Creating A Simpler Life Blog

Vermont Wood Stove Refurbish

6/28/2017

Well, we have our mini homestead land. Our next big project will be to put a road in, but in the meantime we are preparing to build a garage with a livable loft to live in and use until we build our main house. Part of the plans and preparation for the garage construction is the materials. We really don't want to buy everything brand new. First of all, new costs money and doesn't necessarily mean that the product is better. Secondly, there are tons of materials and supplies out there that are used and still in perfect working order! No reason to fill the dumps with good stuff. We are happy to refurbish, reuse, and repurpose if it helps save the Earth, but even more importantly, saves us money!

This Vermont casting stove was being discarded by our new neighbor. Yup, it was going in the garbage! So the little window was cracked and it needed a good cleaning. "No biggie, we can fix that!" said my husband. And guess what? He did!

I didn't even tell you the best part yet: the stove came with 12 feet of stove pipe too! Livable garage loft, we are ready for you!

My husband simply went online, did a little research as far as what stove it is exactly - The Vermont Castings Resolute from 1979 - and purchased new glass for the door windows and a gasket kit. He purchased all the parts from Mountain View Hearth Products in Montana. He had to call them up and talk to them to make sure he was getting the right parts and they were super helpful. We highly recommend them if you need any stove parts!

Took some time for him to take it all apart, clean it, and put it back together but now it is like brand new! Total cost: less than $200. Savings: THOUSANDS!

A few other items we have collected for FREE so far:

2 interior doors with frames
Interior door knobs
1 small electric water heater

Still on the lookout for:

Kitchen cabinets, sink, etc.
Bathroom shower and sink

One of our favorite places to visit is Restore in Ronkonkoma. It is run by Habitat for Humanity and all proceeds go to building homes for people in need. They get donations of used or leftover building materials, supplies, flooring, cabinets, even furniture and appliances!

We never know what we will find when we visit but it is super fun to go! So if you have something to get rid of, or are looking for something particular, consider checking them out. It is worth it! Think of it like a thrift store for building and home needs!

Thanks for visiting!
Check out our other ways to save money and our future homestead plans!
Sincerely,

6 Comments

We Bought an ATV!

6/24/2017

0 Comments

A while back I wrote about Looking for Land and Buying our Land in the Adirondack Mountains. With 30 acres purchased our next mini-goal was to get our hands on an ATV so we could get around on the land and well, have some fun!

After searching the internet high and low for a used ATV, we decided on what we really wanted in an ATV but we just couldn't find one in our price range to buy.

What we wanted...

4 wheel drive
Reverse
500 cc's or more
Two-up (two people)
A model of a dealer near to our land
We wanted to stay under 5,000 dollars

After deciding the bare minimum with respect to what we wanted, we continued to search to no avail. However, we spread the word and waited patiently for the right opportunity.

That opportunity finally came around in May when family friends decided to sell their ATV after they moved. They had mostly used it to plow their driveway but no longer needed it after they moved.

For us this meant that we got an ATV that was well maintained and not used and abused. Bonus for us!

What we got...

2004 Arctic Cat
500 cc's
A one seater - Easily upgradable to a 2-seater (affiliate link)
4 wheel drive
An engine that starts right up with only 1,300 miles on it!
A plow
A winch
A trailer hitch
And the best part: We spent less than half of our maximum!

This is the seat back we bought to make it a 2-up! Can't wait to put it on and try it :-)

Being an older model, it also has a bonus pull-start on it...just in case...though my husband states that he hopes he never needs to use it!

A quick wash, an oil change, new brake pads, a rear master cylinder, and an added back seat and its is P.E.R.F.E.C.T.

We couldn't be happier with our used ATV!

This was just a small step...
Our Next Big Step?
A road!

Thanks for visiting!
Read more about our Future Homesteading Dreams here!
Sincerely,

0 Comments

Homestead Dream Step 1: We Bought Land!

2/10/2017

0 Comments

We did it! We finally found a piece of land that met all of the criteria we set for it! Seriously, all of the criteria which was a pretty difficult thing to do. However, patience and perseverance paid off because God provided for us and what we wanted for our future homestead. After several offers back and forth and several visits to the property to explore it we finally settled on a price and signed the documents. We are now the proud owners of 30 acres of beautiful, prime Adirondack parkland! We couldn't be happier. Step 1 toward our future homestead is now checked off!

In my last post I talked about Things to Consider Before Purchasing Land (all things we learned as we were looking) but now I want to share with you a comparison of what we wanted verses what we purchased:

State and Location: We knew we wanted to live in the Adirondack Park in New York. After looking around at the different counties, we chose Warren County because it is the closest county to Long Island where most of our friends and family still reside. It is also great because it is where my parents reside! We ended up purchasing our land in a small town about 20 minutes outside of Lake George in Warren County, NY. That is approximately 4.5 hours from Long Island and 40 minutes from my parents who live to the north. Perfect!
Willing to Spend: After doing some research we discovered that land can vary between $700 and several thousand dollars per acre. We decided we wanted to stay between $1,000 and $2,000 with a maximum total of $50,000. Our final purchase was 30 acres for $40,000 which works out to about $1,333 per acre!
Land Use: We needed to have land that was in a rural location to allow for animals, farming, hunting, snowmobiles, ATV's, and the most difficult: sub-dividing so we could give some land to each of our children. In the Adirondack park there are many rules and regulations with respect to what you can and can't do and where you can and can't do it. The Citizens Guide was our most important resource. The land we purchased has 3.2 acre zoning which means that we can give a minimum of 3.2 acres to each of our children and still have plenty for us!
How Much Land: We were looking for anything greater than 20 acres. And you already know we purchased 30, but we looked at properties up to 70!
Distance to Town: This was important to us since we plan on living out the rest of our lives on our homestead. Our land is 5 minutes from our small town that consists of a market, post office, library, restaurant, bar, fire department, and church. We are 20 minutes from a larger town that actually has several gas stations, a medical center, many take out and sit down restaurants, a lumber yard, and more. Even better, we are only about 30 minutes from a larger town with a mall and major department stores and a large hospital. Perfect!
Surface Water: This was negotiable as long as we could drill a well, so finding land with a small creek was a huge bonus! It was running decently in the fall and I am sure the spring will see it run even better. We just need to see what happens in late summer, when we have a feeling it is minimal based on the fact that it is listed on the property as a seasonal stream. Being seasonal is good for us because it is therefore not regulated by the DEC or the Adirondack Park.
Drilling a Well: Yes this is possible. There are many wells around so there is a very high probability of finding groundwater.
Septic: We did not do an official perk test, however we did our own perc test and did research with respect to septic systems in the town and county. Fortunately for us the county we are purchasing in is very thorough and up do date with all research and records. All the soil has been tested and there are maps and data describing everything. The soil on our land is a bouldery sandy loam (good permeability) and as long as we choose a homesite with a gentle gradient we should be fine. If not we have the option of bringing in soil to make it possible. Of course this will cost more, but I really don't think it will be necessary.
Adirondack Park Rules: We are fortunate that we found a piece of land in 3.2 acre zoning in a town that does not have it's own strict zoning laws and rules to follow. This makes it easier for us to be able to do what we mostly want as long as we meet the Adirondack Park Guidelines.
Soil and Slope: The land was perfect for our needs because it has some steep areas, some gentle slopes, and some relatively flat areas. There are some great building sites for our earth sheltered home on a gentle south facing slope and also plenty of other sites for our children to build should they choose to. The soil is mostly a bouldery sandy loam which is pretty much what you get in the Adirondack Mountain region. The soil can be made richer depending upon what we want to do with it, but after some research I found many plants that thrive in this planting zone in those soils. This type of soil, so long as it is a gentle or flat area, is also perfect for septic percolation.
South Facing Slope: This was absolutely non-negotiable since we need to make use of passive solar heating and as much sunlight as possible for our earth sheltered home. We visited many properties that had north facing slopes. The site we chose on this land is actually a little to the south west, but it will work perfectly for our plans as the house can still face due south.
Flooding: Spring runoff can be a big problem in the Adirondacks. Many properties we looked at were in valleys that could potentially flood. We wanted to avoid this if at all possible and we wanted to have a view as well so buying land at a higher elevation was important to us. In the Adirondacks any land over an elevation of 2500 feet is subject to additional regulations, but that was pretty easy to avoid. The land we purchased is approximately 700 feet in the South to a little more than 1,400 feet in the Southeast corner where we want to make our "Viewing Area."
Local Building Codes and Rules: The town we purchased in requires a permit, but they follow the rules of the Adirondack park. To our knowledge they do not have plans to create their own codes and rules any time soon.
Road Frontage: We have 1,125 feet of road frontage. This allows for many potential roads into the land.
Electric at the Road: There is electric at the main road that can, and will, be brought in despite the fact that we plan on supplementing with solar (another reason for a south facing slope).
Cell Phone Service: There is currently no cell service anywhere on the land. We did try to see if there was any potential for boosting as we learned from Mother Earth News, but as of the time of purchase the answer to that was a resounding no. However, we did get a slight signal to retrieve messages and get text's 5 minutes away at the restaurant in town. On our land there are other options such as using satellite, however we believe that there might be service in the area over the next 5 years or so anyway so this was not a huge concern. A regular phone line and walkie talkies will do for now.
Internet and/or Cable: No, no, no. The only option as of now is satellite, however we did meet someone from the local town recently who said the town was beginning to provide their own cable service. Since we are not too far from our own town, this may be a future possibility.
Mineral and Water Rights: These are owned by the property owner, but it is important to make sure that there is not a lease signed by the previous owner. This is not much of an issue in the Adirondacks due to their regulations. The only concern would be timber, and to our knowledge no lease existed on our land.
Property Minerals and Rocks: The Adirondack are mostly metamorphosed Igneous and Sedimentary rocks. There is a lot of gneiss on our land. There is also a concern regarding radon gas, especially since we will have an earth sheltered home (radon gas usually leaks into basements). This is easily and inexpensively remedied at the time of construction through ventilation pipes. Other than that there is no fracking, little clay in the soil so minimal landslides, and no Karst topography.
Other considerations: We can hunt on our own 30 acres, fish and canoe locally in the Hudson River, there are snowmobile trails on our land we can't wait to make use of, and so many more wonderful things we can't wait to enjoy! However, there is no garbage pick up (we will need to go to the dump) and no postal delivery (will require a P.O.Box at the local post office). But, the road we are on is well maintained and plowed regularly. We are 5 minutes or less from the local fire department, there is a local ambulance, a small market is 5 minutes away and a grocery store is 20 minutes. There is a medical center, dentist, and more within a 20 minute drive, and a large hospital is only about 35 minutes. What more could we want?

Next Big Step?
A road!
Next small step? An ATV!
ATV Accomplished! Read more here :-)

Thanks for visiting!
Read more about our Future Homesteading Dreams here!
Sincerely,

0 Comments

Are You Thinking About Buying Land?

2/4/2017

0 Comments

We have been looking to buy land for a homestead for many years now and boy have we learned a lot as we have looked at many different properties over the years. Who knew there was so much to think about before making a decision? We certainly didn't so I just want to share some of the more important things we have learned in our search.

What we learned to consider when looking for land:

What state and location are you looking to buy? Consider retirement, taxes, family, etc.
How much are you willing to spend? Naturally the average cost per acre varies in different locations. Make sure you do your homework so you know if you are getting a good deal or not. This also helps when making a fair offer if you aren't willing to pay the asking price.
What are you looking to do with the land? Are you going to have animals, farm, hunt, etc? Are you thinking about subdividing it to share with your children?
How much land do you need? This will depend upon what you plan on doing with the land.
How far from a decent size town are you willing to be? Think shopping, hospital, etc.
Do you want water on the land? Streams, ponds, springs, etc. are good, but check local building codes and regulations with regards to fresh water.
Can you drill a well for groundwater? If there is no water on the land, and none under the land, then are you willing to bring it in or have it delivered? Of course this all depends upon what your plans for using the land are.
Will the property perk? This means can you put in a septic system. Of course there are other options if you can't, but they get more expensive and you need to know ahead of time if you are willing to go down that road.
Are there any governmental and/or environmental controls over the land? If there are any areas classified as wetlands on the land, the DEC or another agency will probably have a say as to what you do with it.
Is the soil and the land usable? Cliffs, steep slopes, sandy or clayey soil, and too many rocks may not be conducive to your plans for using the land. Even if they are, are you O.K. with choosing native plants or having a driveway you need a winch to get up in the winter?
If you are looking in a mountainous region, what direction do you want the slopes to face? It is usually preferable, and therefore more expensive, to purchase a south facing slope because it gets more daily sunlight (think solar heating and power). However, if you want the snow to stay longer, or prefer cooler temperatures, then the a north facing slope may be better.
What about flooding? If you are in a mountainous region, do you want to be up the mountain or in the valley? If you are near a river or lake, does it flood and how will this affect your plans?
What about local building codes and rules? Think about how many structures you might need such as a home, garage, barn, maybe a guest house, etc. Zoning laws will affect what and where you can build.
Do you want road frontage? If the land does not have road frontage for easy access, you need to make sure there is an access through someone else land specifically stated on the deed (usually called an easement). Landlocked property is useless unless you can fly in.
Do you want to live on or off the grid? Are there utilities at the road that can be brought in? If the homesite is very far you need to consider the expense of bringing in the electric or living off grid instead.
Is cell phone service necessary? Many remote locations have no cell service at all. Some have it nearby and you may be able to boost it. The potential for boosting can be tested using your cell phones field test mode. Read more about Remote Cell Service at Mother Earth News.
What about internet and cable services? If these are not available, satellite is an option but you will probably need to be willing to sacrifice the speeds at which you are used to!
What about the mineral and water rights beneath the land? Will you own them? If not, who will and what are their rights vs. yours? The same thing goes for timber rights. In some cases these rights have been sold and you need to know this before you make a decision to buy.
And what exactly are the minerals and rocks made of on your property? Is it unconsolidated sediment that will move in an earthquake? Does it release radon, a cancer causing gas that is easily remediated if you are aware ahead of time? Is there a lot of clay that can expand in heavy rains and lead to landslides? What about fracking, is there gas that someone might want to frack for beneath it? And of course you would want to know if it is Karst topography that leads to sink holes.
Other considerations: natural disasters, local wildlife and hunting laws, seasonal temperatures, state trails for hiking and snowmobiling, dumping, mail and package delivery, winter road maintenance, ambulance and fire services, etc..

Wow! Who knew there was so much to think about...and this isn't even everything! Thankfully we learned all of this before finding the land we finally purchased to build our future homestead on!
Read Homestead Dream Step 1: We Bought Land!

One last piece of advice:
Get out and walk or ride (think ATV) the land! If you can't, then find someone who can do it for you. There is no better way to really know if you want to buy it than to see it and experience it first hand!

Thanks for visiting!
If there is anything important you think I have missed please comment or send me an e-mail.
I am always interested in learning!
Sincerely,

0 Comments

Forward>>

Blog

Vermont Wood Stove Refurbish

We Bought an ATV!

Homestead Dream Step 1: We Bought Land!

Are You Thinking About Buying Land?

Categories

Archives