Tundy, house and beetle build thread...and exploring.

Officially closed. Quite anticlimactic since I already wired the funds and signed all the paperwork online earlier this week.

But I'll be over there digging holes whenever I have spare time. App is in for power, need to send the check for septic survey. Only bad news is when I was pounding in stakes... they seemed to offer a bit more resistance than I was hoping for. So I'll need to get the shovel out and see how frozen it is. Hopefully its just a surface layer and the backhoe can get through easily.

Ordered a folding shovel for the truck, some survival stuff for a backpacking kit since i lost a lot of that stuff. Still want to find a spot/garmin for hiking alone but thats on the back burner due to cost (and mainly the subscription).

 

Are you looking at the InReach line from Garmin/Delorme?
Looks like they have a use it when you need it sub, $15 for the safety level. Pay for it for the months you use it and not year round.
https://explore.garmin.com/en-US/inreach/#subscriptions

 

Yeah i think that's the last one I was looking into before i got sidetracked. It has the two versions, the more expensive having upgraded topo maps correct?

 

Yup. Map version, and no map version. About $50 difference. Maps version also gets you a barometer and a compass.

 

Well...

Power company is coming out this week. Its great working with a small co-op instead of a corporate monstrosity! IREA vs Xcel. Transformer is only at 30% capacity so I'm looking at $1,800 for the pole and I'll have power. Then I'll have to trench from there to the house. Cable itself is about $1k/100ft but I still plan on putting the house further back on the property, they said ~250ft from transformer is as far as you want to go which is at the corner of the property.

Septic info sent to the engineer and waiting to get a machine to dig test pits.

Finishing up some wants/needs for the house and shooting an email to the planner to see what we need to do.

Thinking about a little in ground fridge/cellar accessed through the pantry floor. It'd be cool to have a free fridge and storage area. Since I plan on having the outdoor wood burning stove for hot water/heat, I'm thinking I'll run a line to the greenhouses for when it gets cold. I'll throw a radiator in the garage, a couple in the house as well.

Plans for the greenhouses will be a basic hooped design and do two layers of plastic so there will be air between to protect from temperature swings. Wanted to start digging some holes for posts of the first greenhouse and material shed but going to wait to finalize the placement of the house first. Scored metal roofing for one shed so far. Probably going to start hoarding pallets and use those on the shed and stain them. Trying to recycle as much as possible.

 

This is so awesome. Both your road trip and your new house/property are things that I would love to do. I’m super jealous.

 

I’ve showed the wife some of this and she’s super jellous (so am I)and wants to do somthing similar. Have to check her with reality for now. But one day when we’re ready to buy....

 

Does your property have any terrain to it or is it mostly all flat? Any trees? When I had been looking for property in the past those were my biggest gripes, lots of plots were flat as a pancake and had no trees either. Essentially just a big field.

 

Thanks, I'm pretty excited to be able to design/build it myself. The first junk that takes forever is the whole permitting, waiting, and finally the foundation. From there, it should be done in no time!

 

Just a flat, tree-less plot. Which does make it easy for planning, building, and such. I'll be trying to plant some trees. Its not a dream location, but it'll work for a rent free house with 300% equity upon completion. Then I'll be able to just hang out there, or buy and build something bigger and better in a few years. Biggest gripe is the water rights...35 acres gets you much more as far as water rights, so I'll save it until then to get mustangs and burros, and ideally have a lake or stream running through.

Still debating on going through the application process to have a second house on the property. There is a lack of affordable housing here so putting a small rental house out front would be nice income and a fun little project. Here thats an $1800 application for a public hearing. Which there should be no issue. Then water rights as far as a well. I was thinking about doing that first but it would take as long to build that as it will my place. Its another reason I'll put it further back so I can do that later.

 

And I got my passport back today! Time to book some getaways!

 

I've found it's nice working with a co-op power company until mass power outages. In VT we had a hurricane come up the coast a few months ago, co-op customers were out for a week, power company customers less than 24 hours. Happens every time.

 

I'll take it that trade-off but a good thing to consider. Going to have a wood stove inside, and a solar backup on the outdoor wood stove (only has small pumps/fans). Gas for the stove/oven.

They do net metering so I'll also add panels when I feel like it to gain back some money that way.

I originally was planning for full solar, but plugging in is cheap enough that I'll do it this time since I've got plenty of other stuff to deal with. Next time might be full solar/wind time.

 

Well done! I am in the same boat i been looking for land! Thought i found some but its a stretch. Its tough. Looking everyday at homes and land if i can find somthing that will work.

 

Yeah and the biggest annoyance is theres slim to no chance of getting any financing for undeveloped land. So cash or nothing.

 

Yup I found some land up here 25 acres but about 1/3 of it you can't build on it cause of a well and some old ass railroad easements oh well plan was to buy it and sell off one 10 acre lot to help pay off or towards a building.

 

Went and snagged this lil guy today to get some work done.

Dug two septic test pits, cleared spots for two sheds and greenhouses and etched in a driveway.

 

Rental place estimated a bit high on the weight of the Lil guy. Quite a bit high.

It is actually in the range of what the Tundra is rated for plus trailer and trailer has brakes that work. So she'll get swapped over in the morning. Maybe they were quoting high for both the excavator and trailer.

 

What part of Kansas are you in?

 

Hahaha high elevation Kansas.



Allstate took a bit of my money I had set aside for property, so I went a little cheaper than planned. But better than nothing.