Moving our homestead

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Countryside : One Thread

My husband and I have a small 10 acre farm with chickens, goats, dogs, cats, tractors, farm implements, and everything else that goes along with homesteading. We are contemplating a move to another area because our town is developing too fast for us. Much vacant land is for sale and businesses seems to be enlarging. We've been here 6 years and it's just not the same. We've thought about this on & off for the past year, but this year we're really serious. There is a possibility that a one mile auto race track will be built behind us. And our closest neighbors are already selling. We're looking at areas about 100-200 miles away and we're unsure about the way to approach this. Do we find the job first? Do we find a home first? Do we put items into storage and come back for them? Do we start our garden this spring? After reading Countryside, I've learned that the hardest part is actually making the decision. The organization & moving fall into place as we go along. Any support from fellow readers will be appreciated.

-- Charleen (cjsatkow@iinc.com), March 05, 2000

Answers

Charleen, good questions, no simple answers. It does sound like moving would be a good option for you. We've got a racetrack maybe 8-10 miles from here and we can hear it. Luckily they only run Friday nights in the summer.

As for job vs. home, you'll have to do some soul-searching and talking. Are you Jane and Jack of all trades? Able and willing to do what ever job you can find? If not, find a job first. Also find a job or jobs if one or both of you can't deal with the uncertainty of no income. If you feel you'll be able to get some sort of job, and have enough cushion of savings, don't worry about a job.

One or both of you might not care about jobs/money, but the thought of being without a home even briefly might cause panic. Then find a home.

Whether or not to put your things in storage is something you won't have to worry about until closer to moving time. Then you'll have to evaluate storage vs moving costs and time. Possibly even moving and storing things closer to your new home.

Probably your current home's value will deteriate with the race track,so prices will be better now, just make sure to be honest about the track so the new owners don't sue you. It'll be easier to sell now then later, when the almost surely increased noise and traffic will be a reality.

Wouldn't hurt to put in a bit of a garden. Someone looking for 10 acres most likely would find that appealling, and you will be able to get at least some production for yourself.

Good luck. Gerbil

PS It took us over a year to move into this place-just how does that organization and moving fall into place? Of course, we were flat broke and moving the equivalent of 4 households.

-- Gerbil (ima_gerbil@hotmail.com), March 05, 2000.


Slow down - you move too FAST! Gosh - Sounds like a song lyric! Anyway, there are 1,000 answers! What is your zoning? Do you have zoning? If so, what is it where they want to do the zoomies? Stay cool until you have assesed the whole situation. Go talk to your Code Enforcement Officer. Learn about zoning and local politics. If you don't do these things you will be holding the short end of the stick. Educate yourself on these matters and you will compete if not dominate. Go get'em Tiger - but be prepared!! Good Luck!

Brad

-- Brad (homefixer@mix-net.net), March 05, 2000.


When I was searching, it was the house/land we looked for because we each had jobs we'd commute too. Gerbil is right. What is more important? Could you landscape to help your sense of privacy? You will probably hear the track, but will it only be on weekends? We have a kids' ballfield w/in a few hundred yards of the front of our acreage, but it is only annoying about 3 months out of the year, and then only 4-5 days a week. Worth dealing with for us. Your land may be worth more parcelled out if you sell. For the record, I prefer large parcels, but there are tons of city folk who think 1-acre is a lot of land.

-- Anne (healthytouch101@hotmail.com), March 05, 2000.

Too bad. Sounds like you have your heart an soul in the place. Since the race track is happening, and you'd have to tell potential buyers about it anyway, maybe the track will need the extra land-and you could hold out to sell to them or a related business. My Uncle sold some property, for nearly nothing, 25 yrs ago because the 'place was gettin too damn busy, and who would want to retire there now anyway.' The property was in Orlando. Like in Florida. Disney. Got a tissue?!

-- Kathy (catfish@bestweb.net), March 05, 2000.

Brad's right. Slow way down and get your priorities in order. I've seen so many people wipe out because of not thinking it through. One really nice couple I know set up a beautiful homestead then realize there was no work to be found. Around here that happens over and over. Anyway good luck and I'm so sorry your being closed in on. Kirk

-- Kirk Davis (kirkay@yahoo.com), March 05, 2000.


Charleen, We have accomplished a move a little over a thousand miles away. We did it one-step-at-a-time!! We chose our location with an atlas and closed eyes and a finger! (so you are further ahead than we were at first!). Snowy days in the northeast will do those things to you! When spring came we had looked at many books including the atlas itself which showed plenty of industry, agriculture, and good water. We decided to call a real estate agent and ask questions. We flew here in the spring to look around and see if it was the place for us. We determined that it would suit our needs very well. Not so much snow fall and a longer summerlike environment (Ernie,my husband has had 3 back surgeries and snow shoveling is out). Ernie said he felt it was more important to have the land first. A decision that you and yours will have to make yourselves. He also thought we should sell all of our animals before we moved, which I quickly shot down. It did cost me, but I'm really glad I moved them with me. Another decision you will want to make. If it is to another state you will also have the vet bill for all the appropriate tests to be run before you move them. There is also a strange feeling when you have things in an uproar. I had to change my mental checks (I find myself having funny feelings now and then and run through a series of thoughts, are the kids O.K., llamas, goats, chickens, ducks, dogs, cats, etc etc.). My animals were being boarded so I just had the husband, the kids and myself to be sure all was O.K. I could ramble on and on and on about this but we believe in the saying, "NO GUTS, NO GLORY." The kids tremble when we get the atlas out now, they think were on the road again! I tried to sit back and PLAN the move but there are some things you can't plan. You need to talk frequently with your partner and all involved in the move and go day by day!

Contact me if you wish. GOOD LUCK!

-- Emily Nouvertne (BellyAcresFarm@kyk.net), March 06, 2000.


We have the same problem as you. Ours is not a race track, but a quarry. We picked a part of the U.S. that we thought we'd like better and traveled for quite a few weekends over 2 years looking at property. Last year we found a 100 acres in TN (we were looking in WV, VA, NC and TN). We closed on it 8 months ago. Makeing two house payments has been really tough, but we know once we sell this old place, we'll be doing better. The quarry is now talking to us about buying our property and we're trying to work out a 2 year occupancy to give us time to pay off the 100 acres. Jobs are not something that we've given a whole lot of thought to. Our plan is to be totally debt free and only have to have jobs to pay for our visits to family and small daily expenditures, plus a good used car every few years. If you plan your move right, you can also change your lifestyle to make the move in the right direction with your life. Right now we work to pay a high interest mortgage, 8 maxed out credit cards, 2 new car loans, high taxes on our high wages, etc. and we still are falling farther behind. Be sure you know what you're moving away from and into. Make it for the better!!!

-- Peggy Adkins (adkinsonthefarm@hotmail.com), March 06, 2000.

We did not have to move our homestead , but we moved 6 hours away from were we lived all our lives .We had 3 children , 4 dogs , and 2 cats.We looked for a farm for 1 year ,then we paid on it for another year and bought supplies.Moving day was exciting and scary!We did consider jobs before we bought the farm .You can go to americas job bank and search for jobs in the towns you are considering , also check with the local chamber of commerce , and the unemployment dept.For some reason you always need more money than you think , so make sure there will be some good paying jobs around. Also be aware you may not get a job easy in a new area ,we went 3 months some of these places its who you know not what .Good luck ,and remember whats meant to be will. If it doesn't work out right away it will when the time is right.

-- Patty Gamble (fodfarms@slic.com), March 06, 2000.

We too are thinking about moving, but we have an even bigger problem. We have 120 acres, 14 head of cattle, 16 horses, 10 sheep, 10 goats, chicken, ducks, geese, cats and dogs plus a LOT of farm equipment and a huge Victorian full of "stuff". We have been living on the corner of a very small town and have decided now that the youngest child is graduating that it is time to move to a quieter and larger farm.

We are trying to get to the point that at least one of us does not have to work off the farm and I am trying to start my own home-based business (web-design) that I can do from anywhere. My husband does construction so he probably would be able to find work anywhere. Our plan is to find another farm first and then split our current farm into 2 parcels and sell the land to make the downpayment on the new farm and so we can take few months to move everything (our current farm is almost paid for so we won't have to worry about double payments, thank goodness). Since we are looking for such a large property, it will take us a while to find the right place.

I would go ahead with the garden if you haven't found another property or job. Definitely have a plan and start packing now - it will take a lot longer than you think. In the process, simplify, simplify, simplify - get rid of the stuff you haven't used or no longer need. You may want to put your packed boxes in a storage locker to keep your house looking neat for prospective buyers and to keep yourself from going crazy with chaos. It always amazes me that when I start packing because I know we want to move, everything always falls into place very quickly.

Good luck with your move! !

-- beckie (sunshine_horses@yahoo.com), March 07, 2000.


Moderation questions? read the FAQ