Pros/Cons of a rock house? Pics pg 3 dial up friendly
- Thread starter pioneergirl
- Start date
justusnak
Almost Self-Reliant
Wow, no plumbing??? As my grandfather would say... " Thats a carpenters NIGHTMARE" I would not only walk...but RUN away from this one. Sounds like it may be more money than what its worth in the long run. IF you are serious about wanting it, please make sure you check the legal issues of moveing in..septic...wireing...etc.
- Thread starter
- #43
pioneergirl
Wannabe Pioneer
Good points everyone.....I'll be calling around to see what the local codes are THANK YOU!!!
- Thread starter
- #45
pioneergirl
Wannabe Pioneer
LOL ok so I basically found out that out here in the country, as long as you aren't causing a health hazard, you can pretty much do what you want . How's that? DH said "We can dig an outhouse, no problem"...so there ya go! 
Shiloh Acres
Lovin' The Homestead
- Joined
- Jun 29, 2010
- Messages
- 970
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 84
I grew up in a farmhouse like that in the Midwest ... And I'm not THAT old, LOL.
Seriously, the chore of pumping and toting and heating water for dishes, etc was nit that bad. Outhouses ... Aren't that bad, if you don't get too freaked out by spiders and keep an indoor pot for use at night.
Very cold weather makes things a tad more challenging.
I'm not sure about you, but the real issue for me at this point in my life would be the lack of a shower. During hot weather, I sometimes shower twice a day what with getting mucky and sweaty taking care of livestock and all. And in the winter, it's a bit more tedious to haul in buckets of water and heat them for a bath. Not to mention I have very long, thick hair and I need LOTS of rinsing to keep my scalp healthy. I had a taste of that again last winter in the cabin when the propane gauge went out and I couldn't run hot water, so I had to boil water in an electric teakettle (thankfully I had one!) to try to get enough warm water in the HUGE tub to get clean. I think I'd have appreciated my old washtub then LOL, at least it requires less water to get a few inches in it!
I've seen options for that too. A friend living on a houseboat rigged an outdoor shower. Heated in summer via solar and in winter with a small amount of wood. I guess it depends what you're willing to do work-wise, what you can tolerate, and/or how much you can afford to update.
As an experiment, you might try living in your house for a week "pretending" that you don't have hot running water as much as possible (carry water in from the outside spigot for kitchen use, and heat water some other way for your bath) and see if you are ready to give up on it? Better to know sooner than later.
Seriously, the chore of pumping and toting and heating water for dishes, etc was nit that bad. Outhouses ... Aren't that bad, if you don't get too freaked out by spiders and keep an indoor pot for use at night.
Very cold weather makes things a tad more challenging.
I'm not sure about you, but the real issue for me at this point in my life would be the lack of a shower. During hot weather, I sometimes shower twice a day what with getting mucky and sweaty taking care of livestock and all. And in the winter, it's a bit more tedious to haul in buckets of water and heat them for a bath. Not to mention I have very long, thick hair and I need LOTS of rinsing to keep my scalp healthy. I had a taste of that again last winter in the cabin when the propane gauge went out and I couldn't run hot water, so I had to boil water in an electric teakettle (thankfully I had one!) to try to get enough warm water in the HUGE tub to get clean. I think I'd have appreciated my old washtub then LOL, at least it requires less water to get a few inches in it!
I've seen options for that too. A friend living on a houseboat rigged an outdoor shower. Heated in summer via solar and in winter with a small amount of wood. I guess it depends what you're willing to do work-wise, what you can tolerate, and/or how much you can afford to update.
As an experiment, you might try living in your house for a week "pretending" that you don't have hot running water as much as possible (carry water in from the outside spigot for kitchen use, and heat water some other way for your bath) and see if you are ready to give up on it? Better to know sooner than later.
- Thread starter
- #47
pioneergirl
Wannabe Pioneer
I hear ya! When I was a child, we lived in a tiny house in the Rocky Mountains in CO. Many, many, many (did I say many? 
) times the power would go out for weeks during the winter. Most times we were snowed in and couldn't even open the door. Back then we had a wood stove and my mother would heat water for every thing. Dad would bring snow in by the bucket (lots of times opening the door and finding a wall of ice/snow and just scraping it into buckets. I guess I never knew any different. Of course, I am older with amenities now, lol. I too have long, thick hair. I have gotten into the habit of brushing a lot, and even keeping it tied up more to keep it as clean as possible. My scalp is a different story, as I have horrible dandruff issues. Kefir seems to be helping with that (also helping my other skin issues). I've spent up to 2 weeks camping, bathing with little water and going to the bathroom in "other" places. 
I spent 2 years (not consecutive) in South Korea living with a family and over there indoor plumbing was a luxury for the rich.
I guess what I'm trying to say, without sounding like a pompus a$$ is that I do believe I can do it. It has been many years, but I think it will come back to me. I'm a schedule and timing/planning person, so I think if I plan appropriately for things, it might make living a tad easier.
I agree, I have been known to shower a couple times a day, and this year am trying to be a bit more concious of it. I have a 5 gallon bucket on the deck that I rinse off with. By that I mean handfuls splashed on the big parts. I must admit it is a challenge to get used to!
) times the power would go out for weeks during the winter. Most times we were snowed in and couldn't even open the door. Back then we had a wood stove and my mother would heat water for every thing. Dad would bring snow in by the bucket (lots of times opening the door and finding a wall of ice/snow and just scraping it into buckets. I guess I never knew any different. Of course, I am older with amenities now, lol. I too have long, thick hair. I have gotten into the habit of brushing a lot, and even keeping it tied up more to keep it as clean as possible. My scalp is a different story, as I have horrible dandruff issues. Kefir seems to be helping with that (also helping my other skin issues). I've spent up to 2 weeks camping, bathing with little water and going to the bathroom in "other" places. I spent 2 years (not consecutive) in South Korea living with a family and over there indoor plumbing was a luxury for the rich. I guess what I'm trying to say, without sounding like a pompus a$$ is that I do believe I can do it. It has been many years, but I think it will come back to me. I'm a schedule and timing/planning person, so I think if I plan appropriately for things, it might make living a tad easier.
I agree, I have been known to shower a couple times a day, and this year am trying to be a bit more concious of it. I have a 5 gallon bucket on the deck that I rinse off with. By that I mean handfuls splashed on the big parts. I must admit it is a challenge to get used to!
FarmerChick
Super Self-Sufficient
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2008
- Messages
- 11,417
- Reaction score
- 14
- Points
- 248
Is this home just for you only?
seems big if it is just for one person
I know when and if I am ever a one person unit, lol, I will be downgrading the size of my home....I want less taxes, less space to heat and cool, etc etc etc lol plus I want maintenance to be cheaper for upkeep the older I get the harder it is for "me" to do it myself and buying labor to do jobs is getting more expensive....so a smaller home usually means way smaller costs in the end
seems big if it is just for one person
I know when and if I am ever a one person unit, lol, I will be downgrading the size of my home....I want less taxes, less space to heat and cool, etc etc etc lol plus I want maintenance to be cheaper for upkeep the older I get the harder it is for "me" to do it myself and buying labor to do jobs is getting more expensive....so a smaller home usually means way smaller costs in the end
- Thread starter
- #49
pioneergirl
Wannabe Pioneer
It will be me and the DH, and twice a year my DS comes to visit. He is 11. Plus I never know when a niece or nephew might stop in, and my DSS might drop in on leave from the Army. So, I need 2 bedrooms anyway. The current house I'm in is 2,500sq ft, and although I have a use for every room, we need to downsize. This place is probably 1,500, if not less. I agree, keeping a big house clean and maintained can be a pain. And people say homemakers do nothing...HA! 
All in all I look at the land surrounding. I don't know, I called the lady that owns it, left a message, and am awaiting a return call.
All in all I look at the land surrounding. I don't know, I called the lady that owns it, left a message, and am awaiting a return call.
freemotion
Food Guru
How much land? Can you have critters? Poultry, pigs, goats, etc?
And....if the price is right, could you offer more than asking, enough to cover installing a septic system and one working bathroom? Or at least the bare bones of a working bathroom...you can put up walls and a door and such, as long as the plumbing is in place. Get an estimate for the work, and offer...$25,000, whatever (I'm out of touch with what these things things cost!) more and the current owner uses that to put in the plumbing, and you pay for it with your mortgage payments. Might be worthwhile and still within your financial reach.
And....if the price is right, could you offer more than asking, enough to cover installing a septic system and one working bathroom? Or at least the bare bones of a working bathroom...you can put up walls and a door and such, as long as the plumbing is in place. Get an estimate for the work, and offer...$25,000, whatever (I'm out of touch with what these things things cost!) more and the current owner uses that to put in the plumbing, and you pay for it with your mortgage payments. Might be worthwhile and still within your financial reach.
