I need pro and con's on living in country and ERE. Here are facts: Pay cash for 38 acres. Has water and power services on site. I will have to buy an old mobile for cash to living in or save for a few years and put a house on land. I have a small barn on land but it's to small to living in. Current rent $350, power and water $135 a month. I live 6 miles from work now, but land is 23 miles from work. I now have a small patio garden at rental. In the country, I could have bigger garden, fruit trees and chickens. I will need a tractor later on $$$$. The land is by family, which is good and bad. I want to make the right choice. What do you think? Jason
Living in Country Living and ERE ???
First thing is what kind of passive income are you getting on the money that you will use to buy land and mobile?
If you currently don't have a car but would need one if living on the land figure out the extra cost of having a vehicle. If you have a vehicle then just figure out how much more gas you will use.
Figure how much you will save on food buy having a bigger garden.
You would save $215 in living expenses. So just subtract whatever applies to your situation.
-extra gas cost
-cost of owning a vehicle
-loss of income from money used to buy land, mobile house
Then add amount of money saved on food.
You could also figure out difference in electricity and add/subtract.
If you currently don't have a car but would need one if living on the land figure out the extra cost of having a vehicle. If you have a vehicle then just figure out how much more gas you will use.
Figure how much you will save on food buy having a bigger garden.
You would save $215 in living expenses. So just subtract whatever applies to your situation.
-extra gas cost
-cost of owning a vehicle
-loss of income from money used to buy land, mobile house
Then add amount of money saved on food.
You could also figure out difference in electricity and add/subtract.
-
George the original one
- Posts: 5406
- Joined: Wed Jul 28, 2010 3:28 am
- Location: Wettest corner of Orygun
38 acres is a lot of land to handle well on your own, particularly if you're not used to that sort of life.
Food is typically not one's largest expense, so I seriously doubt that you would see a meaningful saving. On the other hand, you would know what went into the food you eat.
You also need to check the zoning. There may be a legal reason no house is on the property!
So... unless it's your passion to have such a large place and you could forego the current job, I would advise skipping this opportunity. If you were close enough to ERE that you could scrape by without the current job, then go ahead.
Food is typically not one's largest expense, so I seriously doubt that you would see a meaningful saving. On the other hand, you would know what went into the food you eat.
You also need to check the zoning. There may be a legal reason no house is on the property!
So... unless it's your passion to have such a large place and you could forego the current job, I would advise skipping this opportunity. If you were close enough to ERE that you could scrape by without the current job, then go ahead.
Are you looking at some sort of permaculture lifestyle?
I've toyed with the idea of a couple acres(garden, orchard, and water source) but 38 acres seems a bit extreme. If you plan on cattle it's probably not extreme though. Personally I wouldn't want to attempt it until I had financial independence squared away.
Gardens and orchards if done right can solve most of your fruit and vegetable needs. The orchards though take time to grow unless already established. Raising chickens can provide a steady stream of eggs. If you need meat, farming can also fill in those blanks. That said, it's all a bit much to take care of if you have a normal job as well. Someone has to water the plants, feed the chickens, collect the eggs, etc. in and ongoing fashion. Once set in motion, you can't really take a week off.
I like the idea long term, I just know I can't afford it right now(I err on the side of safety, it's just my nature). I plan to get there someday, once the 9-5 job is done and I've crossed a few travel wants off the list.
I've toyed with the idea of a couple acres(garden, orchard, and water source) but 38 acres seems a bit extreme. If you plan on cattle it's probably not extreme though. Personally I wouldn't want to attempt it until I had financial independence squared away.
Gardens and orchards if done right can solve most of your fruit and vegetable needs. The orchards though take time to grow unless already established. Raising chickens can provide a steady stream of eggs. If you need meat, farming can also fill in those blanks. That said, it's all a bit much to take care of if you have a normal job as well. Someone has to water the plants, feed the chickens, collect the eggs, etc. in and ongoing fashion. Once set in motion, you can't really take a week off.
I like the idea long term, I just know I can't afford it right now(I err on the side of safety, it's just my nature). I plan to get there someday, once the 9-5 job is done and I've crossed a few travel wants off the list.
-
jasoninmississippi
- Posts: 101
- Joined: Mon Sep 20, 2010 3:17 am
jason -- is 2 to 5 acres enough to deer hunt on (and to be able to reliably retrieve your game before they run off your land)?
I hunt on a friend's 40 acre parcel so I am not really sure how many acres I use while hunting, but unless I am bordering public land (which I would not want to deal with trespassers) or have pre-existing agreements with my neighbors I would fear about losing a deer that runs onto a neighboring property that I don't have rights to.
I hunt on a friend's 40 acre parcel so I am not really sure how many acres I use while hunting, but unless I am bordering public land (which I would not want to deal with trespassers) or have pre-existing agreements with my neighbors I would fear about losing a deer that runs onto a neighboring property that I don't have rights to.
-
jasoninmississippi
- Posts: 101
- Joined: Mon Sep 20, 2010 3:17 am
Having grown up on 40 acres I think its a great amount of land. Just because you have it doesn't mean that you have to do much with it. Much of our(my parents that is) property is still in woods. The woods give firewood, game habitat, great mushroom hunting, wild plums, quiet and lots more. Chickens dont really take that much time/effort. Mom used to volunteer to clean out the fridge at work and bring home the leftovers which the chickens love. What they don't eat draw bugs which the chickens also love (obviously put your coop a little ways from the house but not so far that wild animals get brave). Given the choice I would love to move back to the country, I just don't like to commute and don't want to loose the A school zoning we have right now.
A tractor is more of a luxury item unless your going to put more than an acre under crops or want to do a lot of land clearing. Smaller used tractors can be purchased fairly cheap, but then theres always just 1 more tool/attachment that would make life sooooo much easier lol.
If I were in your shoes I'd be very tempted, but get the well checked first, theyre EXPENSIVE to fix/replace. You didn't mention septic, also worth checking, but if it doesn't have one look to see if you can even have one. The soil may drain too fast or slow to use one. My parents are building a new house on their property and the septic tank slowed them down by almost a year due to cost/size/govt. restrictions.
Good Luck!
A tractor is more of a luxury item unless your going to put more than an acre under crops or want to do a lot of land clearing. Smaller used tractors can be purchased fairly cheap, but then theres always just 1 more tool/attachment that would make life sooooo much easier lol.
If I were in your shoes I'd be very tempted, but get the well checked first, theyre EXPENSIVE to fix/replace. You didn't mention septic, also worth checking, but if it doesn't have one look to see if you can even have one. The soil may drain too fast or slow to use one. My parents are building a new house on their property and the septic tank slowed them down by almost a year due to cost/size/govt. restrictions.
Good Luck!
Sounds like a really good plan, but I think the 920 miles/month commuting eats a lot of cash and time. Gas alone (@28 mpg + $3/gallon) is about $1200/yr. Deprecation, repairs would push that to like $1500 min. Time lost commuting would likely be 1 hour a day, or 240 hrs a year.
I'd watch the property where you are interested, and look to get a very good entry price. Make low ball offers, it is a buyers market now.
Once you get the property, put the dwelling you want on it and rent it out to someone (maybe family?) until you're ready to make the move.
Setup a garden and deer hunt on your land on the weekends. Then in a couple years, move back into your rental house a free man.
I'd watch the property where you are interested, and look to get a very good entry price. Make low ball offers, it is a buyers market now.
Once you get the property, put the dwelling you want on it and rent it out to someone (maybe family?) until you're ready to make the move.
Setup a garden and deer hunt on your land on the weekends. Then in a couple years, move back into your rental house a free man.