Not the kind of reponse I expected

[Kitty]

Well, I took a long trip and checked out real estate in Three states and drove over two thousand miles talked to four or more real estate agents and found a place I liked and made an offer.

I have been looking for over a year for a small farm in a very rural community. I have made my plans know to family, friends, co-workers etc.

When I retuned from the trip I told these folks of my find of an old farm with about 25 acres, big barn, huge old house, needing a fix up. This is an old Amish farm no modern utilities accept for county water. In good shape for being a hundred years old or more.

Well the reponse has been uniform-what did you do that for ? Can you put in electricity? You mean there is no bathroom?

I feel as though I am being put down for my decision to buy an old farm. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything about the lack of utilities. Or is it that there is something going on that I am not understanding here. I thought a least someone would have said "good for you hope you will be happy".

Sigh

Kitty

 

[Texas Proud]

Kitty,

Good for you and hope you will be happy.

But, what they are asking about is relevent.... if there is not electricity or plumbing etc, then you more than likely will need to add them or you will not get visitors (trust me, I had a sister like that)... nor will you like the place (my opinion) as a permanent place since you are used to them and the cost might be high to get them to your place.

But, I would have thought you would have taken all this into account prior to purchase and if you have and still want the place...

Then good for you and hope you will be happy!!

 

[JPatrick]

Good for you, hope you will be happy.
It just comes down to different strokes for different folks.
Hey, I think these folks wanting to move to Mexico are certified insane, but I hope they will be happy.
Suggest to many native Texans that there are other good places to live and they may run you down with a really big pickup.

I think you said you were thinking about Missouri, yes?
I'm planning a similar trip to the Branson area next week to scout the area, but I'm not looking for quite the rustic scene you are.
Did I mention I think you're crazy?

 

[SteveR]

Kitty,

Congratulations!

I hope you enjoy your "new" place.  It will be a lot of work but is should be a labor of love getting it to your liking.

Utilities are always optional.  If you really need electricity you can get a line run or have a generator on an as needed basis.  It is all a matter of personal choice.

Many people just can't seem to live without all the modern conviences these days.  I have a cabin that is "rustic" in many ways compared to my house and my DIL hates to come there.  I have power and water but things are much simpler than in the Big City.  

Different strokes for different folks.

Enjoy what you have and add only what you need or want; don't worry about what others say since they are not living your life.

 

[Kitty]

I guess I come from another era. I grew up in a house without the ammenities. The electric and water lines didn't come out to our farm in those days. I think it is a parking lot for Wal-Mart now. So we had oil lamps, privey, a hand pump at the sink. The nearest phone was about a mile away. This was New England 1950 lots of places were not on the grid.

I can get electricity and septic is no big deal a backhoe and a plumber and some $$. Viola' septic system.

Oh well it is my thing anyway maybe I will write a book about it and tell everyone what it's like to live down on the farm. Hmmm sounds like a situation comedy thing for PBS.

Kitty

 

[Sparky]

Some folks can't believe we live without a dishwasher!

 

[Brat]

Try to keep the farm basic if you can.  A septic system is pretty passive but remember you will need a pump to fill the toilet tank.  

Given the fact that you are an internet user connecting to that grid may be a priority.  How you accomplish that and still keep your life simple could be interesting.  Check with Nords postings about his solar system.  Depending on your location that could be an option.  

Odds are the farmhouse isn't well insulated.  In the 'good old days' our grandparents didn't bother to heat the entire house, the one room usually warm was the kitchen.  In my old neighborhood houses had sleeping porches that were only screened, they were great!  When a furnace with an automatic wood or sawdust burner was installed you were state of the art!      

You will need animals to keep the brush down.  Goats are highly recommended (cows and horses eat grasses).

Indeed, write a book, maybe invite a vidiographer.  Enjoy!

 

[Kitty]

Try to keep the farm basic if you can. A septic system is pretty passive but remember you will need a pump to fill the toilet tank.

Given the fact that you are an internet user connecting to that grid may be a priority. How you accomplish that and still keep your life simple could be interesting. Check with Nords postings about his solar system. Depending on your location that could be an option.

Odds are the farmhouse isn't well insulated. In the 'good old days' our grandparents didn't bother to heat the entire house, the one room usually warm was the kitchen. In my old neighborhood houses had sleeping porches that were only screened, they were great! When a furnace with an automatic wood or sawdust burner was installed you were state of the art!

You will need animals to keep the brush down. Goats are highly recommended (cows and horses eat grasses).

Indeed, write a book, maybe invite a vidiographer. Enjoy!

The house was insulated recently as it was rebuilt and added on to they used R19 in the walls and R30 in the attic.

There is water from the county to the house and barn so there is pressure water so filling the tank shouldn't be a problem.

Who is Nord ? And where are his posts?

This could get interesting.

Kitty

 

[maddythebeagle]

good for you. I remodeled and rebuilt an old farm house, also. When they are that old, you have to update electrical anyway and sometimes it is just best to build new out from the studs (a lot of demo. work). A lot of people just build new, but remodeling an old house can be a good investment too. Also, if you do a lot of the demo. yourself....Does it have a good foundation. I think that is the biggest thing. I put a new basement under mine and that is costly and a headache.

wow, you already have water from the road? but not municipal sewer?, hmmm. If it has been insulated and sheetrocked, you could still add electrical, but it will be more work. I like the idea of just using electric for some things.

 

[unclemick]

At the old doughnut shop last week - Mr B popped in to say - his 'summer cabin' now had electricity, running water - AND a newly prepared RV spot - for those of us who cared to visit NE Tennesee in summer.

Soooo - how does a born and breed New Orleans city boy - do in the country Apparently - just fine thank you.

Kitty - let us know when you get the RV pads finished - I can rough it and do without cable.

Heh, heh, heh, heh - just kidding. Enjoy your new place.

 

[REWahoo]

Who is Nord ? And where are his posts?

http://early-retirement.org/forums/index.php?topic=975.0

 

[TromboneAl]

That sounds really neat, Kitty.  I'd say forget about adding utilities for a while, see how it goes.  I've found that now that I have more time, I enjoy the mundane tasks like sawing firewood by hand, making bread, etc.  The mindless things that take time to do might seem crazy to a busy yuppie, but as a retired person, you may enjoy them.

Great adventure, I think you'll have a blast.  

 

[Brat]

You doubtless know the following but as I pass buildings under construction today I choke:

If you ever replace the siding use asphult(sp) paper or a membraine that breathes (gortex for buildings).  DO NOT use the house wrap in common use.  Pay close attention to flashing.  Buildings need to exhale water vapor else you will have mold and dry-rot, water should always drain away from a structure.

I will not buy a building constructed in the last 10 years unless my husband supervised its construction.  Current building codes do not address moisture protection and too many contractors are building to code when the inspector is looking.  Give me an old house any day.

 

[Mr._johngalt]

Some folks can't believe we live without a dishwasher!

Since I ERed, I have been the dishwasher. IT's a real PITA.

JG

 

[Mr._johngalt]

Well, I took a long trip and checked out real estate in Three states and drove over two thousand miles talked to four or more real estate agents and found a place I liked and made an offer.

I have been looking for over a year for a small farm in a very rural community. I have made my plans know to family, friends, co-workers etc.

When I retuned from the trip I told these folks of my find of an old farm with about 25 acres, big barn, huge old house, needing a fix up. This is an old Amish farm no modern utilities accept for county water. In good shape for being a hundred years old or more.

Well the reponse has been uniform-what did you do that for ? Can you put in electricity? You mean there is no bathroom?

I feel as though I am being put down for my decision to buy an old farm. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything about the lack of utilities. Or is it that there is something going on that I am not understanding here. I thought a least someone would have said "good for you hope you will be happy".

Sigh

Kitty

Hello Kitty! It sounds great to me. In fact, I might go that route myself
if I had the energy and DIY skills. Good luck with it.

JG

 

[Kitty]

Kitty,

Congratulations!

I hope you enjoy your "new" place.  It will be a lot of work but is should be a labor of love getting it to your liking.

Utilities are always optional.  If you really need electricity you can get a line run or have a generator on an as needed basis.  It is all a matter of personal choice.

Many people just can't seem to live without all the modern conviences these days.  I have a cabin that is "rustic" in many ways compared to my house and my DIL hates to come there.  I have power and water but things are much simpler than in the Big City.  

Different strokes for different folks.

Enjoy what you have and add only what you need or want; don't worry about what others say since they are not living your life.

That plan above sounds like something I would want to do I see no need to rush into anything. Heck I might Like living without the amenities

 

[Kitty]

good for you. I remodeled and rebuilt an old farm house, also. When they are that old, you have to update electrical anyway and sometimes it is just best to build new out from the studs (a lot of demo. work). A lot of people just build new, but remodeling an old house can be a good investment too. Also, if you do a lot of the demo. yourself....Does it have a good foundation. I think that is the biggest thing. I put a new basement under mine and that is costly and a headache.

wow, you already have water from the road? but not municipal sewer?, hmmm. If it has been insulated and sheetrocked, you could still add electrical, but it will be more work. I like the idea of just using electric for some things.

There is work to be done for sure but it is comfortable just the way it is. County water or as it is called in other places rural water is water piped from local water purification plants. There are several reasons one is that the local water table is contaminated the second reason is it might taste awful because of some mineral in it.

Any how the rural water company lays pipes down country roads and folks pay a fee to join with the water line and pay fee for the water used. Usually water on the land is okay for irrigation and live stock. Sewers are not needed until the population density gets to high to support a septic system.

This place has a spring that keeps small pond filled even this past summer.

 

[MJ]

Kitty,

Congratulations and the best of luck.
You do what is best for you but I don't see anything wrong with your family or friends asking about basic necessities that our current society expects.
When I owned a rural piece of property years ago, I would used a woodburning stove for my main source of heat. I have never own a dishwasher or AC. Although my current house came with a clothes washer, I still clean some of my clothing by hand.

MJ

 

[panhead]

Kitty:

Good for you ! Congratulations and I'm sure you'll be happy there ! Sounds like the kind of place I would love ! Let us know how it goes !

-Pan-

 

[Caroline]

I feel as though I am being put down for my decision to buy an old farm. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything about the lack of utilities. Or is it that there is something going on that I am not understanding here. I thought a least someone would have said "good for you hope you will be happy".

Sigh

Kitty

Hi Kitty -- great to hear you got what you were looking for.  FWIW your place sounds ideal to me -- I spent a couple of my formative years in Ireland.  We had cold running water only, bathed in a galvanized tub after heating water on the stove, visited the outhouse to take care of business, and heated the place with coal or turf (peat) in the fireplace.  Loved every minute of it.  Came back to my current house after vacation to find the water heater out -- took a couple of weeks to get it fixed in part because we just didn't miss the hot water all that much.  Clothes still dry on the line -- haven't had a dryer for three years and haven't missed it yet.

Is it possible that you're having "buyer's remorse" and letting others influence your thinking more than you might otherwise do?  I've bought two houses myself and felt like I had a guy sitting on my chest throughout the entire escrow process -- I was that nervous / stressed out. 

But all turned out great, as I'm sure it will for you as well.  So ignore them -- they're probably worried on your behalf and mean well, but are having a hard time expressing that in a positive way.

Best of luck to you and keep us posted!
Caroline

 

[Nords]

Who is Nord ? And where are his posts?

This could get interesting. Kitty 

I thought a least someone would have said "good for you hope you will be happy".
Sigh Kitty

Good for you, Kitty, I think you'll be happy... as soon as you get a new batch of friends. As for your family, tell them that when they visit the term "make your own bed" will be interpreted literally.

"Amish". Did you buy in Lancaster County or elsewhere? Personally I'd find it tough to go back to a climate that needs R30 insulation.

Not all parts of the country get enough steady sunshine for photovoltaic arrays, but if it can be done in New Jersey then there's more hope than I thought. Take a look at an insolation map for your area and read this thread, but there's nothin' wrong with oil lamps & gaslight. If you don't have utility electricity in your area to tie into then you'll need to deal with storage batteries and perhaps special appliances.

You saw the thread on Jason Scott Lee's home, too, right? He's already working on your type of place.

 

[Andre1969]

Hello, Kitty (sorry, I know you've heard that a million times, but I couldn't resist! )

Congrats on the farm; it sounds like a really cool place. And don't worry about what others think, it's your happiness that matters. As others said, diff'rent strokes for diff'rent fokes. I'm in an old house, myself, and I love it. My grandmother's uncle built it back in 1916, and back then it was a little country store. I don't know when it had electricity hooked up to it, but the county didn't put water through until 1950. Prior to that, the house had no running water at all. There was a pump house right outside the kitchen door, and an outhouse somewhere on the premises. 1950 brought indoor plumming and a bathroom, and a septic tank. In 1978, they put a sewer through, and gave people the choice to either hook up or get condemned.

By today's standards it's roughing it, because there's no central a/c, no dishwasher, and only one bathroom! But it's also on 4 1/4 acres, with the majority of it being forested, so it's pretty private. The only problem is that, since it was a store, it was built really close to the road. Back in 1916, the road was little more than a dead-end dirt and gravel wagon trail, but today with cars and trucks whizzing past, sometimes at 40-50 mph or more, it can get annoying.

I've thought about having the house moved back off the road, which would be cheaper than building a new house (a lot cheaper on taxes, too, since I'd still have a 90 year old house, versus a brand new one), but you'd be amazed at how many people tell me I'm crazy for considering that! Most of the people I've mentioned it to, including my grandmother even, say I should tear it down and just build a new one! And that actually shocked me, hearing it come from my grandmother! Oh well, I guess sometimes older people aren't as sentimental for the old days as we sometimes think!

But anyway Kitty, I know what you're going through, with regards to people not "getting" your dream come true. But just do what makes you happy.

 

[maddythebeagle]

yes, that is something that people forget (older=a lot less taxes). Yes, another advantage. I know somebody that bought a fire damaged house (smoke and water damage) and stripped it down to the frame and studs and rebuilt out. They are moving houses off to other sites more frequently around me (northern wis.) so I assume that economics on that have to work (but I think the former owners are happy to just not have to deal with the disposal costs).

 

[Andre1969]

Yup, that's another thing...disposal costs. I did a bit of checking, and got a rough estimate of about $10,000 to tear down the old house. Plus, the county charges an impact fee of $25,000 for a new house. So that's $25K, before one bit of work gets done! And ironically, $25,000 is what the house mover quoted me to move the house! Of course, that doesn't include a new foundation and moving the utilities, but that's stuff that would have to be done if I built a new house, anyway.

I'm a little unclear though, if I'd get hit with that impact fee if I'm taking down an old house, and replacing it with a new one. But it's still a heckuva a lot cheaper than building a new one. Plus, I don't WANT a new house! Okay, I'd like a second bathroom, but hey, I'm a dude...I can pee in the woods if I have to!

 

[spike]

I have a home in the country and many of my neighbors have no utilities in the house. They have plenty of money, just want a more quaint experience. They use the garden hose to shower etc. Some people seem to think there opinion is the only one.

One of my friends last night told me to put a 32 foot trailer on my property so he could have a private place to stay. I didn't buy this weekend hideaway to have lots of people come out and drink my booz and eat all my food, and have my wife clean up after them.

I like the simple life, peace and quiet, and the enjoyment of nature. That's what I like and really don't care what my friends think. It's the way my wife and I like it, that's what's important.