The Old Folks Home

[Arielle]

Trust me, if I get either one, I'll be posting the real estate website info for everybody to see, plus photos I take, all that stuff. Plus I'll probably resurrect my "Retired" thread with even more info.

THis brings up an important point-- retirement-- won't either property add to your work load? OR are you bored and looking for entertainment?? Just asking . . . . .

I used to drive 5 miles to care for my horses 2x a day and DH drove the 15 miles 1x day for the sheep. WE moved them home as soon as a barn went up at our new house. Of course we both worked full time back then. Gas is more expensive now.

WOuld you rent out the place or move out of your current digs?

What ever you decide LInda, we want pictures.

 

[chickensnewtome]

Now I'm totally intrigued.

Oz... have your wife stuff it. Isn't that what they're for?

Edited to add my sisters dream job is to be barefoot, pregnant, and in the kitchen. My goal in life is to avoid pregnancy at all costs and some day take over the world (kidding).

You know you put kidding just so we won't point fingers when some unknown woman is trying to take over the world.

Well my wife is a long way away thus having her involved in sausage stuffing only occurs every few months

I think I will just hand pump till I can get the wife's help.

Get your minds above the gutters ladies - I am talking duck sausage!!!

BTW SCG - the mystery conversation that was edited out regarded an activity that is illegal in this country involving male gallus domesticus.

I'm sorry. Oh and I bet you can get more sausage stuffed with the help of your wife then alone.

Yesterday one of my Slate Blue turkey was so hot I was worried about him not making it! He was in the coop and did not want to come out he was just hollering. So I went in to get him. He went out. And I got them three fresh buckets of water. And turned the hose on them to cool them off. So today I got the sprinkler out and turned it on low and put it at the far end of the run and coaxed them down there to show them it was nice! The turkey were in it quick and then the chickens got in! What ever it takes to cool them off! I don't have a water bill as we have well water so they can have all they want!

Aww yay. sprinkler fun. Does your well never run dry?

This time it was not the Mods. I knew that Chickensnewtome did not know the rule so I warned her.

That way the Mods did not have to step in and no one had to get a warning PM.

I appreciate it Ron. thank you!

So, which is better, 10 acres without power, but has a 300 foot deep, 4 gpm well,no septic, an amazing view, and an existing barn which will need a whole lotta work to repair and then transmogrify into a killer coop for a bazillion chickens, at a cost of less than half of:

1.98 acres with a 660 square foot "fixer-upper" house, septic, well & pump, power, propane tank on site nearly full, a one car garage, and a year round stream?

Just askin'..... For input. <*innocent look*>

10 acres!!!! That is my dream. Right now I have 3 but I want 10. I think which ever suits your needs tho.

How can the 10A parcel have a well without power??

Lord in CA you must be able to install solar power far easier than here. Oz I don't mow-- I have animals for that.

Linda I k now what I would choose BUT what is good for you? Is it road accessable? Can power be run to the lot?

What are the septic requirements-- I know here that was the equiv of the cost of the lot. Knowing what I do now-- I see value in an outhouse!!

We mow around our house. The rest we let grow up because the deer tend to stay away from the garden if we do. I dont know how to explain it. If the lawn is all mowed they chow down on the garden, if the grass is long in the field they stay away. Plus all my neighbors are really snooty and have to have perfectly kept lawns and hate for mine to get long so I let it get as long as i can

Get the ten!!


Yes, Bunny, that's the one!


Oz, I know it is legit, but I also know that you are grinning right now............
so is SCG.










(so am I)

I could not help but encourage that. LOL

THis brings up an important point-- retirement-- won't either property add to your work load? OR are you bored and looking for entertainment?? Just asking . . . . .

I used to drive 5 miles to care for my horses 2x a day and DH drove the 15 miles 1x day for the sheep. WE moved them home as soon as a barn went up at our new house. Of course we both worked full time back then. Gas is more expensive now.

WOuld you rent out the place or move out of your current digs?

What ever you decide LInda, we want pictures.

x2

 

[chickadoodles]

We have so much water under our property that when we were putting posts in for the chicken run we hit another well! We had to fill it with concrete... I do need to get a mister system going for them though.

 

[Arielle]

We have so much water under our property that when we were putting posts in for the chicken run we hit another well! We had to fill it with concrete... I do need to get a mister system going for them though.

We have a high water table-- water is a nuisance at times around here, it runs everywhere in spring and fall, so we make the best use of natural run off areas and don't mess with mother nature. Digging post holes can be slushy sloshy work. HOWEVER, our drinking water well is 330 feet deep.

 

[chickensnewtome]

I am horrified!!!! Went out to the chicken coop and pen to feed them and BAM there was a 3 ft long RAT!!!!!!!!

I laughed so hard as SCG and her rat killing techniques that I now have them!! I cursed my self.

 

[gryeyes]

I've been noodling around looking for something on my own when I found "the" house with the stream. The very first place I thought I wanted every time I drove by was 20 acres with a horse barn and an older 3 bedroom house. The owner had died there and the estate put it up on the market. Every single time I drove by, and because of its location that was frequently, I would think, "With 20 acres, NOBODY can say a freaking' thing about my roosters!". But I waited too long, worrying about maintaining 20 acres... AND it would take a whole huge chunk of the IRA to buy it. That noodling around developed into serious looking. Just someplace not too far away to keep most of the flock. I am also aware my current neighbors would be a bit snooty about egg sales involving signage, possibly more auto traffic and strangers on our road if I built the kiosk I had imagined. When I found the listing for house with the creek on the Realtor.com app on my iPad, I drove by a couple times, then one day saw people in the driveway so I pulled in, apologized for my unannounced visit, but would they be willing to let me look around? They were delighted to show me the features and interior of the house. There are two screened porches.... I fell in love. I had to share my ideas with a local friend who has lived around here all his life. (Shhh, secret, just thinking... May not act on it, but here's my plan...) a couple days later he called me and mentioned the ten acres he'd seen with the real estate sign and the killer low price. His enthusiasm made me think about considering it. He does grading, so HE was impressed with the road work, and he called about it, then took me there to walk the property. I **** near died walking up the hill. Gosh the view was wonderful. Wow, what a barn! Higher elevation than my current property, by four to six hundred feet. Star thistle everywhere. (Still pulling sharp points out of my Crocs.) but a guy who clears land with his own tractor, who is fifteen years younger than me, has a far different concept of what is "do-able.". There would be snow days, maybe quite a few.... This morning I drove from my place to the House With The Creek again, to confirm the distance: 7 miles, not the fifteen I guessed. I have electric baseboard heaters I bought and used in this house until the Hearthstone (propane) fireplace/ heater was installed. Plus a Dyson "air multiplier" fan WITH heat, AND a little electric facsimile of a wood stove. I wouldn't need to use the real wood stove for heating purposes. (Wood would be cheaper - there is already firewood stacked there. But as SCG said, messier, a pain, and possibly increased fire danger.) The day I stopped on impulse was one of our really hot ones here. It was heavenly by that stream! I could stay there (if I bought it) on days I melt here. It is three to four hundred feet higher in elevation, so more snow days are possible, but there's a HOUSE there instead of just a barn.... Fruit trees. A year-round creek. Power, septic, water, propane, sealed driveway surface, great location for egg sales, enough acreage and zoning to allow poultry, close to "amenities," and a place to sleep under a roof, shower/bathe, and.... Okay, put a microwave oven. We'll see how it goes. Might be a pipe dream.

 

[ronott1]

I am horrified!!!! Went out to the chicken coop and pen to feed them and BAM there was a 3 ft long RAT!!!!!!!!

I laughed so hard as SCG and her rat killing techniques that I now have them!! I cursed my self.

I saw a couple of Rats On Saturday so I am now trying the soda in a pie pan method. I did not see any indication of them last night but will continue putting out soda for a while.

Get those rats!

 

[chickadoodles]

We have a high water table-- water is a nuisance at times around here, it runs everywhere in spring and fall, so we make the best use of natural run off areas and don't mess with mother nature. Digging post holes can be slushy sloshy work. HOWEVER, our drinking water well is 330 feet deep.

I a not sure how deep our well is. But DH said several years ago he had to go another 150' because all the catfish farmers dried up everyones wells. But the catfish farmers had to pay for all the wells that dried up to be dug the extra 150'. So everyone in the area is sharing the underground water source.... I guess I need to get some kiddie pools

 

[ozexpat]

I a not sure how deep our well is. But DH said several years ago he had to go another 150' because all the catfish farmers dried up everyones wells. But the catfish farmers had to pay for all the wells that dried up to be dug the extra 150'. So everyone in the area is sharing the underground water source.... I guess I need to get some kiddie pools

We just celebrated town water arriving at our place in the Philippines.

Prior to that we had a shallow well. We were pretty luck that it was not brackish given the proximity to the ocean but the water was always clean. One of my buddies is the head of the water district in the city near-by and I had him test it on occaision.

We protect our well from pollution and its 300 feet in any direction to a septic and the boundary fences.

We drink filtered rainwater.

 

[Wisher1000]

Linda, sounds like you prefer the smaller place. If so, you could sell the current place and move there. If you are dead set against selling, I'd still say, get the ten acres.

In Alabama, things are a bit different. First, the power company is required by law to supply power for all residences (if they are inhabited.) Second, like my favorite uncle always said, "Land is the only secure investment, they ain't making any more of it." Lastly, if it is only going to be a second property, it is closer. My other thought was that you could pick up a used camper, park it by the huge barn (or in it) and use that for the weekends or the overnights that you wanted to stay there. It has a generator, a/c and heat on board. You could install a tank and use a generator to pump water for the tank on an as needed basis.

I have a friend who built a hunting cabin out of a storage container that is commonly shipped by semi or by ship. You know the ones I mean? They look like the trailer part of a tractor-trailer. Anyway, he insulated it, put in a bed, a counter with a sink, microwave, and small fridge, a toilet and shower combination (it was odd but efficient, self cleaning toilet and the only part that wasn't open!) a sofa and recliner. He said he slept in the recliner most of the time. There was a small tv with a dvd player for entertainment. It all ran on an electric generator. He had fun building it and sold it when he was deployed for twice what he had in it! The new owners took it away on the back of a truck.

Fruit trees can be planted........