Wannabefree
Little Miss Sunshine
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That's so true. I've had that happen more often than not.
hqueen's collection of Far From the Usual stuff.
- Thread starter hqueen13
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hqueen13
<Insert Snazzy Title Here
Thank you everyone!! 
We're still plugging along. TW and VO finally went out of town again, so we went up in the room in the barn and measured things. I don't have an accurate count on how big the space is, but it's TINY. It would be challenging to make a comfortable space with only that to work with, so we were looking at the structure of the barn and realized we could add another "room" on and extend it over the barn aisle fairly easily. The question is whether VO and TW would go for that or not. I think they'll be a little resistant to it, but I just don't see how you can make even an efficiency apartment in the space that is there, especially because of the way the roof angles work, it isn't a "square" space and has some slopes to it that complicate things.
We did get a lead on a farm with an apartment for rent. The folks just bought the 53 acres that include a GIANT manor house that looks like it was built in the 18somethings but was really built in 1998. It has an old bank barn with good storage, plus a barn that could have 8 stalls added down below and they're building out an apartment above, and several storage rooms. It sounds great until we started talking to them and they don't want anything to do with the maintenance of the actual farm, and want to charge about $1200 for the use of the barn and pastures (he doesn't even know how many fenced pastures they actually have, which tells me how many horses I can actually have...), AND another $1400 - $1600 for the "finished apartment" that is over the second barn. It's basically a studio/efficiency apartment, and the barn has lots of posts and beams that make it awkward to organize, and the "bedroom" would be a curtained off section of the barn rather than real walls. It's pretty and has character, but to pay over $2500 for the privilege of having a farm to run and living there is not gonna cut it. They just don't seem to understand the actual cost of maintaining horses and maintaining a property WELL. Additionally, there's a huge pasture with no shed (can't legally do 24hr turnout there, though it's in the back so it's not likely anyone would notice), and the fences are all but falling down. My horse would look at those and laugh. The only saving grace would be that there is enough grass to keep them busy for a long time. I'm all about supporting a property and putting in the sweat equity. I'm NOT all about improving your property at my expense while paying you to live there AND having to put in the sweat equity. They were advertising all this and they didn't even have an arena planned for the property. So there's not even anywhere to ride. At our second visit when I took the BF back with me the guy told me they were definitely doing that. Oh, yeah, and btw, there's only *8* stalls in the bank barn. There's room for 8 more in the second barn, but they barely have a plan to build those out and it doesn't sound like it's high on the radar. So I'm supposed to bring in enough money to support myself, pay for my space to live and rent the barn plus support the boarded horses with only 8 stalls and some field board. My first indication that he wasn't going to be based in reality was when he told me on the phone that "we were thinking we'd charge you about $200 per stall, and then we were told you'd be able to get $900 per stall...." I was like you're OUT OF YOUR MIND, and whoever told you that has NO idea what the heck they're talking about.
So that's a bummer that isn't going to work out, but it's probably for the better. I think we're leaning towards working out the efficiency space, it's a way better deal even if it does mean losing $1500+ in income every month. No rent or utilities will help balance that out a little at least. Now we just have to figure out exactly how efficient we can make that space... I think I want to go down to Ikea and talk to one of their kitchen design people and see what we can come up with, they're about as efficient as I know of.
So we continue to pack, and shuffle things around. I continue to struggle with the chaos of boxes everywhere and not being able to walk into rooms. I'm gonna have to get control of some of that this week because it really bothers me so I might as well take care of it so I can keep my energy balanced. Control what I can control and I can control that! I also need to seriously buckle down and get some things packed up. It just needs to happen. I've sorted some more things, which is good, but I've got to actually start getting stuff into boxes for real.
Fun times...
We're still plugging along. TW and VO finally went out of town again, so we went up in the room in the barn and measured things. I don't have an accurate count on how big the space is, but it's TINY. It would be challenging to make a comfortable space with only that to work with, so we were looking at the structure of the barn and realized we could add another "room" on and extend it over the barn aisle fairly easily. The question is whether VO and TW would go for that or not. I think they'll be a little resistant to it, but I just don't see how you can make even an efficiency apartment in the space that is there, especially because of the way the roof angles work, it isn't a "square" space and has some slopes to it that complicate things.
We did get a lead on a farm with an apartment for rent. The folks just bought the 53 acres that include a GIANT manor house that looks like it was built in the 18somethings but was really built in 1998. It has an old bank barn with good storage, plus a barn that could have 8 stalls added down below and they're building out an apartment above, and several storage rooms. It sounds great until we started talking to them and they don't want anything to do with the maintenance of the actual farm, and want to charge about $1200 for the use of the barn and pastures (he doesn't even know how many fenced pastures they actually have, which tells me how many horses I can actually have...), AND another $1400 - $1600 for the "finished apartment" that is over the second barn. It's basically a studio/efficiency apartment, and the barn has lots of posts and beams that make it awkward to organize, and the "bedroom" would be a curtained off section of the barn rather than real walls. It's pretty and has character, but to pay over $2500 for the privilege of having a farm to run and living there is not gonna cut it. They just don't seem to understand the actual cost of maintaining horses and maintaining a property WELL. Additionally, there's a huge pasture with no shed (can't legally do 24hr turnout there, though it's in the back so it's not likely anyone would notice), and the fences are all but falling down. My horse would look at those and laugh. The only saving grace would be that there is enough grass to keep them busy for a long time. I'm all about supporting a property and putting in the sweat equity. I'm NOT all about improving your property at my expense while paying you to live there AND having to put in the sweat equity. They were advertising all this and they didn't even have an arena planned for the property. So there's not even anywhere to ride. At our second visit when I took the BF back with me the guy told me they were definitely doing that. Oh, yeah, and btw, there's only *8* stalls in the bank barn. There's room for 8 more in the second barn, but they barely have a plan to build those out and it doesn't sound like it's high on the radar. So I'm supposed to bring in enough money to support myself, pay for my space to live and rent the barn plus support the boarded horses with only 8 stalls and some field board. My first indication that he wasn't going to be based in reality was when he told me on the phone that "we were thinking we'd charge you about $200 per stall, and then we were told you'd be able to get $900 per stall...." I was like you're OUT OF YOUR MIND, and whoever told you that has NO idea what the heck they're talking about.
So that's a bummer that isn't going to work out, but it's probably for the better. I think we're leaning towards working out the efficiency space, it's a way better deal even if it does mean losing $1500+ in income every month. No rent or utilities will help balance that out a little at least. Now we just have to figure out exactly how efficient we can make that space... I think I want to go down to Ikea and talk to one of their kitchen design people and see what we can come up with, they're about as efficient as I know of.
So we continue to pack, and shuffle things around. I continue to struggle with the chaos of boxes everywhere and not being able to walk into rooms. I'm gonna have to get control of some of that this week because it really bothers me so I might as well take care of it so I can keep my energy balanced. Control what I can control and I can control that! I also need to seriously buckle down and get some things packed up. It just needs to happen. I've sorted some more things, which is good, but I've got to actually start getting stuff into boxes for real.
Fun times...
frustratedearthmother
Sustainability Master
Oh my goodness.... what a mess@ Its a shame that the 53 acre place isn't going to work out . I'd be tempted to tell them to call me in a year or so when they figure out that 'their way' is not going to work!
Hope you can make the tiny efficiency work out and especially hope that you can add additional space!
Hang in there gal!
Hope you can make the tiny efficiency work out and especially hope that you can add additional space!
Hang in there gal!
sumi
Rest in Peace 1980-2020
I'm in a similar position with having to move and soon and I am not having much joy finding a suitable rental, but thankfully don't need space for animals etc as well… Hope things will work out well for us both!
lcertuche
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Maybe renting a small travel trailer to live in and using the barn space to store furniture and such.
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hqueen13
<Insert Snazzy Title Here
Thanks yall!!
FEM I think what they'll have to end up doing is renting the barn and apartment separately in order to make the kind of money they want. I suppose they can get it if they do that. I sent him a proposal for $1800 so we'll see if he bothers to accept it. I don't know that I really want to move there anyway because it would be a lot of work, and we are really ready to just do our own thing and not have to be dependent on taking care of all of that in order to have boarders and stuff. It's just so complicated to manage, and I really want to move in a different direction at this point.
The first house we went to see was ADORABLE, needed a lot of TLC and had a major foundation sagging problem. The whole center of the house was sinking. The paperwork said it was built around 1900, but it had obviously had some work done to it as we could tell the materials weren't 1900 quality materials. They had redone the foundation, but somehow they didn't provide enough support through the center of the house and the whole house was sagging down over the few supports that were in the middle. I'm willing to be that there was almost a 6" drop in some areas of the house, because visually you could *SEE* about 3-4" of difference in the level of the floor and the joists from underneath in the basement. Which tells me that it's probably more than what you can actually SEE easily. It was disappointing because it was 4 CLEARED acres and a nice sized house that (minus THAT issue) really didn't need a HUGE amount of work other than basic things like a little extra insulation, some paint, and a new kitchen. It was listed for $189k, and I guess that's why since the house really needs to be torn down completely because the structural damage is really not fixable.
We're going to another one tomorrow evening, and then I think we might have another one on the list after that. We'll see what happens. My friends return some time this weekend, so I'm guessing we'll probably get together with them next weekend for dinner, so I guess we'll have a conversation about that space then. The BF figured out that it is about 245 square feet, and with the shape of it and placement of windows it makes it a bit awkward to figure out how to lay out. I need to find some more information on designing tiny house spaces to see what we can figure out about how to be really really really efficient. If we add an additional room, it will give us another 120-140 square feet of space, which would be a BIG help. And then, if they allow us to put the bathroom under the roof slope where there is storage stuff now, that would be an even BIGGER help. I guess we'll see what they have to say, the first question we need to ask them is How the heck did you THINK this would work in this sized space???
Not much else happening right now. I've been struggling this week pretty hard. Between the full moon with lunar eclipse, Mercury going back into Retrograde, the Lion's Gate 8-8 energy swing, AND pms'ing I've been emotionally all over the place, which hasn't been all that much fun. I'm really worn out and pretty much just want to cry, but I can't do that easily, either.
I have been able to follow my plan for being visible in my business and getting myself out there online, which is a good thing. Hopefully that will start to pay off soon. We'll see.
Otherwise, not much happening....
FEM I think what they'll have to end up doing is renting the barn and apartment separately in order to make the kind of money they want. I suppose they can get it if they do that. I sent him a proposal for $1800 so we'll see if he bothers to accept it. I don't know that I really want to move there anyway because it would be a lot of work, and we are really ready to just do our own thing and not have to be dependent on taking care of all of that in order to have boarders and stuff. It's just so complicated to manage, and I really want to move in a different direction at this point.
The first house we went to see was ADORABLE, needed a lot of TLC and had a major foundation sagging problem. The whole center of the house was sinking. The paperwork said it was built around 1900, but it had obviously had some work done to it as we could tell the materials weren't 1900 quality materials. They had redone the foundation, but somehow they didn't provide enough support through the center of the house and the whole house was sagging down over the few supports that were in the middle. I'm willing to be that there was almost a 6" drop in some areas of the house, because visually you could *SEE* about 3-4" of difference in the level of the floor and the joists from underneath in the basement. Which tells me that it's probably more than what you can actually SEE easily. It was disappointing because it was 4 CLEARED acres and a nice sized house that (minus THAT issue) really didn't need a HUGE amount of work other than basic things like a little extra insulation, some paint, and a new kitchen. It was listed for $189k, and I guess that's why since the house really needs to be torn down completely because the structural damage is really not fixable.
We're going to another one tomorrow evening, and then I think we might have another one on the list after that. We'll see what happens. My friends return some time this weekend, so I'm guessing we'll probably get together with them next weekend for dinner, so I guess we'll have a conversation about that space then. The BF figured out that it is about 245 square feet, and with the shape of it and placement of windows it makes it a bit awkward to figure out how to lay out. I need to find some more information on designing tiny house spaces to see what we can figure out about how to be really really really efficient. If we add an additional room, it will give us another 120-140 square feet of space, which would be a BIG help. And then, if they allow us to put the bathroom under the roof slope where there is storage stuff now, that would be an even BIGGER help. I guess we'll see what they have to say, the first question we need to ask them is How the heck did you THINK this would work in this sized space???
Not much else happening right now. I've been struggling this week pretty hard. Between the full moon with lunar eclipse, Mercury going back into Retrograde, the Lion's Gate 8-8 energy swing, AND pms'ing I've been emotionally all over the place, which hasn't been all that much fun. I'm really worn out and pretty much just want to cry, but I can't do that easily, either.
I have been able to follow my plan for being visible in my business and getting myself out there online, which is a good thing. Hopefully that will start to pay off soon. We'll see.
Otherwise, not much happening....
frustratedearthmother
Sustainability Master
THAT might be the understatement of the day!
Dang, gal! I feel bad for the position you're in - but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it turns into something better than you could have expected!
Stinks that the 1900 house has that problem. Know any good construction guys? The house that my first DH and I bought went through a flood. We didn't have any water in the house so we thought we were good....but water had come under the house and soaked into the support beams. Being a damp crawl space it did what it did and a couple years AFTER the flood we were replacing floor joists. My DH (at that time) and his best friend took care of it themselves. Not saying it was a fun job, but it was pretty straightforward. Maybe it's worth investigating if the place is what you're looking for otherwise...
Hope something comes through for you sooner rather than later!
lcertuche
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The house we're living in is so much trouble. Three weeks ago the septic line collapsed. We were suspecting something was amiss but when poop started coming up the tub drain while DH was showering we knew something bad had happened. The landlord keeps making excuses about fixing the problem. This is the same house with the packrats, rat snakes, electrical problems, one of the bathroom floors is sinking. He finally fixed the kitchen sink but not before the floor started sinking. But we found a house in town. Heat and air, no more worn out wood heater! A large yard fenced in but we have to get rid of our chickens. I hate to lose them but we gotta get a roof over our head. It's a big house that is beautifully kept. Hardwood floors and the bathroom doesn't have mold all over the ceiling. 
I was afraid this place would burn down (electrical problems) before we found an affordable place. It is a hundred dollars cheaper than where we live now and the deposit is four hundred dollars less. I kept praying about it and suddenly it just fell in our laps. So my advice is pray and believe. We are starting to pack in a day or two and within a couple of weeks we think we'll be moved in. Can't wait until we can shower, flush the toilet and wash clothes again!
I was afraid this place would burn down (electrical problems) before we found an affordable place. It is a hundred dollars cheaper than where we live now and the deposit is four hundred dollars less. I kept praying about it and suddenly it just fell in our laps. So my advice is pray and believe. We are starting to pack in a day or two and within a couple of weeks we think we'll be moved in. Can't wait until we can shower, flush the toilet and wash clothes again!
frustratedearthmother
Sustainability Master
@Icertuche - that place sounds fantastic. Prayers do get answered!
p.s. Quail can live in the garage and nobody will know they are there. They lay good and they taste good!
p.s. Quail can live in the garage and nobody will know they are there. They lay good and they taste good!
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hqueen13
<Insert Snazzy Title Here
@lcertuche That sounds great!! Wow, that landlord needs to be sued. But who has money for that? That's a terrible way to make someone live, what a shame. SO glad you've found something better even if it means giving up your chickens. I agree with FEM, quail can fit anywhere!!
FEM, the trouble we have is that for the loans we're eligible for the house HAS to pass inspection. They won't let us get something that needs that much work. So it's a no go.
We went to visit 2 more this weekend, mostly for the fun of it, I knew they wouldn't really be prospects, but it is nice to go peek into houses! There's another we want to visit this week that may actually be a prospect. It's further away than I really want to be, but for the right location, we'll see...
We got a little more packing and sorting done this weekend. It's not going as swiftly as I'd like, but at least it's going. It's HARD to pack up your life when you have no idea where you're going and whether all your stuff is going to end up in storage or not. It SUCKS. There's just no other way around it. Trying to sit through those feelings isn't easy. I'm finding I need a LOT of time to myself right now. I'm still in the midst of wild mood swings one minute I'm fine and the next I'm not fine. It comes and goes. And it stinks along the way.
My boarder that has 2 horses here in self care has decided to pull out at the end of the month. She'll still owe me for half of Sept because the contract has a 30 day notice clause, and I'm going to hold her to that. So at least I'll get half her board for Sept, but that's not much. We'll see how things shake down, but if too many people pull out too fast we may need to get out sooner. I don't know. This is the annoying time period of waiting and knowing that lots and lots of things are likely to happen really really fast, so how do we get ready without knowing what we're supposed to be ready for?
This is the essence of faith and trust in the universe. And it is not easy at all, it's terrible, and sucks. But I don't have a choice but to go along with it and wait and see what's coming that could be even better than this.
FEM, the trouble we have is that for the loans we're eligible for the house HAS to pass inspection. They won't let us get something that needs that much work. So it's a no go.
We went to visit 2 more this weekend, mostly for the fun of it, I knew they wouldn't really be prospects, but it is nice to go peek into houses! There's another we want to visit this week that may actually be a prospect. It's further away than I really want to be, but for the right location, we'll see...
We got a little more packing and sorting done this weekend. It's not going as swiftly as I'd like, but at least it's going. It's HARD to pack up your life when you have no idea where you're going and whether all your stuff is going to end up in storage or not. It SUCKS. There's just no other way around it. Trying to sit through those feelings isn't easy. I'm finding I need a LOT of time to myself right now. I'm still in the midst of wild mood swings one minute I'm fine and the next I'm not fine. It comes and goes. And it stinks along the way.
My boarder that has 2 horses here in self care has decided to pull out at the end of the month. She'll still owe me for half of Sept because the contract has a 30 day notice clause, and I'm going to hold her to that. So at least I'll get half her board for Sept, but that's not much. We'll see how things shake down, but if too many people pull out too fast we may need to get out sooner. I don't know. This is the annoying time period of waiting and knowing that lots and lots of things are likely to happen really really fast, so how do we get ready without knowing what we're supposed to be ready for?
This is the essence of faith and trust in the universe. And it is not easy at all, it's terrible, and sucks. But I don't have a choice but to go along with it and wait and see what's coming that could be even better than this.
