line at the corner on the back of the R side of the house diagonal down to the corner at the lower R side. Now you got 2 pastures The part above the house to the road could be garden if big enough. That leaves what im guessing is around 5 or less acres to the L of the house.

Since money dosent seem to be an issue, Id plant OP corn there. harvest it, get both a corn binder and husker shredder, and chop the stalks to feed cows, and save the corn to feed chickens or pigs. After taking out the corn id resow it in haygrazer/sorgum grass/gotcha grass. 3 names amongst others its known by. Take ONE cutting off of it. Let it regrow back to around a foot and plow it under. you could graze on it during this time also, BUT It has to be plowed under IF your afraid cows might get into it, as it is toxic after its been frosted on.

[sonofman]

I am going to try to address everyone here in just a second. I didn't expect so many responses LOL.