This post originally was posted at John Raabe’s www.countryplans.com (see the entire thread here)
Talk about asking the tough questions! If I may, let me add my thoughts from my (narrow) point of view. As a compliment to all before I begin, I know we all come from various backgrounds politically and socially and culturally, yet I continue to be proud of how even our potential hot bed discussions don’t break down to the Internet mud slinging that goes on so many other places.
Politics and economy == wow what a potential mine field.
I think to answer the first question, is this a good time to build? — absolutely — IF — you have done your homework. I don’t think the decision to build (or be the general contractor) of a home/shed/garage/dog house should be entered into lightly and without some thinking…or soul searching… The second part of the question, building a country home add more complications. To chose live in a rural area whether it’s 5 miles, 50 miles or 500 miles from your supplies means you have to think differently. Not easier, not harder, but differently.
Another consideration is the idea of country living as a “simpler life”….”simple” is not complication free. By living in a rural area, I traded one set of complications for another set of complications.
So yes, if you have spent some time on this forum (or read a lot of books, or talk to a lot of people who have done this) and you understand what you are getting into, this is an ideal time to build. Even if you can’t do it all in one burst, being able to build in steps an stages will get you farther than waiting until the “perfect” moment in the economy, weather, and work-life balance to start.
As for the Iowa economy, I work in the capital city, surrounded by banking, financial and agribusiness, so we don’t see the huge spins of the economy like manufacturing or tourism dependent cities do. My cabin is in the poorest county or 2nd poorest in the state. That said, I’m not seeing my neighbors adversely affected either — they don’t rely on credit, have just what they need, and are still able to put gas in the truck and the Wal Mart shelves are full.
The folks in between are the ones I see having trouble. On the local Craig’s list, I see weekly ads for “free horses” and just last week someone offered all his cattle free, writing he was “out of hay, out of money, and out of time”. I suspect we’ll see more of this before we’re done.
So if I were starting out in 2009 – I would borrow as little as possible to buy the land and build.
Buy local – as much as possible. It will cost more $$ than the Lowes/Home Depot big box stores, but it will pay you back over time in both community trust and helping your neighbors.
Decide your priorities: your first year you may concentrate your energy and dollars into building the finished shelter, leaving the landscaping and the sustainable food gardens to a second or third year. Starting a new garden to support your family takes time and energy the first and second years. Unless you are blessed with pristine soils, you can’t just drop seeds in the ground and enjoy the bounty of the grocery. Likewise with small animals or poultry for eggs, there is a learning curve and even the most experienced growers have problems
Spend less discretionary money: Last fall I started trying to spend $5 less each week and putting that money away. (Week 1 $5, Week 2 $10, Week 3 $15) (Yeah it gets real hard by week 20 or so…but it adds up.) Now, true, you maybe cut your other spending back, and then drop $5000 on building materials but I hope my logic make sense.
Buy in bulk when you can, (within reason if you’re living in a small space) so you have foodstuffs to get you through emergency bills or unexpected breaks in your income or cash flow.
Offer to help others If you neighbor has a big job, offer to help, show up, and pull your share. It, too, will pay you back, probably when you least expect it and most need it.
Don’t expect to be perfect You will make mistakes. Reading this forum and talking with others will keep you in perspective. The TV build-it-yourself shows don’t. Everyone makes mistakes, some small, some huge. Real life and real building doesn’t go through the tv-edit booth to remove the goofs. They happen, you learn from them, and go forward. Some will keep you up at night, some will be expensive, but while others may laugh with you, no one who has done this will laugh at you.
Finally, building a country home is a little like the old saying about the best time to plant a tree:
The best time to plant a tree was 10 years ago, the second best time is now.
Along the east, long side, I’ve added a 8 foot wide lean-to pen for the ducks. And now, at the south end, I’ve placed the chicken coop and soon, the chickens will have their own pen along the south edge as well.
Then, I took it apart and re assembled it in place, and finished the sheathing, and the interior roosts, nesting box, and feed box. The chickens moved in last Sunday and seemed pleased with the space. Since they are about 5 -6 weeks old, the cool night air and the open front design was causing them to pile in the corner the first night, so I ran a 250 watt brooder lamp for nights for them. They find a comfort zone near or far from the lamp, depending on the temperature.
