Hi all,
As I've mentioned on a couple of other threads, I'm about to move from the UK (where I've been living for the past 6 years) back to Montreal, Canada. My situation seems a little complicated (to me), or maybe I just have too many options. I'd really appreciate some input:
Due to sheer LUCK, I've made a decent amount of profit on the house I bought in the UK (the housing market went nuts right after I bought, and it's worth over twice what I paid for it). I *could* buy a some land (20 acres would be plenty for what I'd like to do) with a house in an area suitable for homesteading (which is what I ultimately want to do) as soon as I move back, BUT:
1. My parents are elderly, and my father has Parkinson's disease. They both have serious heart conditions. I feel I should be nearby - this is a huge part of the reason I've decided to move back to Canada now. I also feel quite strongly that I want to be in a position to help them out financially if they need it; which they might if my Dad ends up needing full-time nursing care.
2. I am a computer programmer, and my current company has agreed to keep me on as a contractor after I move to Canada. That means that for (minimum) 6 months to (maximum) 2 years, I'll have a good salary as long as I'm living somewhere with a reliable highspeed internet connection. After that I don't know what my job situation is going to be like. I'm not a 'top expert' in my field, just competant at what I do.
My original plan was to buy a 'duplex' in Montreal, fairly close to my parent's house. Due to the oddities of the Montreal housing and rental markets, a duplex (two apartments one on top of the other, you own the whole building, live in half and rent the other half) is actually a lot cheaper that a 'single family house'. I can (just barely) afford a duplex with a decent sized yard/garden. The idea behind this plan is that if my contract ends sooner rather than later, I have the rental income to pay the bills while i'm looking for another job. And it gives me enough more time & space to grow a nice big garden and learn all the homesteading skills I haven't had much practice at yet.
BUT; I've spent a *huge* amount of time lately lookng at the various options of property for sale in the outlying/farming areas around Montreal. I could buy 20 acres (no house) for about $20,00; or 3-5 acres with a mobile home/trailer on it for $35,000. This would have to come out ot the money I have to spend on a house in town...
Does it make more sense to get a decent sized chunk of land that I will need to commute (about 1-2 hour's drive) to on weekends, and a (much) smaller place in the city? Should I buy the land I eventually plan to build on right away, and grow a garden on that instead, until my family situation stabilises and I can homestead full time?
I would really love to hear from people who have 'commuted' to their homestead (either raw land or land with a house/mobile); and how it worked out for them.
Thanks,
Jo
As I've mentioned on a couple of other threads, I'm about to move from the UK (where I've been living for the past 6 years) back to Montreal, Canada. My situation seems a little complicated (to me), or maybe I just have too many options. I'd really appreciate some input:
Due to sheer LUCK, I've made a decent amount of profit on the house I bought in the UK (the housing market went nuts right after I bought, and it's worth over twice what I paid for it). I *could* buy a some land (20 acres would be plenty for what I'd like to do) with a house in an area suitable for homesteading (which is what I ultimately want to do) as soon as I move back, BUT:
1. My parents are elderly, and my father has Parkinson's disease. They both have serious heart conditions. I feel I should be nearby - this is a huge part of the reason I've decided to move back to Canada now. I also feel quite strongly that I want to be in a position to help them out financially if they need it; which they might if my Dad ends up needing full-time nursing care.
2. I am a computer programmer, and my current company has agreed to keep me on as a contractor after I move to Canada. That means that for (minimum) 6 months to (maximum) 2 years, I'll have a good salary as long as I'm living somewhere with a reliable highspeed internet connection. After that I don't know what my job situation is going to be like. I'm not a 'top expert' in my field, just competant at what I do.
My original plan was to buy a 'duplex' in Montreal, fairly close to my parent's house. Due to the oddities of the Montreal housing and rental markets, a duplex (two apartments one on top of the other, you own the whole building, live in half and rent the other half) is actually a lot cheaper that a 'single family house'. I can (just barely) afford a duplex with a decent sized yard/garden. The idea behind this plan is that if my contract ends sooner rather than later, I have the rental income to pay the bills while i'm looking for another job. And it gives me enough more time & space to grow a nice big garden and learn all the homesteading skills I haven't had much practice at yet.
BUT; I've spent a *huge* amount of time lately lookng at the various options of property for sale in the outlying/farming areas around Montreal. I could buy 20 acres (no house) for about $20,00; or 3-5 acres with a mobile home/trailer on it for $35,000. This would have to come out ot the money I have to spend on a house in town...
Does it make more sense to get a decent sized chunk of land that I will need to commute (about 1-2 hour's drive) to on weekends, and a (much) smaller place in the city? Should I buy the land I eventually plan to build on right away, and grow a garden on that instead, until my family situation stabilises and I can homestead full time?
I would really love to hear from people who have 'commuted' to their homestead (either raw land or land with a house/mobile); and how it worked out for them.
Thanks,
Jo