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Okie Boarder
12-15-2014, 05:37 PM
I'm sure there are at least a few of you that live out in the country. Our goal is to do the same within the next 6-18 months, depending upon what we can work out. What are some things that you would suggest considering, lessons learned, etc after living in the country for a while? I'm wanting to ensure I get some feedback from folks that have done it to see if there were things they overlooked prior to making the move and if there are things they would have done differently.

viking
12-15-2014, 10:10 PM
I would have done it sooner!

michael hunter
12-16-2014, 08:36 AM
Look for a place with as few restrictions as possible . Preferably not within a city limit with as many acres as you can afford. Close proximity to a lake is a bonus.

td in nc
12-16-2014, 08:15 PM
If you work on your car or like to have a clean car/boat don't live on a dirt road. Make sure if you have neighbors that they good people- they can make or break you fortress of solitude.

Salty87
12-17-2014, 03:08 PM
Wow, Okie...selling the boat and moving to the country. Life happens to everyone. I've thought about selling mine since it hasn't been run in over a year. We moved to the country too but compared to the tows others are making to their home lakes it's not really that far. I'm halfway between Austin & San Antonio now instead of 2 miles from Lake Travis. Canyon Lake is alot closer now than it was before at least.

I can't think of anything we would have done differently or that we overlooked but here's a few considerations. You may have thought of them already.

Are you going to build a house or buy one? Buying existing in the country often means smaller and not very efficient. If you're going to build then buy the land as soon as you find it. Around Austin lots of people are moving to the country so land prices are only going up. We bought the land about 2 years before we settled on a builder and plans.

Country also usually means septic system and either a well or rain water. Wells work fine in many areas but you don't have a storage tank. If the well goes dry you have to dig deeper. Rain water collection comes with a storage tank. If a drought gets bad enough you only need to buy water which is a heck of a lot cheaper than drilling again. With more people moving to the country and sucking up the water, having a well go dry made us nervous.

Unrestricted is the way to go like Michael said.

Storage is very important. You'll want extra fridge and freezer in the house as well as large pantry. Going to the store can be a hassle. Having freezer space for taking a few deer is good.

Driveways are expensive but undeveloped land is alot cheaper than paying a developer who did all of that stuff plus their markup.

Wood burning stoves are nice to have too.

Good luck and have fun. I can't bear the idea of moving back into a neighborhood.

PS...if you don't have a chainsaw add it to your Christmas list

Okie Boarder
12-17-2014, 04:24 PM
Some good thoughts. At this point we are leaning towards resale and have actually found one place that is a gem...it may work out...we'll see. I would definitely like having rainwater collection and it has been on my list for quite some time now. Just need the right situation to be able to make it work and out in the country would definitely do it.

Okie Boarder
12-17-2014, 05:05 PM
Any thoughts on modular home units versus stick built?

2500HD
12-18-2014, 09:35 PM
Being a carpenter it's almost impossible to pick modular over stick.
When designing a house i first would look at functionality and efficiency first. I live where snow loads and ice damns are a constant issue if the house is built poorly. I doubt you have those problems where you live but the lessons of insulation still apply.
A lot of people up here are using wood fired boilers, I prefer a wood burning stove.
Rain collection systems work well if you get rain but make sure the plastic storage tanks are in your crawl space as they tend to crush easily when buried.
Most important is Toy storage......How ever much you think you need, double it and you will still fill it.

Salty87
12-19-2014, 12:42 PM
In theory, modular should be better built but I have no experience. A factory production line should have more uniform components with tighter tolerances than a crew of workers likely building a floor plan they haven't built before...often as quickly as possible so they can move on to the next job. Builders often can't keep a close enough eye on their subs.

Here's another option. Up-front costs are higher but reduced heating/cooling as well as significantly reduced maintenance costs are significant.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insulating_concrete_form

ssa
12-19-2014, 07:18 PM
If you hire people worthy of their trade quality isn't a problem. Anyone can build a plain box which is what modular homes typically are. I am also a carpenter and typically do interior trim carpentry but I have done plenty of framing also. Along with remodeling work on modular houses. There is nothing in a modular house that is superior to a stick framed house. To think that people working on a custom house would cut corners and that a factory wouldn't is naive. Having a house built is the same as anything else you get what you pay for. If you want it as cheap as possible that's what you're going to get.

2500HD
12-19-2014, 10:27 PM
My experience with modulars is in fixing them. In theory a climate controlled area with workers who care would turn out a great product but the reality is that the workers are probably underpayed and couldn't care less. I am a general contractor and every one of the home's i build is far superior to a modular just because I care.
That being said, there are plenty of carpenters and general contractors who don't care and are just out to make a buck.
Ask around your area and you will find the names of the local contractors who will go out of their way to make sure you get more than what you are asking for. Try to find one who does start to finish. A lot of the time you will get a better product from someone who has more invested in the project.

Okie Boarder
12-21-2014, 09:57 AM
We looked at the place with the modular yesterday. The property is awesome, including lots of work he did making trails through the woods, etc. The shop is very nice, but no electrical. The house was nice, but unsure about modular. We have explored the option of building on property with our mortgage banker and that may be the way we go. We need to keep looking around and see what we find, and decide which route to go.

Okie Boarder
12-23-2014, 04:37 PM
So, looking at the property with the modular, we walked away feeling unsure. The house is nice, but we're really concerned about not appreciating like a house would. I sensed a lot of hesitation from my wife on the floor plan and she talked a lot about what she wants. My thinking at this point is that we should consider getting land and doing new construction. We discussed this idea and she is totally on board...she's been scouring the internet for floor plans that have elements she wants. We looked at a couple good property candidates Sunday and it looks like we can find a good 5 acre wooded property for the price we would be willing to pay. My friend that we will work with on the mortgage already referred us to a builder and we've talked rough numbers...sounds like we can get the size house we want within our budget.

So, thoughts on septic...aerobic vs non-aerobic? Thoughts on utilities...all electric vs electric plus propane? If we build, we definitely want a wood stove, whether it be free standing or insert...thoughts there on good brands and things you've experienced?

Okie Boarder
12-23-2014, 04:39 PM
Here are a couple pictures of properties we looked at Sunday. Both of these are 5 acres total, in a little different areas out where we are looking. It seems like we can probably find a fairly wooded lot, in that size, for the price we want to pay.

http://i1192.photobucket.com/albums/aa335/CAOKIE/property11_zpse8ead042.jpg

http://i1192.photobucket.com/albums/aa335/CAOKIE/property12_zpsdc685d3a.jpg

http://i1192.photobucket.com/albums/aa335/CAOKIE/property21_zpse6992088.jpg

http://i1192.photobucket.com/albums/aa335/CAOKIE/property22_zpsc8bcbb56.jpg

2500HD
12-23-2014, 08:56 PM
Just based on the pics i would probably go for the second pic. It appears to be a more wooded lot than the first and even though there is an over head power line it looks like it is on the property line so it wouldn't be a problem.
As far as wood stoves go i have a hearthstone. Love it.
Septic is easy if you have enough room. I would just do a standard leach field and not do a mound system but this depends on your soils test.
I personally like electric with propane but this is a topic for debate as to which is actually more efficient. I went with staple up radiant floor heating just for supplemental heat when it gets below zero. The rest of the time my woodstove does all the heating and my boiler just keeps the water hot.

Okie Boarder
12-24-2014, 09:43 AM
Cool, I'll check out the hearthstone.

Anyone have experience doing concrete floors versus tile, carpet or wood?

Salty87
12-26-2014, 01:06 AM
If there's a way to get a feel for what's happening or going to happen on the lots around those plots it helps. Plans are always subject to change though so making sure your area is remote enough if you want that is important. More tree'd is always good. The second lot looks cleared for a building area and driveway if you would want to develop in that area. Costs like septic, water, driveway, etc will add up. Anywhere you can save is a good thing.

Pick your wish list and find a builder who will do the plans or works with someone who can do the drawings. Once you're in for however many of hundreds of thousands it's small potatoes and worth the cost. One benefit of having the builder involved with the plans is he can't come back later and claim the plans are wrong or they don't take something into consideration.

We did concrete floors. Had carpet in the last house and with dogs I don't miss it for a second. At the same time, there's no place for dirt and hair to hide. We got a vacuum robot that does a good job of clearing the hair tumbleweeds that gather. Unless you go pier and beam the slab is required. Sub-flooring + tile, wood or carpet are just additional costs. They also pretty much require trim which adds more cost (granted it's not much) but also require periodic cleaning. Keep it functional and simple and you can keep costs and upkeep down.

Vermont Castings makes great wood stoves. Nice feature is being able to load more wood from the flip-up top griddle. We did electric for everything except the stove which is on propane tank. Would have been smart to have the grill on the same tank but we didn't plan that one out. No big deal.

Septic will depend on the test digs. We had to do aerobic. It's a little more expensive since it requires a maintenance contract with licensed septic business where we are.

Okie Boarder
12-29-2014, 12:29 PM
How did you finish your concrete floors and how do you like them?

Salty87
12-29-2014, 03:04 PM
They're only sealed. We love them. There's an irregular pattern from the pouring/finishing process that we think is attractive and helps hide small amounts of dirt or chips/stains that happen occasionally. it can be a little unnerving to hear dirt or pebbles caught on the bottom of a shoe but it's only a floor.

Stained concrete can be attractive but it can also wear in traffic areas. We went with the lowest maintenance choices whenever possible. We'll have to reseal sometime but other than moving furniture it's not difficult...from what I've been told. Haven't had to do it yet.

There are also a few lines scored to help reduce cracking. They don't eliminate cracks but they do collect dirt. When we get around to cleaning them out I'm sure it will be kinda gross.

A pic, sorry for the gratuitous dog shot:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a10/salty87/IMG_0594_zpscf01a55a.jpg (http://s8.photobucket.com/user/salty87/media/IMG_0594_zpscf01a55a.jpg.html)

Okie Boarder
12-30-2014, 10:16 AM
I like the way that looks...so that is just natural concrete color, right? I've read about adding a colorant to the concrete itself. Do you have any pics of the kitchen? That's one aspect that we're trying to decide upon to see if we can blend the style we want with concrete floors.

Salty87
12-30-2014, 01:55 PM
Yes, natural concrete.

This is the only pic I have of the kitchen. Also shows the living room. The Mrs. had her heart set on concrete counters. The builder did an awesome job. The wood shelves and beam are reclaimed. Walls, base for the island and pedestal for the stove are ICFs. The dishwasher didn't have its white face plate on yet.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a10/salty87/MainRoom_zps88e465a3.jpg (http://s8.photobucket.com/user/salty87/media/MainRoom_zps88e465a3.jpg.html)

Okie Boarder
12-30-2014, 02:45 PM
Cool...very utilitarian and rustic blend. I love the farm sink. My wife wants country/farm style and we're trying to get a style and color palette dialed in. Concrete counters is one consideration, but we may go with laminate for now and upgrade later, depending on where everything else falls in the project and final budget amount.

Okie Boarder
01-19-2015, 07:09 PM
Here are a couple pictures of properties we looked at Sunday. Both of these are 5 acres total, in a little different areas out where we are looking. It seems like we can probably find a fairly wooded lot, in that size, for the price we want to pay.

http://i1192.photobucket.com/albums/aa335/CAOKIE/property11_zpse8ead042.jpg

http://i1192.photobucket.com/albums/aa335/CAOKIE/property12_zpsdc685d3a.jpg

http://i1192.photobucket.com/albums/aa335/CAOKIE/property21_zpse6992088.jpg

http://i1192.photobucket.com/albums/aa335/CAOKIE/property22_zpsc8bcbb56.jpg

So, turns out the 2nd property and another one north of it have flood zone on the property. I'm not going to deal with that. We went to look at the first property in these pics again, and got a chance to talk to the closest neighbor. It sounds like it is a nice quiet area and it has about 11 houses on an 80 acre area right now. Several people have multiple lots totaling 5-10 acres, so it will probably only end up being about 13-14 houses back in there, on about a 1/2 mile dead end road. The property to the east is about 80 acres owned privately another property like that further east. Seems like the best one we've seen so far and we may end up pulling the trigger. The neighbor said the area is nice and quiet, land seems to perc well, neighbors are all real nice, electric is reasonably priced and there is plenty of wildlife around. The river back behind the area has a big swimming hole that a lot of people use and some four wheeler trails.